Reviewed by The Mom Store editorial team, October 2026. See our editorial policy.
Feeling nervous about labour is normal, especially with a first baby. What helps most is knowing what to expect, having a few coping tools you have practised beforehand, and having someone with you who knows what you want. The NHS guide to pain relief in labour makes the same point: learning about labour can make you feel more in control and less frightened about what is going to happen.
Before the day
Go to an antenatal class. Many hospitals in Indian cities run them, often for couples, and some gynaecologists hold their own sessions. They walk you through the stages of labour, what the hospital will do, and the pain relief on offer. Bring your questions; nothing is too small to ask.
Talk to your doctor about pain relief now, not in the labour room. Ask what your hospital offers (for example an epidural, gas and air, a birthing pool) and whether it is available at all hours. Knowing your options ahead of time takes away a lot of the unknown.
Write down what matters to you. A short birth plan of a few lines is enough: who you want with you, whether you want to move around, your thoughts on pain relief, and anything about the first hour with your baby. Share it with your doctor and your birth partner, and keep it flexible, because labour does not always go to plan.
Choose your birth partner carefully. It may be your husband, your mother, a sister or a friend. Check the hospital's rules, since some allow only one person in the labour room. The best partner is someone calm who will speak up for you, not someone who will need looking after themselves.
Practise breathing. The NHS suggests learning how to relax, stay calm and breathe deeply. Two simple patterns:
- Slow breathing: breathe in through your nose for a count of four and out through your mouth for a count of six or eight. Use it in early labour and between contractions.
- Patterned breathing: as contractions get stronger, some women find it easier to focus on a rhythm, such as two short breaths out followed by one longer one ("hee hee hoo"). It gives your mind something to hold on to.
Practise for a few minutes a day in the last weeks of pregnancy, with your partner counting, so it feels familiar when you need it.
Early labour at home
Early labour can take hours or even days, and you will usually be advised to stay at home for this part. The NHS page on signs that labour has begun suggests:
- moving around if you feel like it, and drinking fluids
- eating a snack if you want one
- using the breathing and relaxation you practised
- having your birth partner rub your back
- a warm bath
- paracetamol as directed on the packet, which the NHS says is safe in labour
This is a good time for calm, ordinary things: a film, music, a slow walk around the house, short naps. Keep phone calls with relatives short if they make you more anxious.
In the labour room
Keep moving and change position. The NHS notes that position can make a difference; try kneeling, walking around, or rocking backwards and forwards.
Take one contraction at a time. Go back to your breathing at the start of each one, and rest fully in the gap. Some women repeat a short phrase to themselves, such as "one at a time" or the name they have chosen for the baby.
Make the space yours. Ask if the lights can be dimmed, play your own music on earphones, and bring something familiar from home such as your own pillow or a shawl. Your birth partner can handle questions from family outside so you are not disturbed.
Let your partner help with touch. Back massage or firm pressure on the lower back helps some women, though the NHS notes you may not want to be touched at all, and that is fine too.
About aromatherapy and similar methods. The NHS lists aromatherapy, hypnosis, reflexology and similar approaches and says most are not proven to provide effective pain relief, and most hospitals do not offer them. If a scent or a hypnobirthing track helps you relax, check with your hospital first, but do not rely on it in place of the pain relief options above.
Ask for pain relief when you want it. Asking is not failing. Gas and air will not take all the pain away but can make it more bearable, and you control it yourself. An epidural is another option in many hospitals. Your doctor can tell you what fits the stage of labour you are in.
What to pack for comfort
Most hospitals give you a gown for the birth itself. For early labour, walking the corridors and the days after, something loose that opens at the front makes monitoring, skin to skin contact and feeding easier. Pack a lip balm, a hair tie, socks, a water bottle with a straw and your phone charger too.
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When to call the hospital
Call your doctor or the labour ward if you think labour has started, or once contractions come every 5 minutes or more often. The NHS advises calling straight away, even at night, if:
- your waters break
- you have vaginal bleeding
- your baby is moving less than usual
- you think you are in labour before 37 weeks
- contractions last longer than 2 minutes, or you have 6 or more in 10 minutes
If you feel a strong urge to push and think the baby is coming now, call an ambulance and your hospital.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your doctor.
