This is a very important thing for women to understand about labour.

Sometimes women will feel the urge to 'will' their labour on during in the early stages, because they want things to move quicker. They can often go for walks or stay upright but as soon as they lay down the labour may stop or slow down. 

This can be because the body isn't actually in labour yet. It can be signs of Pre-Labour and it can go on for hours, days or even weeks. We often suggest to women to be aware that when the body has moved into Active Labour, no matter what postions you are in or what you do, those contractions keep coming. 

Often the early parts of labour can take a long time and be very stop-start. When this is happening it is important to conserve your energy and rest so you have enough in your fuel tank for when Active Labour kicks in. Of course being upright, using gravity and moving about can all assist with birthing, but trying to 'get labour going' in the early stages can often just be exhausting and not that productive.