1. Distract Yourself

For first-time mothers, active labor lasts an average of 12 to 14 hours. So when contractions begin -- you'll feel them first in your lower back or as lower-abdominal cramps -- try to stay calm. If you start worrying from the onset, counting contractions, and breathing through every ache, you'll wear yourself out," she says. Lose yourself in other activities: Take a walk, a shower, or bake cookies. Anything that relaxes you will help speed things along.

 

2. Snack Carefully

A light snack in the early stages of labor while you're home will help maintain your energy level. But avoid fatty or hard-to-digest foods, because a too-full stomach could make you feel nauseated and cause vomiting during the later active stages of labor. Muscle contractions and rapid breathing during labor can also cause you to lose fluids quickly. A study from the University of California at Irvine revealed that doubling the rate at which intravenous fluids are given can shorten labor by more than an hour. In addition, these labors were half as likely to last longer than 12 hours, says study author Thomas Garite, M.D., a professor and chair of the university's department of obstetrics and gynecology. Drink clear liquids while you're laboring at home, and, once you've arrived at the hospital, let your caregivers know whenever you feel dehydrated.

 

 

3. Get a Massage

Most laboring women who received massages from their partner reported feeling less pain and anxiety during childbirth than those who were not massaged. When you stimulate an area that's in pain, whether with pressure or heat, you soften the pain messages sent to the brain. Let your partner know what feels best. You may want a shoulder or neck rub in labor's first hours, for example, then firm pressure on your lower back during the intense transition stage. By the same token, there may be times when you don't want to be touched at all.

 

 

 

4. Don't Lie Down

Staying upright throughout much of labor lets gravity work to your advantage: The baby's head pressing on your cervix will help it dilate. And trying a variety of positions -- standing, kneeling, or squatting -- can lessen discomfort and move labor along. "Movement helps widen your pelvis, allowing the baby's head to pass through.
 

 5. Sex

Sex while pregnant — especially in the later stages — seems awkward at best. But it's one of the most effective ways to trigger your body's natural painkilling chemicals. And an added perk to pregnancy: your orgasms may be more intense.

 Pregnancy increases blood flow to the vagina, which can often make it even more pleasurable and orgasmic.  Blood flow is key to arousal in general, as it engorges the clitoris and sparks sexual desire. The hormonal changes that women experience during pregnancy can also increase desire.

 Orgasms cause the uterus to contract, which is also what happens during labor. So regular orgasms during pregnancy may help the body associate this sensation with pleasure, rather than pain. Women who are more relaxed and open to surrender are likely to have a much different birthing experience, even verging on ecstatic.

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