Surviving Early Labour

Early labour. A time full of emotions! You’re so excited that it's almost time to meet your baby, you’re now timing your contractions and they’re starting to form a pattern but what the heck is taking so long? 

The early parts of labour can be frustrating if things seems not to be going as fast as you thought they would. 

Early labour is sometimes also called "pre-labour" and can last anywhere from just a few hours to multiple days.  It typically isn't too painful but can certainly be very uncomfortable. Once you are getting closer to active labour you will probably start to have to focus through the contractions. Don't be alarmed if it is more painful than you anticipate, all labours are different and depending on your babies position, it could be more painful.  

Follow these 5 tips to make early labour more enjoyable: 
1. Continue on with normal life as much as possible. I know, easier said than done, right? However,  if you continue on with normal life and put away the contraction timer, time will pass by much faster and make everything feel much more manageable. If you had plans, stick to them!
2.  Don't tell friends and family. I know you’re excited and want to scream from the rooftops that you’re finally going to meet your baby but once you tell people you can't un-tell them and getting constant "Is baby here yet?" calls will do nothing but stress you out. 
3. Make sure your bags are ready to go. You may have had your bags packed for weeks but if you haven’t, now is a good time to double check your list and make sure you have everything you need.  Don't forget chargers and other daily items you may to have with you. If that's already done, make sure your nursery is ready or look for other distracting tasks to pass the time. 
4. Continue to eat and drink. Remember how I said distracting tasks in #3? Cooking is a good one! You will need lots of energy for the hard work that is labour. Making sure you are eating and staying hydrated in early labour will help you have all the energy you need when things start to pick up. You can also make things for later, a batch of cookies for the nursing station is never a bad idea.
5. Netflix and chill. Yes, I mean that literally. Put on a funny or romantic movie, curl up on the couch and relax.   You will need your energy for active labour, so even though you may have heard that walking or swimming may be good to get things moving, you need to be sure you aren't draining yourself. Take it easy and rest. 

Take it easy and rest.

Please do remember that if something doesn't feel right or you aren't sure if what you are experiencing is normal, talk to your care provider. 
There’s a lot of emotions at play in early labour! Try your best to enjoy this last bit of time before baby! Happy birthing.