At the end of pregnancy, everything seems to take an eternity! This happens because we are tired and, for sure, feeling way too heavy. It’s uncomfortable even for sleeping. At this moment, putting into practice tricks and tips on how to speed up labor is a great idea! If you want a vaginal birth, or want to go in for surgery when the baby shows signs of wanting to be born, you should stay alert and cooperate. But there are small, simple techniques to help this moment come more quickly. Although labor happens when the baby is ready to be born, giving a little help to speed up labor doesn’t hurt.
These tips are suitable for any woman, especially for those who wish to have a vaginal birth or even just go into labor more quickly for a medically indicated delivery. They can be put into practice from the 37th week of pregnancy1, not before, as the baby would be premature. How to speed up labor without leaving home?
Exercises to Speed Up Labor
Walking – All pregnant women know that walking helps with labor2. Walking for an hour in the morning or in the afternoon helps dilation and also helps the baby fit into the pelvis to come out. You can choose a nice place to enjoy the scenery or use a treadmill at home (always very carefully). If you’re not up for walking for an hour straight, you can split this time into several walks, like 30 minutes in the morning and 30 in the afternoon. Even if walking doesn’t speed up labor, doctors still recommend light exercise to be prepared when the long-anticipated moment arrives. But pay attention: exercises should be light. Exercises that greatly raise your heart rate may not be very beneficial!
Exercises – Squats are great for making dilation happen faster. Besides that, they also help the baby move down into the birth canal. The best way to do this exercise is with your back supported against a wall and slowly lowering yourself, with your legs slightly apart. Just 5 minutes of squats per day already makes a difference.
The Pilates ball is a powerful assistant to speed up labor. Sitting on the Pilates ball and making circular movements or moving back and forth helps with dilation. You can also bounce gently on the ball for a few minutes, which decompresses the spine and helps relax the pelvic floor muscles. However, you don’t need to do exercises all day, just 15 minutes twice a day already helps a lot.
Having Sex – Did you know that sex is a good tip for speeding up labor? Sexual intercourse stimulates the body to produce oxytocin3. Known as the love hormone, it is also responsible for contractions. Male semen is also rich in prostaglandins, a substance that helps soften the cervix. In addition, the female orgasm can stimulate contractions.
Other Tips to Speed Up Labor
To make dilation easier, the ideal is for the woman to stay relaxed, and for this, saying words with the “A” sound helps a lot! Talk and sing at the moment of pain (when they come), this will help with dilation, making all your muscles less tense and thus speeding up labor.
Hot Bath
Hot baths also help a lot with labor. In addition to relieving the pain the woman may be feeling, it also relaxes the body muscles. Warm baths with a back massage help you relax and speed up labor. A warm or hot water bottle on the lower back is also a good idea. It serves as a bath substitute and can be just as relaxing. But remember to avoid very hot and long baths.
Foods
Some foods also help with labor. Evening primrose oil and cinnamon and raspberry leaf teas are good examples. Evening primrose oil and raspberry leaf tea help stimulate the uterus, but may overstimulate it. Therefore, you shouldn’t use these supplements without talking to your doctor first.
Laughing and kissing are great tips! In addition to keeping you in a good mood and spirits, they’ll help release oxytocin and endorphins, which help you deal better with pain and strengthen your bond with the baby’s father. Have a good laugh and kiss a lot.
Walk, laugh, and have lots of affection! Labor will certainly thank you!
Readers’ Questions:
40 weeks with no signs of labor, what to do?
The biggest anxiety for expectant mothers is waiting for signs of labor believing that labor will happen by 40 weeks, and nothing. But few know that it’s normal for signs of labor to happen up to 42 weeks, always with close monitoring by the obstetrician to ensure the well-being of mother and baby. Upon reaching 40 weeks without signs of labor, the obstetrician will evaluate your case and may “give a little help” or see if it’s necessary to schedule a cesarean section.
How to dilate the cervix?
Very commonly used tactics recommended by obstetricians to help dilate the cervix and aid labor are having plenty of sex, warm baths, and squats. Contrary to what many couples think, sex until the end of pregnancy is very good and helps with labor, unless it’s prohibited for medical reasons.
40 weeks and the mucus plug hasn’t come out, now what?
The release of the mucus plug is awaited by all pregnant women, but it doesn’t always come out before labor. In some cases, the plug only comes out after delivery along with the residues expelled by the uterus. It can also happen that the plug comes out and labor still takes a few days. So, don’t worry.
