Work Easier: How to Make it easier

I’ve had several births that I had the honor of being a doula at in the last month and it made me think about my own birth experiences and the difference between them. As a reference, I’ve had (full story here):

• A typical hospital intervention birth which thankfully didn’t end in a C-section
• A 26-hour labor ended with a natural birth in a hospital, assisted by midwives
• Unavoidable c section due to placenta prévia and hemorrhage after 35 weeks
• A successful vbac after a 25 hour labor (hospital, midwives).
• A wonderful, perfect 13 hour home birth of an frank, breech-perfect baby girl

When a friend and I were talking about birth experiences, I said that I’d had the gamut of birth experiences and could just have normal births from now on and she responded: “No you haven’t. You haven’t had multiples yet.” Here’s to hoping we didn’t speak that into existence! (I’m happy to have one at a time!).

Reflecting on my own births, I noticed a significant change in my last labor. This was especially true when considering certain factors. I’ve been to a lot of labors and though I’m slightly jealous of women who are able to breeze through (seemingly) without pain or noise, I am not those women.

Looking back though, I realized that I’ve never had a “normal” labor (is there even such a thing) to see what would happen. After my first birth I was nervous and afraid I couldn’t do it. My labor was long after my c section, and I was discouraged. However, after researching, I learned that first time vaginal births are usually longer as the uterus may take some time to contract.

Then, even with a breech baby and my apprehensions about that, plus the fact that she wasn’t even sitting on my cervix until that lovely time when I went from 6-10 centimeters in approximately 1 contraction, my labor was still a full 10 hours less than my other labors and not any more intense. (My daughter was healthy and beautiful but You can read the complete story here)

It’s a long-winded way of saying I believe there were a few factors that helped to make my latest labor the simplest. I’d love to hear if you’ve tried any of these factors and what made a difference for your labors, so please share in the comments! You should always consult your doctor or midwife prior to making any changes while you are pregnant. Also, do some research on anything you plan to do during pregnancy.

Magnesium

I’ve written before about What I love about magnesium and what we do with it in our houseI did notice a big difference when I was pregnant with my daughter!

Magnesium body butter is the most common way I supplement magnesium.here’s the recipeMagnesium oil (Magnesium oil: How to make it?). These are applied to the skin so that only the necessary amount is absorbed by the body.

During my last pregnancy, I changed only one thing in my diet and supplementation: Magnesium.

• No leg cramps
• I slept great and never had the insomnia I’d had before
• No morning sickness-  I had minor queasiness a few times but none of the vomiting or nausea I’d had in past pregnancies

Magnesium was also a part of why my work was so much more enjoyable this time. Magnesium plays a vital role in hormone function and muscle health. Magnesium was essential for me to optimize these factors.

It is safe to say that approximately 50% of the population are magnesium-deficient. Pregnancy increases this need. Consult your doctor about the ideal magnesium dose. You can have too much good! Remember that magnesium relaxes muscle, and a high dose can affect heart contractions and diaphragm motions needed for breathing.

Exercise/Squats

I found A great blog KatySays.comWritten by Katy Bowman, a biomechanics expert. She provides some amazing information in her blog regarding pelvic alignment. She also recently published her first five blog years as a book.

Her information convinced me to stop doing kegels, and instead focus on pelvic alignment and squatting. If you haven’t already, check out her post, “You Don’t Know Squat” (Part II).

It was very helpful to have her information and my daily practice when I had push ups in hands-and-knees/modified Squat positions (for which there are photos that no one will ever see!)

The fact that I have used a Squatty Potty is another factor.This is what I foundIt was this hormone (which made elimination easier when pregnant) that caused the contraction to dilate 4 centimeters.

Chiropractic

I’d had some Chiropractic adjustment during all of my pregnancies but it was sporadic and I often didn’t make it a priority at the end when the crazy nesting kicked in.

Because she was breech this time, I went to the chiropractor twice a week for the final 8 weeks of my pregnancy. My chiropractor focused primarily on pelvic positioning and the Webster technique which is known to be effective in getting breech infants to turn.

I’m convinced that my little one just wanted to hit the ground running (which she did and hasn’t stopped since) but she was delivered breech. Even though the chiropractic didn’t get her to flip, I think it did help make labor easier.

Healthy Fats

It is important to have the right kind of fats in order to produce hormones. Specifically, The body needs more saturated fatsThe following are some examples of how to get started: Margarine and vegetable oils are artificial fats..

During my pregnancy, it was a priority for me to consume lots of saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, tallow and animal products. I also avoided any vegetable oils. I ate plenty of Omega-3s in the form of wild caught salmon. The fermented cod’s liver oilChia seeds are a great source of nutrition.

You are at Home

I know this won’t be a popular opinion with everyone, but I really do think that being at home during my labor made a big difference for me. Obviously it isn’t always the best option and even for me, a c-section save my son’s life (and mine).

In my case, I believe it was the correct decision. My labor was also much shorter because I was in an environment that was completely safe and comfortable.

This article has been reviewed by a medical professional. Dr. Betsy GreenleafShe is the first female board-certified urogynecologist to be certified in the United States. She has been double board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology as well Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery. We recommend you consult your doctor.

A natural labor was it? Was your work made easier or harder by anything? Tell me in the comments!