You can intensify your labor contractions through exercise, eating spicy foods, having sex, stimulating your nipples or even through acupressure and massage.
Acupressure and massage can help to speed up stalled labor and a general massage can help you relax, decrease your pain and also help with intensifying your contractions.
Also specific techniques in acupressure can help to hit points which allow the body to produce more oxytocin, that increases contractions.
You can also intensify and trigger contractions by drinking a cup red raspberry leaf tea, which can be consumed steaming hot or even ice cold.
The red raspberry leaf tea is known to boost the flow to your uterus and can trigger contractions.
When your contractions are 10 minutes apart it suggests that you're in the start or beginning of early labor.
Although even when the contractions are 10 minutes apart, it does not always mean that you are indeed in active labor but it can suggest that you're in the start of early labor.
During the early labor, your contractions can also be irregular and also vary in their intensity and the contractions in early labor may even space out and intensify over time.
Contractions tend to last for 30 seconds to 90 seconds, with intervals between the contractions changing as labor progresses.
And early labor contractions often last 30 seconds to 45 seconds and the contractions in early labor are often 5 minutes to 30 minutes apart.
And when you're in active labor, the active labor contractions often last for 45 seconds to 60 seconds, and occur every 3 minutes to 5 minutes.
And then finally the transition phase contractions often last 60 seconds to 90 seconds and will come every 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
During contractions you should not eat a large meal during contractions or labor, although small amounts of ice cream or other clear liquids or light snacks are often okay, especially during early labor.
Although some hospitals may even restrict food intake during labor, especially if there's any possible risk of you needing a C-section.
Some hospitals do allow for clear liquids and or light snacks throughout your labor, and others restrict you to only eating ice chips or clear liquids.
Contractions can be made more bearable through epidurals, massage, using breathing techniques, finding a comfortable position and even moving around.
Movement and changing your positions frequently and even rocking, walking or using a birthing ball can help your labor progress and ease pain.
Even warm showers or warm baths can be soothing and help to relax your muscles and also having a lower back massage or foot massage or even shoulder rubs can provide relief and distraction and applying some firm pressure to your lower back or hips during the contractions can also help to relieve the pain, especially during back labor.
To calm down early contractions, you can move and change positions as you need to, but don't stay lying down and instead try to walk around between the contractions.
And then relax and breathe slowly and try taking a warm shower or bath.
Warm water has been shown to help with reducing the achy pains in early labor and contractions.
And try to remain upright and active, which helps the body to move into a good position and to move down into your pelvis and always eat and drink small and light and high in carbohydrates.
When you're in labor, ice chips can also help provide you with hydration and a cooling sensation, which can also be comforting to you during the physical exertion that occurs during labor.
Traditionally women in labor were often restricted to only ice chips during labor, but now current guidelines are also becoming much more liberal and also now allows for drinking clear liquids and in some cases even light meals.
Ice chips provide you a good way of staying hydrated, without overwhelming your stomach, especially when any solid food is restricted.
And the cooling sensation of the ice chips also are soothing during the contractions during labor and helps to manage any discomfort.
And ice chips are a low risk option for hydration, especially when compared to larger volumes of liquids or solid foods which could result in aspiration or inhaling of food or liquid into the lungs.
When I was in labor I used ice chips, although some women may need more than just the ice chips for hydration during labor.
If you need more than just ice chips during labor your doctor can help you get something more suitable along with the ice chips if needed.