Details On Labor And Delivery, giving birth

Mine was bad, but keep in mind it's RARE.

I went in to be induced on tuesday 3rd july but was 4cm dilated so couldn't be. The next day i had my waters broken. My bp dropped really low so i was strapped to the bp monitor. Then i started to have convultions, i was given pain relief and had a bad reaction to it so i was complety out of it. My labour only lasted just over 2 hours and put mybody under alot of stress.

Ok so I have had four kids so four labors. All the births were the same except I was induced with my first.

Basically I went in and they did a sort of triage to see if its real labor or not. They put the little belts on you to check contractions and fetal heart rate. They will also do a vaginal exam to see if you are dilated and/or if you have dilated more since your last doctors appt. they also check for effacement of the cervix. If all goes according to plan and you are in labor they move you to the labor/delivery and/or recovery room. Some hospitals have labor/delivery/recovery rooms meaning you stay in one room from labor to discharge (2 births had this setup). Some have labor/delivery rooms and move you to a recovery room after birth till discharge (2 births had this set up).

SO you are in labor and they move you to the labor/delivery room. Mostly here this is a waiting game unless issues come up. At some point they will probably break your water if they have not already done broke on their own. If labor is not progressing in a timely fashion they may start a Pic drip. A Pic drip is Pictocin drip.Pictocin is a synthetic drug that helps your contractions get regular and strong. The same way Oxytocin (natural labor hormone) does. Once you reach 4-5 cm you can get an epidural for pain. Or any other option for pain relief. The nurses will brief you on your options. Or you may not want any drugs. They may also put an oxygen mask on you if the baby's heart rate drops (had this on all 4 of my labors). Also they may put an electrode on the baby's head to get a more accurate heart rate.

Now you are getting closer to the transition stage of labor. You may feel different things during this stage. I felt everything from feeling like I had to have a bowel movement (normal this is just the baby moving down and pressing on the cervix to let you know its time to push) I have also had shivers and nausea and shaking all normal. Its just part of the body's labor process.

Now you are at the pushing stage. This can either be short (2-3 pushes over a 15min time span) or it can last an hour or longer. When I had my first son I was out of it and the nurses had to push hard on the top of my belly when I pushed to help the baby come out. They also had to use a vacuum (a small suction cup on the baby's head) to help get the baby out. Sometimes they also have to use foresps(sp) to help the baby out. Sometimes they have to make a cut (epitome) between the vagina and the rectum to help the baby out. I had this done 3 out of 4 labors. 1 labor they did not do this and I ripped up and to the side (ouch).

Then the baby is born. They will probably put him/her on your belly as soon as they come out. And they will him/her down some while he/she is laying there. Then they check their height, weight, put ink on their feet and make a print on a piece of paper, put a brace on baby and mom with matching numbers, finish drying the baby, put a hat on them, swaddle them and hand them back to mommy. Sometimes they stay for an hour or longer. Then they take the baby to the nursery for their first bath and pictures and feedings and all that good stuff. But don't worry the baby will be back before you know it.

Hospital stays vary. My first I was there for 2-3 days. Same with my second. My third had a birth defect in his mouth so we had to stay longer. I had him on Thursday stayed at the hospital till Sunday. Got discharged and came back the next day. My fourth I stayed 24 hours after delivery and asked my doctor to discharge me and he did.

I am sure a left a few things out but it was all I remember. Cliff notes on how long I was in labor with each one:

1: induced and in 13-14 hours of hard labor.
2: started early labor at 5pm. Left for the hospital at 6am. Had him 3-4 hours later.
3: Went into real labor at 5am. Went back to bed until 7am. Went to hospital by 8am. Had him by 11am.
4: Never knew I was in labor. Had a pinching type pain in lower belly. Called doctor he said come in because he thought I could be in labor. Got there by 7am had him by 10am.

I am just surprised I remembered all that. Its been just over 4 years since my last labor and over 10 since my first.

Also there is a lot of variables as well on this. Like if there are complications and such what they might do. I mean the worst case scenario is they have to do a c-section. But I don't have much advice on that.

My best advice is if you don't know or understand something while there just ask. They are more then willing to answer any questions to put your mind at ease and help you through the labor.

And don't let any of the worst case scenario scare you to much. I remember plenty of funny things about my labor. Ok not my first one because I was 17, given to much drugs through the IV and it was just traumatic for me. I was surprised I even had another much less 3 after that one.

Like my second and did not have hard hard contractions during my labor. Well they were hard but they did not hurt. I would be there just talking and laughing and hubby would be like did you feel that. And I am like no. He was like that one went off the chart. And I had no pain relief. Or I remember my doctor sliding into the room telling everyone to stop and let him get suited up. See he was out of town because I was not suppose to go into labor. No one had called to tell him I was in labor. He said he got off the plane and just had that feeling I was in labor. And he rushed to the hospital just in time to deliver my son.

Oh boy, I am not going to give you all the details because you definintely will not feel better after that! I reccommend you take some childbrth classes with a local childbirth educator and then make sure you do a hospiatl tour. They will fill you in much better than we can, I think. All hospitals have such different protocols regarding labor and delivery. You would really be surprised at how much variance there is. For example, where I live a woman cannot give birth to a breech baby. In Wyoming, midwifery is illegal outside of a hospital. Also, your experience will vary depending on the provider you have chosen. There are just so many variables, and truly I do not want to scare you with my own horror stories.