Being a surrogate is truly amazing and life-changing for everyone involved. Naturally, you’ll all be excited to meet the little one when the big day arrives, and as much as you loved your pregnancy, you’ll probably be glad to get through the labor as quickly as possible. The good news is, there are lots of things you can do to help move labor along when the time comes. With your doctor’s go ahead, these tips should help.

1. Relax- This Delivery Will Go Much Quicker!

A woman’s first labor can take days to progress, with active labor taking roughly 8 hours, according to Baby Center, but since you must have had at least one child to qualify as a surrogate, your body already knows what to do and you’re a seasoned pro, so you can expect active labor to take around three hours less.

2. Keep Moving

For as long as you’re permitted to be up and about, keep moving. Walking helps the baby move into position more and this can add pressure to your cervix, so it dilates quicker. Many women report that walking also helps ease the discomfort associated with contractions as well. If you’re up for it and feeling good, try walking at an incline or take the stairs.

3. Take a Warm Bath or Shower

While there isn’t any scientific evidence to show that a warm bath or shower does anything to speed up labor, it should relax you and make you more comfortable, and that just might do it. Moreover, it can help reduce your dependence on pain medications, which can slow labor.

4. Use the Restroom

The less full you are, the more room baby has to move into position.

5. Squat

Like walking and stair climbing, squatting helps baby move into position and can help apply pressure to your cervix. Plus, it often helps with contractions as well.

6. Create a Soothing Environment

The more relaxed you are, the easier it is for your body to do what it needs to do. There is no magic formula here, as every woman finds different things relaxing. However, you can try dimming the lights, aromatherapy, getting a massage, watching a TV show, or simply reading a book.

7. Distract Yourself

Some old traditions involve baking a chocolate cake during the earlier stages of labor. There may actually be something to this, as chocolate has phenylethylamine, which is believed to impact the amount of endorphins and oxytocin your body produces. This is also why chocolate can be a cure for depression, but these two things can make you feel better and help labor progress. Failing that, at least you’ll have killed some time and will have a tasty cake to eat.

Interested in Being a Surrogate?

At SPS we help pair surrogates up with their ideal intended parent matches and support everyone throughout the journey. If being a surrogate is something you’d like to do, take a moment to review our guidelines and let us know when you’re ready to move forward.