No matter at which stage you are in your pregnancy you are probably thinking a lot about labor, delivery, and holding your sweet baby in your arms. Contractions can be the first indicator that your body is ready to go into labor, but not every contraction is actually the real thing.
We have put together 5 steps that will help you determine if your contractions are real.
1. Walk
Go for a power walk. Browse Target. Go check the mail. (This can speed up labor, if it stalls out, too!)
2. Eat
You wouldn’t run a marathon without a super healthy breakfast, right? Birth is a marathon, in every way. Fuel your body to prepare for the toughest thing it’ll ever do.
3. Stay Hydrated
Similar to why I encourage food, drinking helps your body deliver all those good nutrients to your organs and your baby. Dehydration can cause your uterus to be irritable, which leads to cramping, not productive contractions.
4. Shower or Bath
Midwives call laboring in a tub an “aqua-dural” for its epidural-like pain relief. Warm water is relaxing, allowing your body to either stop cramping, or relax enough so those true contractions can do their job to dilate your cervix quickly and evenly.
Learn more about laboring and giving birth in water!
5. Nap. Sleep. Siesta. Rest.
This is the most important one. If you can sleep, do it!!! Talk to your midwife if you’re having difficulty sleeping. But if you think you may be in labor, take a nap. There’s no way to tell how long you’ll be in labor, so getting as much rest as possible during early labor is crucial. If you knew you’d be awake for the next 24 hours straight, you’d probably want to take a nap now!
Real Contractions? – The Takeaway
If you think you are in labor, complete items 1-5. If your contractions continue even after eating, drinking, walking, bathing, and sleeping; congratulations! You’re probably in labor!
If not, try to enjoy these last few days of pregnancy by pampering yourself and getting plenty of rest and fluids.
And as always, when in doubt, please call your care provider.
Interested in laboring and giving birth in a calm, caring, and safe environment?
Contact us today to schedule a tour of our birth center in downtown Grapevine.
This blog post was written by: @theplacentapill
