You’ve made a baby! That was the easy, exciting, and fun part! So, we got the baby-makin’ down but now you have an entire 9 months of pregnancy ahead of you. Some women feel at ease with the fast-approaching labor and delivery. While others, especially first-time moms, may find it overwhelming or even daunting.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Educate yourself and plan for delivery, what it is, and what to expect. Giving birth may seem a whole lot less scary if you’re prepared.

Giving birth has a lot of aspects that are entirely uncontrollable in the process. It can seem hard and emotional. Hence, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about your fears of labor and delivery. Your doctors can help put your anxieties on the back burner. They can support you and make you feel comfortable during this new and unknown experience. Here are a few tips on how to prepare for labor and delivery of your baby:

How to Prepare for Labor and Delivery

Nutrition and Exercise

Eating healthy is kind of a given for any time of any day. It doesn’t just pertain to pregnancy, but at least in the development of your child, it’s very important. It not only helps your body maintain a healthy track but it keeps the baby healthy and out of the way of additional risks.

For example, gaining too much weight over what might be considered a healthy pregnancy could contribute to complications like Gestational Diabetes. Conditions like these need to be monitored by a doctor. Additionally, lifestyle changes and medications may be needed to control the situation. Babies delivered by mothers with Gestational Diabetes are at higher risk of health complications. They have a higher risk of becoming overweight themselves.

This also applies to women who gain too little weight. Babies born to women who gain under 20 pounds are at risk for premature birth and growth limitations. A healthy lifestyle not only helps in pregnancy but also delivery. Babies that become overweight have difficulty passing through the birth canal. This can lead to a C-Section.

Premature babies may face difficulties managing on their own and often require admission to the NICU to help them stabilize. Being mindful of your nutrition and level of health can help prevent the need for additional medical interventions during delivery. Talk to your healthcare provider about what your particular health needs may be.

Learn About Labor and Delivery

Fear often stems from the unknown, especially during a first pregnancy when everything is new and unfamiliar. Educating yourself on the birth process and delivery can help fill in the blanks.

You may find answers to a few looming questions you may have that cause anxiety. Attend birth classes, get books, and talk to friends or family members about your concerns. Although everyone’s experiences differ, getting a sense of what’s to come may be more calming going into the birthing experience.

Be Active

Walking and moving help the progression of labor. Studies have shown that laying on your back during labor is counterproductive. The space in the birth canal winds up being reduced. This makes it more difficult for the babies to pass through when it’s time. Walking and moving around during labor helps the process and avoid stalling.

It’s well known that the birthing position has a massive impact on the execution of labor and delivery. Positioning yourself in ways that allow gravity to assist in opening the pelvis can help facilitate a smoother delivery. This may also make the process less painful.

Stay Positive

Being calm and positive helps have a great experience. While it’s normal to encounter challenges along the way, expecting the worst can make the process feel more difficult.

Being focused on a birth plan is a great way to set yourself up for the delivery you hope for. Communicate with your doctor your wishes and have an open mind about the experience. Panic can cause complications to surface. So, take it all in stride and the best is yet to come!

Support System

Have a support system. Keep around the friends and family that stress you out the least. Surround yourself with people who keep you calm during stressful moments and whom you trust during such an important time. You’ll want your go-to person there if things get intense—because they might! Complications or exhaustion can arise, and having unwavering support can make all the difference in getting you through.

First-Time Mom Questions About Labor and Delivery

“What If I Need A C-Section?”

It’s pretty common. 33% of women have births by Caesarean. For most first-time moms who aren’t carrying multiples or experiencing spontaneous labor, the likelihood of needing a C-section is about 15%. This depends on pregnancy circumstances.

It’s good advice to consider hiring a doula – a nonmedical labor coach who can be in the room along with your OB/GYN.

Women who had a doula were 52.9% less likely to deliver by C-section. They can coach you into helpful positions, massage your back, and check in with you throughout delivery. They can even help your partner help you. Some hospitals are known to offer free doula services. Alternatively, you can find recommendations from your physician or hire one through an additional service. Some insurance companies will reimburse the fee.

If you’re not sure about a C-section, ask your healthcare provider about trying labor first. Find out what the risks are and what other alternatives they may suggest. Sometimes the C-section is the only option. Have no worries, it’s only a 45-minute procedure and your partner can almost always stay with you during the process.

“What If I Don’t Make it To The Hospital?”

It’s pretty unlikely. Most first-time laborers are pretty long. This gives new moms a long time to get to the maternity ward. It’s even more common for first-time laborers to arrive early during labor. This means it can last a few hours to a couple of days. Most providers apply the 5-1-1 rule: contractions every five minutes, lasting one minute, and continuing for at least one hour. Hospitals can cause stress and stall labor. Hence, it’s best to spend early labor walking around.

In the rare event that you need to deliver your baby on your own, remember to cut the cord. Clear the baby’s nostrils and mouth, and swaddle them. In most cases, the baby will be perfectly fine with these steps.

Most women have a long labor and would probably prefer a backseat 20-minute delivery. It’s just not a thing.

“What About The Pain?”

There are options for pain. However, the pain is necessary. It helps move us into positions that help labor move along. The longer stages of labor are easily managed by most women. The shorter transition into more severe labor can be the toughest and lasts about one to three hours. Pushing follows shortly after, leading to the birth. However, if you prefer medications to manage the pain, epidurals are available for most deliveries.

There are prenatal yoga practitioners who have reported less pain during labor. Pairing movement and breathing helps to build endurance during delivery. It teaches you methods of management and visualization throughout the process. This helps in the process of relaxing through sensory details in happy and calming memories. Good memories are supposed to trigger a relaxation response during contractions.

In addition to prenatal yoga, learning breathing techniques and positions are other med-free tactics to tolerate it all. However, if none of this is your cup of tea, anesthesia or intravenous narcotics can dull the pain for two to six hours. Talk to your doctor about which options may be right for you and your pregnancy.

“What If I Tear?”

Tearing can happen when your skin won’t stretch enough to accommodate the baby coming through. It can be pretty common. Doctors have to repair a tear in almost 50% of hospital births. Your OB may require only a couple of stitches with a short snip to help prevent any rupture.

Childbirth educators have stated that side-lying and upright positions help protect the perineum. When it’s time to push, squat bars can help protect the entire under-carry and keep everything intact. You could also ask a nurse to hold a warm compress over your perineum to increase blood flow and elasticity. Also, a nurse can also help by giving a massage to help you stretch as the baby’s head starts to breach.

If snipping is necessary, the birth tends to be entirely distracting. So, the administering of the anesthesia before the doctor stitches you up will be hard to feel. Doctors recommend sitting in a bath daily to ease the soreness and swelling from delivery. The sutures dissolve in a few weeks. Then, a topical estrogen cream may be prescribed to help healing. Total mending happens within six weeks.

“What If The Baby Gets Stuck?”

Babies don’t normally “get stuck”. Almost half of the unplanned C-sections are decided because labor isn’t progressing or the baby isn’t fitting through the birth canal. There’s no easy way to predict the type of delivery you’re going to have. The head could be at an awkward angle or the baby could be sitting in an odd position.

This is where staying active helps. Being active and walking around helps the baby descend the birth canal. Making room for the baby can be created by rocking while holding on to your partner, hip circles, or swiveling on a birthing ball.

Sometimes labor will not progress no matter the effort and that can determine the rest of the delivery. Many instances can transfer into a different birth plan than originally planned. If the baby is in a difficult position, your uterus becomes fatigued, or in rare cases, the baby is too large to pass through the birth canal, your OB may recommend using forceps or a vacuum extractor to assist with delivery. Depending on how the baby is positioned, a C-section may be suggested if the baby is stuck farther up.

Talk to your healthcare provider in advance to discuss the alternative options for delivery. This way, they’re aware of your preferences going in.

“Labor Lasts Up To 70 Hours!?”

Early labor could last for a long time and every woman’s labor time varies. Early labor is generally not too uncomfortable, as the contractions are mild at this stage. When it comes to active labor, contractions are much longer and most likely more intense than early labor.

When your cervix is dilated to 10 centimeters, it typically won’t last any longer than 8 hours. Most doctors will not allow you to go beyond 24 hours after your water breaks to reduce the risk of complications.

“What If I Poop While I Give Birth?!”

The infamous question—and perhaps the most dreaded realization for many young women—is that you might poop during delivery. Because the baby moves through the birth canal, it flattens your rectum. If there is anything inside you ahead of the baby, it will most likely come out. It happens to most women and is extremely common.

Because labor can happen at any time, making sure your colon is empty before is not easy. However, your body may naturally expel and experience more frequent bowel movements before the contractions begin.

A nurse will be at your feet ready to clean up as quickly as possible. Most people won’t even notice, not even your partner. However, most doctors say there’s so much going on that this is a non-issue.

Whether you’re new to the experience or have given birth before, having the details laid out can help any potentially stressful situation. Pregnancy should be a great experience! So, when your labor begins and you anticipate the delivery of your baby, nothing is more reassuring than knowing you’re in the hands of skilled and compassionate doctors.

Call Rosh Maternal & Fetal Medicine in NYC For Your Labor and Delivery Needs

The clinical team at Rosh Maternal & Fetal Medicine has the expertise you can count on. Our team comes with many years of experience supporting women through normal vaginal deliveries, high-risk pregnancies, and cesarean sections. If you have any questions or concerns about your delivery, please don’t hesitate to call our office in the Midtown East area of New York City.

Call one of our six convenient NYC locations or schedule a video consultation online today. Come visit your NYC Maternal and Fetal Medicine Specialists for the safest possible care for you.