What to do during early labour: a birth doulas advice to new parents

Grace Taylor

Apr 15

8 min read

Updated: Jul 13

Early labour: what to do & when to call (if you’re planning to transfer into hospital)

local to Tenterden, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone & Ashford

As an experienced birth doula, this is one of the common questions I get when I am working with clients antenatally & we are preparing for their birth. Early labour, otherwise known as the ‘latent’ stage of labour can look different for each & every woman, after all, we are all as unique as our personalities. However, there are some telling signs & it’s important to recognise what those might be, particularly if you are planning to birth in hospital (because ladies, getting that timing right is key!). It’s important to be aware that although maternity trusts may have similar policies & recommendations for women during labour, they may also differ slightly, so having a doula by your side, on your side & with experience working within these trusts will give you confidence navigating the ‘what’s and ‘when’s’ when it comes to game day.

What is Early Labour (The Latent Phase)?

Early labour, otherwise known as the ‘latent phase’ is the period where your body is readying herself for established labour. This normally begins when you are at least 37 weeks pregnant, which, by NHS standards, is ‘full term’ (though full-term IMO is not any one prescribed week by a system, it is in fact when your baby is actually ready to be born & you go into spontaneous labour, but that’s a whole other article to write so bear with..!)

Your cervix

During this (very important, and commonly overlooked!) time, your cervix will be doing a hell of a lot of work to begin softening, shortening & opening. Don’t underestimate this, your body is preparing & doing a lot of work in preparation for active labour.

Your contractions

You may also begin to feel contractions which, in the early stages, are often shorter, less intense & infrequent. Labour contractions shouldn’t be confused with Braxton Hicks contractions, which some women may experience more than others (& if you don’t have any Braxton Hicks during your pregnancy at all – that’s also ok!). Feeling Braxton Hicks or labour contractions are a perfectly normal part of early labour, but it can sometimes be the infrequency or lengthy ‘on off’ process of these that can feel difficult & tiring (I have supported multiple couples where early labour has been on & off for days, but I have reassured them that it’s all part of the process & given them tools to cope with this unpredictability – keep reading!) During a contraction, your belly may feel hard to the touch & you may feel the urge to go to the toilet more often if your baby is engaged & starting to descend, pressing their head down & applying pressure to the cervix. This is to make the changes that are needed for labour to progress and ultimately, birth your baby vaginally.

Your mucous plug

Losing your mucous plug can be accompanied by other symptoms of labour like pelvic pressure & contractions. Your mucous plug is essentially a collection of mucous that forms in the cervical canal in early pregnancy. It forms a seal which is protective to your baby, preventing any bacteria getting from your vagina into your uterus, where your baby is growing. Think of it as a cork in a wine bottle, I often use this analogy when I’m with clients to describe why it’s there! During early labour when your cervix is making its changes (softening, thinning & opening), this may cause the mucous to dislodge & come out of the vagina. It may look like sticky white bloody discharge or snot (glam!), but it’s a very good sign your body is doing some great prep! You may lose it in bits or as one whole ‘gloop’! Losing your mucous plug can be one sign that labour is near, but the only for sure sign you are IN labour is the frequency & increasing intensity of your contractions.

Your waters may break spontaneously before contractions begin

If your waters break before contractions (after 37 weeks), this is also a great sign that labour is coming! Only around 8-10% of women will experience their waters breaking before labour begins (Prelabour Rupture of Membranes - PROM) (Ref:https://www.rachelreed.website/blog/prelabour-rupture-of-membranes). NICE (The National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines report that around 60% women go into spontaneous labour (that is, start having contractions) within 24 hours of their waters breaking. Typically, in line with national guidance, induction will be offered to you by the hospital within 24 hours of your waters breaking if you have not gone into labour, but you have the right to decide what feels right for you (https://www.geh.nhs.uk/application/files/3217/2183/4108/Pre-labour_rupture_of_membranes.pdf)

So those are some of the key signs that labour may be near…! So what can you do to prepare?

Top 5 things to do during early labour at home

1. Keep calm and distracted (rest please!)

Doulas Top Tip: Ignore it. My first top tip in early labour would be to continue as normal, for as long as you can. ‘Ignore labour until you can no longer ignore it..!’ Other than overexerting yourself, do things that still feel normal whilst also finding pockets of time to rest & relax, e.g. watch your favourite movie, play games, have a bath, bounce on your birth ball, go for a gentle walk, etc. The key is to listen to your body, use your intuition as you have during your pregnancy!

2. Nourish your body

Doulas Top Tip: Don’t underestimate the importance of nutrition ahead of your labour. This is an opportunity to prepare nourishing comfort meals for post birth (freezer friendly, ask your family & friends to chip in, too!) but also to prepare your energy stores for active labour itself. It would be unusual for you to want to eat a meal during established labour, so take advantage of your hunger in early labour! Carb load – just as you would in preparation for a marathon.

As a registered nutritionist, I’d advise you to focus on good quality carbohydrates, micronutrients such as iron (due to the blood loss that will happen during your birth) & your hydration levels.

A few great examples:

- Breakfast – Oaty porridge with nut butter, milk & berries (service with orange juice to aid iron absorption from the vitamin C)

- Lunch/Dinner – Pasta bolognese (add a mix of beef mince &/or lentils if vegetarian or vegan) – add in loads of veggies for micronutrients!

- Snacks – Smoothies packed with oats, fruits, seeds & nuts (iron) & dates (supportive of cervical changes ahead of labour..!)

- Hydration – drink plenty of water, but I’d also focus on the drinks you would like during labour that will also help to replace the electrolytes (sugar & salt) you will need to keep your energy levels up (remember, it’s unlikely you will be wanting to snack or eat loads during the active labour process, which is ofc where your body will be working the hardest!)

If you’d like to prepare some labour snacks FOR active labour itself, check out my article on labour snacks, specifically.

Move your body gently

Doulas Top Tip: Keep to your normal routine as much as possible, without over exerting yourself. Gentle movement could be stretching, using your birthing ball, a gentle walk or just pottering about your home. Moving your body will also support your baby to get into a good position, think ‘UFO’ upright, forward, open as much as possible in these later days of pregnancy. I distinctly remember having a slow gentle walk around the park when I was in early labour with my first baby! Reconnecting with nature can be a wonderful thing before you become a mother for the first, second or third time! 😊

Warm water therapy

Doulas Top Tip: A warm bath or sitting under the shower can be super relaxing & support you with those earlier contractions, back pains or Braxton hicks. Water also has the power to relax you, which will help oxytocin levels to rise (which, in turn, may help to progress your early labour!)

When to call the hospital

(Specific to Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust)

The answer to this question is nuanced, as this entirely depends on your birth preferences & your comfortability being at home vs. being in the hospital when labour begins to progress. I would gently encourage you to call hospital triage when you feel the time is right and this is something that I cover in detail (with personalisation to your circumstances) in our antenatal sessions with you & your birth partner.

Understanding how to navigate triage when you’re in labour is also important and something I support my couples with, particularly your birth partner ahead of time but in the moment of calling, too. If you would like support with this, I offer a free ‘Power Hour’ call to run through your specific questions – drop me an email (hello@cradledbygrace.co.uk) I’d be very happy to help.

There is a midwife available 24/7 for labour advice on Maternity Triage & it’s specified not to hesitate to call on 01892 633500

If you are planning to give birth at Maidstone Birth Centre the number is 01622 220160 / 1

For Ashford couples:

William Harvey Hospital Triage (Direct): 01233 616638

Maternity Triage Line (24/7): 01227 206737 (Select Option 4)

Do you need support during this pregnancy & birth journey?

I’m Grace, your local birth doula based in Kent. If you are looking for personalised, calm, and informed support for your birth in Tenterden, Maidstone, Ashford or Tunbridge Wells, please get in touch for a chat. I offer a free non-obligatory call https://calendly.com/cradledbygrace/30min?month=2026-04 to chat through your questions, my packages & how I can personalise the best support for you. I only take on 2 birth clients per month so that my focus is entirely on your during the on-call period, so space is limited. Please get in touch sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment.

Here if you need me!

Grace x

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