Anyone give birth when they were really tired?

[Lizbiz89]

This might sound so silly but I read somewhere that giving birth when tired makes labour more difficult and longer. This has made me freak out slightly as I'm not sleeping well at the moment and hearing this has made my sleep even worse worrying. I'm worried I'm going to go into labour really tired and then have a horrible labour. Has anyone been tired when they went into labour and was it ok still?

All women who are 40 weeks pg are tired.

I had early labour all Friday night, 12 hours of painful but unproductive contractions. Had to stay in hospital Saturday night so no sleep as ward full of crying babies. DD arrived early hours Monday morning when I was completely exhausted and hadn’t slept for days. Pushed her out in 20 minutes.

You will feel crap in labour no matter how rested you are. You will find the strength from somewhere to do what needs to be done. Try not to overthink it.

I honestly can't imagine how you could give birth when you weren't tired so who is the control group there?! I had a really easy pregnancy and then a short labour for first-time - 12 hours from first contraction to birth - and I was knackered because literally no one sleeps well in late pregnancy and labour is tiring! Obviously it's worse if you have a three day labour but then the exhaustion is the product of a labour that is already difficult and long, not the cause

@fazackerley nail on head! I'm 40+4 and my cup is dry... Emotionally and physically.

For me, labour is mental, it's mind over matter. Once it starts you don't have the option and you will find that inner strength.

Of course after, you feel like you've been hit by a bus but then you have a fresh newborn that boosts you a bit 😃😍

Thank you! I'm going to stop being so silly. I've just had a really bad nights sleep (awake for most of the night) so I'm not in a great headspace today. Hopefully will get more sleep tonight and no giving birth today 🤣.

When you think about it, the entire system is really badly designed. You want me to do WHAT with my vagina when I haven't slept in weeks and can't walk more than ten steps without being in agony?!

Yep burrito has it. None of it makes any sense, but women manage it anyway because we are bloody amazing. I think maybe the end of pregnancy is so awful in order to make you desperate enough to get baby out that you cope with labour.

When I went into labour with DS I had a sinus infection and had been in agony so hadn't slept for three days and the night before I went into labour I had the 'clear out' so was up all night on the toilet. I could barely keep my eyes open when the contractions started but my body gave me one last boost and I made it through 12 hours of labour OK.
It was the last two hours of pushing that ruined me. They had to get my husband to sit behind me to hold me up so I could push. I don't know what was going on around me.
But it was alright he came out and then I was fine.

I had horrendous norovirus for two days, which I believe started labour at 38 weeks, so I was not in a good way. She was back to back too!! Still a pretty quick labour (9 hours from waters breaking and first contraction to her being born) 3 pushes and she was out!
Good luck, try not to worry.

I was in labour for 5 days I have never been so tired! I did need a vonteuse to help her out in the end but with that help
I managed.

Totally agree the whole system is poorly designed! I remember the first night home with DS I was genuinely a bit shocked that he wanted to be on the boob all night and barely slept because I was like 'but I haven't slept since I GAVE BIRTH, and I was knackered before that, surely I have some sort of designated recovery time?!'. It was like the genuine shock I felt the first time I was ill after having him and realised that I didn't get any sick time...

Everyone

There's a difference between not having a good night and going into labour and say, spending 3 nights on a ward being induced then finally going into labour, I guess that's what this is referring to. Fell asleep between contractions at one point with my second, it was absolutely fucking savage being woken by the next one. (fully dilated, not dozing in early labour).

I cried and begged my doctor not to induce me at 1am one morning as I was sooooooo tired and felt achy and ill. I was convinced I wouldn’t have the strength to deliver. But the doctor ignored me and induced and the Adrenalin kicked in and I had a really fast and efficient labour. Good luck.

Everyone’s tired! I have no issues sleeping but my goodness I was exhausted. Would pass out for naps.

I’d slept less than 8 hours sleep over 3 days because I’d been on the noisiest induction ward. I ended up having an epidural because I was that exhausted.
I slept for 6 wonderful hours.

I would spend 2-3 hours awake each night and struggled to nap as I found lying down uncomfortable in late pregnancy. I spent the night before I went into labour in hospital with suspected broken waters and didn’t go to bed until 3am. Woke up at 5am with contractions. Laboured all day and night and gave birth at 7am the next morning. My labour was long but the third stage was relatively easy compared to many women and was 45 minutes. I was exhausted but certainly got a second wind. No stitches luckily. I doubt my experience of little sleep prior to delivery is that unusual. One thing that really helped I think was my H making sure I ate and drank little and often so while I was tired I did have energy from the calories

Everyone is tired I think, but it doesn't matter. It's not as if you have to motivate yourself to do it, it just happens. I'm some ways you're just a passive participant. I hope it all goes well for you! Good luck.

I was in labour for 36 hours (no sleep) before pushing my 8lb 13oz DS out in less than 20 minutes. It is impossible not to be tired in labour, the entire process is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting.

I actually fell asleep after the epidural and later when they told me I was 10 cm and it was time to start pushing I almost asked if I could go back to sleep for a bit as I was bloody knackered.

Of course! With my first I was in latent labour for 3 days before actually being admitted to hospital. I’d had around an hours sleep in that time.
With my third I’d been having very painful braxton hicks every night for 4 weeks prior to giving birth. I also have a 5 and 3 year old so no chance of rest in the day. Then 2 days of induction.
All my actual births were fine, no intervention needed.

I think everyone woman is tired when she gives birth unless its a planned c-section but even though probably not had much sleep 🤣🤣🤣

Hadn't slept for 36 hours and then had t push for 3 hours to get him out but I managed... just!

Yes, with my second. That was my longest labour and at one point I was just laying curled up on the bed with a heating pad on my pubic bone and I think another on my back (I used heating pads more in labour than any other time in life, my spouse pretty much had them on rotation for me). I was just so tired, I could barely think to move and that went on for hours of inconsistent contractions - time between was all over the place from lovely 15 minute gaps to much shorter, but not the 'consistent 5 min apart' or whatever time length contractions that is meant to be the sign of things getting close.

When the urge to push started, there was an adrenaline rush and she was out in 15 minutes. Actually, her labour and birth was probably the best out of my four and the only one with no complications after the birth. Tiredness is always there, and I think it might make other factors worse, but I don't think it's a major key. Hoping the best for you OP.

Yes but I was in labour for 3 days, trust me that is a whole order of magnitude of tired over a bad nights sleep! I was barely conscious from the exhaustion/blood loss. My labour lasted 1.5hours with the 2nd!