DURING LABOUR

❯ DON’T RUSH OFF

If you’re birthing at a hospital, stay at home until active labour begins, advises Gayle. “Otherwise you’ll sit and wait, and labour will seem long and drawn out, which is not good for your state of mind.”

❯ GET SUPPORT

Hire a doula to support you, says Michelle. “Research indicates that women who give birth with a doula at their side have a 25 percent shorter labour time.”

❯ KEEP YOUR BLADDER EMPTY

For a simple trick to speed up labour, empty your bladder. A full bladder can slow down labour because it quite literally gets in the way by pressing into your birth canal, explains Michelle.

❯ BREATHE

It sounds like a no-brainer, but women in labour really need to focus on breathing slowly and properly. “Breathing correctly ensures Mom and Baby receive enough oxygen. This encourages the release of birth hormones, which in turn makes the contractions more effective,” Michelle says.

❯ SWING THOSE HIPS

Swinging or spiralling your hips helps baby move down into the birth canal, so start swinging early, and do it often, Gayle says. “Also move into different positions. And if you have to be monitored, request that they monitor while you move – it is possible.” Michelle recommends adopting upright positions: “It is one of the most basic yet effective techniques for speeding up labour, because gravity plays a huge role in assisting the baby to descend downward into the cervix, which in turn will help the cervix dilate quicker.”

She also suggests the age old trick of walking up and down stairs:

“It assists with getting the baby’s head to move down deep into the pelvis, which stimulates the cervix to open more effectively.

❯ LEAVE THE BATH FOR LAST

If you plan to use a birthing pool or bath, Gayle suggests leaving this until you’re well into active labour because warm water relaxes muscles, which is of course good, but it can also slow down contractions or make them weaker. “Save it for the final bit of relief,” she says.