Tell me about transition

[MamaG]

please

they are lenses that go dark when it's sunny

PMSL

sorry, no help at all.

But comedy value is always good. I thought.

knobbo

I don't really understand when people talk about it and I've had two childrne (as you know ) I always nod knowingly and wonder if its taht bit before pushing when I'm an utter cow to dH

vomiting
intense fear and confusion
um.....

What d'you want to know? Had a humdinger of a transition with ds, none at all with dd...

Yep thats the bit MamaG

I really really was freaked out by it both times (though less the second) - puked both times too

first time found it so hard to cope with - had got used to handling contractions and was SO confused by the new feeling!

How have I had two kids and never heard of this?

Did I have it and not know?

(oi, less of the knobbo Mrs).

I don't know either MamaG.

Although the second time I remember bursting into tears (I was thinking about dd at home) and having the most painful contraction ever when I heard the midwife whisper to the student that I was in transition.

that's so mad - it's all the mws went on about with my two - maybe I had it bad!

ooh I vomited when in labour with DD

Wtih DS I had a short tiem where I was evil and DH hissed at me "if you don't stop being such a bitch I'm going home"

I'm SCARED what if I go all ODD again>?

that would be transition then, I think, MamaG
the puking?

it's also when you start mooing, isn't it?

I went all calm and zen-like for 15 minutes and educated the midwives about Maori culture. I know nothing of Maori culture btw. Then the second stage kicked in for 6 hours and my world ended.

Never Again.

A short period of completely irrational 'Oh God I don't think I can do this' followed 30 minutes later by the evidence that I could, in fact, do this.

I vomited quite early on with dd, I didn't feel sick though, it just appeared from nowhere. I think the contraction just forced it out.

Yes, it's that bit. I get all sweary and claim I can't do it, then discover I'm fully dilated and think "Ah, that'll have been transition, then".

I throw up in early labour... transition is actually the one bit where I'm not puking.

the only reason I know which bit is transition is due to this conversation day after birth in hospital
MW 'How are you feeling now Rosy'?
Me 'er okay' in a who are you kind of way
MW 'Remember I came in to cover while your MW had a break. I held your hand and rubbed your back'
Me 'I have never seen you before in my life'
MW 'you were in transition dear'
Me 'is that what that was!!
I had no recollection of the MW change over, I do remember feeling very distant from everything going on around me and people's voices seemed very far away - a bit like that feeling just before you faint, if you have ever fainted. It was very weird anyway.

it's when you think you'#re about to die but really it means it's nearly over and you're nearly there
but sadly, you don't realise that at the time, you juyst think you can't do it and want to leve the room, also impossible, sadly.

You know you're in transition when

• the TENS machine is no use any more
• pains are really fierce and frequent and you can't really think about anything else
• mw may suggest it's time to get in the birthing pool if you're using one
• you feel you've had enough.

Ahhh with DS I had a period of contractions contractions contractions with lots of writhing about and shrugging off people trying to hold my hand/stroke my back (get OFF) then I laid on the bed and just looked at DH with glassy eyes (says he) - MWs were out of the room and he rushed to the door and screeched "get in here"! bless him

Transition - isn't it the flight or fight process where you body is delaing with a huge amount of stress therefeore youeither want to run away from it or fight it .

Something like that anyway - thats whta I remener from my NCT classes.

DD1 - Transition was the bit where I suddenly realised that it really hurt, and then because I had been told I wasn't in labour, proceeded to freak out and tell my DH that I couldn't do it, and what if they examined me and found me to be half a centimetre dilated and I was going to end up with a C-section (I was actually 10 cm, and ready to push ).

DD2 - Transition was the bit where I was in a semi-conscious daze from the pethidine, but suddenly like a thunder bolt, my head cleared, I sat upright and declared "I've got to push this baby out!" 5 minutes later she was on my chest.

It is a definite change in the state of play, but I reckon it is something that (unless you have a number of similar labours) you are unaware of being so at the time. It would be handy to realise next time...

I go a bit weirdy in transition. With dd I felt completley spaced out and like i'd had enough, with ds1 it was too quick to even be aware of transition. This time round I felt like I wanted to sleep, contractions completley stopped and I felt a bit funny and sad so I got myself a square of chocolate, started tweaking my nipples and made labour start again.

it's the bit where if you haven't had painrelief you start to think 'what the fuck am i doing this is insane?!'

it's when the contractions come right on top of each other and last so long you think you're going to be torn from end to end and you feel the babies head right on your bumhole but you don't want to push.

It is when (if in hospital) you start screeching threats at mw and your dp and try to discharge yourself. The problem is that the contractions reach a real peak and you can't actually move from the bed (or wherever you are). In my case I demanded an epidural but was told (obviously) it was far too late. Also you know that there is NO WAY you can go through with the birth.

I also made my dp swear to have a vasectomy the very next day.