Important Note: This blog is not motivated by any baby based company or a firm. I am neither a medical practitioner. I have written this blog on “Normal Delivery Tips” solely based on my experience and being a happy mother of a baby girl, whom I gave birth through normal delivery.
There was a time when normal delivery was very normal. Going through cesarean section (c-section) was considered abnormal but unfortunately, in less than two decades, the entire scenario has changed upside down. Having a normal delivery has been termed as one is very lucky.
Are you going to be a First Time Mom?
Advance Congratulations! This blog is mainly for you. I know you are apprehensive thinking about D-day and how it is going to be. Do not worry! I have gone through this phase. I know how it feels. This is one of the reasons. I am sharing my experience along with most of the practical tips for Normal delivery which I followed, to increase my chances of natural birth.
Congratulation Mom-To-Be!
I hope my experience and tips help you have a safe and easy labor and delivery.
God’s grace, I had a normal delivery with a labor pain of 10 hours. But let’s be clear with one point, having a normal vaginal delivery or c-section completely depends on the baby’s position, dilation, your body’s condition, and many other such factors that can change in the last few days or even few hours before your delivery. Trust me these things are not really in our control. Even I was not sure until my baby was born.
The next question, which will pop in your head, is – If nothing is in our control then how are these normal delivery tips going to help me. Right?
Let me explain. Whatever tips I have given here is what I followed to condition my body and keep it active. When your body is active naturally, the chances of natural birth is more.
Before getting into my personal experience, its important to understand what exactly is a Normal Delivery. Why most of them prefer, wish, and pray for Normal Delivery.
What is Normal Delivery?
Normal Delivery is also called as Vaginal delivery wherein the baby comes to the world naturally through your Vagina via Uterus. Since the delivery ends up with little or no sutures, we call it as Normal Delivery.
My Journey towards Normal Delivery…
My pregnancy got confirmed in November through UPT (Urinary Pregnancy Test). So first thing, I did once I got conceived was to stop eating junk food. I am not exaggerating, but yes. My urge to become pregnant and become a mother gave me all strength to stop eating my favorite pani puri as well. It’s already 7 months giving birth to my baby girl still I am scared to eat pani puri because of the health hazard it’s filled with.
I feel it will be easy to read and follow if I put all the tips I followed and my experience into categories and points:
1. Travel During Pregnancy
- I avoided using autos or buses for travel or any kind of commute. Instead, I started walking at my own pace or started using cabs (and preferred sitting in the front seat).
- During my initial months due to non-stop puking, I was very tired to walk so I used to ask my husband to drop me in his two-wheeler (having his vehicle is always safe as you can instruct them how you want them to ride).
If you have four-wheeler, traveling in the car during pregnancy is safer than bikes, especially in the third trimester.
Pre-plan your commute wisely; never be in a hurry. In case you get late at times, it’s okay. Nothing is important than your health and the baby inside.
2. Food and Diet for Normal Delivery
One of the important tips for easy normal delivery is the kind of food you have throughout your pregnancy. This is my experience and the tips I want you to follow w.r.t Food. I understand this is the time we crave a lot but listen to your body. Hormones go crazy when your food goes wrong.
- I tried to have home-cooked food most of the time or ordered food like roti, dal khichdi, and curries which are less hot and spicy. Whenever the curry was spicy I had gastritis or vomiting so shifted to more or less bland food.
Less spicy food or bland food may not be that tasty but definitely keeps your digestive system more comfortable during pregnancy.
What are the foods to avoid during pregnancy?
As mentioned previously, I tried completely avoiding junk food. But, during pregnancy sometimes you feel like eating junk just by seeing someone eat it ( I’m not speaking about craving, that’s a different department altogether ).
Eating junk when pregnant, taught me a lesson hard way. February 16th was our wedding anniversary so we planned to go to a resort for a change and taking this as an opportunity I ordered veg Manchurian and veg noodles. I was 7months pregnant. That night I had a severe stomach ache and loose motion. The next day I was admitted to the hospital due to severe dehydration. That’s when my gynecologist gave this advice rather a warning:
She said the cases of food poisoning are more in street food and Chinese food (as it contains ajjinamoto) than in processed food like Pizza or burger and asked me to avoid it completely.
So it’s highly recommended to avoid the street side and Chinese food to stay safe.
3. Hydration
Drink water regularly so that you don’t feel thirsty. Dehydration is a complete no-no, especially during pregnancy. Being hydrated keeps you away from hemorrhoids and UTI (which is very common during pregnancy)
- I started carrying my water bottle and avoided having outside water. But I did have bottled water in places where I forgot to carry my own. This helped me avoid cough and cold throughout my pregnancy.
- I tried to drink a minimum of 3 liters of water. At times it’s not possible but as the months passed, I made it a habit to drink water whenever I crossed the kitchen or by keeping water bottles in the place of work or near my bed.
4. Pregnancy Medicine
Had all the safe drugs(tablets) during pregnancy that was mandatory. Starting with a tablet for folic acid, then the calcium and iron tablets based on the gynecologist’s advice which was important for baby’s growth and development.
- But I avoided all the tablets/ cough syrup given for constipation which is common during pregnancy (as I hate cough syrups). The tablets were given for vomiting (I vomited all through my pregnancy still I preferred to avoid eating those tablets) as I never liked having medicines and most importantly I just wanted to keep things natural as much as I can.
Note: If you are under medication for Gestational Diabetes or low Blood Pressure or any other such complication you should mandatorily have the tablets as per the dosage. Please do not skip them.
5. Physical Work
I did not force myself in doing any physical work I felt uncomfortable or new but kept myself active by doing household chores like washing vessels, sweeping the floor with a smaller broom, cleaning bathroom and dancing. The did the last two things more by the start of my ninth month.
Keeping yourself physically active is one of the important pregnancy tips for normal delivery but that doesn’t mean you overstrain yourself and do household works that you have not done before.
You can also unravel your creative side or be part of creative mothers group to keep yourself occupied.
Know your limits and do the work accordingly.
6. Exercise to Prepare for Natural Childbirth
I would have seen more than 100 youtube videos with a tag “normal delivery exercise” that spoke about and also showed how to do exercises and how these exercises are one of the important points to consider for normal delivery.
- Other than very simple exercises I never tried the rest and I also suggest all Mom-to-be not to do any exercise which you are not sure of without proper adult supervision. Especially, when you have no history of doing exercises before pregnancy.
- But if you were a gym-going person unlike me then you can do the exercises which you feel is comfortable for you but make sure someone is at home to help you in case of any discomfort.
- Do not try doing any new complex exercise by seeing these videos. In case you slip or stretch your muscles in the wrong way. It’s not only you, but even the baby also has to bear the brunt and you might be in too much pain.
Now, What can I do? If I did not exercise before my pregnancy? what to do for normal delivery in the 9th month?
- If this is your question. Then the best exercise is BRISK WALKING. Initial months it was difficult for me to walk as my energy was drained due to morning sickness and nausea but after my 6th month, I started walking at least for a minimum of 20 minutes a day.
So walking every day is one of the important pregnancy tips for normal delivery which I would like to share. Because walking helps in activating muscles and also keep you fit by building the stamina.
7. Mental Health to Prepare for Normal Delivery
Mental well being is as important as your physical well being. Science says that keeping yourself positive also helps in positive fetal growth.
- The subconscious mind is so powerful. When you wish something genuinely the universe conspires in making that happen. So think everything will happen positively and you will deliver the baby hale and healthy through natural birth this should be the thought you should wake up to every day in the morning. I’m repeating, It’s very important to stay positive.
But I always think Negative? What to do?
- Pregnancy is the time when you attract a lot of negativity than usual. You feel all the bad things around you can happen to you like miscarriages, accidents, slip and fall, someone pushing you type feeling and many more. Feeling like this is normal but the best thing we can do to avoid this is by changing your attention to something else like watching a comedy show, listening to a happy wala song and best of all go out for a walk or do shopping. This helps you release stress and fear. Further, avoid seeing movies or videos which can disturb your mind.
- As mentioned above, pregnancy is a stage where your mind thinks more negative so I suggest you avoid the main source of negativity and bad news – social media.
- Many suggested I do yoga and meditation but I could not do or say I was very lazy to do. But if you can do it, please do it. It helps you negate bad things.
- Be out of all the fights and scenes which can make you feel very bad and depressed. Weeping is okay but anything too much is bad.
8. Finding a doctor for pregnancy – How to choose the right doctor?
Many people face a lot of problems in choosing the right gynecologist. Luckily I was suggested one of the finest gynecologists through my friend who had done her delivery previously with her.
But that doctor was in Bangalore and I was in Pune till my 7th month so I had to do my treatment in Pune till then. I went to a gynecologist initially but the way she was speaking I dint like so in my 4th month I changed my gynecologist. Trust me, it’s all gut feeling. If you don’t like something or feel unsatisfied don’t go ahead with it. I have one of my friends who is a mom of a 10months old baby girl. She changed her doctor in the 7th month just because the doctor was not able to answer her questions satisfactorily.
- According to me, a gynecologist is right for you, if she/he can answer all your questions and doubts patiently and supports you by telling all the possibilities of normal delivery. As a mom-to-be, you have all the right to ask whatever you feel rather thinking about what the doctors will think about you. Even if it seems silliest, it’s okay to ask.
- I had a habit of listing down all my queries and doubts in a notepad to be asked when I went for the checkup else the moment I see the doctor I use to forget all my doubts. So please write your queries on your phone or a book.
- According to me, a gynecologist is right for you, if she/he can answer all your questions and doubts patiently and supports you by telling all the possibilities of normal delivery. As a mom-to-be, you have all the right to ask whatever you feel rather thinking about what the doctors will think about you. Even if it seems silliest, it’s okay to ask.
- I had a habit of listing down all my queries and doubts in a notepad to be asked when I went for the checkup else the moment I see the doctor I use to forget all my doubts. So please write your queries on your phone or a book.
9. Sleep during Pregnancy
- As the months’ pass, the sleep reduces. It’s natural but whenever you feel sleepy or tired, please go to bed. Elders say not to sleep in the day time much during the last trimester.
After hearing that I started sleeping more in the day time. Since most of the nights, I was sleepless due to one or the other issue like heartburn or back pain or just insomnia.
Commonly asked doubt is – What should be the sleeping position during pregnancy?
- Sleep in the position you feel comfortable with. The best sleeping position for a pregnant woman is to sleep on your sides (preferably left side) but I was comfortable sleeping on my back as I could not sleep for a moment sideways during the start of the first trimester. When I consulted my gynecologist, she asked me to sleep in whichever position I’m more comfortable with.
When I told my gynecologist, my mother is forcing me to sleep sideways. The doctor clearly said. It is difficult to sleep in sideways for a long time and trying to make it a practice all of a sudden will harm your sleep cycle. Moreover, she told “Sleep is more important than anything else” and asked me to sleep on the left side gradually. By 8th month I slept naturally on my left side.
Note: Sleeping on the left side is very good as this allows the maximum flow of blood to the ut do not stress yourself on that too much to a level where you might lose sleep. Gradually you will tend to sleep on your left side as your stomach size increases as the month passes.
10. Date of Delivery
In India, 40 weeks is the safe period and during your 5th-month scan, the doctor will give your EDD (Expected Date of Delivery). Normally the delivery happens around this date.
Few days before the delivery …
I had a lot of stomach ache due to the gas issue (which is normal) so when I consulted my gynecologist she said if you are uncomfortable we can do the delivery a week before the due date by inducing pain.
She gave me the required medicine and after eating the tablets I was feeling better.
As I was feeling okay, I discussed with my husband and we both decided to wait till the due date. I consulted the doctor again. She was completely okay with it since my EDD was just a week away.
When I consulted the doctor she gave me two scenarios in which I would have to get admitted for delivery immediately.
Scenario 1: if I had slightest discomfort/ pain
Scenario 2: a day before EDD.
I developed a stomach ache 2 days before the EDD. Once I got admitted, my labor started naturally. My baby girl was born after 12 hours in labor.
Note: I did not have high blood pressure or gestational diabetes. If you have chances to wait till the date of delivery. Please wait, do not be in a hurry. There are more chances for vaginal delivery and contractions to happen naturally. Whatever I have written above is my experience and what I did during my pregnancy.
After delivery, breastfeeding is the next important thing you should be aware of.
Disclaimer: The above content is purely my pregnancy experience.
