7 Ways to Distract Yourself During Labor
I always find TV and movie scenes that show a woman in labor so hysterical! Their water breaks, they rush to the hospital, they get there just barely in time to start pushing (on their back) and the baby is born in a couple of pushes!
Lemme tell ya, this is highly irregular. Quick births like that do happen, sure, but the norm is that labor is not going to start with your water breaking, you will have PLENTY of time to get to the hospital or for your midwife to get to you, and the large portion of your labor will be you moving around and getting things really going or trying to distract yourself as contractions start to pick up. So today, I’m going to talk to you about those distractions and how to make them work for you in labor!
Some of these tips are great for early labor when things are sporadic and not too intense, but can carry you through your entire labor with some preparation and knowing when & how to use these. Let’s dive in!
1. Walking
If you are having mild contractions already, walking can be a great distraction! It also keeps your hips moving and dynamic so your baby can move lower, put more pressure on your cervix and progress labor effectively.
Pro tip: While you’re out for a labor stroll, when you feel a contraction coming on, go into a deep squat and hold that until it passes. This will help contractions pick up faster!
2. Bouncing on a Birth Ball
You know how you were just squatting in your neighborhood? Bouncing on a birth ball is like a constant squat, except you are supported and can move differently. When contractions are getting more intense, it can be so helpful to just bounce on through it. You can do more than just bounce. Try tilting your hips from side to side or forward and back.
Pro tip: Be very sure that the ball is inflated very firmly! If it is not, it can mold to your bottom, pressing upward into your perineum and be counter-productive. If you are using the birth ball provided by the hospital, ask for the pump at the same time that you ask for the ball!
3. Hip Squeezes/Counter pressure
Doulas love to claim these as their secret sauce and why we are so useful, but truth be told, anybody can do a hip squeeze or apply counter pressure! This is a great way for your partner to be helpful and to make your labor easier as sh*t starts to get real.
How to do a hip squeeze:
Find the point where your hip bones stick out the furthest on each side.
Put the palms of your hands directly behind that point.
With your palms facing each other, press together firmly.
Do this during contractions, releasing as the contraction lessens.
You can do a hip squeeze in many positions. Here are a few favorites of mine:
Standing, leaning against a wall or holding onto something stable,
Squatting
Hands and knees,
Sitting backward on the toilet
Other counter pressure techniques:
Pressing firmly on the sacrum (the part right above the tailbone)
You can use this in all of the above positions as well as when mom is laying on her side with a peanut ball between her legs.
Pressing on the knees toward the hips (do this when mom is in a sitting position)
4. Position Changes
You should not be in the same position for more than 30 minutes at a time. Even if it’s feeling good. You need to keep moving, keep your hips dynamic (I say that so often, I know!), and in that, give your baby room to move down.
So what are some positions to do during labor?
Sitting - either on a birthing ball or a rocking chair or the edge of your bed or if in a hospital setting, the bed transforms into a seat.
Standing
The Pirate Stance - so, standing but with one leg up on something elevated
Walking
Squatting
On the toilet (we doulas like to call the toilet the Dilation Station)
Backwards on the toilet
Laying on your side with a peanut ball between your knees
Literally any way that you can move your body, you can labor in it.
5. Music
It’s surprising how annoying every little sound is when you are in labor. Having a playlist of your favorite music can give you something to focus on and distract yourself with. You can just listen and focus on it, you can sing along with it (that’s soooo great for helping you to remember to breathe and to keep your breathing even and steady), or you can dance to it.
Pro tip: We’ve all seen the videos of the mom getting down and dancing in labor. If you aren’t feeling that, put on your relaxing playlist and slow dance with your partner. The gentle sway will help with keeping your hips relaxed and open, PLUS being close and connected to your partner is a biiiiiiig oxytocin boost which not only is the hormone that make birth go ‘round, but it also serves as a natural pain reliever!
6. Water
In early labor, if you can get to a pool and swim it out for a bit, the weightlessness can help you relax and move freely.
But as labor progresses, getting into the tub is something midwives, doulas and L&D nurses call “the water epidural”. There’s just nothing like laboring in water!
Laboring in water can:
Lift your belly and make contractions more effective,
Increase blood flow and circulation which makes contractions less painful,
Lower blood pressure that can be high because of anxiety,
Lessen the chance of an epidural
Pro tip: If your birthing space does not have tubs, showers are also helpful. They don’t create the buoyancy that tubs do, but they can help you relax. However, if this is something that is important to your birth plan, I highly recommend that you either choose your birthing space according to whether they have tubs available or not, OR plan on laboring at home for as long as possible. But just a heads up, there are hospital policies around when and how you are able to use the tubs, so be sure to talk to either your OB, midwife or maternity navigator about that.
7. Humor
Ok, so laughing is not always everybody’s jam. You may find that your sense of humor leaves you when you hit transition. And that is okay! There are women who get a euphoric feeling as they get closer to pushing because the hormones at play are really just that dang strong, and you hear them talk about “laughing their baby out”. You can read a story about a birth I attended like that here.
But until you just can’t even anymore, laughing and being entertained can be a great distraction until you just can’t be distracted anymore. Crack jokes with your partner, doula and nurses, watch a show that you find hilarious, read funny stories, now is not the time to take yourself too seriously!