6 Ways to Prepare for Labor During Pregnancy

Thinking about labor and child birth may scare you a little, or at least make you a bit nervous.

I know I heard so many horror stories before having my son. However, I want to ease your mind a little bit – there are so many ways you can prepare yourself and make the thought of labor a little less scary!

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Giving birth to my son ended up being one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I’m not going to say I loved every second, but I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.

Here are some ways you can prepare yourself for labor and delivery.

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Prepare Your Mind

Preparing your mind is possibly one of the most important things you can do to get ready for labor and delivery.

If you’re looking to go the unmedicated route, I highly suggest Hypnobabies.

Hypnobabies is an awesome resource for expecting mothers to prepare for pregnancy, labor and childbirth, and beyond. They have tracks for how to get better sleep during pregnancy to how to release your fear of childbirth!

Whether you’re having an unmedicated birth, a cesarean, twins, or trying for a VBAC, there are awesome tracks to help your mind ease into any process.

Our minds are more powerful than we realize! There’s no harm in trying it out!

Walking and Exercise

Walking and moderate exercise are not only great for keeping your body healthy and in great shape for labor, it’s great for getting labor started when it’s time!

I loved to watch pregnancy Yoga videos on Youtube and attended classes too.

It really helped me relax and feel healthy and in shape during my pregnancy. It can really help prepare your body for labor and get baby into the right position!

Looking to breastfeed? Prepare yourself by taking the Milkology Breastfeeding Class! I love this affordable class that takes you through everything you need to know and eases any anxieties you may have about breastfeeding.

Bounce on an Exercise Ball

Bouncing on an exercise ball strengthens your back and stomach muscles during pregnancy.

It improves your posture and can also help get baby into the right position for labor.

It helped me immensely with back pain and was eventually way more comfortable than sitting on chairs when I got really big in my third trimester!

Try finding some pregnancy exercise ball exercises online as well!

Stay Fed Well and Hydrated

It’s no secret that eating well, staying hydrated, and generally keeping your body healthy is a great way to prepare your body for labor and delivery.

Child birth is a very hard physical and mental experience, and you want your body in tip top shape to allow your body to do its thing.

No matter how you end up giving birth, being healthy during your pregnancy can really help your recovery postpartum.

Your Support Team

Having a good support system is so important for things to go well.

You want your partner, your family, your doctor/Obstetrician/Midwife, and/or Doula and whoever else you want to support you, to all be on the same page about your wants and needs.

Ultimately all these people work for you. So be vocal and ask questions. Be clear about what you want to happen in any given situation.

Lean on your people and ask for help! It can be hard to know exactly what you want or need, but make sure they are there for you when the time comes to ask for help.

Lots of Rest and Relaxation

Give your body the rest it needs. Try to stay as relaxed as possible (I know, easier said than done).

Stress isn’t good for you, or your baby. Our bodies can react in all sorts of different ways when stressed. It’s important to find ways to calm yourself and take time to relax and pamper yourself before the arrival of your precious baby.

A very helpful way to stay stress free during your pregnancy is to keep lists of everything you need to get done or get ready for baby! These checklists will help you stay super organized so you don’t need to worry!