What was transition like for you?

[Miaou]

Both my dds were born with the help of an epidural, and I have hazy recollections only of both births and none of transition - so this time round I don't really know what to expect. Does everyone go through transition? How does it make you feel? Did you realise at the time what was happening?

My motto - more info = less anxiety

[bonniej]

i've never had an epidural with both pg. The first one was bearable, but the second one was horrendous. Nothing out of the ordinary and fine up until transition. Then i just wanted to die (can't think of another way to explain it).

I am opting for an epidural this time for sure

[dinny]

Miaou, found transition quite scary the first time. Basically felt out of control, scared, like I couldn't go on, was violently sick and pooed! NICE! Same physical stuff 2nd time but was less scary as was prepared for it (so this threas is a good idea!)But it means not long before baby's out. Not sure if everyone experiences it like this tho.
Good luck!

[LIZS]

I got the shakes, had no strength left in my legs and it was excruciatingly painful (gas and air first time, nothing second). Even though it had been disussed in antenatal classes I felt very out of control and "distant".

[SaintGeorge]

With DS2 I had rapid hot and cold flushes,my legs started to shake violently and I wanted to throw up.
Even though I had no distinct memory of it happening with DS1, I knew instinctively this time what was happening and it actually relaxed me, knowing that it meant I was near the end.

[snafu]

Mostly vomit-y, iirc.

[Loobie]

i cant remember experiancing it the first twice but remember it very clearly with dd though i didnt realise thats what it was till i looked back on my labour.
I too freaked out theres no other way to describe it,the midwife had said i was only 5cm dilated and i was freking out asking for drugs(only on gas and air at this time) she prepared a morphine injection and i got it on my bum then rolled back onto my back ad delivered my daughter within 4 mins,so yes this was my transition stage and it very strange to say the least.

[Mum2Ela]

Am I being really stupid, but what is the transition stage?

[fastasleep]

I was dilating so fast that my transition came and went in about 30 seconds! I went freezing cold and wanted to puke and then it was gone and I had this weird heavy feeling and what might that be hmmm....oh to push right!

[Gobbledigook]

It's just like you cannot bear it, you can't do it, you can't cope - it's just totally overwhelming and you sort of 'go into yourself' - like going under anaesthetic or something! I found it came on quite suddenly too - one moment I was coping and then all of a sudden the next contraction is just massive and on a whole other level. It's a very strange experience actually but you know you are at the end so you just exercise your lungs and get on with it!!

[PrettyCandles]

For my first I had an epidural that didn't work properly, but I too do not remember transition at all, although I remember just about everything else relating to the birth. For my second I had no pr, when I did ask for g&a it only seemed to work for about 3-4 contractions and later I realised that that was when I entered transition. Fast and furious, and very bad-tempered! Then, when the urge to push overwhelmed me, I got very scared and started yelling because I didn't want to be left alone (as if there was any chance of that happening! ) but I was incoherent and couldn't say so. Once I'd settled down to pushing everything was OK.

Labour had gone very slowly with No1, and subsequently with No2 I didn't believe myself when I suspected that I was in transition. I think that had I accepted that I was in transition I wouldn't have got so frightened afterwards. I'd probably still have been just as nasty during though!

[jampots]

I had an epidural in my 55th hour of labour mainly because they were starting to discuss c/s. After a few hours but definitely before my 4 hour pushing marathon I got uncontrollable shaking which I thought was odd because the labour room was boiling hot. NOw I know what it may have been

[elliott]

my experience similar to Loobie the first time round - very freaky, feeling hysterical and asking for drugs. My body shook uncontrollably - I think they were pushing urges - but since I'd been told I was only 3cm a mere 2 hours earlier I hadn't a clue what was happening. mw had gone to get me some diamorphine and had told me to 'hop onto the bed' - all I remember is screaming to dh 'get the f midwife NOW' - when she came back, she did a quick examination, the diamorphine went down the sink and it was pushing time! So in hindsight I think transition was when I began to feel freaky and 'pushy'.
with ds2 I recognised the feelings much more clearly - I was at home and had told the midwives taht I wanted to be allowed to push spontaneously - it was still awesome and freaky but this time i could tell the difference between 'almost ready to push' and 'here comes the baby' - second stage only a couple of minutes this time and no need for active pushing at all.
Its really hard to put into words and it was only afterwards that I began to recognise what I had experienced in the descriptions in the books (janet Balaskas' active birth book is the best for labour preparation I think).

[acnebride]

My 90-year-old neighbour, who has 1 daugher, says that in her day they were left alone until the baby was coming. Presumably that would be at transition. I can't imagine anything more scary.

In my case everything was telescoped together so I don't really remember a moment I could pinpoint as transition. Had one big urge to vomit which then went away again, which might have been it.

[NomDePlume]

My entire labour with dd, who is my first and only live birth, was very, very rapid, from beginning to delivery it was 3 hours dead. As a result my transition was also fast and furious, I remember it being angry, out of control, and over as soon as it had begun. No nausea with mine.

[elliott]

oh yes, and I think both times round I started muttering 'Ican't do this, i can't do this' just around transition. it really is a most peculiar state of physical/mental turmoil...

[NomDePlume]

FWIW acnebride, my DH and I were left alone until I started pushing, this was in August 2002. My labour, although painful and rapid was complication free, I had no pain relief for them to monitor and tbh i rather resented her turning up to prod, poke and patronise me. It was really nice to experience the labour in a spacious darkened (middle of the night with lights on dimmer) calm room with just DH. His first 2 sons, with his first wife, were both very intervention-heavy and traumatic births with bright lights, little info and panic. DH said it was so wonderful to experience DD's birth in the atmosphere that we did. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

[NomDePlume]

by 'her' I mean the very polite midwife

[Miaou]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I have an idea what to expect now, so if it happens I won't be quite so freaked out!

Mum2Ela - "transition" is the period between stage 1 and stage 2 of labour - just before you are ready to push.

[PrettyCandles]

I mentioned this thread to my dh last night, and he reminded me that in transition with ds he had asked me if there was anything he could do for me and apparently I had replied "Oh just knock me out!". I don't remember it at all, but he wanted to pack a rolling pin in the labour bag for dd .

[dejags]

I can't say I had a discernible transition stage. I never really felt a desparate urge to push with either labour (didn't have an epidural either time).

I can say that as the labour neared the end I felt as if I was being sucked into a vortex of pain and at times felt as if I couldn't carry on. Maybe this is transition?

[LottieG]

I just remember begging dh to get a wet cloth to mop my head and then when he did I screamed at him not to touch me....poor guy!

Was hot, shaky and panicky. Didn't realise it was transition so was absolutely terrified. You are definitely right on the more info, less anxiety thing!

[throckenholt]

I was induced with ds1 and had the syntocinon drip - contractions almost continuous. I used gas and air, until midwife said 4 cm dilated - soon after that it got so intense I thought I could not cope with it for another 6 hours (the drip is supposed to keep you to 1cm per hour). I begged for an epidural, got very shaky (whole body), threw up. By the time they got the epidural in I was fully dilated - so I guess that was transition.

Second time the epidural (recommended because had twins) overdosed and I couldn't feel a thing - the midwife told me when to push !

[RnB]

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