Did you do anything to prepare for it, or do you think it was just luck? I have been reading up on red raspberry leaf tea, kegel exercises, perineal massage, etc.--just curious if anyone thinks any of this actually contributed to a faster/easier delivery? Did anyone have an easy delivery without doing any of these things?
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I hear doing squats helps too, and also pushing in a squatting position or sitting position rather than on your back
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I sat on an exercise ball. But I think most of it is luck.
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How do you define easy? I had an intervention free birth, no meds, no tears, nothing. I drank red raspberry leaf tea and did perineal massage from 34 weeks on.
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I was a terrible pregnant lady and didn't exercise or do anything special and I had an easy labor and delivery. I did have a second degree tear but I blame that on the fact that I pushed C out with two pushes in under 5 minutes.
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Yes, I need the definition of easy too. I think mine was relatively easy, despite how painful it was because I'm a wuss.
Only 1 hour of pushing. I did get an episiotomy though and also had tearing, so maybe mine wasn't easy? I didn't do anything to prepare.
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@looch: @Adira: Ha, I don't really know. I guess less than an hour or so of pushing, minimal/no tearing.
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I did no preparation (besides a 1x a week prenatal yoga class) and I was able to push her out in 15 minutes. I had a tear that required stitches but had absolutely no problems with the healing and the stitches dissolved on their own. I did nothing else to prepare.
I had to be induced for high blood pressure, but I was already progressing and 5 days overdue.
So I don't know. Maybe mine doesn't qualify as an easy labor/delivery LOL
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I pushed for about 20 minutes and only needed one stitch, so I consider my delivery pretty easy. I didn't really do anything to prepare, but my OB used lots of lube during delivery and helped support my perineum, which I think probably helped a lot. I also think my epidural helped, I tense up with pain, and really think the epidural helped me keep the area as relaxed as possible.
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I guess it depends what you think easy is. I went with out meds so I wouldn't call it exactly "easy" but labor and delivery went very smoothly for me. 15 hours total, no meds, only pushed for 45 min, pushed mostly in a squatting position, but I did end up with a 2nd degree tear. Probably could have been prevented with slower pushing but I wanted that baby out of me! I attribute it to part luck and part having a doula by my side. The only thing I did to prepare was some ball bouncing and doing squats.
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@lawbee11: Just for kicks, I first noticed contractions at 7:30 in the morning. I sent my husband to work and labored alone until 12, when I called him to come home. We started timing contrax at that time and they were less than 5 minutes apart, so we called and the midwives told us to come in right away. I was 4 cm dilated at 2 pm and it only took another hour for me to get to 10. My son was born at 8 pm, but those 5 hours weren't all active pushing. There was a lot of lying around during that time. The midwives weren't concerned because my water hadn't broken, so they did it some where in that time, but I have since forgotten when.
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@lawbee11: I had a super easy delivery - I pushed for a whole 2 min and she was out! Had one tiny stitch and some skid marks, but that was it.
I can't speak for the raspberry tea or kegels because I didn't I do them. I think working out throughout the pregnancy helped me the most. The nurses did the perineal massage right before I started pushing (...not really what I call a "massage" though - MUCH rougher than I thought it would be).
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I had a super easy delivery IMO--only pushed for 20 minutes, had a very minor tear (2 stitches), and recovery was great. I do think it was luck, and maybe also the fact that I continued to exercise throughout pregnancy? My OB said I was a very efficient pusher, and maybe being in good shape helped?
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Good question! I know my midwives do perineum massage as a matter of course as the baby is pushing down, but they said it really doesn't help that much before hand (which i was glad to hear since I didn't really feel like do it!).
@looch: I thought you didn't want to overdo it on the red raspberry leaf tea until you were ready for labor? I guess I can start now-- 37 weeks tomorrow?
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Hmm I had a fast labor (dilated fast), but pushing took an hour and 45 minutes and I tore to a 3rd degree. However, LO's head was coming out sideways so I think that had a lot to do with it. I drank the tea, sat on my yoga ball etc. I do think it helped me progress quickly though so I will do it for my next pregnancy anyway.
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I think mine was easy and I really think working out thought my pregnancy helped me. My doctor thinks it helps too. That was all the prep I did. I pushed through 7 contractions, was about 20 mins, that was all.
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@Foodnerd81: It doesn't induce labor, it tones the uterus, according to my midwives. They told me to start with a less potent brew and increase the intensity as I approached the due date.
I have heard that the Evening Primrose Oil capsules are the ones you need to be careful with, as those soften the cervix.
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I had a pretty easy labor and didn't do anything to prepare. However, my recovery was kind of rough, so there is that.
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i had an easy delivery with olive, but she was small 4 lbs 15 oz, and she was my second. i had a c-section with charlie, but did push for 3 hours and i think that had an impact on me having an easier time pushing the second time around.
i do wish i had done kegels (i did none), because i still have problems with mild incontinence!
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I had two easy births; 12 hours long (including 30 minutes pushing) both times, with epidurals but no other interventions/medications. I did have minimal tearing both times and required a couple of stitches, althouh they never really bothered me and I had super easy postpartum recoveries. I did the Bradley exercises for my first (squatting, tailor sitting, etc...). I didn't do anything with my second.
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I didnt do any of the above (except some kegels just for fun :P) and I had 2 easy and uncomplicated vaginal deliveries.
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@BabyBoecksMom: @hilsy85: @Smurfette: OK I am hopeful that y'all are right and that working out contributes more than this other stuff! Up until this point I've been walking (briskly) on the treadmill 3-4x a week, but I think I am going to try and start doing it every night (mostly because it's the only thing I've found that really helps with the swelling in my feet and ankles).
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@BabyBoecksMom: Did you have to ask the nurse to do the massage, or do you think it's pretty standard?
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Not sure if mine qualify as easy deliveries, both labors were over 24 hours, but I pushed for 8 minutes with my first baby and less than a minute with my second and had nothing beyond a skid mark or two, no tears. I didn't really do much to prepare the first time, did a lot more RRL the second time, which I credit with helping my waters stay intact for longer and making my second labor definitely easier. Also, I'd being unmedicated and pushing in a comfortably-to-me, upright position, following my body's cues on when and how hard to push is probably what helped the most with easy, injury-free pushing stages. But I'll also say that part of it is dumb luck. I've seen completely mother-led, physiologically-normal births where mom ended up with a 3rd degree tear because that's just how her skin type reacts. There are most certainly things one can do to minimize trauma and injury, but some unlucky people are going to tear no matter how they prepare and give birth. Not to be a pessimist or anything, lol.
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I kept up my workout routine throughout my entire pregnancy so I did squats, lunges, etc. I'm not sure if they made a difference. I never purposely did anything to make labor easier though. I had an easy 10 hour labor and only pushed for 10 mins. I ended up with a small, first degree tear.
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I'd say that my labor/delivery was middle of the road. Pushed for 2 hours but baby was sunny side up!
Was induced at 38 weeks for high BP and baby having heart decels. Was already 2cm and I attribute that to RRL and lots of baby dancing!
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@lawbee11: I was jogging and doing lots of leg workouts. That area was toned! (well, as much as can be when being that big - ha!) The nurse just did it, I had DD at Memorial, and I think it might be standard.
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@BabyBoecksMom: and @lawbee11: I had C at Memorial (medical center) and that wasn't even discussed let alone occurred so maybe it depends on your nurse??
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What do you mean by easy vaginal delivery?.....I pushed for 2.5 hours but it was easy for me to do that. I drank that tea and everything but I think what helped the most was how active I was during my pregnancy. Giving birth didn't wear me out! Two teeny stitches. And the nurses were commenting on how smooth and quick my induction was for a first baby (16 hours start to finish).
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I pushed for almost 3 hours and didn't tear with my vaginal delivery. LO was small at only 5 lbs 13 oz. I didn't prepare in any way but very glad that I didn't tear. It helped a lot with recovery, and I was back up on my feet within a day or two.
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@BabyBoecksMom: @pelikila: We have our childbirth prep class on Saturday so maybe I'll ask if it's standard...I don't know why but I feel so awkward asking that question!
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@lawbee11: i definitely don't think it hurts to give those things a try! i had easy deliveries with both. with the first one, i did prenatal yoga regularly, walked nightly, and ate a lot of protein (bradley classes recommend 90 grams of protein daily!). the only thing i did that you listed was i had my husband do perineal massages on me too, but i still got a 2nd degree tear. i think i was just pushing too hard though and it could've been prevented if i wasn't so desperate to get that baby out.
with my 2nd pregnancy, i took RRL tea and evening primrose oil. the tea i started drinking at 28 weeks, and the evening primrose i took orally 2x/day starting at 38 weeks, and i didn't tear and had a very easy/smooth recovery.
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I think it totally depends on the person and your body. I was very fit and swam until 3 weeks before birth and walked everywhere the last three weeks. I didn't do any of the prenatal things you mentioned though. I arrived at the hospital at 7cm without having felt a single contraction. Had an epidural and ended up pushing for about an hour. DS was just under 8lbs. Ended up with one very minor tear that needed 2 stitches. I don't know if all of that would be considered easy, and parts of it were very painful/uncomfortable, but I expected it to be much worse.
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Minimal pushing (around an hour of light pushing) and a small tear - I did nothing to prepare. I wasn't fit in anyway, overweight actually. My mom had horrible deliveries and I'm pretty much her clone, so I would guess that a lot of it is luck
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I pushed for 40 mins and got 2 stitches for "superficial tearing"
I sat on a yoga ball at work my whole pregnancy, walked almost every day, and did yoga once a week.
Mostly I think it was my reward for a really long, difficult labor!
But yeah, exercise is probably the most helpful. I was in good shape pre preg too
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I didn't do anything to prepare - I was happy to go with the flow. I was induced so actual labor was horrible without an epidural, but lo was born with one (tiny) push - I joke that she birthed herself. I also didn't tear but had a slight labial graze (which they gave me 2 stitches for since I have a bleeding disorder). Throughout labor I was so scared about the pushing aspect (was expecting a few hours at least) and because I was getting so exhausted I was super worried but pushing ended up being the opposite of how I predicted.
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@lawbee11: I had a long labor but aside from LO being sunny side up (she has a small head though) the pushing and delivery was pretty easy (yay epi!) and no aside from Lamaze class I did nothing.
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A friend of mine swears by the perineal massage. Her doctor did it for her during both of her labors.
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I think a lot of it is luck. I took 12 weeks of Bradley classes, did their recommended circuit of squats, Kegels, and pelvic rocks every day, took EPO and RRL tea, worked out, and still had 32 hours of back labor, 3.5 hours of pushing, and second and third degree tears.
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@grizz: Not to mention the prisoner of war treatment!! I laughed so hard when I read that you'd said that to your DH!!!!
Only 1 hour of pushing. I did get an episiotomy though and also had tearing, so maybe mine wasn't easy? I didn't do anything to prepare.
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