Why would I want a quick birth?
I have to admit I absolutely HATE hospitals and so I wanted to be in and out of there as quickly as humanly possible! So before giving birth to my daughter, I did a TONNE of research on the topic and let me tell ya, it definitely worked!
For a first time mom most births take at least 8 hours and that’s considered a quick labor. I had my first baby in 3.5 hrs and I honestly believe that these 10 things that I will be sharing below are what helped me not only have a SUPER quick labor with my first baby but also a pretty easy one! I was even able to walk right after giving birth! So hopefully these tips can help you to have a more pleasant and faster labor and birth!
1. Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises were a GAME-CHANGER! They honestly made such a HUGE difference in my ability to handle contractions (mine came FAST and HARD) and helped me focus my breathing during pushing so my pushing was more effective.
Breathing and focusing your energy can really help lessen the pain of contractions. When your body tenses up during a contraction as a natural response, the pain will be much much greater. If you actually force yourself to breathe big deep breaths you will notice that the pain becomes much more manageable.
You really need to know what you’re doing for this to be know to breathe effectively in the various stages of labour and pushing so I got a bunch of courses on Udemy. The one that helped me the most was this one but you can also just search YouTube for some great breathing exercises.
2. Movement
It’s super important to be constantly moving and changing positions during labor. Movement has been proved to be very effective at speeding up labour and to prevent any stalling.
Doing lots of walking (provided that it’s considered safe to do so by your doctor) can also be a very effective way to bring on labor. This course also gives lots of great tips on movement during labor.
Do lots of research on different laboring positions so that you can try them out and rotate through them while in labor. I actually found that most positions did not work for me but what DID work for me was just walking around the hospital until my contractions were too intense and too close together to be able to do so. This took about an hour before my contractions were basically back-to-back and knock me off my feet INTENSE!
3. Red RasPBERRY Leaf Tea
Red Raspberry tea is said to bring on labor. There isn’t a tonne of evidence to prove the claims of this but I feel like it really helped my body be ready for labor.
I actually needed to be induced because my daughter wasn’t growing but when they checked me the week of my induction, I was already 5cm dilated! My doctor was in shock! She said it’s very rare for first-time moms to be dilated so much before even being in labor. I feel like the Red Raspberry Tea helped with that. To be on the safe side I didn’t start taking it until I was at least 36 weeks pregnant just in case in brought on early labor.
4. Evening Primrose Oil
Evening Primrose oil comes in capsules that you take. There isn’t any evidence that it actually helps to induce labor what it does do is soften your cervix. Evening Primrose oil contains an Omega-3 fatty acid called Gamma Linolenic Acid, which is a precursor to prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that help to soften the cervix before birth.
Many women who have taken Evening Primrose Oil in the late stages of pregnancy have reported having QUICKER and EASIER births. I can obviously say that I’m one of those moms too! So whether it’s true or not, I feel like it’s worth a try!
5. AVOID A FULL EPIDURAL (if possible)
I actually wanted a full natural birth but as a first time mom I really didn’t know what the contractions would actually feel like. I felt like I had a pretty high pain tolerance and could probably get by without getting an epidural. But once those hard contractions really hit, they knocked me off my feet! My whole body trembled uncontrollably and it was the most intense feeling I ever felt in my life!
What I didn’t know was that I was already in transition and only needed to hold on for another half hour before pushing. The nurses kept telling me how it’s going to take at least another 6 hours and I just knew that I COULD NOT handle these contractions for that long! So I caved and got the epidural, and don’t regret it AT ALL.
My advice is to ask if you are able to get an epidural where you are able to control the dosage. They will hook you up to an IV and give you a magic little button that you can press to increase the dosage. My advice would be to HOLD OFF on pressing that button as much as possible. Give yourself enough of a dosage where the pain becomes manageable but doesn’t go away completely. This will allow you to still feel every contraction so that you will know exactly when you need to push and how hard. This will speed up your pushing time SO MUCH! I pushed for about 45 minutes and she was out. I knew EXACTLY when I needed to push and told the nurses that. They then checked me (they didn’t believe me at first) and got the doctor.
The other benefit of this is that you will feel GREAT after delivery! You will be able to get up and walk around right away and won’t feel any of the after effects of the epidural. I LOVED this! I was even able to use the washroom right after delivery without any assistance.
6. Push like you need to poop
Yes, REALLY! Yes, there is a good chance that you might poop on the table but all that means is that you are actually pushing correctly. Trust me, the nurses aren’t even going to bat an eye because it literally happens ALL the time! If you’re holding back at all because you are afraid of pooping, then chances are you’re not pushing effectively and the whole pushing phase will probably take longer.
When the doctor says to push you gotta bare down and give it EVERYTHING YOU GOT! Just keep in mind that you will see your sweet baby soon and throw all humility out the window.
7. create a calming atmosphere
If your hospital allows it (always ask ahead of time) ask them if you’re able to bring an essential oil diffuser, your own calming music and maybe some battery operated candles. You can also ask if you can keep the lights off during your labor.
This is YOUR labor and provided that you don’t have any major complications, there’s no reason you can’t create a calming and wonderful environment to give birth in even if you’re giving birth in a hospital. Essential oils like lavender have a really good calming effect that can help you stay calm and relaxed through the contractions. It’s also much easier to focus on pushing without all those bright lights in your face.
My hospital was very accomodating and my experience was absolutely wonderful considering how much I HATE hospitals! Be your own advocate. Remember that birth is a natural beautiful thing that doesn’t require a super bright hospital experience.
8. go as natural as possible
This means avoid being induced unless you’re medically required to do so. Many doctors will push inductions out of their own convenience even when it’s not medically necessary. The hospital also gets more money if your birth requires more intervention and hospital time. Be your own advocate and ask your doctor why they want to induce you if they’re suggesting it.
A medically induced labor will almost always be a much longer labor in the hospital. They’re basically forcing labor even if your body isn’t ready for it. That means lots of intervention like pitocin in order to force your body to go into labor.
I was actually induced due to intrauterine growth restriction. But my body was already pretty much ready so all they needed to do was break my water and my contractions started 5 minutes later.
This also means either avoiding the epidural or only getting a small dosage of it like mentioned above. Epidurals CAN slow down labor and can numb you to the point of where you don’t even know you are having contractions or that your body is ready to push. If can’t physically feel that it’s time to push, you’re not going to be able to push very effectively. This means your labor can possibly stall or slow down considerably.
If you’re looking for a super quick labor, try to keep any medical interventions to as little as possible.
9. Try a Different Birthing position
Flat on your back (like in the movies) is actually the LEAST effective pushing position. Your body is essentially pushing against gravity. There are lots of other birthing positions that are WAY more effective. Think of positions in terms of ones that go WITH gravity. Gravity helps to bring the baby down and into the birth canal. If that means you end up on all fours or squatting, so be it. Change positions throughout your labor as many times as you would like. The more you move the better.
10. Hire a doula
Or bring a really good support partner (who may or may not be your husband). The absolute best thing you could do to have an easier labor is to have a good support person. You need someone there to help you get through contractions. Someone to provide counter-pressure and remind you to breathe.
You also need someone that will be fully present for you and be your advocate. You will probably be in too much pain to advocate for yourself so your doula or support person can do that for you.
A doula is specially trained in being a pregnancy and labor support person. They know exactly what to do to help you get through those contractions and support you during delivery. If you can afford one, I would highly recommend hiring one. You definitely won’t regret it!
If your husband is very supportive and wants to be present, you can provide him with the information he needs to support you during labor and delivery. This also applies to a mom, sister or friend that might be your support person.
Having a good support person will make all the difference in keeping you focused and relaxed for a smooth delivery. Think HARD about other people that you may choose to have in the room with you. This is YOUR birth experience and you CAN say NO. If they’re distracting, they should NOT be there. If you can’t fully let yourself go in front of them, they should NOT be there. There will be plenty of time to visit with the baby once they baby is born.
Your Tips
I would LOVE to hear about your tips and experiences! Please share them down below so we can all learn from each other!