4 Easy Ways to Make Labor a Little Less Work

With only 33 days until my due date (not that I am counting or anything), I stumbled across a few good tips to keep in mind when going through labor:

1. BYO Gatorade: Sports drinks like Gatorade are easy for your body to digest and keep you better hydrated and energized than ice chips (I am pretty stoked on this one, although, I didn't know that you could intake anything with sugar...going to double-check on that one with my doctor).
2. Don't get pushy: Just because you are fully dilated doesn't mean you have to start pushing like there's no tomorrow. It is safe to let your baby descend on his/her own while (which I know from experience because when I was told to stop pushing because I was waiting for my doctor to arrive, my son still kept coming out...the uterus is a powerful thing!). This way you can save your strength for the last pushes.
3. Don't be a hero: If you want pain relief, ask for it. Even if you don't feel like you have been in labor long enough to deserve it or other women have told you how glad they were they didn't have pain meds. Everyone has a different threshold for pain - and kudos to those women for saving the meds for us! And by the way, studies show that early epidurals (the best thing ever!) don't make labor last that much longer, but what do you care...you won't feel the contractions anyway!
4. Pack your iPod: Silly as it sounds, your favorite tunes can get you through labor with a little more comfort. Research suggests music can help you deal with pain.

Pictured below: The bliss of an epidural!