3 Things to Help a Slow Labor (That Are Not Pitocin)

Early labor, while not usually very uncomfortable yet, can seemingly drag on for many hours. Especially if it’s your first baby, it’s not uncommon to have contractions for 12-24 hours prior to going into really serious active labor.

There are many reasons why we may have a crockpot labor rather than a microwave labor. Sometimes we can identify what is going on and sometimes we never know. I won’t go into all of the many possibilities, but a lot of them do boil down to one of these roots:

• baby not in a good position (therefore you have to have a lot more contractions to make any progress)

• emotional dystocia (fears, anxiety, etc. disrupting your hormone production)

If you are at home and starting to get really tired and uncomfortable, you may be tempted to head in to the hospital early. If you are at the hospital, the staff may be starting to discuss the option of turning on a Pitocin drip to get your labor on a more predictable timetable.

While that’s fine if it’s something you are okay with, I always like to give options and alternatives.

These are the 3 things I would try to help progress a slow labor. With the caveat that you are full term, already having contractions (not trying to induce labor from scratch at home) and are in contact with your doctor or midwife.

1. The Miles Circuit

The Miles Circuit is a series of 3 laboring positions which takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. If your baby is not in a good position, this may be helpful. The first position is “open knee-chest”, where you get on your hands and knees on the floor, and get your chest down on the floor with your bottom up (kind of like puppy posture in yoga) for 30 minutes. The second position is 30 minutes of “exaggerated left side lying” where you relax in bed on your left side, rolled almost over onto your stomach with your right leg hiked up. The third position can be chair lunges, curb walking, or going up and down stairs sideways. Read the detailed directions and look at the photos of these positions by going to the actual Miles Circuit website.

2. Nipple Stimulation

Nipple stimulation releases oxytocin, which causes contractions. You can go into your bathroom and close the door or lie in bed and do this. You can use your hands or your breast pump. This is why I recommend bringing your breast pump with you to the hospital, in case you’d like to use it to help strengthen mild contractions. If you’d like to use your breast pump, be sure to lubricate it for comfort, and try 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off.

3. Turn Lights Off and Rest

Sometimes taking a “break” from labor is the right thing to do to increase oxytocin production. There’s only so much bouncing on a ball and stair walking you can do. If you are at the hospital, ask for an hour of privacy, a warm blanket, and turn the light off. Close your eyes and imagine your body melting into the bed between contractions.

You can use any combination of these tips plus give it some time. Almost always, you will see a huge difference in your labor pattern.