6 TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR LABOUR FROM A MIDWIFE

Updated November 2022 | 5 min read
Expert contributor Edwina Sharrock, midwife and founder of Birth Beat
Words by Lucy E Cousins

Getting your body and mind ready to give birth will help you feel more prepared. We ask a midwife for her tips on preparing for labour.

As any new or expectant mum will tell you, counting down to your due date starts as soon as you find out you’re pregnant. Many women feel both excitement and fear, especially if it’s their first birth.

According to midwife and founder of Birth Beat, Edwina Sharrock, there are some simple and effective ways to prepare your mind, body and support team for the birth of your child.

Here are six tips on preparing for labour to help you feel more empowered and ready for the birthing experience.

1. Listen to your body

Your body is coping with a lot of changes in pregnancy, and you may be feeling tired, faint or nauseous, particularly in the first 12 weeks. Although you may want to keep up your routine, it’s important to recognise you may not be able to do as much as usual.

“A lot of women…just keep soldiering on. But it’s okay to have a quiet weekend or go to bed at 8pm – especially in the weeks leading up to the birth,” says Edwina.

2. Exercise

Pregnancy is about looking after yourself and the baby, and listening to what your body needs, says Edwina. She recommends including exercises like prenatal yoga to help build up muscle strength, reduce lower back pain and decrease anxiety, as well as pelvic floor exercises. Your doctor or healthcare team can advise you on how to do these without causing any harm to yourself or your baby.

3. Learn about labour

Being aware of what happens during labour and the pain management available to you is important, says Edwina. Education empowers parents and can help reduce your fears when it comes to birth.

Many couples find antenatal classes, which cover areas including the signs of labour, relaxation and breastfeeding, help them feel more confident about the labour and caring for a newborn. If this is something you’re interested in, it’s a good idea to book early; aim to finish the course by the time you’re 36 weeks pregnant (or earlier if expecting multiple babies). Ask your GP, obstetrician or midwife which classes they recommend.

Learning about the stages of labour can also help you prepare for what to expect. This includes:

• the first stage of labour – the signs to look out for to know it’s time to go to hospital
• the second stage of labour – what your contractions mean, how to get comfortable and when to start pushing
• the third stage of labour – the delivery of the placenta and how to look after your body once the baby has been delivered.

As part of learning about labour, Edwina stresses it’s important to include dads or support partners in this educational process. If they’re not fully aware of what happens during birth, it can be hard for them to see their partner in distress.

4. Write down your birth wishes or build a birth plan

Writing down your birth wishes or building a birth plan helps everyone involved in your labour to know exactly what you want from the experience. It also helps you and your support person to prepare for different scenarios that may happen during labour.

Whether you opt to give birth in a public or private hospital or birth centre, it’s important you choose somewhere you feel comfortable. You might choose to tour hospitals and birth centres before making decisions on the right place for you to give birth.

Making a plan can help you decide the basics of your labour, like which health professionals you’re going to choose and what pain management options you’d be open to.

When it comes to building your birth plan, consider the following:

• Do you want to be active throughout your labour?
• Do you want it to be as ‘natural’ as possible?
• Do you want pain relief? If so, do you prefer one type of pain relief over another?
• What kind of support do you expect from your partner or support person?
• Who do you want in the room when you’re in labour?
• Would you like to labour in water, like a bath or shower?
• Would you prefer medical intervention over labouring for too long?

It’s also important to think about what your preferences would be if you needed to be induced or have a caesarean birth.

“I actually advocate for birth wishes,” explains Edwina. “If we have something written down and we call it a ‘plan’, then it doesn’t go our way, we see it as failing. But birth is the first step in your parenting journey and it’s the first step to realising that you don’t have much control in the process.”

Remember, your birth plan needs to be flexible because you don’t have full control over labour or birth. Be open to change and taking on professional advice from your doctor or midwife.

5. Create a support village

The people you have around you, both before and during labour, can either improve or dampen your overall experience. That’s why it’s important to spend time with those who are positive and uplifting, especially in the lead up to your due date.

When it comes to building your support network, it may include your healthcare team, as well as family and friends.

“The minute you’re pregnant, everyone wants to share their advice, opinions and horror stories with you,” says Edwina.

Sometimes negative stories can increase your fears, so try to focus on your own experience and stay positive.

Likewise, when you’re choosing who’ll be in the birthing suite with you, make sure they’re people who make you feel safe and secure, and understand your birth wishes. Discuss what photos they can take during or after labour, and when they can post to social media or any other communications.

6. Trust in the process

Finally, one of the most important ways to prepare yourself is to trust in the birthing process, says Edwina. Be prepared to go with the flow.

“It’s important for mums to remember that there is no right or wrong way to give birth,” she says. “It’s something we’ve been doing for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s beautiful, normal, natural.”

Helping you prepare for your upcoming labour

To help you feel more prepared for your labour, our Preparing for Hospital tool takes you through tips on what to expect, what it may cost, what your recovery may be like and more.

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