One of the best pieces of advice I read when I was planning my homebirth, was that when labour begins and surges start to make their first appearance....ignore them! Pretend they aren’t happening. I share this with every woman wanting to know how to prepare for their labour too, because it’s so simple & makes such sense.
Giving attention to these early sensations at this stage is in some way telling your body that something big is about to happen. Now, while something big *is* about to happen, it isn’t happening just yet, and keeping your whole body feeling chilled about it will help labour to really progress. Telling your body to ‘act’ at the early stages will build an energy, a subtle feeling of suspense, excitement & nerves, all of which are linked to adrenaline; the hormone we want to keep at bay. Instead, try to think of ways to distract yourself from the little clues, and carry on with the task at hand. I decided to make a chicken pie during my early contractions (😋😂) knowing secretly that labour was starting. I breathed through the little cramps without timing them or mentioning them to my husband, swayed through the waves 🌊 and carried on cooking. When my body needed my attention, I knew I would surrender and give in, but not until the pull to do so was overwhelming enough. Early stages are exactly that - early. They take their time and build gently and slowly. Pretending these early contractions don’t exist is telling your body that you are cool, calm, unfazed & totally in control. THIS is exactly what we want 👌 and it’s a wonderful foundation for labour.
Trust me, when you truly need to focus and stop those tasks, you will. Your body will take your attention when it absolutely needs to and when this happens, you’ll have no choice but to tune inward and focus. Until then, bake a cake, chill with your big baby 👆or make a pie! The magic is just getting started, all you need to do is allow it to unfold by itself 💫