Looking for Labor Stories

[Phoebe]

I am getting a little anxious about labor. How did you know you were in labor? Were subsequent labors shorter than the first? If so, how much shorter?

With my first delivery, I didn't know I was in labor until my water broke at home. Naive? I had cramping from early morning hours and I thought I was constipated and finally it went away about 8 hours later. Contractions started after that, but my mom told me it was false labor because they were frequent, but not painful.

My second delivery was induced. So I have nothing to compare it too. I wonder the third one is going to go since we are not planning an induction.

Jennifer

How did you know you were in labor?

Because the doctor told us so.
Both deliveries were scheduled inductions. Both because of size and date (40wks and 39.5 wks).
The first was about 9 hours, the second was about 3 3/4hrs.
DW was awesome for both, delivered them both herself- which was pretty cool- if you like that kinda thing. I, on the other hand, did Ok on the first and had to place my head between my knees so that I didn't pass out for the second one.
I fully expect to end up face down on the delivery floor with this one! :thud:

I hope that your anxiousness wears away and I am sure that you will have a great delivery story to tell afterwards!

[DCJenn]

I'm no help because my labor consisted of the Russian equivalent of "we're now boarding section one". "There are four exits on this Aeroflot plane..."

Jenn

[Gwendolyn]

DS was induced as well...

I've been thinking about the same thing, Jennifer! Labor #1 was loooooong but I knew because I woke up having contractions. Labor #2 was induced and much shorter. I wonder if this next one will be about the same as the second or shorter (being subsequent) or longer (assuming no induction).

My doctor asked me about this the other day -- if I wanted to stay at home as long as possible. I still need to figure out what I will do with my kids. I just don't know. And if I wait as long as possible, I don't want to miss out on the epidural.

My water broke w/#1, labor was 15 hours, pushed for 12 minutes. I had back pain most of the day but didn't think of it as labor. The water breaking was the indicator for me.

#2 was induced b/c I begged and begged. He was only induced a day early -- but I wanted to be DONE! Again labor ended up being 15 hours (from the time the pitocin started), pushed for 8 minutes.

I don't think much about 'how will I know'. I'm a wus, so I figure the pain will clue me in.

Matt - you're hilarious! How is Gretchen feeling?

[rainbabies]

no help here. i was induced for the first and ended up with a c-section...the other two were sections also.

i do remember calling my ob nurse when i was preggers with #1. i was complaining of cramps. she said..."are you in agony, doubled over in pain, unable to move?"

me: no

her: okay, see you at your next appoinment.


i should probably mention she is a friend of ours.

good luck! i think you will know....from what i hear.

My waters broke all over the floor and it was all systems go from that moment on! There was really no question as to whether it was real or not... I got to 9.5cm dilation after around 12 hours, but didn't make it past there because of DD's size (9lb13oz) and position (she was posterior, asynclitic and deflexed). I went through a total of 42 hours of intense back labour before I finally gave up my hopes for a home birth, was transfered to hospital, and ended up with a c-section. That was quite long enough...

In hindsight I wish I'd written a birth story at the time because many of the specifics have (perhaps thankfully) faded, but I was so exhausted and traumatised that I didn't want to reflect on the event for quite some time afterwards!

But yeah, I think most of the time women "know". I get the general impression that if you have to ask, you're not there yet!

[JaneDoe]

Since you asked . . . .

With my first, my water broke about an hour after I went to bed and I immediately went into hard labor. My dd was born 5 hours later. I wished my second would have gone like that - it was obvious that it was time to go to the hospital and it was over quickly.

Everyone told me that if your first came fast, your second will come faster. That was soooo not true for me. My son decided that he would take his sweet time coming into this world. The night before he was born, I began to have cramping. Since I had done this before, I knew it was labor, but it wasn't painful enough to go to the hospital. I went to the bed that night and I periodically awoke during the night because of a contraction. The next morning, I continued to have contractions and they were becoming more intense, however, they were not very regular. During a few of them, I had to stop what I was doing to breath. I also started to have bloody show. (Sorry, if TMI). So, I thought now is the time to go -it was around 10:00 am.

When we got to the hospital I was only dialated to 4 cm. I was so disappointed. The doctors wanted to send me home, but I knew I was in labor. We walked around the hospital and the contractions became very intense but the minute I would lay down, they petered out. The doctors finally said- go home and get lunch. I felt like such an idiot.

We didn't even make it out of the hospital parking lot when the contractions really became intense and more regular! I told my Dh that I'm not leaving this place - I want my drugs! I waddled back up to labor and delivery and lo and behold I was 6 cm. They admitted me. That was at around 2:00 pm. My son didn't come into the world until 9:38 pm that night. Fortunately, the epidural helped me out most of the time, but it didn't do a thing for me during the last hour or so. It was really painful! He was worth it all, of course!

And, I still think I will do this one more time, though not for awhile yet.

[Vanquisher]

Ahhh, labor and delivery, the absolutely best days of both of my pregnancies. I knew on those days I would not be pregnant tomorrow, and that is what made them the best.

Okay, so honestly, I really, really, really don't understand anxiety regarding labor and delivery. I was so thrilled to be finished being pregnant that I could have been looking at a 36 hour breech delivery with emergency c-section, and all would have been good, so long as you took the poison out of me!

I love my kids, but you could not pay me (and we all know how much I need money) a billion (literally - I am not joking) dollars, and I would not do it again.

I was so incredibly ill during my pregnancy that I brow beat my doctors into inductions. Both kids were early - 39 weeks, and just under 36 weeks. I did have mild preeclampsia at the very end of my pregnancies, and both doctors were happy they were inducing me after they saw my blood pressure on induction day. My placentas also started deteriorating with both.

So, both times I was induced. Both labors took about 7 1/2 hours. Both babies were healthy. I felt instantaneously better after the poison was out of me. I pushed twice with both kids. No episiotomy. Tiny one stitch tears. I think I went too fast for an episiotomy. Dilated from a 4 to a 10 in one contraction both times.

So, let me sum up.

Get two lines on a pregnancy test.
Shout hooray!
Puke.
Don't stop puking.
Tear your esophogus and puke blood.
Lose 10 pounds.
Get put in hospital.
Puke some more.
Get IV nutrition.
Continue puking.
Get phenergan.
Continue puking.
Get compazine.
Break out in horrible rash.
Continue puking.
Get zofran.
Stop puking.
Still feel like puking.
Only puke two or three times a day.
Go home from hospital.
Get a subchorionic tear.
Put on bed rest.
Spend rest of pregnancy on couch with bucket by head.
Puke every day - even waking up in the middle of the night to throw up.
Get visits from home health nurses.
Get a PICC-line.
Keep PICC line for 7 months.
Doctor is amazed you are still puking. Really bad case of hyperemesis.
Get all the other usual pregnancy symptoms.
Get horrible hemorrhoids.
Never sleep because you are in so much pain.
Puke some more.
Cry from the pain.
Beg doctor to induce you every day.
Cry in doctor's office.
Doctor says worse hemorrhoids he has ever seen.
Sends you to a surgeon.
Surgeon says you need to have the baby.
No shit.
Beg doctor to induce you some more.
Cry more.
Take OxyContin and percocet. It doesn't help.
Finally get doctor to agree.
Doctor congratulates himself because he decided to induce you and your blood pressure is high, baby comes out normal weight, placenta is hosed.
So happy pregnancy is OVER!

Repeat one more time. Why? Because I was crazy, and I thought surely my second pregnancy wouldn't be like the first. I was so wrong. Not doing that again - EVER!!

[Malpka]

With my first I was in labor 31 hours, and pushed (HARD!) for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Without pain meds I swear I think I had such a long drawn out labor because I hate, no make that despise, hospitals. They cause me such anxiety, I think my body just could not do what it needed to do. The fact that DH was not in the room, but rather taking a CREOG in-service exam for 8 of those hours added to my stress. Overall, long but not bad. I did not tear, and I had a perfect and very healthy baby.

Second baby, 8 hours of labor, 30 minutes of pushing. Not to be one of "those" happy pregnant/birthing people, but it was only bad for about 2 hours. What a difference! Oh, and she was born on the bedroom floor at home! No tears this time either, and she was so fat and pink! I could not believe it could be that easy after my first experience.

To tell you the truth, I really enjoyed being in labor It was so exciting knowing that I would be meeting my child. I was amazed by the capability of my own body, and felt so strong- almost invincible after my labors. Like if I could do that, I surely could do anything else.

Also, sad as this might be, it was one of the few times during training when DH and I were truly together and focused on each other and our families. No pager, no running out the door.

[Phoebe]

OMG Heidi! How awful. I can't imagine. No wonder you were happy about delivering.

My anxiety is not high, but related to not knowing exactly what to expect when labor hits. DH is on transport call this week and could be called out anywhere in the state at anytime and be gone for umpteen hour picking up a sick baby. I am also anxious about going into labor and having to call someone to take my kids so I can have the baby since I don't have family here. My mom gets here next weekend so I hope it doesn't happen until then. An induction is sounding better and my OB said she would induce me so I think I may schedule one next week, just in case.

Thanks for the stories. Keep them coming.

Jennifer

[houseelf]

I was induced both times for being overcooked. I get to 40 weeks and I just want the kids out. My second ObGyn was like, "We could wait to see if it happens naturally" and I retorted, "Yeah, well, you could deal with a homicidal patient!". Give me the PITOCIN!

Needless to say, I was induced both times. The bastards made me wait until I was dialated to 5 cm before I got an epidural the second time.

When the anesthesiologist arrived, he was all professional: "Hi, My name is Dr. ______....". I told him that I didn't care what his name was and directed him to give me the goods!

My L & Ds tend to be long: 21 and 23 hours. I got 4 boosters on my first L & D and 3 my second time.

Kelly

Heidi my pregnancy with ds was exactly the same, I lost 16lbs, had 2 cannulaes and a picc line, on iv fliuds, vitamins, TPN, seroids and 5 anti emetics, had emergency surgery at 5 1/2 weeks, cameras broke during it, what was meant to be a 20 min job turned into a 2 1/2 hour job, and my little miracle survived it, diabetes(which is tough when your are trying to pile on the pound not loose more) renal failure, premature minor minor ruture of membranes that resealed. but puked puked puked ( my sttomach is still not right 2 1/2 years on) wake up in my sleep puking.

LABOR WAS FANTASTIC! I was sooooo delighted to go into labr, I cried with happines, 'Thank God this is about to end' I think were my first words.

Dublin is a world wide centre of excellance for active labor management and I delivered at the national maternity hospital where at the birth classes you were told don't bother bringing in a birth plan we have our one, I wasn't planning it any other way anyway.

It was my brothers 21st birthday party and at midnight I was 40w+3d and I was climbing into bed at 5am, I decided I was never going into labor and as much as I begged my consultant to get the baliffs in he wouldn't discuss it until 40w +10d . anyway got into bed and thought I was peeing myself and thought, oh my god I've heard of pregnant women not having bladder control ahhhhh, queue run to toilet, hhhhmmmm this isn't the usual, oh crap my waters have broke, 2 mins later contractions started 30 seconds long and 2 mins apart, got in the car as hospital policy to go in as soon as waters break, put the TENS on....absolutely useless but distracted my attention playing with the buttons. got to hospital was 2cm, fullyeffaced and on the montior contractions 1min and 30 sec apart, midwife commented on how strong they were (no s@£$ sherlock!) I couldn't tell where they started and where they ended. taken off monitor to do my active stuff, walking around and using the ball...the birthing ball was fantastic!! they checked 1hour later was 8 cm and 4 hours after it all began at 9.04 am matthew arrives 7lbs 8 oz and I escape with no stitches and a bells palsy. I didn't take any drugs but I don't disagree with them for anyone else or anything my thing was when the midwifes kept shoving the gas in front of me was 'I've puked enough over the last 9 months thanks' that was such a powerful drive, the fear of ever being sick again vrs labor pain!

opps thats was longer than I expected, sorry for boring you all!

OMG, Heidi!! How did you ever make it through both pregnancies??

Jennifer, you are getting so close! I can't believe the time is almost here. I was induced at 39 1/2 weeks so that we could coordinate the birth with DH's vacation . I had been having contractions for about a week straight...they got as close as 5 minutes apart for several hours one night, but it never turned into anything. When I finally went in to have my water broken, my contractions sputtered out. I did laps for a few hours around the hospital and still...nada! I finally agreed to pitocin (and after 30 minutes of pitocin-induced contractions, I begged for the epidural!) I dilated from 4 to 10 cm and was ready to push within about 1 1/2 hours of getting the pitocin. I pushed for about an hour.

Things went so quickly and smoothly after the pitocin and epidural that I plan on getting those as soon as I walk through the hospital doors the next time around.