Moving Through Stage One of Labor
By Sara French, ACSM CPT, NASM CNC
December 6, 2024
Whether you give birth in a hospital, at a birthing center, or at home, there are things you can do to support your body through labor. Each stage of labor brings different challenges, and the techniques discussed below will hopefully aid in a smooth labor and delivery. The information in this article will apply to women who choose an epidural as well as no epidural. It is important to remember that every woman’s labor experience is different, and the length of each stage will vary.
Early Labor
During early labor, surges will feel more mild and irregularly spaced out. Contractions may feel like menstrual cramps at this point. Since this stage can last the longest, rest will be your best friend during this time! It is best to ignore the contractions until you simply cannot any longer. Try to go about your day as you normally would, and get as much sleep as you can during the night. Labor is often described as a marathon, but some would argue that it is nothing of the sort! Indeed, you truly cannot know how long of a “marathon” you will have to run until it is over and your baby is born. This is why conserving energy in the beginning is crucial, especially for first time moms, as early labor tends to be the longest phase.
Active Labor
You will know you are in active labor when those contractions start to become more intense, last longer, and occur more frequently. If you are already at the hospital, a cervical check would show that you have surpassed five centimeters of dilation, another telltale sign that active labor has begun. The best thing you can do for your body during this time is to change positions frequently! Studies have shown that changing positions as often as every thirty minutes can actually progress labor faster.
Even if you have an epidural, you can still move despite the numbness in your lower half. Some women like to lay on their side with a peanut ball between their legs to help open up the hips. You can lean on a birth ball or your support partner and gently sway your hips, as well. Any upright position will help allow gravity to do its job as well as facilitate pelvic opening. If upright positions become too difficult with the epidural, try getting on all fours to relieve some pressure you may be experiencing in your back.
If you do not have an epidural, any of the positions listed above will still be beneficial! However, you will have feeling in your lower half and will therefore be able to incorporate slightly more movement. Walking around at a comfortable pace will help your baby move into the most ideal position for that pushing phase! Try moving into a deep seated squat, or a rocking side lunge, to open up your hips. If you have a birth ball, pelvic circles and figure 8’s will help to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor. A relaxed pelvic floor is what you need in order to push your baby out! That sucker needs to move out of the way in order for your baby to move through the birth canal. As you rock on the birth ball, submit to each surge by relaxing any tension you may have in your jaw, face, and shoulders. This is one of the most important things you can do during the active stage of labor; open jaw, open fanny! The connection between your jaw and your pelvic floor is astounding. There is significant research to suggest that tensed-up jaws lead to tight pelvic floor muscles. If you focus on breathing and relaxing your jaw, your pelvic floor will follow!
Next time, we will dive into stage two of labor, often called the pushing stage. Now that you know how to move during early and active labor, we can discuss different pushing positions for women with and without epidurals!
The important takeaway is to listen to your body’s cues. Your body is intuitive and knows what it needs during labor. If rocking side to side on all fours stops feeling good, you will know it is time to shift into a different position! Just listen to those cues and stay positive. You are so close to meeting your baby!
Sources
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-birthing-positions/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/labor/art-20546804