Sleep well! If you have difficulty VISUALIZE in your mind a happy calm time, a vacation, honeymoon - or perhaps a place you'd "like" to visit, a camping trip in a tent next to a river - something calming, that'll get you to sleep and if you can do it during labor between contractions it will help de-stress from the previous contraction, instead of having the stress continue to build.
Make sure you're comfortable, lots of pillows and/or comforters, between your knees, feet and between your arms and body, under and around your belly! Like you're floating on a cloud!
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Yeah, but for those of us who apparently just throw up during labor--better to at least start with something on your stomach! Bland is better! (I intentionally chowed down on mashed potatoes in early labor with my recalcitrant daughter--and didn't regret it.) Don't let this scare you though--it isn't all that bad, or at least it wasn't for me.
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Yes ^ and remember... DO NOT tense up and tighten your muscles during a contraction. Focus on relaxing ALL of your muscles and breathing nice slow deep breaths during them instead.
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Yeah, but for those of us who apparently just throw up during labor--better to at least start with something on your stomach! Bland is better! (I intentionally chowed down on mashed potatoes in early labor with my recalcitrant daughter--and didn't regret it.) Don't let this scare you though--it isn't all that bad, or at least it wasn't for me.
I ate like a stuck pig in early labor...
( a big plate of liver and onion..
) it was during harder faster labor I had difficulty and moved to soft foods/liquids
CONGRATS!! I got goosebumps for you - the day my son was born was the best day of my life. All the labor pains and being sent home and then coming back and the nurse poking at me all went away when I touched that little guy for the first time. I LOVE THE NAME!!!!!! I am so happy for you.
I was in labor 6 hours and 20 minutes with my one and only child.