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Stay home until you can't talk or walk through contractions anymore. Eat and drink. Move around as much as possible during labor, don't lay on your back in bed. Relax into contractions, don't fight them. Birth ball, shower, and rocking chair are great during active labor. Once you get to the point where you doubt your ability to go any further, you are almost done! Good luck!

My best advice ( I have three children and am currently 34 weeks with our fourth) is to focus during contractions. I found that when my husband blew in my face at the same time that I blew in his during a contraction it helped hugely. Another is just like miranda says stay at home as long as possible, your better off in your comfort zone. Good Luck :)

GET AN EPIDURAL AS SOON AS YOU CAN! That is the best advice that I can give. I was induced, so I didn't have any contractions at home. I put up with them for 1 1/2 hours befor asking for my epidural and after the epidural, I was in no pain what so ever!

i am scared help

I'll be giving birth to #5 in April...Baby #1...scared to death of the "unknown" and got an epidural. They gave me too much resulting in a bad overall experience. Baby #2...hired a doula...felt empowere, and more relaxed as a result...a 1 hr labor and felt like a million bucks afterward. Baby #3....felt confident and relaxed...enjoyed the jacuzzi....walked and walked the halls listening to (don't laugh) a Richard Simmons walking tape!...no pain until 9cm when I felt tired and very hungry. I couldn't relax anymore. Baby #4....hardly slept all night...hungry as anything...anxious as the baby's fluid was low (she turned out to be almost 10 lbs)... but interestingly enough, I was so weary that I lay on the bed - propped up, and with pillows under my knees, my walkman on listening to relaxing music. I had that feeling of "sinking " into the bed because I had every muscle completely relaxed. The nurse kept coming in and would ask me every so often if I was all right because I had some serious contractions registering on their monitor. I felt only the "lift and tighten" of my uterus. Baby's 2 and 3 were completely drug free...#4 was with a ....paracervical block I believe it was called due to the fact that my daughter was so big and sunny side up. It took the edge off the contractions so I could deal with the severe back pain. So......looking in retrospect , my best advice to myself for this time around and to others is....relax! Get a walkman and a good tape or CD...have someone rub your feet with lavendar lotion (hubby did that for me!) Don't lay there on edge waiting to brace yourself against the pain (which most of the time comes as a result of tension anyway). Make a concious effort to let tensions go, sink into the bed, close your eyes. Let your body do what it was designed to do.

My best one is to wait as long as you can to get any medication, because by the time you are really going to need it, you might almost be done. If you focus and breathe through your contractions, everything should be okay. One other tip, bring lots of pads with you to the hospital, I ended staying an extra 3 days there with my son because he had jaundice and they released me and I was stuck not being able to get anything after that because of insurance. It might be different for other people or hospitals but all I can remember was how bad I needed more pads. lol :)

put husband in a head lock and breathe

I believe relaxing speeds things up as well. I found lying in the bath, eyes closed, just breathing through contractions helped, and also remind yourself that it will all be over soon. i also agree that by the time you need drugs, it is almost over, so keep that in mind before you decide.

Stay at home as long as you can, take a warm bath. Try to keep your mind off the pain, walk around, cook and freeze meals. This all helped me I stayed at home untill I was 8cm ( A bit to long, but made it to the birthing centre in time)

Hire a doula!!! Become as educated as possible about the birth process. Get in the jacuzzi. Remember that it is a natural process and you can do it! And---hire a doula!