Strategies for getting through labor

When labor first begins, be patient and monitor your body. It is not always easy to know when you are going into labor. The steps leading up to labor can last for days.

Use your time at home to take showers or warm baths and pack your bag if you have not packed yet.

Walk around the house or sit in your baby's room until it is time to go to the hospital.

Most health care providers recommend that you come to the hospital when:

Create a peaceful place for giving birth.

Keep your mind busy.

Get as comfortable as you can.

Speak up. Talk to your labor coach and your providers. Tell them how they can help you get through your labor.

Ask your provider about pain relief during labor. Most women do not know exactly how their labor will go, how they will cope with the pain, or what they will need until they are in labor. It is important to explore all options and be prepared before your labor begins.

Minehart RD, Minnich ME. Childbirth preparation and nonpharmacologic analgesia. In: Chestnut DH, Wong CA, Tsen LC, et al, eds. Chestnut's Obstetric Anesthesia: Principles and Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 21.

Minichiellow VJ. Relaxation techniques. In: Rakel D, ed. Integrative Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023 chap 91.

Thorp JM, Grantz KL. Clinical aspects of normal and abnormal labor. In: Lockwood CJ, Copel JA, Dugoff L, et al, eds. Creasy and Resnik's Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 69.



Review Date: 11/21/2022
Reviewed By: LaQuita Martinez, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Alpharetta, GA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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