I need the truth about labour!

[mogulfield]

I had a long Labour with DS;
He was back to back and it was 44 hours from the first contraction, 16 hours of established labour ending in an EMCS under general anaesthetic because the spinal didn't work.

This time I have the choice between natural or c section.

I'm tempted to go natural as I laboured relatively calmly for 40 or so hours (hynobirthing), my body went into natural labour and I managed to 8/9 cm on my own.
But my question is, how much more painful does it get after 8-9cm?
My midwife said I'd reached transition (contractions on top of each other, could hardly cope), therefore it gets no worse.

Can anyone who has had a normal delivery tell me the truth?! If the pain had remained the same I think I could have (just about) soldiered on. Had it got worse I don't know how I'd cope!
Any advice on this or VBAC in general very welcome!

I had back to back with dc 1 and was in labour for 24 hours. Spent first 12 hours throwing up every half hour. Became dehydrated and ended up on a drip then epidural. She was finally born with help of ventouse.

Dc 2 was completely different - water birth, Labour only around 4 hours - two of those in the pool. I don't remember any crowning pains - just a couple of pushes and she was out. It was all very calm.

Dc 3 was also a water birth but induced. Took a long time for contractions to start but once they did went from 0 to 60 in 2 hours. The labour pains were more intense and by time I got them to fill the pool up and let me in he was born about 45 minutes later. He was very quick but I tore more than with dc 2 and ended up losing a lot of blood and needing stitches.

So all very different!

I wouldn't say the pain from the contractions got any worse from 8/9 cm onwards. However I found the actual crowning excruciating, it doesn't last long but I tore quite badly with dc 2 and it hurt like fuck! I guess it's over with quickly though

I had the same with no1 sleepfree though had to push no2 a bit.

I kind of did hypnobirthing (listened to the cd every night, went to classes and lived the concept but didn't really practice the techniques or massively use them during labour but think the overall principles really helped me).

Both mine were water babies (born in birth pool) at home with no pain relief (and I'm a real wimp) and honestly by that point just pre-transition, you're in the thick of it, there's not much longer to go so imvho you can just crack on through til the end. For me, it didn't really get much worse.

Good luck op!

1 baby
Like you I hypnobirthed.
I was induced with the suppository thing and so on the ward.
Just stayed in the zone and planned to ask for paracetamol if it got too tough
With hindsight, transition was like a release. Freaking weird.
Delivered baby on the ward. Not one check by a midwife, they skidded into my cubicle to catch the baby

1st was similar to your first, awful.
2nd was semi-hypnobirthing, almost 10lb, no drugs, no gas and air, not a mark on either of us.
3rd - I had got myself into a too calm state of mind and not planned for it - was HARD but still, no drugs, no stitches, no problem (although long and hard)
I would have the discussion that you want to be able to opt in to a CS at any point. And see how you get on (that is what I did with the second, and at the point I was asking for a CS the head was born so think I must have been panicking at transition) whole thing, beginning to the end was less than 20 minutes. Good luck.

First baby- horrendous back to back, 17 hour labour, spinal & forceps & 1600 ml bleed & HDU for me!

Absolutely bricking it with my second, had the midwife telling me constantly 'your body knows what to do this time' & actually she was right.

Had SPD really bad 2nd baby, so all day had back & leg pains & no idea this was the start of labour! Had a bath, had my show & contractions started quickly & painful! By the time I got my shit together (& could actually get to the car!) & to the hospital I was 8cm . All very quick, had gas & air & DS was born 1 hour after arriving. I too have to agree with the crowning, boy does it sting .

All in all a much quicker, & less painful (in terms of it didn't go on for very long!) labour.

Good luck.

Oh & my second was back to back too but turned a few days before I went into labour

Mine was like ferriswheel's. No contractions - never ending, bone ripping pain but incredibly quick. It was about 40 minutes and was nearly over when they started to worry about DS's heart rate and I had to have an epidural to slow things down as the speed of things was distressing the baby. It was still only an hour or two start to finish!

My baby was back to back, I found the labour absolutely awful, completely hated it! Transition was no fun at all but once I got to pushing it was fine (apart from being shattered from labour!) they kept telling me to 'push into that burning sensation' and I remember thinking several times 'what burning sensation?!?' I pushed for the full 2h as he was back to back (didn't realise at the time) and I would honestly do that again sooner than the labour, however like you I am hoping that next time the labour will be better without baby being back to back. DS was in the 'correct' position the whole way through pregnancy and I used a ball a lot towards the end to try to encourage going into labour but he turned at some point during labour to be B2B. Best of luck

I've been thinking about you. You did so well last time I reckon as long as your wee one isn't back to back it would be a breeze.

This is really really helping me, deep down I knew I wanted to go for a natural birth but wanted reassurance that what I've been through has actually helped my body prepare for the full labour process.
I must say from your posts I am feeling confident now I want to go natural, but as posters have eluded to I want to be able to opt for CS if I'm staring down the face of another 44 hour jobby!
I wasn't expecting many replies so thanks so much, your encouragement/advice has helped no end. Turns out I should trust my midwife a bit more as your stories all corroborate with what she's saying
Oh and Il definitely do hynobirthing again, I got quite into it and it helped no end last time.

Yeah, when you lose control its game over. I would almost say I enjoyed delivering my second baby. It was textbook in way that I wouldn't have believed had I not experienced it.

Having delivered back to back, the pushing was no less painful than transition and by that point I was also more exhausted. And nauseous. It burned like a bastard. Sorry.

I laboured to 10cm with DD1 using hypnobirthing techniques, then ended up with a crash section under GA for severe foetal distress.
I had a VBAC with DD2. I had three (I counted them!) really hideous contractions right at the end of the first stage, before the pushing bit started. I really thought I couldnt cope with the pain, then it changed to the 'expulsive' contractions and it was effortful, but not painful. A PP likened it to vomiting, which I would agree with. I had been terrified of actually pushing the baby out, but it was fine and definitely not more painful than those last three dilation type contractions!

Once you're in transition I really don't think it gets any worse. Like a PP says at a certain point your body starts pushing all by itself and there's really nothing you can do to stop it. It's a weird but kind of cool sensation. And the pushing feels productive, you know you are moving closer to getting that thing stuck up in there OUT.

The crowning stung a bit but was over very quickly. Then again I didn't tear at all, so...!

ems you had an identical first labour to mine! Although I got to 1 cm less than you. That's so reassuring to hear about your VBAC.
tiramasu I think I could tolerate the crowning stinging after the pain of contractions! She says now, not in labour!
I'm feeling very positive about a natural birth now. I shall keep this thread book marked to read if I get scared!