Weird, I know… But hear me out on this one… because there are many similarities….

An ultra run is usually considered anything over marathon distance, which is 26.2 miles. So, this could be 30 miles… 38 miles… 50 miles… 100 miles.. Or more.

What you know when you enter is that it is going to take a long time to finish and until you get going you’re not entirely sure how long. Mini Mars Bars and flat Coke are really helpful.

So, to birth. Well, we have a guide idea of how long a birth will take and we state that this is anything between 8-16 hours in length. Which, as you can clearly see, means that we really don’t know how long any individual birth will take.

It doesn’t matter whether your birth is spontaneous or induced, we basically haven’t got a scooby over how long the process will take to unfold for you.

Eating during labour therefore is a very good idea. Mars Bars and flat Coke may well be a great option. Or ginger biscuits.

During an ultra run you may be sick. You may get the runs (is that just a British description? I mean a VERY upset stomach). During labour you may also be sick and get an upset stomach.

You need to plan and prepare for an ultra. You need to plan and prepare for a birth.

During an ultra you will absolutely doubt yourself at times. You will also ask yourself ‘why on earth did I think that this was a good idea?’ Ditto for birth.

It is going to hurt at times. You will probably doubt that you can finish it at times. How you feel at 20 miles will be different to how you feel at 50 miles. At 30 miles you might not be able to keep any food down… at 75 miles you might be gorging on pizza.

Same for birth. At times it is going to hurt and you will need to focus and push through. You might doubt that you can do this. At one point you may be sick and tired… a little later you might be calm and confident… a little later you may be feeling powerful and slightly euphoric.

So, how about we start to approach birth like we do ultra running.

Knowledge. Training. Self-belief. Kindness. Encouragement. Can do.

Cheering teams and ‘not long now’.

Women are simply remarkable. Strong, resilient and capable. 

Perhaps if we treat birthing women like ultra runners, with belief in the fact that they can birth their babies, then women will not only be better prepared for the rigours of labour but will be able to look back on the birth with a huge sense of achievement and pride.

Oh and after an ultra you get a bloody great big medal… sometimes even a belt buckle! Deep joy! After a birth you get to meet the love of your life… which I can confirm, three times over, is pretty bloody excellent too.

So come on, my running buddies… What do you reckon? 

Photo of my shero, Jasmin Paris, upon being the first woman to finish the Barkley Marathons.