How to Prepare Your Body for Labor

Labor and delivery is a very exciting time, but it can also be a very stressful and overwhelming time. It is true what they say: “you don’t know what you don’t know”, meaning you can’t fully prepare or know what to expect until you’ve been through it. And while you can never 100% prepare or know what will happen (because anything can happen), there are ways to help prepare your body for it ahead of time.

With my first pregnancy, I tried to read and research different ways to help prepare my body for labor early on. I wanted to do my best to be ready for the task of birthing a child. While every person and pregnancy is different, these are the things I still do every pregnancy that I think contribute to a smoother delivery for me.

Exercise

The biggest one for me is exercise. Just moving your body can be a huge help! It doesn’t have to be anything too crazy either. Squats and lunges are great for helping your body prepare for birth. Swimming is great for exercise and alleviating the weight of your body. Even just walking is good for you. My personal go-to is yoga. It is more relaxed but still gets the job done. It’s easy to modify when needed to accommodate your growing belly, and you can do pregnancy/labor specific routines too. In all three of my pregnancies, I walked/chased kids around and did yoga regularly.

Hydration

It might not seem important, but anyone who has ever been pregnant knows hydration is very important during pregnancy. Staying hydrated helps both mom and baby and can help prevent preterm labor. I carry around a water bottle all day. If you need help drinking more water, try out a bottle that has time stamps on it to make sure you are drinking it throughout the day based on the times. Another of my favorites is to simply add cucumbers or fruit to the water for when you want something with taste.

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

In my research for labor prep, I came across red raspberry leaf tea. I love tea, so it was an easy thing for me to try with my first. Studies have shown drinking red raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy can help make labor faster and reduce complications and interventions during birth. I personally have drunk it for all 3 of my pregnancies. I start taking it in the third trimester (1 cup a day until 32 weeks, and then I increase it to 2 cups a day). If you are unsure or have any questions, ask your doctor about it.

Yoga Ball

Another thing I take up in my 3rd trimester is my yoga ball exercises. I try to sit and do hip circles, slight bouncing, rocking back and forth, etc., a little bit every day. It will not make you go into labor, but it will help your body prepare for labor, and it is also good to help the baby get into the optimal head-down birthing position.

Bonus Tips:

Two other tips I have heard can help (but I have personally never tried) are perineal massages to help prevent tearing and also eating dates at the end of pregnancy.

With my first two babies, I had 2nd-degree and then 1st-degree tearing. With my 3rd, I didn’t tear at all, and he was my biggest baby. These are the methods I used to help prepare my body each time. Just keep in mind every person and pregnancy is different. There is no guarantee of an easy and tear-free childbirth. But my philosophy is that it doesn’t hurt, and anything is better than nothing when it comes to labor prep! If you have any other suggestions that I didn’t mention above, comment below!