The amplitude of the current can be increased or reduced, according to your preference and a boost button allows you to increase the sensation from the TENS machine during contractions. A low frequency pulse is sent into the electrodes via the base unit. The electrodes are placed on the woman’s lower back over the areas where the nerve endings for the cervix and uterus insert into the spinal column. TENS stands for Transelectrocutaneous Nerve Stimulation and it involves using a handheld machine which attaches to two sets of electrodes. Ask your partner or support person to give you a hand with this. If you are planning to use a TENS Machine, now is the time to put it on. If you have lots of energy and have been sleeping well, carry on as normal, but make sure that you avoid fatigue. a learnt relaxation technique you might have been practicing during pregnancy.heat packs on your lower back and under your belly.breathing consciously, by extending your out breath, sometimes counting can help with this.Distraction techniques can be very useful for this stage of the labour. You can find out more about this here.Įarly Labour can be challenging because you are now working hard, but your endorphin level has not yet risen sufficiently and so you may still be very present and aware. Changing your environment will result in adrenaline release which may slow down or stop your labour. The ideal situation is to experience all of the early stage of labour at home. If your labour has started at home and everything is normal – stay at home whether you plan to give birth there or not. She will stop speaking in between contractions and want to rest more. The more beta-endorphin is circulating in her bloodstream, the more the woman's attention will start to turn inwards. Beta-endorphin is the body’s natural pain-killing hormone, similar to opiates in chemical structure. The intensity of the contractions increases and so the woman's beta-endorphin level begins to rise. The woman’s body is working harder now and she will need to concentrate on each contraction. ![]() Early Labour can last 6 – 8 hours or longer depending on the baby’s position. They might become stronger, longer or more regular, 7 – 10 minutes apart for example. Every 1 to 2 hours, something changes with the contractions. The baby’s head moves further down into the pelvis. By the end of early labour the cervix might be anywhere from 3 to 6 centimetres dilated. The contractions are still short (less than 50 seconds long) but they are now long enough and regular enough to begin to open up the cervix. The rising oxytocin level creates a change in the contraction pattern, which now becomes more regular. The cervix is now stretched more evenly by the baby's head during contractions and this triggers a rise in the oxytocin level. During the Pre-labour phase, the cervix has ripened and the baby’s position has improved, so that the baby's chin is now more tucked in (flexed) and its head is better applied to the cervix. The cervix begins to dilate from 0 centimetres to 4-6 centimetres. ![]() Until the contractions intensify further and the woman's endorphin level rises significantly, distraction techniques will enable her to actively relax her body, by focusing her mental attention elsewhere. This stage can take significant time, energy and patience. They may also be more intense, requiring the woman's full concentration. ![]() ![]() Contractions are still short (less than 50 seconds long), but they are more regular coming 10 minutes apart and closing. The difference between Early Labour and the previous phase of Pre-Labour is that the contraction pattern changes every 1-2 hours. In Early Labour the cervix begins to dilate from closed to 4-6 centimetres dilated.
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