STAGES OF LABOUR - MN NEEDS YOUR EXPERIENCES

First stage:
Early phase - that point when you wander around wondering if you're in labour and thinking "this ain't too bad".

DS 'I really want a pizza for tea. DP go and get us pizza' DM 'Are you sure you'll be able to eat pizza?' 'Oh yes, I feel fine.' I managed two mouthfuls.

DD 'I want to go for a walk to the shops in town.' DP 'Are you sure thats a good idea?' 'Oh yes I'm sure doing lots of walking with Ds helped me in labour'

Active phase - 3cm to transition - that point when you revise your previous opinion...

DS - I managed two mouthfuls of said pizza a moaned a lot on the taxi journey so much so the driver tried to give us the journey free!

DD - Get to shops and regret decision to go...

Transition - that point when you go from 8 to 10cm and want to go home

DS - The midwife asks me if I am ready to be a mum as I'm fully dilated. i fully deny I want a baby.

DD - DP says I once again became a complete and utter fruit loop.

Second stage - 10cm - that point where you decide to kill your partner if he tries to rub your back again

DS - Couldn't give a stuff what anyone is doing to me.

DD - Couldn't give a stuff what anyone is doing to me.

Third stage - placenta time

DS + DD Nothing compared to what I had just been through!

Message withdrawn

DS was late so I was induced...
1st pessary: spend morning pacing the corridors of hospital, a few contractions which gradually tapered off. Strapped to monitor and left on bed for over an hour, raging mad by the time midwife came back with extra dose of pessary.

2nd dose, within a few minutes strong contractions. Sang operatically through them, then began to get grumpy and cross. Given blood pressure pill. Demanded gas and air, threw up blood pressure pill, sobbed, insisted had changed mind and was not having a baby, got sternly ordered to use gas and air properly by mum, began to trip tits off.

Transition: sudden urge to poo or something, leap off bed while trailing monitor wires, waters break all over the floor, rushed into delivery room shrieking.

2nd stage, pushing, swearing, shrieking, gas and air taken away, demand epidural, told it's too late,lovely midwife gives me ropes to pul on and pops in a catheter ( apparently hindwaters hadn't gone) - out comes DS.

3rd stage: don't remember very much apart from quick injection and splat of placenta and MW going, that's what we call a dirty duncan. Lovely DS. That's my baby. He's here. Shaking like mad and ravenous, and then have to be stitched back together, ugh ouch but at least they brought the gas and air back.

No contractions, waters burst with a BANG! (woke me up)

This is a piece of cake, still no contractions got given stuff (medical term) through a drip. Some little contractions.

Given pethedine and told to push when feeling (crappy) contractions.

Couple of hours of pushing and changing position, midwives give me oxygen and call for help.

Cord around baby's neck, Dr uses forceps.

Have no recollection of delivering the placenta.

1st stage -threw up, temperature went up, heart rate went up - contractions didnt seem so bad given how shit I felt..what I would say is that didn't have obvious contractions (even went on here to post ) and nor was waters breaking that obvious (apparenlty the waters aren't clear - thanks lulumama) so I dont go along with the when you're in labour you knwo theory as I had a general kind of horrible period pain rather than obvious contractons. Oh and Tens machines do help you lie to your dh when your pain is getting more intense and its taking over an hour to get to the hospital

2nd stage - god knows had an epidural by that stage

3rd stage - retained both times - was so out of it on epidural/hormones that was quite happy to chat away to the world and his wife who appeared to be needed to do a spring clean up my fanjo

1st stage -- I throw up repeatedly. Most people seem to save this for transition, but I get it out of the way early . I can cope pretty well with contractions at this point, provided I'm mobile and they don't go on for ages and exhaust me.

Transition -- I swear and claim that I can't do it. Decide that having a baby was a really bad idea.

2nd stage -- actually not bad after transition. In fact, relatively speaking it's quite pleasant...

3rd stage -- consider having physiological third stage but ultimately can't be bothered so get injection and placenta comes out easily.

1st stage from 9p.m until 12 in both pregnancies. Bearable but gritting teeth and silent swearing when the contractions came.

2nd stage In PG 1 from 12-8a.m BLOODY PAINFUL LOTS OF SCREAMING. Actual pushing stage only lasted minutes 3 pushes and out she flew literally!!
PG 2 from 12- 2.30. BLOODY PAINFUL BUT EVEN MORE INTENSE THAN 1st ONE LOTS MORE SCREAMING AND SHOUTING. Pushing stage again only took 3 pushes but I really didn't want to do it!! MW had to persuade me before I would open my legs.

3rd stage Lovely relaxing sensation as the placenta came out in minutes.

1st stage -
lying on bed quite excited thinking this isn't as bad as everyone says and how selfless I am to be doing this without an epidural.

2nd stage -
'I want an epidural NOW!'
'Too late - sorry.'
Throwing up and refusing to get out of the bath and generally being chastised by midwives for being a willful patient.

3rd stage -
Thank god that's over. Body shaking.Bit scared to hold baby in case I drop him (due to shaking.)

First stage:

7am to about 7.50am early phase - like wind but stopping and starting, laughing through ctx with ds1. Downstairs.

about 8am to 9.45 - active phase, it hurt a lot - nothing helped, I panicked, in bath, out again, nothing was really any use.

9.45 transition, on toilet, being sick, screaming - ctx now on top of each other

10am, staggered into bedroom, pushing, really in hell now and afraid I was going to break. Waters broke. Baby delivered 10.32am and then I bled a lot - was shaking and looking down at this blood pouring out of me like a tap was on.

Had synto injection and the midwives stopped panicking but I was in shock. Didn't have to transfer.

I didn't want to hold the baby after all that, just remember he came out gurgling and I said 'someone take him, someone, I can't.'

Within a few hours he was the love of my life

Early phase - my waters have either broken or I've pissed myself (really wasn't sure). Hospital confirmed waters had broken. Went supermarket, few twinges but not convinced it was contractions. Not regular, not very painful

Active phase - TENS, bath, lots of walking round, lots of sitting on the loo trying to poo so I wouldn't push one out during birth

Transition - not much different to Active

Second stage - 2 and a half hours of hell and being told I wasn't pushing hard enough (Response: "I am fucking pushing"). Contractions went away when head was out and I briefly wondered whether I would have to walk around forever more with a baby's head sticking out of my fanjo

Third stage - too busy staring in awe and my gorgeous dd to notice tbh

1st stage
Early phase: woke up 2am (all 3 times- bizarre!) Once my contracxtions start, they really start. 1st time tried to run a bath, but abandoned it half way through.

Active stage: mw wanted to monitor me "between contractions" THERE IS NO BETWEEN CONTRACTIONS! DH tells me my hair has gone all "Monica" (cheers for that!) Wallowing in pool and gulping down G&A like it is going out of fashion. Thought I'd gone blind due to G&A, but turned out to be a net curtain dividing the room Managed to get evryone a bit worried, though!! Which leads me nicely into..

Transition: regress 3 billion years into primitive cavewoman and try to escape into the air vents. very important to me to get into those air vents, without anyone noticing. Needed to get out of the pool, but didn't know why. Didn't know what I wanted- confused and distressed.

2nd stage: Ok, let's DO this. Much better to be DOING than just feeling. Although with no3, decided I'd had enough "doing" (he was OP) and I wasn't doing any more. No siree. Bullied into more "doing" by DH and MW, who suffered much abuse.

3rd stage: Had the jab, and -oh look- gave birth to my liver!! Is that ok?

First time:

1st stage: Don't know. Midwives told me I wasn't in labour. No pain but contractions shown on monitor.
Active stage: Didn't happen see above.
Transition: "Ow it hurts, why does it hurt, if I'm only half a centimetre I'll need a section." "No love, your 10cms, we didn't know you were in labour"
2nd stage: 45 minutes of huge contractions, gas & air knocked me out with every breath.
Third stage: Managed as bleeding.

2nd time:
1st stage: fine.
Active stage hurt, cervix slipped.
Transition: Sudden clearing of pethidine haze and "I've got to push this baby out"
2nd stage: 5 minutes, two pushes.
Third stage managed.

First time

Early phase: TENS, birth ball, not too bad
Active phase: Into pool at hospital, this is manageable, hate G&A, gives me pins and needles. Get to 8cm, ARM, back in pool
Go from 9cm back down to 7cm. Out of pool, epidural and syntocinon. Am told that my epi must be working, I'm only feeling pressure, sure feels like pain to me.
Not aware of transition
Second stage - told not to push, as still only 8cm. Well, would someone like to tell my body not to push as I can't stop it?
Then foetal distress, into theatre, and general anaesthetic as (surprise surprise) my epi isn't working.....

Third time

Early phase: Induced as anti-E ABs present.
ARM, then 4 hours walking around, going for something to eat, thrashing DH at cards. No progress. Straight to epi and synto but this time, the epi works . Therefore, doze peacefully from 2cm to 10cm.
Second stage: lovely mw tells me when to push, though can feel the necessary pressure anyway. Absolutely awe-struck at feeling DD3's head coming out and catch her under her arms to bring her up onto my chest.
Third stage; managed due to PPH second time around, takes a bit of time for placenta to deliver but feels odd, makes me feel very 'empty' when it's gone (was v large though, apparently )

Early phase - very brief contractions, 4 minutes apart for 16 hours (involving get sent back home from labour ward as only 2cm)

Active phase - breath taking contractions. ouch.

Transition - please can I have an epi or a section PLEEEEEEEEASE

Second stage - oh god think I'm going to do myself some damage, do I realllly have o push

Third stage - oh that was nice and quick

First stage: Pretended not to have had contractions until about three hours after they'd begun. Possibly I was in denial, or it might have been that I wanted DP to take me out for that promised curry (I ate mouthfuls between contractions but then we gave up and went home).

Active phase: Still felt very relaxed and able to handle it, tbh. Combination I think of being in my own home, having mum, dad and DP around me, and fab midwife. Horribly painful, but I felt in control.

Transition: Roll on G&A... mad with pain. Insane.

Second stage: To DP, who threatened to leave the room for five minutes: "You are such an asshole". Not sure why I used the word 'asshole', I'm not American.

Third stage: Awful, felt cold, in shock, placenta took its time coming. Much better once it was out and I got to sit in an armchair with my new baby girl.

First stage:
Early phase - for about two weeks prior, every night thinking "this is it" but waking up the next day still PG

Active phase - had 5th sweep before going to kids sports day - told I was 6 cms, spent next two hours running between DS1 and DS2s races praying.

Transition - Telling DS1 to get out of the bath "Mummy needs it" on phone to MW saying "I need you NOOOOW"

Second stage - MW out of room chatting to DP, comes back to catch DD complete in her bag

Third stage - I don't know, not paying attention.

This was for the birth of my fourth I hasten to add.

early phase - virtually non existant for me - once it starts it starts

active phase - sheer hell ( swear and moo)

transition- beg for death( appalling language and moo)

second stage - scream 'get this thing out' whilst still begging for death ( SCREAM and swear apologising occasionally for language)

3rd stage - grab gas and air out of m/w hands and swear a tinsy bit

done it 6 times though!

Will only do it for the last one 9 weeks ago

First stage:
Early phase - DP my waters have just broke 2.50am

Active phase - 10 mins later DP phone MW now, holy shit forgotten how much this fucking hurts, get me gas and air NOW!

Transition - moment of clarity took G&A out mouth opened eyes thought I can feel a baby coming out

Second stage - I NEED to push, MWs go ahead, oh shit first push, head out, second push body follows.

Third stage - physiological third stage so wanted loads of skin on skin time, first feed, cord not to be cut until it had stopped pulsating, no rush for placenta delivery until the afterpains kicked it and holy shit thought I was having another baby. Placenta plops out.

Even first time which was only 4h20m waters to baby I have no defined stages, contractions came thick and fast and bloody painful from the off. Would describe it as being there but my body doing what it needs to regardless of what I am doing (which was screaming)

Early phase - ah this is just like period pains, I can do this.

Have never got further than that thanks to my uterus shutting down entirely when within ten feet of a hospital. Hence my babies all come out the catflap (caesarians).

I do the fourth phase: rage at what might have been and hobbling up and down the corridor with blood running down my leg remarkably well though

ds2:

Early phase - why is this lasting for 19 days?
First phase - from bed to water pool in one seamless move, assume the position, do not deviate from it for 4 hours
Transition - I have cramp in my thigh! Panic! I have cramp!
Second phase - Piles! Just flowered! In sequence! Around my arse!
Third phase - syntometrine, blue light for babe's mild shoulder dystocia, into hospital, long way round. Are we there yet? Very calm and happy mum.

Early phase- not too sure if this is it- send DH off to work at 8.30, phone him at 9 to say definitely is, DH returns home.

Active phase- grit teeth, endure as much as possible, wheelchair at hospital foyer into labour ward, very proud that 8cm dilated without drugs, put in order for epidural.

Transition phase- epidural, machines, pushing, forceps/ventouse/panic followed by lovely baby, what placenta?, people down below doing stitches, breastfeeding and post natal ward.

I have no recollection of going through stages with either of my births.

First time, waters broke at 36 1/2 weeks, went into hospital and was kept there, under observation, to let things take their own course or to be induced at 38 weeks, whichever came first.

DS1 decided he was coming at 37 1/2 weeks. Started with period pains at 10.30pm, MW examined me about half an hour later, and then all hell broke loose as I was already 9.5 cm dilated. Pains hadn't really been more than vague period pains/back ache.

Straight up to labour ward. Contractions escalated, controlled (mostly) with gas and air, then told I could push and DS1 born very quickly. Start to finish 3 3/4 hours.

Have no recollection at all of transition.

DS2 was very similar - waters broke at 36 weeks, but went straight into labour. I remember early stage because I was thinking "don't think I can be bothered to do this again" - contractions again controlled with gas and air, and after only a couple of pushes he was born 3 hours after waters broke.

Again, no recollection of transition.

With both, interestingly, have no recollection of placenta being delivered.

Stitches after DS1 but nothing after DS2.

I honestly couldn't say that my labours progressed through stages - they just started and then I had a baby!

First stage - oh good. Maybe they won't have to induce me after all. Will my waters ever stop dribbling down my leg ?

Active - maybe I ought to find a midwife now. Maybe I should call DH now. Oh look its 3 hours since I thought about that... Bugger my back hurts

Don't remember transition

Second stage - mooooooo

Third stage - will anyone ever come back and tell me if my baby is OK. This is worse than pushing the baby out. Bloody hell, how much blood is there ?