15 Best Normal Delivery Tips for Pregnant Women

Often women are seen confused about the safe delivery method to opt for. In recent years C-section child birth has become very popular over normal delivery. If you are looking for normal delivery then go through normal delivery tips. There are times when doctors recommend for a C-section due to complications. Many times people opt for C-section unnecessarily fearing the pain involved in natural deliveries. They tend to ignore the risks which are involved in C-section surgery.

In fact, many of the couples are unaware about complication. If C-section is performed when not needed can pose serious lifelong complications to health of baby and mother. We must keep in mind that every woman’s body is designed to go through normal birth process. God has designed us in such a way that we can withstand the pain involved in normal childbirth. So we are going to share today about 15 best normal delivery tips for pregnant women. Moreover, this tips will be beneficial to heal and recover faster.

Normal Delivery Tips for Pregnant Women

So before moving ahead let’s find out what exactly is Normal Delivery. When you opt to bring your baby in this world naturally without any surgical intervention, it is called as Normal delivery. Unless you have certain medical complications, normal delivery is the most trusted and natural method of childbirth. In fact, a mom is able to recover quickly and it also helps to deliver a healthy child. Nowadays, doctors also rush for C-section to save their time. Some of them make assumptions and give pain relief medicines. However, childbirth is a fairly natural process and until and unless there are some complications, medicines must not be involved.

Natural labour has a shorter time span and it helps the mother to witness the birth experience closely. Furthermore, as soon as you and your baby are alert, you can facilitate breastfeeding. Natural birth is healthy for the baby and the mother both. There are certain factors which influence your chances to have a normal delivery experience.

Your haemoglobin levels, blood pressure, blood sugar are in control.
You have had a smooth pregnancy period without any hurdles.
You are physically fit and active. Doing breathing exercises, physical exercises or going for walk makes you fit. It will increase your pregnancy normal delivery chances.
You are not overweight. Having an ideal weight will enhance chances of normal delivery.
Normal childbirth in previous pregnancy.
Having Asthma or similar complications can worsen during labour.

Normal delivery – How painful it is

It pains during normal delivery because uterine contractions begin in the body to enable the baby to come out. This results in abdominal muscle tightening. The perineum, vagina, rectum, abdomen, bladder, pelvic belt and the back comes under a lot of pressure during labour. All of these together create a lot of discomfort and intense pain. So it would be unfair to say that labour is not painful process.

However, every pregnant woman has a unique and different experience. We all do have a pain threshold which determines the degree of pain which we will feel at the time of birth. It completely depends upon fear, birth stories that you have heard or experienced genetics etc.

Why Should I opt for Pregnancy Normal Delivery

Simply because it is a completely natural process and our bodies are designed to withstand it. Forget C-section, if you are healthy and have had a normal pregnancy period throughout. Then you may not even need epidurals or painkillers. Few doctors presume that women may need painkillers. Sometimes recommended for C-section to avoid the trouble, pain and save time.

But if you stick to normal delivery it is healthy for both mom and the baby. Your recovery time gets shorter and you can hold your baby for breastfeeding immediately. This leads in building a skin to skin contact and helps in greater bonding between the mother and the child. It will also boost immune system of baby since the baby gets exposed to the different bacteria while passing through the birth canal. Furthermore, you will have to stay in the hospital for a few days and later rest in the comfort of your home.

Pregnancy Tips for Normal Delivery

If you are opting to follow natural or normal delivery method for childbirth than we have some expert normal delivery tips. Following these pregnancy tips will help you and your baby to undergo a normal and successful vaginal delivery.

1) Educate yourself about birthing process

Educate yourself as much as possible about the process of delivery and labour. Make sure you do it from reliable sources. Ask all your doubts to doctor about childbirth and clear them out. Talk to your mother as her experience will also help you. There are many good and informative books available with latest information which share some useful normal delivery tips. Read them.

Attend birth classes which will train you with techniques on how to manage the pain. They involve breathing, relaxation, massage, and other procedures which help to cope up with the pain. Nowadays all the hospitals offer these classes. You can check different classes and select the one that you feel is the best for you.

2) Keep the Stress and Worries far away

Don’t get tensed thinking about childbirth. It is normal to take stress, think about random negative thoughts but remember it is not going to help you in anyway. Read positive books. See a funny movie or listen to some soothing music. Keep yourself surrounded with positive people who will uplift your mood when you feel low. You can also try to meditate if it makes you feel comfortable enough.

3) Close your ears to horror birth stories

During pregnancy, there are chances of you coming across many positive as well as negative childbirth stories. Some women are very interested to narrate their difficult and scary delivery experiences. Stay far from these type of people. It will affect you negatively and add to more stress and fear.

Hearing to negative experiences makes you feel nervous and you will start to panic. You must remember that every woman has a different labour story to share. Only because someone else had a bad experience doesn’t necessarily mean you will face the same.

4) Do some research before choosing Gynecologist

It is a known fact that unfortunately many doctors rush for C-section. This saves their time and trouble. Choose the one who is into natural birth. The doctor should be trying all his means and knowledge to go for normal delivery. C-section should be looked upon as the last option to choose from.

Do your research to find a hospital who have good rate of normal childbirths. Talk to other moms if possible who are taking treatment from the same doctor. You can also talk to your doctor to know about his opinion on normal delivery. If you feel that you both are not on same page then look for another one.

5) Find an experienced Doula

One of the most smart pregnancy tips for normal delivery is finding an experienced doula. Doula is someone who will assist you in your delivery process. They will try to soothe you, help you in calming down and provide emotional support. They will be there throughout the delivery process and assist you with non medical assistance. Post birth, she would guide and help you in breastfeeding your baby.

6) Keep your Closed Ones around.

You must ensure that you and your husband are on the same page when it comes to childbirth. If you have some different opinions about your pregnancy than make sure to share it with your family and decide unanimously. Emotional support is necessary to enhance your confidence and stay away from fears about delivery. Surround yourself with positive thoughts and positive minded people.

7) Don’t Rush to the hospital

When your contractions begin don’t fret. Try to move, take a walk, eat something which is easily digestible and drink enough fluids. When the consistency of contractions starts to increase no matter how hard you try, that is the time to contact your gynecologist. After going to the hospital if you find out that you are not dilated enough, you can go home.

8) Perineal Massages are Helpful

In the third trimester, you must begin with perineal massages. It is very simple. Just insert your thumb inside and pull the lower vaginal part forward and outward. Follow this normal delivery tips for a minute or two. Stretch slightly. If you experience pain then stop the massage. It will help you to deal with labour pain at the time of delivery.

9) Drink enough Fluids.

This is the most simple to follow pregnancy tips for normal delivery. Drinking enough water, juices is no big technique but we often fail to remember it. Now that you are pregnant drinking water is of utmost importance. Drinking extra water keeps you hydrated and also gives you strength and energy to handle the labour. In fact, it is less likely that you will need any intravenous fluids. If you can’t drink plain water than you can also drink freshly squeezed juices or energy drinks.

10) Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy will help to stay away from discomfort and reduce pain. Fill the bathtub with warm water and then soak in it to get relief. You can also try hot compress, warm water showers, etc to increase relaxation. Don’t use high temperature water as it can harm your unborn baby.

11) Keep an eye on the weighing scale

If you have an ideal weight than you are bound to suffer from lesser complications at the time of childbirth than for women who are obese or overweight. Don’t gain too much of weight. It is necessary that you will increase your weight during pregnancy for the proper growth and development of your baby. But you don’t have to cross beyond the specific limits.

Must Check – Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator

Moreover, you may face problems during labour and will end up with a C-section surgery. Also it gets difficult to monitor the baby during checkups. If you are obese, the baby also may be large and it gets difficult for them to come out.

12) Try playing the ice game with your hubby

If you want to find out how you can cope up with the child birth process, play this game with your husband.

Hold an ice cube for 60 seconds in your hand.
Try to hold the ice cube while you both are talking.
Then hold the ice cube while walking around.
Finally, hold it for 60 seconds in complete silence.
It’s a awesome trick to estimate how long you withstand the pain.

13) Keep a watch on your posture

Always sit with a proper support to your back. Don’t mishandle your body since now there is an added pressure on spine. Sitting or standing for longer time will increase your pain. Pregnancy tips for normal delivery are to avoid wearing high heels, wearing tight belts, sleeping in awkward positions etc.

Misaligning your body will hamper the baby from gliding smoothly. Buy a pregnancy pillow for supporting your body while sleeping. It will also help you later while breastfeeding. If you are working women, cushion up your sitting chair.

14) Watch your dietary habits

Eat responsibly. Nutritious, healthy and balanced food is much needed for you and also for growth and development of your child. A well nourished healthy woman will be stronger to face the challenges of labour pain. Eating right food is important to nourish your body. Include a lot of fibrous foods in your diet. This will help you to stay away from constipation. Keep in mind to drink enough water also. Because fibre absorbs a lot of moisture inside the body.

Stay away from fatty, oily, high calorie foods. Many women put on a lot of weight by eating everything they see and crave for. As long as it is necessary to pamper your cravings, you should be also focusing on wholesome and healthy dietary habits. It is also believed that eating spicy foods will make your body warm and induce a normal delivery.

Your meal should have a healthy portion of fruits, vegetables, legumes, dairy and lean meats.
Choose protein rich foods.
Include foods rich in iron and folic acid.
Avoid sugary/street/junk foods.
Eat seafood in moderate amounts. Avoid oily fish.

Include foods rich in Bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme. It softens cervix and can stimulate labor. Consume foods like pineapple, mango which are rich sources of bromelain. Consume bromelain-rich foods in raw state for best results. Keep portions size smaller as it can lead to premature delivery.

15) Physical Activity

Doing exercise helps to keep you active and aids in natural delivery. It will help you in building your strength and stamina. So start exercising regularly. Doing regular exercise will strengthen your pelvic muscles. But while doing any type of physical activity consult your gynecologist. Also do this under the supervision of an expert or else it may harm you and your unborn baby.

Yoga is also believed to be very beneficial. It makes you stay calm and relaxed. It will help in increasing your flexibility and keep a control on your breathing. Some of the yoga poses are perfect to relieve the lower back tension. It is all about breathing the right way. Join a prenatal yoga class for correct guidance.

Practice breathing exercises since they make the process of natural birth easier. Below are some breathing exercises for normal childbirth. Try exercises like shallow breathing, breathing from chest/ stomach under the guidance of an expert.

Walking is highly recommended for pregnant woman. Buy a pair of comfortable walking shoes and take a walk in a nearby park or around your house for around 30 minutes. It will reduce restlessness, high blood pressure problems etc.

Swimming is also a great pregnancy tips for normal delivery to stay physically fit. It regulates heartbeat, strengthens muscles, prevents muscle injury, and also keeps your body fit.

Involving in mild exercises during pregnancy will build your stamina and keep you active. Some exercises like Kegels help in making the thigh muscles stronger which will help in reducing the stress. Squatting helps in opening the pelvis and also gets your baby into ideal birthing positions.

Sleeping enough is necessary for healthy growth of baby and for you to relax. Pregnant women need an undisturbed sleep of 8-10 hours. A sound sleep helps in proper growth of the baby and mother. It helps to relieve from the fatigue and tiredness symptoms. Keep the sleeping area noise free and also keep the light source to minimum. Avoid drinking tea or coffee before going to bed.

As said above our bodies are made to give birth to a new life. In olden days, births used to take place at home without any doctors around. Just trust your instincts and then guide yourself in this journey. Eat healthy, do your exercises, keep breathing and focus on the arrival of your newborn. If you are healthy and have no complications you will go through labour without much of a trouble.

Do not stress about the pains involved in normal delivery. Because unlike C-section, this pain is once done..is done!! Keep your support boosters around. It can be your partner, mother or anyone who you are comfortable with. Avoid staying alone in the house especially when you reach the third trimester. Pamper yourself, read some good books and keep your mood uplifted. Enjoy every moment of this phase and make yourself prepared for the arrival of your newborn. Read this normal delivery tips again if you missed something.