Prodromal Labor: How to Survive the Mental & Physical Exhaustion
Show Notes:
[2:12] Our Reviewer of the Week is CoraTheFloralPreserver, and she says: “I love love love this podcast so much. My husband and I are not trying yet (hopefully soon!), but I stumbled upon this podcast trying to stay awake on a drive one night and I was immediately hooked! Stephanie (& Courtney for those older episodes) does such a good job of giving all sides to any scenario, decision, or piece of advice & truly makes learning about my body & birth so fun & exciting! I know I will end up listening to all the episodes twice— once now & again when we are pregnant!”
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I polled you guys a few weeks ago about what topics you want to hear about, and prodromal labor came up several times. Let’s get into it!
[3:24] What is Prodromal Labor? First, let’s talk about the different types of contractions. There are labor contractions, which lead to the birth of your baby. Braxton Hicks are tightening or squeezing sensations that happen throughout pregnancy. They are not painful and don’t lead to your baby being born. Prodromal labor contractions are a little tricky because they are actual contractions and you may experience discomfort and pain. They can become longer, stronger, closer together, just like real labor contractions can. You can have prodromal labor, you know, a couple weeks before you give birth, and then it can go away and not come back. 🗓️
[6:23] What are different ways you can have prodromal labor? It can be a small bout of it and it goes away for a few minutes, hours, days. Or you can have it quite a few times where it’ll come on but eventually fizzle out. Generally speaking, they happen around 36-37 weeks. It's different from mom to mom. It's different from baby to baby. Stress can cause prodromal labor, but there have not been studies done. 😫
[8:57] The other thing that we see that can create prodromal labor is the baby's position. So when the baby is in a funky position, closer to giving birth, that baby is getting bigger and the space in your uterus is getting smaller. You are more uncomfortable, and they kind of start pushing on some different areas within your abdomen, within your uterus, and within your pelvic floor area. 👶🏻
[9:35] Oftentimes, what I will say to moms that are having prodromal labor is, let's make sure we're doing some of those positional things that can encourage baby into a good position to alleviate some stress on different parts of the body and irritating the uterus to a point of contractions. 🔄
This is where the forward leaning inversion exercises or pelvic tilts come in handy! Not sure what I’m talking about? Click HERE.
[11:45] You can also see a chiropractor for your prodromal labor. Find a chiropractor who is certified in Webster's technique. Even if they are not certified in that technique, but they deal with pregnant women and they understand the body, obviously even getting an adjustment can help, particularly with prodromal labor. ↪️
[14:00] Our bodies are smart and if there is something that is going on, it can be a hey, this irritation of the uterus or these contractions doesn't mean that it's time to give birth. It can be a heads up for us to be paying attention. It’s like a last ditch effort for your body to say, “Hey, we're dying over here.” It would be really good for you to think of it the same way with prodromal labor. 🏳️
[15:00] Your body is going to do what it’s going to do anyway. Don’t blame yourself! Prodromal labor is just part of your story! It’s not anything you’re doing or not doing necessarily. Dehydration can cause contractions. The heat can cause swelling which can also cause contractions. Are you eating a high-protein diet? 🍳
[16:32] Do a head-to-toe check of your body. How are you doing? How are you feeling about your birth? How's your family life going? Emotionally how are you feeling? What kind of thoughts are you having? 🧠
[17:58] The good part about prodromal labor is that they are real contractions. Every contraction brings you closer to meeting your baby. Whether that is preparing your cervix, preparing your uterus, maybe the baby needs some practice contractions. We never quite know exactly why our body does what it does, but we have to trust and it's very, very smart. There are so many internal things that are happening that every single one of these contractions is actually a positive thing. 🥳
[19:17] The thing that I did love about prodromal labor was it gave me a chance to practice everything that I was learning to birth my baby. I am going to breathe through it. I'm gonna maybe hang over something and let my belly hang really big, breathe into my belly. Focus on my breath, tell myself those positive things. I can do anything for a minute. Each contraction brings me closer to my baby. Pretend this is the real thing and talk to your baby and just imagine how the rest of the birth is going to go. 💭
[21:13] The frustrating part of prodromal labor is where you don't know if it's going to stop or if it's going to keep going, or if this is really it, or if you're gonna get to sleep again. It can be physically and mentally exhausting. Emotional exhaustion is a very real thing. So when you get excited about something and you like constantly, and your hopes are high that adrenaline and that dopamine and all of that, it gets exhausting after a couple days and then it turns into this like crying, I can't do this anymore. 😭
[24:29] How common is prodromal labor? It seems to be more common now than it has been. Again, no studies. I am simply going off of what I am hearing and seeing within the birth course, or talking with other pregnant women that I know. Just because you have experienced it in a previous pregnancy does not mean that you will ever experience it again. And just because you haven't experienced it in a previous pregnancy doesn't mean that you cannot experience it in a later pregnancy. There's really no correlation back and forth between any of that. 🤷🏻♀️
[25:31] Question from Monica on Instagram: “What's the difference between prodromal labor and active labor?” Stephanie talks about the difference and what to do. 🤰🏼
[29:44] There is nothing bad coming from prodromal labor other than mental and physical exhaustion. So as long as you're making sure that you are taking care of your body, well hydrated, you're eating food, you're resting when you can. Um, when you get a break that you really enjoy, take time to have that break. 💦
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