How did you get through transition?

[OhGood]

I was fine most of the way through labour with DC1 swaying and counting and breathing and all that malarkey. Then when things hotted up at 9ish cms I really started to get scared of the pain, didn't want to have next contraction and felt like I had nowhere to go next - needed to do something different but didn't know what it was, gas and air wasn't working for me, started to panic, and it all rather fell apart.

How did you get through transition / the 9+ cms bit? Did you have a plan or did you just do what worked next?

Only realised after the event so to speak. Was getting f*ck awful contractions, so bad I couldn't do anything. I didn't want anyone to touch me, I had to get onto the floor - this was very important to me. I tried rocking forward on a big ball and this helped focus through the worst contractions. Then waters went, I momentarily lost it (after laughing hard about the waters), tears etc then got on with the business of pushing on all fours

good lord all sounds a bit alarming.

LeBFG only time I used G&A properly (ie sucking on it like a lifeline through a big contraction) I remember thinking 'wow that actually works quite well'.

Transition at home 'I don't know how much longer I can do this' 20 mins in car, g&a for 10 mins while examined then 2 mins pushing. Was great! With g&a I felt nothing and she flew out.

'I want an epidural. I want a CS. Just make it f-ing stop'
MW gives me G&A
'Ohhhh you know when the baby's born we can go to the park and feed the ducks'
Bang go my waters

Then I got a bit screamy while pushing....and swore again at the MW who was telling me to push that 'I am f-ing pushing!!!!'

At that point i demanded.loudly to.go home.saying.i had changed my mind and didnt want to.do this anymore....all five times...
But i knew that meant.it was nearly over!

And.gas and air was used copiously!

Oh yes i mooed loudly and on all fours/kneeling up was good for pushing.

I went from my usual almost absurdly Hugh Grant politeness to being ever so slightly tetchy with the midwife (and then apologising profusely). I'd been so polite and reserved and apologetic all the way through that when she said 'You can do this' and I replied 'Actually, no, I CANNOT do this bit!' in a slightly grumpy voice, she looked at her colleague and they got me out of the pool and pushing straight away (Home birth and pool wasn't full enough to deliver underwarer becaue of our crappy tiny tank). Apparently I was legendary in that I didn't swear in the midwives' presence through the entire 19-hour back-to-back labour!

Epidural at 7cm after 3 arduous days of contractions. Absolute bliss. Was able to breath calmly through the last part and push when required. Would have died otherwise! DD out after 15 mins of pushing.

My epidural was amazing too and I am v glad I had it as at 9cms it still took another 4 hours to get me to 10 and ready to push, and by then they had put the syntocin drip up and everything to speed me up.

God I loved that anaesthetist.

By the time I had no 4 I was quite sanguine about this sort of thing. I remember giving the mw a 'helpful' running commentary about what was going to happen next. 'I know,' she said each time, smiling!

Im due to give birth to my first any day now and these stories have all made me smile as well as really putting my mind at ease, i know it will be painful, i know i will probably do and say silly things but reading these has made me think that it cant be that bad if people can look back and laugh!

I got all panicky with dc 2 and got off the bed literally running to get in the pool in between contractions (I'm VERY mobile when both pg and in labour). It was a relief. I relaxed, my bum exploded as I hit the water (waters going) and then went into pushing which was a shock tbh as I thought from the level of pain in comparison to my b2b first I can only have been 3cm and I thought my cervix was going to shred).

Head out within minutes.

With Dc 3, I was quiet most of the time, and silently said to myself at transition 'Oh FFS I've SO had enough now. NO MORE'. I said this in my head and instantly recognised that it meant the beginning of the end so got in the pool and sure enough baby came within minutes again.

Finding this weirdly reassuring (haven't given birth yet!) because, it seems to me that:

1. you all went through a stage where, er, you thought you were going to die, and

2. you didn't!, and

3. that bit was pretty close to the end :-)

I'm another first timer with 4 weeks until DDay and also finding this thread reassuring! It seems it's all about managing the fear and knowing when you think it's too much it's nearly over - I feel much better knowing this!

mini I totally agree. It's just getting through that last bit without it all going horribly wrong (ie panicky and terrified and totally negative and traumatic.)

Y'all know why the panic thing comes just at the end right?

I demanded to go home and would have if they'd taken the syntocin out of my arm, this was with DS1 & 2.

With DD1 I didn't transition I just pushed her out in the middle of the ward to prove the midwife who told me I wasn't in labour was wrong

Come on StarlightMcKenzie, stop keeping us hanging! Enquiring minds need to know

Oh opps. sorry.

Well your body makes a heap of oxytocin to help you deal with the pain of the contractions. If you stay relaxed and go with it you can make use of it. However, at transition your body floods with adrenaline in order to give you the 'fight or flight' energy to actually expel the baby.

That adrenaline sends you into panic (like if faced with an uncaged tiger) but also overrides the oxytocin and you get a feeling of desperately wanting to flee as well as increase in pain. (therefore demands for epidural and to go home)

Basically it is a 'Oh fuck!' moment, but then it does what it is supposed to do and you are suddenly alert, bright and full of energy to push the baby out and imo it then becomes the best bit.

The adrenaline gets used up in that part and once the baby is out the oxytocin floods again and gives you the most amazing feeling plus amnesia about the 'oh fuck' moment.

Gosh, that is SO clever.

Yep. Once you are pushing you don't need to flee/fight/panic any more because you are actively doing something iyswim and using the adrenaline. It has a focus. It's just the moments before you get to use it that can be tricky to handle.

Well I'd been told 20 mins earlier I was 5cm so didn't realise I was in transition at the time.

But I did try and give my unborn child to the midwife and asked DP if he wouldn't rather be a couple who went away on expensive holidays instead of having a baby....

First time I was quite chilled on pethidine (worked for me) but I still asked for an epidural.

Second time I was told I was 6cm, I told the mw I was in transition and if I wasn't then I needed an epidural right now (just on g&a). Dd2 was out about 20 mins later. She stood in the corner and told me to push if I needed to....thanks for the tear, if I'd wanted my husband to deliver the baby I'd have stayed at home.

Now when my husband talks about transition he pretends to turn into a werewolf.

Finding this thread helpful and interesting! I'm getting induced end of next week & trying to mentally prepare for labour...

Was naked on all fours in the Maternity Assessment Centre yelling obscenities . MW did not believe I was so advanced so I was very relieved when head popped out (it was my first time and I was worried it was going to be that painful for another 12 hours or something!)