You've waited nearly 40 weeks to meet your beautiful bundle of joy. The big day is near and you'll be going into the hospital soon. To help prevent stress during your delivery and leading up to it, there are a number of things you and your partner can do. Read below for helpful tips.

Take A Lamaze Class

By taking a Lamaze class, you're going to learn all about breathing through the pain of contractions as well as how to push. You'll also learn about the entire birthing process and what you can expect. This can help ease any fears for both you and your partner and answer a lot of the questions you have prior to the big day. Plan ahead for taking your Lamaze class, as they may book up quickly. Talk to your obstetrician about classes available in your area.

Plan Your Birth

Come up with a birthing plan, such as where you will be having your baby, plus any additional plans including what will come with you to the hospital, who will be in the room with you, who will take care of your other children (if you have any), and emergency situation plans (such as if you will need a c-section). Having a plan in place ahead of time will help prevent stress on your big day. 

Keep Visitors At Bay

Along with planning who will be in the room when you give birth, also plan on who you don't want to see until after you give birth. If you have anyone that may stress you out such as in-laws or the sister you don't really get along with, these are people you don't need to see while in labor. The added stress is something you simply do not need. Think about maybe keeping all visitors away until after you have given birth and had time with your partner and new baby. Take that time for just your family. The rest of your family and friends should respect this.

Bring A Focal Point

Don't forget to bring a focal point with you. A focal point gives you something to focus on while you're pushing. This can help you with the pushing process. It can be anything such as a favorite photo, your baby's ultrasound photo or anything you want. Place the focal point behind your OB and keep your eyes on it while pushing.

Preventing stress during deliver will make the delivery process go smoother for both you and your baby. Talk to your obstetric professional about other things you can do to prevent stress during this time.