Do’s and don’ts of early labor

Labor starting, especially when it’s your first pregnancy, is such an exciting time. Moms are usually flooded with every emotion - nervousness, excitement, apprehension, joy - you name it! With so much going on in your mind, it can be easy to want to work out that nervous energy through things like intense nesting (completing anything left on that finish-before-the-baby-comes to-do list) or physical activity (usually walking) to make sure labor keeps progressing.

While these reactions make sense, one of the best things you can do when labor starts is s l o w d o w n. As they say, labor is a marathon, not a sprint, and you don’t want to use up all of your energy before things really get going. This is also why it’s important to make sure you eat and drink water. (Yes, it is safe to eat during labor.) You need your energy stores filled, not depleted!

An easy tip for when labor starts is to consider the time of day and follow the rhythm you usually would. What do I mean by that? Well, let’s say you have your first few contractions around 7:00 PM. What are you normally doing at that time of night? Most of us are either fixing or finishing up dinner and getting ready to wind down, making our way to bed within the next few hours. You will want to do the same when labor starts! Don’t go out for a long walk or try to take on a big task. Rest! You could enter into more active phases of labor in the middle of the night or early in the morning and you want to be well rested for that.

Let’s consider the flip side - if your first contractions start at 10:00 AM. What are you usually doing then? Most of us are either at our job, running errands, or fixing snacks for our toddler. Whatever you usual rhythm is, stick with it when your contractions start, just slow it down a little bit and dial back the intensity. You still want to conserve your energy even while you go about your day.

And what about telling your friends and family you’re in labor? I’m a big proponent of waiting until 1) you’re sure labor has started and 2) you’ve been having consistent contractions for a little while. Whether we intend to or not, alerting others that labor has started can put (undue) pressure on yourself. There is something different about laboring, knowing your sister is dying for an update, and laboring with your partner in peace. You know yourself and your relationship with others best, but talk through when to share that your labor has started with your partner well before labor starts so you are both on the same page about that.