Pregnancy & Baby 

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Labour: helping nature along

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‘Labour-savers’ ‘Tried and tested tips’

• Clear the room of unnecessary people. Lots of people talking around you can make it difficult to focus on more important matters.
• When you and your partner are alone try kissing, cuddling and nipple stimulation. Many midwives report that the last of these can be a very effective way of stimulating labour if it has slowed down.
• Stay upright and mobile. Go for a walk – gravity will pull your baby’s head down more firmly onto your cervix. This will stimulate the production of oxytocin which will strengthen your contractions.
• Eat or drink something light or try a few spoonfuls of honey. Your body may be crying out for a little extra energy.
• Try squatting. You can do this on a birth stool, between your partners legs or sitting on a bucket covered with towels. Go ahead and improvise. Squatting has been shown to make contractions stronger. However, women in established labour may find it painful to get into or maintain the squatting position.
• Change the atmosphere in some way – put on some music, burn some essential oils, change the lighting
• If you are tired, rest. When labour slows down it may be simply be a signal that you need a break. Provided there is no sign of distress in the baby and you are well, there is no harm in waiting. Lying on your side with legs and arms propped up by pillows is unlikely to restrict blood flow to your baby. Your midwife can continue to monitor your baby in this position.
• Try a dose of castor oil and milk. Many midwives are returning to this old-fashioned remedy which can be surprisingly effective at stimulating a stalled labour.
• Use homeopathic remedies. There is a body of research to show that well-chosen homeopathic remedies can stimulate labour. Caulophyllum 30c is the most commonly used remedy and may help to shorten labour. If you consult a homeopath before you reach term he or she may supply you with several different remedies to use at appropriate times before, during and after labour.
• Acupuncture is another effective way to stimulate labour. Visit your acupuncturist near your due date for gentle pre-labour treatment.
• Don’t underestimate the way your body and your baby can co-operate with your innermost feelings. Are you afraid of something or angry about something? Can you articulate it? Sometimes voicing your concerns helps to clear the air and can move your labour along.
• Remind yourself that some labours, particularly first labours, simply are long. Maybe for you, this is how it’s meant to be.

If none of these things work, and you feel that you just can’t go on, you have the right to choose whatever help you think is necessary without feeling you have ‘failed’.

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