Online medical advice from TIME health columnist Christine Gorman Women in the early stages of labor may not want to rush off to the hospital so quick. Taking a stroll after feeling the first contractions may not be a bad idea. In my column this week in TIME , I talk about this alternative method of dealing with labor and the debate behind it.
Midwives recommend it.
In addition, a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that while walking during labor did not necessarily relieve pain among test subjects, ninety-nine percent reported that it was a positive and calming experience. Another study worth looking at is about the positive effect of midwives during delivery. It appeared in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health in May, 1998. Walking during labor is just one measure women can take to make the experience of delivering a baby more pleasant and perhaps even more meaningful. Consult the Websites listed below for other ways women can make the labor and delivery experience a better one, both physically and psychically.