04/06/2026
**10 THINGS YOU CAN DO IN LABOUR THAT DON'T INCLUDE TIMING CONTRACTIONS 👀**
Because despite what movies would have you believe, labour isn't just sitting on the couch yelling "START THE TIMER!" every 4 minutes.
Here are 10 things I'd focus on before becoming the world's least qualified timekeeper:
✨ Eat something.
Labour is basically a marathon and nobody runs a marathon on half a muesli bar and vibes.
✨ Drink water.
Hydrated uteruses are happy uteruses.
✨ Go for a walk.
Gravity is free and surprisingly effective.
✨ Have a nap.
Yes, really.
Especially in early labour.
You'll thank yourself later.
✨ Put on your hypnobirthing tracks.
Because "panic" isn't a birth plan.
✨ Bounce, sway or circle on a birth ball.
Bonus points if your partner looks slightly ridiculous demonstrating it first.
✨ Have a shower or bath.
Warm water is basically magic.
✨ Dim the lights.
Your uterus is a little bit like a teenager.
It performs better when everyone stops watching it.
✨ Kiss your partner.
Oxytocin helps labour.
And it's definitely more fun than staring at a stopwatch.
✨ Ignore your mother-in-law's texts asking if the baby is here yet.
This one is evidence-based.*
(*Not actually evidence-based.)
The truth is, contractions are only one piece of the puzzle.
There are so many other signs that labour is progressing, and that's exactly why I teach my Positive Birth Classes.
Because birth is about a whole lot more than watching an app count to 60.
👇 Tell me... what would be the first thing you'd do if labour started right now?