Top 10 Tips
For Childbirth and Beyond
1 Invest in a pregnancy pillow when you are pregnant. It will give you something to rest your bump on when you are lying down, Later when the baby's born you can use it for feeding.
2 Buy an exercise/birthing ball. This is an inflatable rubber ball, which you can purchase from around £7. In the last stages of pregnancy (35 to 40 weeks), you can sit on your ball - it is more comfortable than a chair and pivoting on the ball (while watching television or reading a book) helps to open up the pelvis, encouraging the baby's head to drop downwards and engage. Lying horizontally on a sofa, on your back for long periods of time should be avoided. You may also want to use the birthing ball to sir on or lean forward over during labour, again for comfort and to reduce pain.
3 Be prepared for leaking breasts, occasionally during pregnancy and after the baby's born (if you are breastfeeding). Buy plenty of breast pads, avoiding ones with plastic backs.
4 Buy or hire a Tens machine for the labour. It may help relieve the pain of initial contractions.
5 You are likely to be at home for quite some time, as you need to be 3cm dilated before you will be admitted into hospital. Try different positions at home - go down on all fours and sway your hips from side to side or in a figure of eight movement; or lean over a chair/sofa. Alternatively, try a warm bath.
6 Screaming creates adrenaline. Adrenaline makes everything clam up thereby slowing down the birthing process so try to avoid screaming outbursts. Humming, mooing and soft vowel sounds (‘ooh' and ‘ah') create Oxytocin, which is the hormone needed to give birth. Although this sounds silly, you will not care during labour.
7 Don't buy lots of clothes; the baby will probably live in pyjamas for the first few weeks, as will you. Besides, you will probably find that you are given clothes by friends and family (which will only fit your baby for a few weeks).
8 Buy Lansinoh cream. This cream effectively heals sore and cracked nipples.
9 Buy plenty of large maternity pads (or extra large sanitary towels) and take several to hospital with you. See Packing Your Hospital Bag.
10 If friends and family want to buy a gift, ask them to cook you a meal and bring it over. For the first few weeks after childbirth, you will be completely consumed with feeding, sleeping, changing nappies and looking after your new baby. If you are breastfeeding, it is essential that you are eating plenty of healthy food and drinking lots of fluid. However, you will probably not feel like cooking too much yourself, so ask for a hearty meal (see Nutritional Information).