I get asked all the time how patients can prepare their body for birth and what things I am doing to prepare my body for my third birth. This post should not be considered medical advice, but simply things I am doing to prepare for birth that are backed by research. Please consult your care provider if you are interested in incorporating any of these into your own birth preparation.
Chiropractic Care
Coming from a chiropractor, this one may be obvious. Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy is an effective way to prepare your body for labor and birth. It helps align the joints of the pelvis which allows the uterus to align, helping the baby get into the ideal position for labor and birth. Webster Technique is a specific series of adjustments that the providers at our office utilize. When the baby is in an ideal position, it can decrease labor and birth times.
Find a chiropractor that will also give you stretches and exercises that you can do at home to prepare your pelvis for labor and birth!
Acupuncture
Research shows benefits of acupuncture to help stimulate labor and shorten labor times. It does this by ripening the cervix (softening and opening the cervix). Acupuncture and acupressure can also help manage pain during labor! As a provider that also practices acupuncture, my general recommendation for acupuncture near the end of pregnancy is 1-2x/week beginning around 36-37 weeks.
Dates (the fruit!)
Dates are commonly eaten near the end of pregnancy around the world as part of preparation for labor and birth! The general recommendation is around 75g of dates (3-4 medjool dates, 6 petite noor dates) per day for 4 weeks before your estimated due date.
Research compared women who ate dates the last 4 weeks of pregnancy and a group that did not. The women who ate dates the last 4 weeks of pregnancy were more likely to go into spontaneous labor, were less likely to have labor augmented, experienced more cervical dilation when admitted to the hospital, and had shorter first stage of labor than those who did not consume dates.
For most people, dates are safe to eat during pregnancy. Take caution if your care provider has advised you to limit your carbohydrate intake and/or if you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
I am not the biggest fan of dates (and the majority of my patients are not either!). I think they are way too sweet and I am not a fan of their texture. During this pregnancy (and my last), I made big batches of bacon wrapped dates and have been eating 1-2 at a time throughout the day.
Perineal Massage
The goal to perineal massage is to reduce perineal trauma during birth.
Benefits of perineal massage during labor and birth:
· Slightly longer (but normal) 2nd stage of labor- this allows the perineal tissues time to stretch (this is a good thing)
· Greater sense of control during childbirth- people report feeling more prepared physically and psychologically
Benefits of perineal massage in the postpartum period:
· Less pelvic floor muscle and anal sphincter damage
· Less perineal suturing (stitches) needed
· Less acute and chronic pain
· Greater sexual satisfaction and sensation
· Greater likelihood of orgasm
There are no reported risks or adverse outcomes with perineal massage. This means that it does not “overstretch” the perineal and vaginal opening, there is no increase in postpartum urinary or fecal incontinence, and there is no decrease in sexual satisfaction postpartum
You can begin doing perineal massage around 34-35 weeks gestation. It is recommended to do daily, however at least 4x/week is the minimum recommendation. You may want to use a water- based lubricant.
How it’s done:
· First- wash your hands and trim fingernails!
· Find a comfortable position to reach the perineum
· Insert both thumbs or index or middle fingers into the vaginal opening.
· Inhale and as you exhale:
o Press toward the back wall of the vagina (toward the rectum) and hold the stretch until feeling a slight numb or tingling sensation. Continue to breathe through this.
o Glide your thumbs or fingers out to the side of the wall of the vagina (remember to breathe!)
o Repeat this massage in this slow “U” shaped path for up to 5 minutes
Tips for perineal massage:
· Use a warm or cold pack on the perineum afterward to reduce soreness
· Increase the pressure you are using as you feel comfortable doing so over the course of a session or over the course of a few weeks.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
Red raspberry leaf tea comes from the leaves of raspberry plants! It has been used for centuries to support healthy pregnancy and tonify the uterus to prepare for birth. It is high in vitamins A, B, C, and E and contains many minerals that nourish the uterus and help it contract and relax.
Research has found that consuming red raspberry leaf tea during the end of pregnancy has been associated with “easier” labors.
Many midwives and herbalists recommend drinking RRL tea daily (1 cup) around the second half of the second trimester, increasing to 2 cups/day during the mid-late third trimester.
Xoxo,
Dr. Candace
Our office is now offering a *FREE* Quarterly Preparing Your Pelvis (+ Pelvic Floor) For Birth Workshop! Dr. Abbey will be leading the next one in September (Friday September 9th at 6pm!). Registration is available online.