• Try to follow your body’s natural rhythm. Contractions come in waves — you only need to handle one at a time.

• Find positions that feel good — standing, kneeling, rocking on a ball, or leaning forward. Movement can help the baby rotate and descend.

• Breathe steadily through each contraction. When you relax your shoulders, jaw, and pelvic floor, your body works more efficiently.

• Ask for a calm and safe environment: dim lights, fewer people, and a voice you trust. This supports oxytocin, the hormone that drives labour.

• Use warmth for comfort — a shower, bath, or heat pack can ease intensity.

• Drink and eat small, energy-rich snacks if you can. Labour is endurance work.

• Speak up if something doesn’t feel right. You don’t need to “power through” — we are here to support you and adjust anything we can.

• And most importantly: trust your body. It is designed for this, and it is working with you, not against you.