Early Labor: Emotions, Tips, and Tricks

It's 6 PM. Contractions begin. They're still far apart and not consistent yet. You're feeling surges of emotions. The early labor emotions are a lot to handle, and completely unique to this stage. Thankfully, you're not the first one to experience them, and here's simple skills to handle early labor emotions right.

Almost every emotion will arise during the beginning of labor.

To begin with, excitement. Crazy, overwhelming excitement. I've heard many stories of women too excited to sleep or eat even though those are the most important things to do at this point in labor. As a doula, I've seen the importance of nutrition during the final stages of labor. Sometimes, it means the difference between an epidural or being unmedicated. So enjoy the excitement, while also taking the time to deep breathe, rest (please sleep if you can!), and eat a good meal. Use the excitement and possible energy rush to pack your bags and get ready for active labor.

Second, fear. You might have a million "what if's" floating around in your mind. What if this isn't real labor? That's a possibility, but even if this is prodromal labor, it's still impactful. Every contraction is still readying your uterus for active labor, so don't count this as a waste of time. You might be afraid of active labor, and I'd highly encourage you to face that. Fear can stall labor (see my blog post on handing fear!), so it's important to deep breathe and focus on this moment instead of the next few hours. It's normal to feel some level of fear, because you're diving into one of the hardest yet most beautiful moments of your life. So breathe and step forward. One contraction at a time.

The rush. Yup, crazy urgency. Especially if this is your first birth, you might feel an instant rush to get everything ready, hop in the car, and speed to the hospital, birth center, or call your midwife if it's at home. And sometimes the rush is necessary, but not usually. Try to rest (as mentioned above), eat, take a walk, and time your contractions. Release any tension in your body and wait until contractions are 4-5 minutes apart consistently for an hour before getting in the car or making that phone call.

Early labor is a unique time. It can last for days, hours, or minutes. Either way, it's an important time to prepare for the rest of labor. I can't overemphasize the importance of resting and eating during this time, and passing time if it's dragging on. Meet with a friend, do normal activities, bring your kids to the park, and time your contractions to know when it's time to get serious.

You've got this, mama. With the right early labor prep, active labor can be a whole lot easier. This is the beginning to the birth of your baby, and an important step in your growing family.

And even if you're in early labor, you can always call your doula for helpful tips and advice, or even just to let me know you're in the process.

-Welcome Life Doula