When your waters broke?
When your contractions were 5 minutes apart?
When somebody examined you and told you that you were X cm dilated?
I ask because it bugs the hell out of me that 36 hours after my waters broke, and after I had been having hugely intense contractions 3/4 minutes apart for over 24 hours, I was still considered not to be in true labour - based on some arbitrary dilation measurement.
I think I will be completely refusing any internal examinations in any future births as I think they can be unhelpful, and want any midwives or doctors to evaluate the situation they see on what they are observing about how I am labouring.
When people tell me they laboured for x hours I always wonder whether it is their own definition of labour or the HCP's definition which drives their perception.
What did you use as your own yardstick?
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Childbirth
At what point did YOU consider yourself to be formally "In labour"?
verylittlecarrot · 12/07/2009 12:03
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