Getting pregnant? That’s fun. Giving birth? That’s historically seen as not-so-fun. YET, I’ve gotta insert my personal opinion here – I wouldn’t say giving birth was fun, but it was the most transformative, soul-changing experience I’ve ever had. So, of course, we’ve gotta prepare for it!
Keep reading to find out how to prepare for labor and (the not-so-fun part) giving birth.
1. Exercise during pregnancy
It can be so easy to not want to work out when you’re pregnant since you’re doing a lot of work already – growing a baby isn’t easy! But, continuing to exercise while you’re pregnant can actually help with your labor. Labor generally isn’t a sprint and is done and over with in 2 hours. It’s usually more of a marathon and just like running a marathon, it takes time and it takes a lot out of your body to do. According to the Mayo Clinic, a possible benefit of exercising during pregnancy is a shorter labor. From my personal experience, my labors ranged from 9 hours to a full induction lasting over 36 hours.
2. Stay hydrated
I kid you not, drinking water during my third pregnancy was absolutely disgusting. I found really creative ways to help me keep hydrated and if you’re struggling with that – you are not alone – read here for some of my drinking water tips! Yet, it is so important for you and for your little baby inside of you that you continue to drink water throughout the day. Continuing to drink water during pregnancy helps prevent premature birth, helps you not become constipated, and a multitude of other reasons. I put it as number 2 because it truly is so so important to keep drinking water even when you don’t “feel” like it, especially during your first trimester.
3. Attend childbirth classes
There are so many different classes you can go to as you prepare to meet your little one. I have to admit, with my first baby I did ALL THE THINGS. I attended all the hospital childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum classes, but then I stopped during my second pregnancy because I thought I knew it all after that first experience. By my third, I realized that I wanted a natural home birth and had to re-learn a lot of different things. With the help of my doula and her in-home visits prior to giving birth, I felt ready to tackle my home birth.
Childbirth classes can be found at the hospital you are giving birth at locations like birth centers, pregnancy centers, local doulas, and boutique shops that have independent providers in them like pelvic floor therapists, sonographers, and doulas.
My favorite classes to attend are doula classes as they focus on breathing techniques during labor, movements, and positions to do while in active labor, and comfort measures during contractions. These are absolutely invaluable to know when you’re in labor!
4. Hire a doula
Obviously, this one had to be added after I raved about doula classes in #3! If you haven’t read my natural birth story then you must and you’ll realize how incredible having a doula is.
Having a home birth isn’t a requirement to have a doula! In fact, my doula was at my hospital birth with my second baby. Having a doula is like having an extra support person with you. Don’t get me wrong, my husband is absolutely amazing in the birthing environment (he actually delivered my daughter in the hospital), but having that additional person to give you physical and emotional support during labor is an absolute blessing.
What does a doula do? Prior to birth, I had two in-person visits to go over positioning during the different stages of labor, different comfort measures (hip squeezes, holding a comb in your hand, cold-wash clothes, etc.), and the game plan of labor (lots of movement).
During labor, your doula will be there to implement the comfort measures, make sure you’re staying hydrated and having small snacks to keep your energy up, continuously checking in to make sure you’re doing well and also to help advocate for you if you need help with that. Advocating for you is really helpful when you’re in pain and not really understanding everything that’s going on at the moment.
5. Educate yourself on the birth you want
This is KEY! If you’ve never had a baby before maybe you don’t know what kind of birth experience you want. There are so many different options available. You can have a hospital birth, an at-home birth, or a birth at a birthing center.
Once you’ve decided on the location you can then research the different elements that happen while you’re in labor and what happens with the baby immediately after being born.
It can seem like a lot, I totally understand that, but researching all the things that go into labor and delivery is really important.
I attended all the classes with my first and I still felt really unprepared for what happened during giving birth to him.
6. Create a birth plan
Once you’ve done all the research for the birth experience the next step is to create a birth plan. This is a great way to prepare for labor and set yourself up for success and to be on the same page with your partner and your birth team.
You don’t want to try and keep all your wants/needs and preferences in your head. You especially don’t want to try and remember all the different things when you’re having contractions or when you first meet your baby and want to tune out the world as you snuggle them.
A birth plan can be created on a single piece of paper and outline the things that are important to you! For example, something that I highlighted that I wanted to happen post-delivery was delayed cord clamping and an uninterrupted golden hour.
Once you have this birth plan created, make sure you go over it with your significant other, doula if you have one, and provider so everyone is on the same page!
7. Research different pain management techniques
This was something that I definitely didn’t do with my firstborn, and man oh man… how I wish I had. I ended up getting an epidural with my first (& my second), but I really wish I had learned what my other options were.
While an epidural is something that can totally take away the pain, I wanted to shed light on other resources out there!
Also, what I didn’t know prior to my first was that you usually don’t get an epidural until you’re dilated to a certain number. I was induced with my first and when my contractions started from the Pitocin – I still had hours and hours to go before I was dilated enough for the epidural.
There are many different pain management techniques and programs from the Bradley Method to Hypnobirthing to hip squeezes to listening to relaxing music. Look them up and find one that aligns most with the birth you want.
8. Tour the facility
If you’re giving birth at a hospital or at a birth center then I suggest setting up a tour of the facility so when the big day arrives you know where to go, what to do, and what you should expect.
This would also be a great time to ask any questions that you may have about the birth center or the hospital!
9. Educate yourself on the birth process
The birth process is the progression of labor and the different stages that accompany it. You should be aware of what happens in each stage and when you should head to the hospital/birth center.
The three stages are the latent phase, active phase, and transition phase.
10. Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Not only does this ensure you and the baby are getting the nutrients you need, but eating a balanced diet will give you the energy you need during labor!
One of my favorite books that I read during my last pregnancy was Glucose Revolution. I didn’t implement everything that I read, but it really helped me switch my thought process on different pairings of foods together and what causes glucose spikes. It was recommended to me by my midwife when we were talking about the glucose test that is commonly done during pregnancy.
11. Install the car seat
If you’re giving birth at the hospital or at a birthing center then this is definitely a MUST to prepare for labor and before you give birth. It’s also a smart idea to do if you’re having a homebirth just in case you have to go to the hospital.
If you’ve never installed a car seat before and have concerns about whether it’s installed correctly you can go to your local fire department and they can ensure that it is!
12. Arrange for childcare for older siblings
My ultimate dream was to have my kids there at the birth of our third, but after our 10-year-old said he didn’t want to be there – he was super, super adamant about it. I started thinking more about going through contractions and my 2-year-old being there and probably not quite understanding everything that was going on.
We arranged for a family friend to come by and get them when I got into the thick of contractions and it worked out perfectly for us.
I still wish sometimes that it would have happened with all my kids there, but it was super sweet to cherish the welcoming of our third into the world with just my husband (+ birth team).
13. Select a pediatrician for your baby
If this is your first baby or if you’re looking for a new pediatrician, ask your midwife or OB for their recommendations on a pediatrician. If they don’t have a specific one, a lot of times these days you can find providers through different family practice websites and look at the different reviews. Check in your local mom Facebook groups too and ask for recommendations!
14. Purchase postpartum supplies
This Frida Mom Postpartum kit is an absolute lifesaver. It has all of the things you need and all the things you didn’t know that you needed. I personally used the kit, but then bought an additional pack of the underwear because it’s WAY comfier than what the hospital ever provided. The mesh underwear from the hospital is lacking and the Frida mom underwear feels like semi-cute boyshorts! Haha.
Set up postpartum supplies in the areas where you are most likely to use them and need them. For me, I had a station in the bottom drawer of my sink because it was easily reachable when I needed to use the restroom. I also had an area by my bed with things that I needed throughout my recovery like nipple balm, cramp bark, snacks, water, and a breastfeeding pillow.
15. Use a birth ball
These things are amazing and last for years to come! I used my birth ball throughout my entire pregnancy, it was a lifesaver for opening up my pelvis during labor, and when the baby is fussy bouncing on it makes him happy. It’s a super great investment in my opinion and this one is super affordable!
Fun fact: I used my birth ball in my shower (you can see that here!) and it was something that made such a huge difference in helping me have a natural home birth. I sat on that birth ball with hot water on my back and it was one of the best comfort measures I had!
16. Prepare freezer meals
Without fail, I always told myself to do these, but never did and always regretted it. We thankfully were blessed with a meal train after our second and third babies were born but I promise that there’s no such thing as over preparing for your babies arrival.
If freezer meals are your thing – then absolutely 100% make as many as your freezer can fit for easy lunches/dinners when you’re tired and don’t want to cook.
17. Practice different labor positions
It might feel weird to practice these positions when you’re not actually in labor, but it’s super helpful to know what you’re going to be doing when the big moment comes.
My doula helped show me different positions to prepare for labor and then quite literally made me do them when she came to do a house-call before the baby arrived.
My biggest takeaway from it was that you want to keep switching to different positions every 30 minutes to keep baby engaged and moving down in the birth canal!
If you don’t have a doula, there are many, many great infographics online that can help give you an idea of different labor positions you can do.
18. Print out birth affirmations
Birth affirmations are positive quotes and words that you can read to ground you during the laboring process. A couple of my favorite are:
Each wave brings me closer to meeting you.
My body knows how to give birth to my baby.
Print some off and have them with you during labor to focus on positivity and staying in the right headspace for the adventure of giving birth to your baby.
19. Pack a hospital bag for you and baby
Don’t forget the necessities like your toothbrush and toothpaste along with your comfy sweats for coming home! There are quite a lot of things that can be brought to the hospital with you, but most importantly realize that you can be there on average 1-3 days and so bring back ups!
If you’re giving birth at home, it’s still a smart idea to pack a hospital bag for you and baby just in case you have to be transferred to the hospital.
20. Prepare padsicles in the freezer
If you purchase the Frida Mom kit then you’re all set with padsicles, but if you go the DIY route then make sure these are prepped beforehand and ready to go. In the first 24 hours after giving birth, padsicles are extremely comforting, soothing, and reduce swelling and inflammation.
21. Relax!
I gave you 20 things to do, so now for the 21st thing… relax! You just accomplished a lot! But also, there are so many different things that can be done to prepare for labor and giving birth before the baby arrives and you sometimes truly never feel ready.
So, relax. Take a nap. Get a massage. Treat yourself because you are doing a lot of work growing a baby right now!