How to Speed Up Labor: 10 Top Tips
“I know it’s going to suck. I just want it to suck for six hours instead of sixty.”
A few friends had endured marathon labors, and I was nervous to undergo the same.
Now these women are TOUGH, and I can only hope for similar perseverance should a future delivery call for it. That being said, I wanted a quick birth and conducted endless research into how it might be achieved.
And to my very great surprise…it happened! I gave birth after just 6 hours!
I was actually shocked that these tricks worked as well as they did, and I’m very excited to share them with you today.
TIP #1 - GET BABY IN THE RIGHT POSITION
On average, natural births are faster than medicated ones. Yet I know more than a few natural mommas who had painfully slow deliveries. One was in transition for seven hours and another pushed for twelve! Now this is just a personal observation, but these women all had one thing in common: mal-positioned babies. While exercise is a great way to prevent this problem, see below if you need extra help to get your baby lined up and ready for arrival.
WEBSTER-CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTORS. These guys know what they’re doing! My baby girl was breech just days before she needed to be delivered. With a c-section breathing down my neck, I desperately called around looking for a chiropractor who was still open (it was Christmas week, so this was a challenge). I got hold of an excellent doctor who worked some kind of magic and within hours Josephine was head down. Not only that, but my first-time labor was only six hours long!
SPINNING BABIES. If you’re trying to get Baby into an optimal position, look no further than spinningbabies.com. Their team of natural-minded professionals takes the baby-positioning cake. They have wonderful exercise routines that have helped women everywhere achieve quick and efficient births.
TIP #2 - RELAXATION
Is there anything relaxation won’t do for delivery? Mmmm, nope! Remember that your body wants to deliver your baby into a safe environment. If you grow nervous or upset, it thinks “uh oh, this is no place for a newborn” and releases catecholamines to shut labor down. This mechanism is your body’s attempt to protect your little one from harm, and the antidote is too simple: relax! I have some excellent tools to stay calm and keep labor moving no matter what your delivery might bring.
TIP #3 - CLARY SAGE
I LOVE this oil! Clary sage was a huge help in my own delivery, and I have sung its praises ever since. A fascinating 2023 study found that term pregnant women given a clary sage footbath had higher levels of salivary oxytocin. Remember, oxytocin is the hormone responsible for contractions, so the more you’ve got floating around, the faster your labor will be.
TIP #4 - ACUPRESSURE
Acupressure is one of those hippy dippy things that I was almost too skeptical to try. When in the throes of labor, however, it was one of my best sources of pain relief, and it helped me progress quickly as well! Furthermore, when performed by a birth partner or doula, acupressure includes the element of touch which gives you another boost of oxytocin. Download the Ecco App to get the best pressure points for a faster birth!
TIP #5 - TOILET SITTING
When giving birth, it is not uncommon for Mom to unintentionally tighten herself downstairs which, unfortunately, slows labor down. An easy solution is to simply find the one place where your pelvis is always relaxed and open…THE TOILET! Since our potty-training days, the pelvis has been conditioned to open and relax whenever atop the porcelain throne. Midwives everywhere sing the praises of toilet sitting as a quick and effective way to get that baby OUT.
TIP #6 - HYDRATION
Yeah I know, you hear it from everyone…but please drink more water! Birth is an athletic event. Olympians don’t compete without a gatorade, and neither should you! Hydration is required for the proper performance of every bodily function, and most especially birth. This article shows a very interesting correlation between adequate water intake and shorter labor times. Birth is hard work on the body and, as in any other workout, it needs the right fuel to stay energized.
TIP #7 - STAY UPRIGHT
Gravity is your friend! Walking, kneeling, leaning, or even just standing allows gravity to pull Baby’s head downward, and gently dilate the cervix. This study shows that, in addition to a faster labor, the benefits of staying upright include improved neonatal outcomes and higher satisfaction with the birth experience.
That being said, if you’re absolutely exhausted, don’t push yourself! Try lying on your side, or resting on your birth ball. As long as you stay off your back, you and your little one will do just fine.
TIP #8 - BAKING SODA
Baking soda is your secret ingredient to a QUICK and EFFICIENT birth! You know the sore feeling you get after a workout? It’s caused by the buildup of lactic acid. After a few days, the acid/base ratio is restored and your muscles will feel just fine again. Like any other muscle, your uterus accumulates acidity during birth, causing contractions to grow weak and ineffective. A genius trick is to simply consume a base (baking soda!) to neutralize the acidic buildup.
And I know it sounds crazy, but just check out this study! Not only can baking soda moms have faster labors, they also enjoy far fewer interventions and their babies have better APGAR scores. So if you’re exhausted, just add ¼ tsp of baking soda to a glass of water and chug. Oh, and get ready to meet your baby soon after!
TIP #9 - WARM FEET
Midwives swear by this simple trick. It’s crazy, but something about cozy feet just keeps labor moving fast. While this effect has not been formally studied, the anecdotal evidence has me more than convinced.
My theory is that the myofascial line that runs from the toes through the pelvis, is better able to relax when each point along the line (feet!) is nice and toasty.
So in the absence of clinical research, I am dying to know, did you try this trick? How did it go?!
TIP #10 - SOMETIMES LABOR TAKES A LITTLE LONGER
Sometimes labor takes a little longer. And you know what? That’s ok! There is nothing wrong with you, your body, or your baby. If labor is slow going, then trust your body’s reasoning. Billions of years of evolution have prepared you and your little one for this very moment. So if you’ve tried every trick in the book, close your eyes, breathe, and trust that your body knows best.
I hope you find these tools helpful! Just remember, as long as you are relaxed and responsive to your instincts, your body will labor according to you and your baby’s needs. So whether you’re in for two hours or two-hundred, trust your primal wisdom to carry you through!
SOURCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10341564/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/14767050903277662
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/iv-fluids-during-labor/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323810801_Upright_versus_recumbent_position_during_first_stage_of_labor_among_primipara_women_on_labor_outcomes
https://www.lamaze.org/Connecting-the-Dots/food-for-thought-in-early-labor-and-beyond#:~:text=Baking%20Soda%20(SODIUM%20BICARBONATE)&text=One%20of%20those%20methods%2C%20referred,changes%20in%20acid%2Dbase%20balance
