Conference moira::parenting_v3

  One thing that kept me going through both of my labors was knowing
  I had good friends who had also been through it and if they could
  do it so could I.

  For my first labor I really wanted to go to the hospital just to have
  someone tell me that what I was going through was normal and everything
  was fine.  Once I saw the midwife and she examined me and said I was
  doing great I felt much more relaxed.  I didn't have medication but
  I always knew in the back of my mind that I could if I wanted to.

  Also I kept thinking this can't go on forever; no one I know has ever
  stayed in labor indefinitely!  Just keep thinking positive thoughts
  and I'm sure you will do fine.  Good luck!

Joanne,

I wasn't sure I was in labor when I first felt contractions.  They were SOOOO
mild I didn't think this could possibly be labor, even when the contractions
were regular and 7 minutes apart.  I first felt a couple at 6:30 p.m., and
then around 9:00 p.m. they started again at 7 minutes apart.  I went to bed.
(After all, in our childbirth class we learned that the first stages of
labor take a LONG time, 8-12 hours, and it's better to stay at home and rest.)

At 1:00 a.m. my dog woke me up barking at something.  I went to the bathroom
and noticed some bleeding and I lost my mucus plug.  Again only mild contrac-
tions.  My doctor told me to come to the hospital.  We took our time packing
and calling the relatives, etc.

We got to the hospital at 2:30 a.m.  During my examination I started having
harder contractions. I was already 6 cm dialated so I COULDN't have medication.
(I wanted it though.)

Hard labor lasted about 45 minutes.  It wasn't pleasant, but knowing this stage
of labor usually lasts about an hour or less sure helped.  Pushing lasted about
45 minutes, too.  Compared to hard labor, this was easy.  My son was born be-
fore 5 a.m., so I had about 2 1/2 hours of "real, knowing-I-was-in-labor labor".

One thing I wasn't prepared for was after the birth.  I read in this notes file
for a vaginal birth "once it's over, it's over".  Don't believe it.  (Not that
it's so bad, I just expected to be fine afterwards.)  You are usually given
picotin aftwards to contract your uterus, which feels like menstrual cramps.
The epsiotomy gave me a bit of discomfort too.  I'd say it took me 2 weeks to
recover so that I could sit, stand, walk, etc normally

It DEFINITELY is worth it, though.

� �ori

    Hi,
    
    I'm surprised you haven't gotten more replies to this. You will
    though.
    
    Let's see, I can give you 2 labor's worth. With my first, I knew
    I was in very early labor because my back hurt all day, and then
    I started having to do BM's alot. All those muscles doen there were
    workin'! Anyway, the really early, non-painfull stuff went on from
    Friday at 5 PM till Saturday night. After Midnight it started to
    get more painful. But...I didn't realize it was supposed to hurt
    a little more before you go in! We went to the hospital 3 times!
    And got sent home twice. That really P*ssed me off. The second time
    they sent me home, I was getting in the car, and got a contraction
    that rose me up out of my seat. But I went home anyway. Well, that
    didn't last long. I couldn't lay down, or sit or stand. All I wanted
    to do was sit on the toilet. So there I was on the toilet with the
    phone in my hand pleading for the doc to let me come back! Anyway,
    it took about 8 more hours, and Aisha was finally born. I was really
    tired because I didn't take anything for the pain, and hungry, but
    otherwise I was fine. 
    
    With Jacob, I decided I would wait longer, but I didn't wait long
    enough. He took quite a while too, but would have come quicker if
    I hadn't had the epidural. It helped the pain alot though.
    
    When I look back on it, I really don't remember the pain as bad,
    but as exciting. Everyone is different. Your labor may be really
    short and easy. Who knows?
    
    I had episiotomies both times. The first time I was a bit sore for
    the first few days, but the nurses put ice packs on for me and by
    the time I went home it felt alot better. The second time it didn't
    even feel like I had had one! It was only a year later after all.
    
    I never got Pitocin, but they did do alot of pushing on my belly
    to get the after birth out, and there were contractions afterwards
    for a few hours (small ones) but nothing like real labor. They gave
    me Tylenol with codein for that. The belly pushing stuff was not
    my favorite part of the whole thing, but it doesn't last long.
    
    Well, I'm getting carried away here. If you want to talk offline,
    tube me a msg and I'll be glad to try and ease your fears! Besides,
    it was the most eciting thing that ever happened to me! I love to
    remember it.
    
    Take care.
    Dottie
                        

See also notes 173 and 232.  I also suspect that there are similar notes in 
the previous versions.

Clay

    First, congratulations on the up-coming event!!!
    
    Yes, everyone's labor is different but here's how mine went. I started
    timing contractions at 7:00am Saturday (after cleaning like a mad woman
    the night before and having a very restless night's sleep). The
    contractions were 7 minutes apart and regular. I told my husband at
    about 7:45am (if you can have a camera for that moment, it is a
    priceless face!!) and he immediately wanted to call the doctor and get
    to the hospital. Our instructions were to call when contractions were
    about 5 mintues apart so we waited. At about 10:00 they made it to the
    5 minute mark and we called. The doctor said to make our way to the
    hospital but that we didn't need to really rush because my water hadn't
    broke yet and it took that long to go from 7 minutes to 5 mintues. I
    took a shower before I left - we even have pictures of that because my
    husband thought I was crazy but who knows when your next shower will
    be. 
    
    I was definitely in labor so we were admitted. I dialated slowly, my
    water had to be ruptured and my contractions never got closer than
    about 2-3 minutes apart for almost the entire next 10 hours. Because
    the baby was on top of the cord I ended up being confined to the bed on
    my side for all except the first 2 hours of being at the hospital. Do
    all you can to stay out of the bed!!! At about 9:30pm I was just tired
    and hungry. Since the "pain" wasn't unbearable I had yet to have any
    medication and had passed the time that I could have an epidural. The
    doctor asked if I wanted something to slow down the contractions so I
    could sleep but would then need to be "jump started" with pitocin. I
    took the medication and the half-hour rest felt like a nights sleep but
    it was exactly what I needed to get through the rest of the labor. I
    think I would have been a basket case if I didn't get that rest.
    Personally, the pitocin asn't that bad but again my contractions only
    were 2 mintues apart. Finally, at about 12:15am the urge to push (the
    biggest relief I had ever felt) came. I still had contractions about 2
    mintues apart with a few 1 minuters in between. Finally at 1:07 our son
    was born - 18 hours from the first timing of contractions.
    
    Personally, I didn't find it unbearable but with my contraction pattern
    I cannot complain. I really made an effort to stay in control and to
    occupy my time either by watching tv or talking to people. I think my
    attitude was to take every contraction at a time and not to worry about
    the next one and when it will be coming or how long it will all last.
    You can't worry about that becasue you don't know - no one does. I was
    in a birthing room and Emerson Hospital and everything was great there
    - the staff, the facilities, etc. 
    
    You will get through it. Talk to your doctor and nurses as it is
    happening. I found the nurses to be more in-tuned  with how you were
    really doing mentally than the doctor because they are in and out all
    the time, they see you walking around and can tell whether you are
    deteriorating quickly. Remember they have everything there that you
    could possibly need. If you back aches, ask for hot packs or they may
    let you take a hot shower. If you are thirsty, they can get ice chips.
    They have a solution to any problem you may be having and have
    certainly heard it before so do use then as much as you can. There as
    so many different combinations of medication that you can be given so
    ask and understand your options but don't be set on a certain one
    before you go in - it may not be the best option during labor.
    
    I did rely heavily on my husband. I was nice to have an hand to hold
    but at one point I felt bad for "keeping" him there when things were
    going slow and then I got defensive thinking that he better be going
    through every minute of this since he was there at the conception. I
    think almost everyone goes through major mood swings. 
    
    I think being honest with yourself is the key. If it hurts, don't be
    brave for anyone.  You'll only enjoy the experience less. 
    
    Sorry to ramble.
    Best of luck,
    Andrea

    
    Hi Joanne,
    
    I had the same fears that you are talking about and I found comfort
    from talking to others that had already gone through labor and delivery
    a big help..  Some how it prepared me.
    
    When I had my son Joshua, now 2 and some change, I woke up at 1:00am
    having mild contractions.  The contractions were nothing more than
    the Braxton Hicks(sp)contractions I had been having since I was 8 
    months along.  I didn't wake my husband, because I wasn't sure if this
    was it or not, so sat on the couch watching TV.
    
    At 4:30am I decided to wake my husband, the contractions still were
    nothing more than before, they were coming about 7 minutes apart.
    About an hour later I had had a couple dozeys so we called our Dr.
    and he said to head up to the hospital.
    
    When I got to the hospital I was 5 cm.  Within an hour I was 6cm, at
    this point I was getting a bit nervous because all I remembered from
    child birth class was that they didn't like to give drugs after 7cm
    so that the drugs wouldn't affect the baby, so at that time I asked
    for Demerol.  After they broke my water and I got my I.V. with the
    Demerol I got the urge to push, the doctor checked me and at 11:00am
    I started to push.  After the first set of pushes I asked how long
    am I going to have to do this and my doctor told me probably about
    an hour.  I looked at him and said no way!  My son was born at 11:14am.
    
    Sorry to have such a lengthy note but, I really think that you should
    try to stay home a long as you can before going to the hospital (I 
    know at this point you want to get there and get it over with)but it
    is better to sit or do things at home than be stuck on a bed with a 
    monitor strapped around you belly.
    
    When you see your beautiful baby it will make it all worth it and you
    probably won't think about it until you are moved to your room and you
    try to get into the bed. 
    
    Good luck!
    Tina
    

    Labor, ahh, the memories....
    
    I didn't handle it well at all.  Period.  
    
    
    I was about two weeks early and was at my weekly appointment.  Dr. Lea
    came in and took one look at me on the table and started to chuckle. 
    I looked so forlorn, so beat, that he took pity on my and scheduled an
    induction later that week.  We went to the hospital at 7:00 Friday
    morning, and got started on the Pitocin about 9:00 (some tests and an
    ultrasound took up the two hours).  Anyway, it was no biggie until
    about 12:00, when Doc broke my water.  Well, folks, I am here to say
    that had that first real labor contraction and decided this was for the
    birds!  Between 12:00 and 2:15 I had about 20-30 painful contractions. 
    I could barely remember to breath, much less do the lamaze breathing
    excercises...there I was crying and yelling, basically ready to kill
    anyone I could get my hands on...
    
    At 2:15 this angel of mercy came in (read: the anethesiologist) bearing
    the blessed epidural.  After getting it, which hurt a bit, but only for
    a moment and not as much as the contractions, I sat up a bit in the
    bed, got a drink, layed down on my left side (some blood pressure
    concerns) and played gin rummy until 4:30.  Didn't feel much of
    anything except pressure till then, then got the overwhelming urge to
    push.  I mean overwhelming urge.  I was dilated fully, so they said go
    ahead and push.
    
    Well, noone had ever mentioned that pushing isn't just one or two good
    umphs and you are done!  At 6:00 I got the nurse to go get my doctor,
    and he took one look at me and asked the nurse "Why wasn't I called
    sooner?"  Made me feel good, as I had been asking her to get him for an
    hour...  Robby had "unrolled" one of his shoulders and was completely
    stuck!
    
    Anyway, he was born (with vacuum assistance) at 6:58.  I was in my
    recovery room by 10:00, and other than some swelling of the labia, had
    no trouble what so ever.  Episiotomy didn't ever bother me, no trouble
    what so ever...
    
    All in all, I guess I did okay (had the baby, didn't I...).  But I
    didn't like it.  But I would do it again  :-)

    I agree with Tina (.6) about suddenly feeling it when you try to get
    into your bed. I felt like I had done 13 rounds with Mike Tyson
    physically but mentally I was on an incredible high!!!
    
    Another thing to prepare yourself for is that after the birth, your
    stomach doesn't miraculously return to normal. I felt like I had skin
    hanging off me - I almost cried and kidded with the nurse that they
    should offer a tummy tuck immediately after. They could make plenty of
    money. A neighbor of mine had a 11 pounder and when I went to visit 2
    days after the birth she still looked as pregnant as I did at 9
    months. Personally, I would have cried if it were me. The good news,
    your stomach does return to normal (stretch marks don't go away) but it
    takes time. The amount of time depends on your physical make-up and how
    soon you are ready to get back into shape. 
    
    Andrea

    If I gave the complete history of all three of my labors, I'd
    double the size of the PARENTING file, so I'll just summarize.
    
    Three kids, no medication, no two alike.
    
    First -- very long (36 hrs), not very painful until the very late
    stages, Kat born in a blizzard with temp. outside the hospital at
    minus ten.  I was 19, had no idea what I was doing, no training or
    breathing to fall back on, still breezed through.  Got home in
    time to watch the New Year's bowl games.
    
    Second -- very quick.  Woke up at noon on Sunday, lost mucus plug,
    gave birth at 6:30 p.m.  Back labor, too busy to really notice how
    bad it hurt, Steven born during USFL football game.  Long recovery; 
    he kicked my bladder on the way out and bruised it so I had 
    problems for years.  And it  took maybe two years to get emotional 
    balance back (moderately severe postpartum depression starting 
    about 6 months after delivery).
    
    Third -- waters broke, no labor, pitocin, had to lie on left side
    because baby showed signs of distress otherwise, awful pain but
    decided to tough it out rather than take the very small chance
    that the drugs would increase the baby's distress, spent last
    several hours staring at the baseball playoffs (concentrated on
    every pitch, don't remember a thing), David finally born about
    half an hour after the last out.  Total of about 18 hours. 
    Despite the awful pain, bounced right back again.
    
    --bonnie

    I had a very long labor.  It started on my due date, just mild
    and irregular contractions.  It was Saturday morning.  By
    Saturday night, I started bleeding.  But the contractions were
    still very mild and irregular.  I had an internal exam Sunday
    morning, and was sent home to wait.  The contractions didn't
    become regular until Monday morning and finally at 10:00pm
    it became 5 minutes apart.
    
    We arrived at hospital around 10:15pm.  I was only 2 cm dialated.
    Then for the next 6 hours, my labor progressed slowly.  The
    contractions weren't bad at all, but I had back labor.  The
    doctor broke my water.  It didn't speed up the labor too much.
    Finally, they decided to induce me.  This was about 8:00am
    Tuesday morning.  I asked for epidural (one of the best decisions
    that I ever made) and was able to sleep two hours.  By noon,
    I was fully dialated.  I pushed for 2 hours, finally with the
    help of vaccum, Eric was born on 2:06pm.  It totalled 16 hours
    since we arrived at hospital.
    
    It is a wonderful experience, and in 6 weeks I will go through
    it again.  I cann't wait.
    
    Wendy

    As this will be my first baby and don't have any prior knowledge
    of all this..could someone somehow describe a contraction.  All
    I get from people when I ask is "You'll know it when it happens"
    
    Well. that's probaly true but in the meantime I'm left with
    no idea as to what I'd be experiencing.  I mean is it  like
    severe stomach cramps? backaches? is ther a pulling sensation
    or something like that??
    
    Thnks in advance
    
    Fay
    (not due for six months yet but already biting my nails about labor
    and delivery)
    
    

    I felt contractions as a squeezing sensation.  Sheila Kitzinger
    in her book, "The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth" 
    compares it to having a belt slung under your "bump" and having
    the belt being slowly but firmly being pulled tighter and tighter.
    You'll feel it in the lower abdomen, in the area where you usually
    get menstrual cramps.  
    
    You may get some backache, but I have read that whether or not you
    get backache depends in large part on how the baby is lying in
    the uterus.  I don't know.  James was a breech birth and I had
    such irregular contractions that it is hard to remember.  

    
    I too have no idea and I am due in less than 2 weeks. I have been told
    that contractions feel like your belly gets hard all over. but
    sometimes I can't tell the differnece between that feeling and the baby
    moving. Even when I try to time them each time they feel different, and 
    it's hard to describe the feeling. Anyway, I don't even know if I have
    experienced braxton hicks contractions either. I hear also, that alot
    of women get these throughout their last trimester. But I have no idea 
    if I have or not. Unless they were just not painfull.
    
    Well, I suppose I will know when a contraction comes soon enough. it's
    just that waiting and wondering that kills ya!
    
    Sandy ( two weeks to go and hoping to go early):-)

    It's not necessarily true that you'll know it when they start.  
    Sometimes Braxton-Hicks isn't painful. Sometimes labor isn't
    painful.  With my first, I didn't feel any pain that was even as
    bad as menstrual cramps until I was about 6 cm. dilated.  I can
    understand how you can occasionally read about a woman giving
    birth at home or some other strange place and saying, "I didn't
    know I was in labor."  
    
    I thought they felt more like bad gas pains than like squeezing. 
    They differ from menstrual cramps not so much in degree of pain
    but in that they're not really cramps. They tend to have a
    "wavelike" quality to them.  They'll start around to the side, or
    even in your back, and gradually tighten on around to the front. 
    (Unless they're giving you pitocin, of course, in which case all
    bets are off.  But then you'll know you're in labor.)
    
    --bonnie

     I figured that someone would ask here "What's a contraction like?!"
    because you can't help but wonder, and you never seem to get an
    answer. I remember, during early/mid labor, thinking to myself
    "Ahah, so this is what a contraction is!"
    
    For me...
    The early contractions were just like period pains/cramps, mild and
    not too annoying. As I had a long labor and these early
    cramps kept coming and going every seven minutes for hours...
    and hours... I started getting more annoyed. I wouldn't say
    the pain was terrible then, nothing like that, just rather
    like becoming uncomfortable in the  midsection, taking a deep
    breath and saying to myself "Oh-kay, one more time..."
    then it would go. And come back. And go and come back.
    
    After a zillion hours of this, it had turned into something stronger.
    Still the same womb-based pain, but more like "Hey! Ow!"
    for 30 seconds, then abating, and five minutes later
    another "Jeez! YOW!" But still not anything agonizing,
    just that it was taking so long and going on forever.
    You see, it's the tiredness that really does you in -- your
    tolerence for pain and your ability to cope emotionally 
    goes way down as you get worn out.
    
    In the later stage, it just downright hurts. Hurts hurts hurts.
    But you've dealt with pain before, right? I mean, perhaps you've been
    to the dentist for a root canal? Same sort of pleasant experience.
    
    Now, I had an epidural when I got to 5 cms dilation
    (about 48 hours into the labor) so I don't *really* know
    how bad it can be, I suppose. Except I did feel the full
    force contractions when the drug ran low and before they
    did the "top-up" (refill) of the drug. At those times,
    it was a squeezing pain, mainly up into my chest. (I'm short
    and the epidural numbs from the waist down only. Did
    you know that contractions aren't just in the lower
    "stomach" area? What a surprize that was for me;
    contractions contract your whole middle, from the intestines
    to the pubic bone. So being numbed from the waist
    down helped enormously, but didn't kill the pain completely.) 
    
    Well, now you might see why nobody wants to tell you
    what it's really like; hearing/reading this can scare
    you half to death. Don't let it scare you, really,
    because (all said and done) it's not *nearly* as bad
    as it sounds. As I've said, if you've lived through a visit
    to the dentist, this is comparable. Instead of getting a tooth pulled,
    you end up have a baby to cherish. 
    
    Wishing you all the very best,
    Barbara
    
    P.S. By the way, I ended up having a c-section, so missed
    the whole bit where you push the baby out. I had to go
    around asking other new mothers "What was that part like"
    afterwards. So maybe someone else can describe that part here? 

    How did those of you who went after your due date keep from going
    crazy?  I was due last Friday, and so far nary a twinge (well maybe one
    or two).  I know the first can be up to a week to 10 days late, but I
    want to have this baby NOW.  I'm going for a non-stress test today, but
    my guess is that my Dr. will say - everything is fine, see you next
    week.  I've run out of closets to clean, clothes to wash, the baby's
    room is all set, the refrig well stocked.....and I hate daytime tv.  I
    really feel like a beached whale waiting to explode....
    
    marianne

    Have you tried scrubbing the walls while you're climbing them?
    
    --bonnie

    Gosh, not to be terribly repetitive but - everyone labors differently. 
    I remember the last time I was in the hospital delivering Joshua, one
    of my nurses was talking to me about her little girl, who was about a
    year old at that time.  She told me about her delivery:  the maternity
    ward was so crowded that when she was admitted they had to temporarily
    put her on a bed in the hallway.  She'd only been there about two
    hours, was mildly uncomfortable she said, when she started to deliver
    the baby in the hallway!  Just popped that little one right out!  Easy
    as pie!  My how I envy those types!  :*}
    
    Mine were not so easy.  But the one thing about having a child is that
    you DO forget.  And it doesn't last long in the overall scheme of life.
    
    I received pitocin for all three of my deliveries, due to various
    circumstances.  Labor was well paced, due to that; and pushing lasted
    not much longer than 30 to 40 minutes.  Except for my first labor which
    ended in a C-section.  I do recall wondering from that labor what it
    would be like to actually "deliver" a baby.  I found out later!:-)
    
    

    I have only one child, he is 8 months old,  he was 9lbs. 14oz. 22
    inches long, (you are probably saying OUCH!).  But no, I went to the
    hospital at 9:00pm and he was delivered at 9:53pm.  I knew I was in
    labor at 1:00 but it was really mild.  I only had to push about 4-6
    times.  He was ready.
    
    After he was born the pain just stopped.  He is a great baby, he has
    slept through the night since he was four weeks old.
    
    May everything go as well for you as it did for me!
    
    Keep a positive attitude.  Good luck!

    Though I'm not the one who placed the base note, I too am due soon. 
    7.5 weeks to be exact.  I want to thank everyone who's replying because
    it is easing my mind.  Even hearing the awful stories is good because I
    am getting prepared for any eventuality.  I expect it to be easy for me
    since the pregnancy has been a cinch and my health is excellent, but I
    personally need to be prepared for the worst case scenario.  
    
    I just can't wait until we have our little baby to bring home!
    
    Laura

One thing I forgot to say in .1 was with my first labor the pains were
really painful right away.  In all the books they say the first stage
of labor is mild and not really painful.  Well, I was up in the middle
of the night and the contractions were 15-20 minutes apart and they
hurt!  I had my first pain at midnight and forced myself to wait until
6:30am before waking up my husband.  He said to wake him up when the
contractions were 5 minutes apart!

The pains did in fact get worse so in retrospect the first stage was
easier but at the time it sure didn't feel that way. 

I do recall pretending to push with the first baby because I was so
tired.  Everyone was yelling 'push, push' and I was closing my eyes 
real tight and pretending to push and wishing everyone would just leave
me alone.  With the first I pushed for 2-3 hours, with the second I
pushed for about 1/2 an hour. The last 5 minutes of the second delivery
was actually much worse than the first. I just remember feeling like someone 
was ripping my insides out, maybe because it happened so much faster.

But, I did it twice without medication and would certainly do it
again.  Good Luck!

    I was real lucky in general I suppose.   I had Katie a week early so
    it was a surprise to begin with.  I woke up with cramping at about
    3-4:00 in the morning.  Just like what a prior note said, felt just
    like period cramps, I thought I just ate something that didn't agree 
    with me.  I still had the cramps and about an hour later went to the
    bathroom and lost the mucas plug, I forgot about that happening, got
    a little concerned and read some of my stuff from class and sure enough
    it was a sign of labor.  So, I stayed up and started to actually pay
    attention to what was going on and sure enought there were contractions.
    So I did the dishes, took a shower and woke my husband up, & called the
    dr. cause they were about 5 min apart.  My water hadn't really "broke" 
    that much, so I figured I wouldn't be admitted yet.  They did admit 
    me at 7:30a.m.  When I was admitted I was barely dilated (2cms).  My
    labor consisted of not having much pain to very painful, no inbetween 
    stuff.  I was fully dilated by 12:30, had Katie at 1:40p.m.  Found 
    out later the nurses were betting I wouldn't go until 7:00p.m.  All
    in all it wasn't too bad of an experience, I was walking most of the
    time I was in labor and was able to take a shower and walk around right
    after.    Best of luck, everyone has a different one.
    
    Karen
                                                                   

    Just to drive home the point that everyone's experience is 
    different....
    
    With my first and only pregnancy, I broke water when I got up on 
    Tuesday morning.   My husband heard it from the bedroom...he was
    pretty surprised/scared, etc.  I wasn't sure if that was "it".
    Nothing else happened but I decided to call the doctor's office
    when they opened at 9:00.  They told me to go to the hospital to
    be checked....thus beginning the many trips from West Boylston
    to Framingham, Ma.  They did some sort of test that looked like
    litmus paper and said "yup, your water has broken but your labor
    has not started.  Go home and stay there.  You are allowed to be
    in one of three places...home, the drs. office, or the hospital".
    I had some contractions off and on but they weren't real...that is
    to say, I they would cease if I walked around or had a glass of wine
    (on dr's orders :-) ).   I went to the hospital for Non-Stress Tests
    on Wed, Thurs, and Fri.   Baby's fine, real labor hadn't started.
    
    Round about 5pm, the contractions were getting pretty bad but were
    not regular.   At 9pm, I called my ob, and he said to come on in
    for a look-see.   Well, I was 4 cm dilated which is where I stayed
    for the next 12 hours (all the while with minor contractions that
    didn't really register on the monitor).  When I got a new nurse at
    shift change, she did an internal to check my progress (or lack
    thereof..) and said that my membranes were "bulging"; that she
    suspects that the earlier broken waters was just a high tear causing
    a slow leak.  I guess that even though I was having some contractions
    they weren't doing much because of the hole in the sac.   She called
    my dr in, who in his not-so-gentle manner of internally examining
    me burst the waters - BIG TIME!.    45 minutes and not a whole lot
    of pain later, I had the incredible urge to push.   The nurse examined
    me and said I was ready (4 to 10cm in 45 minutes!!).  45 minutes
    after that Jason was born.   No anesthetics, no drugs, no episiotomy
    (maybe I was built for birthing :-)).   I will make one suggestion
    based on my experience....make sure that you apply plenty of ice
    to the birthing area (for lack of a better term).  My nurse forgot
    and I was swollen for a week.
    
    Best of luck...the pain is forgotten in minutes!
    Carol

    My experience...
    
    I had a quick labor.  I found it was hard to deal with and felt like
    I was out of control.  I was 4cm dilated at my regular visit on
    December 30, 1987 but was not in labor yet.  The doctor told me to go
    to the hospital as soon as I went into labor rather than call him.
    
    I went to sleep around 1:00AM and woke up to fairly strong contractions
    a little after 2:00AM.  My water broke shortly after that.  We were at
    the hospital by about 3:00AM.  I was 6cm dilated and the contractions
    were getting painful so I requested medication (worried that I would
    miss "last call" otherwise).  I had to wait for the doctor.  By the
    time he arrived I was 8cm but he allowed me to have the stuff they give
    with demerol to quell nausea (Visteril, I think).  The medication made
    me sleepy and made my contractions a little less regular but not less
    painful.  Nicole was born at 8:30AM or so.  I think I pushed for a
    little more than an hour but neither my husband nor I can remember.
    
    I didn't like the medication they gave me.  Although I felt more in
    control, it really made my labor more unpleasant.  Some people seem to
    find sleeping between contractions more pleasant.  I didn't.  All I
    remember was waking up near the peak of each contraction and not having
    a chance to take a cleansing breath.  A friend of mine felt the same
    way about the demerol she was given.
    
    I still resent some of the routine aspects of my delivery.  The doctor
    gave me pitocin while I was pushing.  I felt I didn't need it then but
    he and the nurses pressured me into agreeing.  He also performed an
    epesiotomy without asking me my preference.  When I objected he seemed
    offended so I gave in.  I was in no mood to argue.
    
    As for contractions, our childbirth instructor said I would know when
    it was the real thing.  She said to call the hospital when I had to
    stop what I was doing when I got a contraction.  This seemed to be an
    accurate measure for me.  I found the comparison to menstrual cramps to
    be misleading.  Maybe that only applies to the earliest stages of
    labor that I managed to skip.  I always tell people to remember that
    your uterus is now as big as your abdomen so those "menstrual cramps" are
    bigger too (not necessarily more painful).
    
    I compare transition labor to diarrhea cramps.  If you've ever had them
    so bad that you've doubled over in pain and had to catch your breath,
    you've experienced the same type of sensation as labor.  The wave-like
    attacks also apply.  The best thing about labor is the pain goes away
    completely between contractions.  Another good thing is that the pain
    isn't constant during a contraction, it builds up to a peak and then
    subsides.  In my case, my contractions were about 3 minutes apart and
    lasted about 1 minute.  The peak of the contraction lasted about 30
    seconds.
    
    I hope I haven't scared anyone with this.  The truth is, the painful
    part was hellish and I remember thinking I didn't want to ever have
    to go through it again.  By afternoon I talking about having another
    one!
    
    Good luck,
    Ruth

    re: .23
    
    Wow, they let you go three days after your waters broke?  My
    doctor said if I didn't deliver within 24-36 hours, I'd have to
    have a c-section because the danger of infection is too high
    otherwise.  
    
    --bonnie

    Yup, they let me go 4 days actually (Tues-Sat) after my water broke.
    I had to take my temperature every 3-4 hours as an elevated temp
    is a sign of infection.  If my temp went up, I probably would have
    been induced.   It was elevated at one of my NST's, but they gave
    me an IV and it went right down.   My doctor really does not like to
    use pitocin unless absolutely necessary as it increases the likelihood 
    of complications and c-sections in his experience (which is vast).
    
    Handling people's reactions to my dr's orders was one of the hardest
    things during that 4 days...but everything turned out fine.  I had
    to deliver in the delivery room because of the increased chance of
    infection and three pediatricians were on hand for the baby.  (I
    remember looking up during the pushing and shouting at my doctor
    "Who are all these people???").   Jason also had to stay in the
    special care nursery for the first 24 hours to be monitored for
    signs of infection.
    
    Since my labor and delivery turned out to be so easy, I'm glad that
    we went this route.
    
    Carol

    re: .26
    
    It sounds like they were plenty careful.  My OB agrees about the
    pitocin, by the way, but he felt that in my case it was the only
    chance of avoiding a c-section.  And a normal labor and delivery
    is certainly preferable, if it can be done in a way that protects
    both the mother's and the baby's health. 
    
    Maybe age had something to do with it?  I was 36 and my health had
    been borderline throughout the pregnancy. 
    
    --bonnie

    Hi Bonnie,
    
    I was 30 at the time and in good health.   I'd bet that part of the
    reason that this might have not been the right route for you is that
    you had other children at home; and I did not.   Your OB would 
    probably be hard pressed to tell you to stay in bed for however
    many days it took and believe that you would do so!
    
    Carol

    
    I just had my first baby July 12, 1990.  When I was pregnant everyone
    was telling me "your definately having twins" or "your carrying a big
    baby".  I was really nervous cause I have a real bad back.  Well, I 
    had stopped working June 1st because I was due on the 28th.  Everyday
    my husband would come home for lunch ( always carried his beeper on
    him) to see how I was doing - but still no baby not even the littlest
    cramp.  Now it was 15 days past my due date and we were getting really
    worried.  I went to see my doctor on the 10th and he said said go home
    get some rest and we'll make an appointment for you on the 15th to be
    enduced.  Well on June 11th (10:00 pm) I was feeling very mild pains
    but my husband wanted to call our doctor (answering service), they told
    us if we drove there that we could be sent back home.  Well we went to
    the hospital and they did an internal on me which started me
    contractions intensfully, they decided to keep me overnight.  Next
    morning July 12th, My doctor arrived at the hospital and broke my water
    at 7:30 a.m. , well now I was getting a little nervous.  They said they
    we're going to give me some potosium (sp?) which was through an IV. 
    ( this was to speed up my delivery ).  Nurses kept coming in asking me
    if I wanted a spinal or an epidoral (sp?), My husband and I kept
    refusing because we went through birthing classes to prepare us on all
    of the breathing, etc.  Well the pain started to get more intense in
    my back so we called the nurse back in and she inserted the epidoral
    into my back (boy I think that and the iv being inserted was the most
    pain i ever felt in my life).  Well time went by and it was only 3:00
    my husband walked into my room and saw a puddle on the side of my bed
    (my potosium had fallen out of the iv) he called the nurse in and she
    re-inserted it.  The did another examination on me to see how far I
    have left to go.  I was only 7 cm. and the baby should have already 
    been born.  Well after they inserted the Potosium back in within 5-10
    minutes I had grew 3 more centimeters (my husband was at the mens room
    at this time), the nurses were really worrried because my baby's heart
    rate on the monitor kept dropping and dropping, they put oxygen on my
    face and we're yelling at the other nurses to get my doctor on the
    phone well they wheeled me into the delivery room ( my husband arrived
    seconds after), I was really scared cause they paniced (which they
    shouldn't have ) which made me panic.  Well it was time for the baby
    to be born and a student doctor had to deliver my baby.  during the 
    delivery, my husband is asking her the fifty questions - "How many
    babies have you delivered"? she replies - 340 natural and 267 c-
    section. It was really cute.  The used the suction cups to help with
    the pushing (I felt like I wasn't pushing anything cause I was numb
    from my waiste down.  I don't remember which noter said this but they
    did a peesiotamy on me too and I didn't know until after the baby was
    born.  Well my doctor arrived  while she was delivering my baby and 
    just stood by and didn't interrupt her.  after she was done my husband
    was shaking her hand and thanking her (he was so cute for a 24yr old.
    From the time I went into the delivery room @4:00 Joseph Patrick was
    born at 4:22 pm.  Healthy baby boy! ( I will never forget it ).  I was
    really sore during recovery though for like 3 mo.  
    
    I don't mean to frighten anyone, this was just my experience I wanted
    to share.
    
    -Nadine
    

    TO NOTE 267.29"
    
    I put the wrong year on my sons birthdate. (oh my god I can't beleive I
    did that) Should have been July 12, 1989. ( I wouldn't be back to work
    that early )!!
    
    -Sorry

    I was another of those people who never had "mild" contractions.
    I never had those first stages of labor and went immediately into
    transition and I'll tell you, it was scary!  My water broke at
    5 in the morning and I got my first contraction one hour later.
    Ten minutes after that, I got my second one which never really ended
    until my daughter was born 2.5 hours later.  I can remember being
    in the car on the way to the hospital and remembering back on all
    the videotapes we saw in childbirth class.  Then I yelled out to my
    husband "Who in the world could play cards at a time like this???!!!"
    I thought I must be a wimp or something because the pain was so
    unbelieveable, but I wasn't aware that it would be over so soon.
    I pushed twice and my daughter was born.  Everything was definately
    worth it.
    
    - Kathryn
    

    
    As many notes have already mentioned you do forget but I do want to
    share some of comments with you. My first and only labor thus far
    started with mild braxton hicks. Interesting enough I had a doctor's
    appt scheduled on the same day so I was examined to see if my water had
    broken which it hadn't. I was sent home after filling out pre-admission
    forms for the hospital. To backup alittle I had been on under stick
    doctor's care since 5 mths due to premature labor (placenta previa) so
    I knew alittle bit about the contractions already. Anways, the
    contractions stayed mild until around 4pm. At this time I tried doing
    things around the house to keep my mind busy. According to the Lamaze
    instructions you should try to stay at home during the 1st stages if
    possible. Around 8pm I was about to lose my mind and resorted to bed
    rest/breathing exercises which I thought I would never use. Finally
    around 11pm I hold my husband to call the doctor. I knew this would be
    it so I took a warm shower etc. My mucuous plug had broken already. I
    arrived at the hosiptal dilated about 6CM. Then I had a standstill
    where I wasn't dilating but the contractions were painful so I had for
    an epidural which I had already requested of my doctor. After the
    epidural I was able to relax and get some sleep. Things after alittle
    bit of a fog from here on. However, my water broke around 6pm and I
    delivered at 8:43 with only 2 pushes. My sister-in-law a ob/gyn even
    missed the grand event. All in all it really wasn't bad. My daugther
    now 11mths is my pride and joy and I would most likely do it again.
    Think positive and you'll do well. Feel free to drop me a line if you'd
    like
    -clotelle

    I have not yet had the privlage to experinece labor yet! (if you want to
    call it a privlage.) I was wondering if any of you ladies out there had
    lost your Mucous plug within 2 weeks prior to your due date? I am due
    Sept. 1st, and lost my plug Tuesday. But i read in a few childbirth
    books that labor could start within 72 hours after. But has also been
    known to hold off several days. I'm hoping I won't make it through the
    weekend,because My husband and I can't wait anymore...(1st child). 
    
    I would prefer to go a little early and get it over with,but I haven't
    noticed any changes since I lost the plug. I have a drs. appt. this
    friday, I'm praying the dr. will tell me I'm more effaced. BTW i have
    been walking around for 2wks 1 centimeter and a little more than 50%
    effaced! Any stories about how much time in between you lost you plug
    till the big moment????
    
    
    Thanks, Sandy
    
    

Well, I have to say that my experience has me diagreeing with one of the
points that keeps coming up.

Most people say you forget.  I didn't.  BUT, once you find out how much you
love the little one you know you could do it again.  But forget, no way.


Marty

    re:-1  I'm in TOTAL agreement.  There's no way I'll forget either,
    but then I'll never regret it.
    
    - K

    Yet another childbirth experience to share.
    
    My waters broke at 11 p.m. so I had already put in a full day.
    I showered, got my suitcase together and after my hubby regained
    some composure, we drove to the maternity hospital and filled
    out the admitting papers around 1 a.m.  The caseroom was not
    busy and although I was only 1-2cm dilated they let me stay and
    advised me to walk the contractions.  I remember passing the
    nursing station and one of the nurses telling me that she could
    tell from my face how bad the contractions were.
    
    Dispute all my childbirth classes and good intentions for natural
    childbirth and all that, I fought the pain every step of the way.
    Nothing much had happened by 1 p.m. (14 hours after my water
    broke), so at this point I was given a pitocin drip which made
    the contractions more severe, but still I fought my body and
    the contractions.
    
    By 6:10 p.m. I could stand the pain no longer, but was only about
    5cm dilated and dog-tired, so requested an epidural which was
    administered about 6:50 and only "took" on one side.  So I could
    feel half the contractions.  This helped me relax to the extent
    that within an hour I had gone from 5 to 10 cm and had the most
    urgent need to push.  My obstetrician had forecast a midnight
    delivery and arrived just in time to give me an episiotomy for
    six series of three pushes and then presto, Graeme Ross, arrived
    with a healthy yelp.  Graeme was born at 8:26 p.m., 2 days early
    of his Canada Day due date, 21 1/2 hours after the adventure
    began.
    
    All I remember is being wrapped in warm sheets with my little one
    and the three of us (a very tired hubby) sharing the first 30
    minutes of Graeme's life in the recovery room.  I felt lighthearted
    and elated - a high I can't describe.
    
    Physically, I was uncomfortable for a few weeks with the episiotomy,
    and for some reason my brain didn't get any signals for about six
    months that my bladder was full...I'd have to consciously send
    myself to the washroom.
    
    One thing that has remained since and that is every month for about
    one day during my period, I experience the burning sensation that
    I remember when I was effacing.  I wonder if anyone else has had
    this happen.
    
    Childbirth -- it's truly worth it.
    
    Good luck, Susan
    
    

    Comments about 2 points brought up.
    
    Re .15 Barbara's question about pushing. To describe pushing takes 2
    feelings - one of utter pain and one of utter relief. As for the pain
    part (I had no pain relieving medication), it is there - no denying it.
    Imagine trying to push something rounder then your body parts out. It
    feels like incredible stretching and even burning, despite the fact
    that once the baby's head puts that incredible pressure on the opening
    for a few minutes, the blood is pushed out of the area and it becomes
    somewhat "deadened". The utter relief part is that you finally get to 
    "fight back" at the contractions.  Pushing is serious work and you need
    to do it right to make it work. It took me probably 4 pushes until I
    understood what pushing really was. The first pushes were very high up
    on my chest and I thought just scrunching my body up was enough. No,
    you need to work and really use your muscles (do those pelvic floor
    exercises ladies!!!). My contractions were still 2 minutes apart while
    pushing and it really hurt when my son's head was fully crowned and the 
    contraction stopped. I sat there with the widest part of his head out,
    stretched me to the hilt and no contraction in sight for another minute. I
    thought I would climb the walls. I just kept saying I want to push but
    they wouldn't let me. Well, at the first sensation of the next
    contraction coming, I pushed with a vengance and let out this bonsai
    cry that probably sent the other mother's waiting to deliver home. My
    husband was embrassed but at that point who the he*l cares. His head
    popped out and I knew the worst part was over - how bad could the
    shoulders be compared to the head?? 2 pushes later and he was out 
    completely!!
    
    When it comes to the urge to push, I will know it. There is nothing
    like it in the world. My step-son had told me he read somewhere that
    the pressure exerted when you get that urge to push is enough to lift a
    truck. After experiencing it, I think it could lift at least 2!!! It
    took me incredible control not to push when you get that urge but you
    shouldn't just in case you are not dialated completely or the cord is
    showing. Call the nurses and doctors and "pant like a big dog" until
    they give to go-ahead to push.
    
    As for .34 and forgetting - no we never forget but it is so difficult
    to describe the pain and pleasure in tangible terms to someone who has
    never gone through this. Compound it with the fact that we all have
    different thresholds of pain and it may mean nothing to someone. I
    think I have forgotten to pain because I can't experience it on a
    regular basis (like monthly cramps) and it is locked away in my memory.
    I think we actually do this with all pain. How many of us remember an
    accident we may have had in tangible terms of pain. We may remember it
    hurt beyond belief but we can't resurect those pains again in our
    bodies. I cannot reinact the pain portion of childbirth but I sure can
    reinact the emotional part (it happens so many times when I read these
    notes here or just get my good night kiss from my son!!).
    No, I'll never regret it for a second. It was the most rewarding
    experience and I'm looking forward to my second come January. 
    
    Happy Birthing!!
    Andrea                                             

    re: pushing
    
    You won't necessarily feel an urge to push.  I didn't with either
    of my first two, and it didn't interfere in any way with the
    delivery or with my ability to push.  But the third time, I really
    felt it and had to hold off for about 40 min. because the baby was
    ready before I was and I wasn't completely dilated yet.  If I had
    pushed, I would have torn myself wide open.  
    
    --bonnie

    Not to be gross or anything, but...  I remember one of the nurses
    I had when my daughter was born almost described it perfectly.
    She said "It's like trying to s*it a watermelon, right?" :-)
    
    - K

During the last few months of my pregnancy I was also getting nervous 
about the whold idea of labor and delivery.  I was convinced that 
someone was going to come up with a better way to get this baby out
of me, because there was *NO* way I was having it the way it was
supposed to come out :-) !!

I had been having braxton hicks contractions since I was about 5 months
along.  I really thought that I would deliver early, since the baby had
dropped on the last day of work before maternity leave, and I was 
real uncomfortable.  However, 5 weeks later I STILL hadn't gone into
labor and was induced. 

I went into the hospital at 7 a.m. and the doctor broke my water and
started the pitocin.  Between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. my contractions
were anywhere from 1-3 minutes apart and pretty painful.  Eventually
I was taken off the pitocin because the contractions were one on top of
the other without a break in between.  Being the wimp that I am, I 
asked hubby to "get me some drugs !!!".  I ended up taking Nubaine,(sp?)
which allowed me to _really_ relax during whatever small breaks I had.
At one point a nurse came running in and put an oxygen mask on my face
because the baby's heart rate was dropping (talk about scary !!).  The
nurses kept coming in and trying to get me into different positions to 
see if the baby's heart rate would improve.  Thankfully, it did. The
doctor said that if it happened again, they were going to do a C-section.
From 5:30 to 6:30 the contractions got even more *PAINFUL* and I was 
getting ready to cry.  Transition SU*KS !!!  Then it was time to push.
Boy was that hard work - hubby couldn't believe that I was working up a
sweat pushing.  At first I wasn't pushing using the right muscles.  When
I was finally using the right muscles, I wasn't pushing hard enough.
I guess I was kind of afraid I might push out something that wasn't 
supposed to come out.  Then I finally decided that no matter how much
it hurt to push, and what would come out - this kid was coming OUT !
I'd say it only took 4 or 5 more times, and that beauty was out.  Talk
about instant relief !  It wasn't over yet though - I had to have a 
D&C due to a retained placenta.  Thankfully I was put under general 
anesthesia - sleep..........

Afterwards the nursing staff kept offering me pain medication for the
episiotomy.  After what I'd just been through, the episiotomy was 
nothing !  (I've heard lots of horror stories - my ob/gyn must have
been good.)  I do remember feeling like I had been beat up for about
a week after I had her.

At the time I was in labor, I swore that I would never, ever, EVER go
through this again.  But now that labor is over with and I have this
beautiful baby, I certainly would go through it again.

Best wishes on your upcoming L&D - I'm sure you'll find that it's worth
the temporary discomfort !

- Joy                                           

    I would also like to thank everyone for their replies.  I'm due in 5
    days and have been experiencing a bit of anxiety myself.  I have found
    that even the tougher labor stories are somehow comforting because they
    give me new ideas on how I might better cope with my labor.  I keep
    thinking to myself that if everyone else got through it, so can I.  I 
    have a real low tolerance to pain but I also know I can have medication
    if I need it, which makes me feel alot better.  Once again, thanks to
    all of you and wish me luck!
    
    
    
                                                         Kim
    

    Kim, I wish you much luck and an easy delivery! I'm due in 7 days and
    I feel the same way you do. It's true that all these stories are
    comforting, and soon we will have a story of our own to write sbout!!!
    
    Good luck!
    
    
    Sandy

re.33

I lost my plug about 2 hours after my first contractions.  It bled alot
which scared me, but all was fine.  I think that is why I was so anxious
to have the midwife check me out and say everything was going fine.  

    re:.33
    
    I was 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced 16 days before I delivered.  I
    lost my plug 14 days before...  Also, I was still only 2 cm and
    80% when I arrived at the hospital 2 *hours* before my daughter
    was born.  I tend to be one of those people who all of a sudden -
    BANG! - it happens.  I went from 2 cm to 10 in a very short time.
    
    - Kathryn
    
    P.S.  Good luck to all of you.
    

    I have been reading this particular topic with great enthusiasm.
    I am due in approximately 3 1/2 weeks (September 14) and very nervous
    about the whole thing.  I have been experiencing rather
    uncomfortable/painful Braxton Hicks contractions on a fairly regular
    basis and am curious as to what my body will do when the contractions
    are for real.  I mean how will I be able to distinguish the Braxton
    Hicks from the real contractions?
    
    Anyway, I keep hoping someone will figure out an easier way to do
    this in the next 3 1/2 weeks.
    
    The replies are great - keep 'em coming.
    
    Peggy Lang

    Sandy,
    
        I also wish you the very best of luck.  I went to the Dr. today and
      I'm still not dialated any and my contractions are very irregular but
      I guess that's really no indication that I'm going to be late or on
      time.  Only two days to go, maybe!  Anyway, I hope it's easy for you
      as well and the result for both of us are happy and healthy little
      babies.
    
       I'll look for your story in the next few weeks.
    
    
                            
                                                             Kim  

    Does anyone have any experience with being induced for their first
    child?  I'll be two weeks late on Friday and if I don't deliver by then
    my Dr. is going to induce me.  She also mentioned that if the induction
    doesn't work, they will send me home for the weekend and try again on
    Monday.  At this point, I've been home for over 3 weeks and I want to
    have this baby now not Monday.
    
    marianne

   <<< Note 267.47 by ESCROW::ANDERSON "There's no such place as far away" >>>
                      -< Has anyone been induced lately? >-

Yep, count me in!  Well, lately, does 3 years ago count?  I was about 2
weeks late so was induced.  I have a very patient OB.  She broke my water
at 9 AM and checked on me several times a day.  She gave me the option
of doing anything more like pitocin, she didn't push.  I declined. (actually,
I don't think she even mentioned the word).  My contractions didn't start
until about 1 or 2 PM, and Kathryne was born at 11:32 that night.

Make sure you understand what your Dr. means by induce.  Does it mean
immediate shot of pitocin?

Hope this helps,

Liz

    RE: .47
    
    I was induced in January.  See note .40
    
    Joy

    Re.47 - I was induced three times, for various reasons.
    
    The first was with twins, I was huge, after an hour long sonogram to
    determine their health and activity levels at 37 weeks gestation, my OB
    determined they would be better off outside than inside 8-}
    
    End result - after a day of labor - C section.
    
    The second time my water broke, but no contractions.  After about 12
    hours of faint contractions, doc plugged in the old IV, filled it with
    high-test, and off we went.  Jacob was born about six hours later.
    
    The third time, I was a good two weeks late, asked the doctor to be
    induced.  Scheduled it for a few days later and had Joshua.
    
    For me, being induced was not bad.  A lot depends on your doctor, for
    he determines the amount of pit you get, the step-ups etc., in order to
    make the labor progress.  It worked out fine in my case, and was no
    worse than what I've read here about non-induced labors.  The,
    acutally, nice part about it is that your labor DOES progress at a
    steady pace.  Transition is tough, but it generally is anyway.  Just
    when you think you can't take anymore, you don't have to and it's time
    to push. The pushing part, for me anyway, was painless (relatively
    speaking 8*).
    
    Best of luck to you all.
    

    God I envy all you mothers to be who have only matters of weeks or days
    left.  I am not due till beginning of January.  I have watched videos
    of births (not easy ones either), I have listened to peoples stories, I
    have been reading this topic with great interest, and no-ones stories
    have put me off in the slightest.  I can't wait.  What I would like to
    do is go to sleep tonight and wake up on January 12th 1991 and go for
    it.
    
    January seems so long away.  I envy you all.  Good luck!
    
    Barbara
    

    
    Barbara,
    
    Beleive me, four months ago, i felt the same way. People would ask me
    when i was due, I'd say "September 1st". And they would say "wow, you
    have a ways to go. But I have to admit that it flew by for me! Even
    with the long hot summer. But I'll tell ya, I've got 2 days till Sept
    1st and I don't know if I'm more scared or excited! I guess alot of
    women feel this way. I look forward to the big day and prepared for it
    for 9 months, but when it gets this close, I wonder if I'm really ready
    to handle it!
    
    I hope so, as long as hubby is there beside me.
    
    Take care, it will be here before you know it!
    
    Sandy

    Sandy,
    	I can relate to your wondering if you are ready or not.  I went
    into labor two months early and had to be in bed for a month, then the
    doctor decided to induce labor a month early.  While I was going thru 
    the transition period, I remember thinking, "I'm not ready for this, I 
    wonder if they could stop this and let me go home for a couple more
    weeks."  Well of course they didn't and just a few minutes after that 
    thought I laid eyes on and held the _most_ fabulous baby in the world
    and all those doubts and anxieties became ancient history.   
    

    re: 267.33 
    
    I haven't lost mine yet, according to 1 doctor I'm due Sept 1,
    according to his associate Sept 16.  I'll bet Sept 30, just because I
    seem to be THAT lucky and everyone says "You'll never last till the
    16th!"  
    
    My friend lost her mucous plug 2 weeks before the birth of her child.
    Hang in there!
    
    

    Barbara,
    
     The time has flown by for me too.  I was due Aug.30 and it's now
    Sept.5th and nothing yet.  My Dr. is going to give me a stress test
    next Mon. to make sure the baby is ok.  I've read that as soon as they
    schedule you for this, poof you go into labor.  It will be here before
    you know it.  I feel as good as I did at 5 months, just alot bigger.
    Take care of you two and keep active, it helps alot.
    
    
    
                                                             Kim
    

    RE: .55
    
    I had a stress test when I was about 10 days late - it didn't get
    labor started.  My doctor was a little surprised, and said that
    in most cases women go into labor within 24 hours of having the
    stress test.  Guess my baby just wasn't ready !
    
    Joy
    

    I had a stress test done on Jul. 6, 1989 when I was 8 days late.  My
    doctor was going to schedule a date for me to go to the hospital on 
    the 15th to be endused."" TOO LATE""! I was getting minor back aches
    on  July 11th, my husband took me to the hospital and they did a
    internal examination which brought me to have more contractions and
    they kept me overnight and delivered a BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY BOY on the
    12th (4:21p.m.).  Should be just about anyday for you! GOOD LUCK!! 
     

    
    I'm glad I'm not alone. I was due Sept 1st! 5 days late as of today. 
    I have an appointment with my OB today. I was hoping this time last
    week that I would not be going to see him today. I am soooo frustrated
    and emotional lately. I don't think that most women actually think
    about being overdue, but when you are it's the pits! I'm hoping my doc
    will tell me that I won't make it through the weekend. 3 weeks ago I
    started dilating as of last friday i was 2 centimeters and 50% effaced.
    I hope I've progressed!!!!
    
    Sandy
    
    (Hopefully the next time I write, I will be writing a birth announcment!)

    Don't get too upset, I'm not dialated in the least and I'm beginning to 
    wonder what's going on?  I was reading in one of the Dr.'s magazines
    that only 5% of babies come on their due date, most are either 2 weeks
    early or 2 weeks late.  That was comforting to read, it re-assured me
     that it's perfectly normal to be late and it doesn't mean something is
    wrong with my baby.  I don't even know if what I've been having are 
    contractions but I have been getting alot of back pain in the past 
    few days if that is any indication.  It can't be much longer for any
    of us overdue'rs.  Hang in there and be happy!!! 

Hi all!

This is my favorite; I think if I wasn't a software engineer I would probably
be a midwife.

I've had three  children; and all of the labors have been different.  I think
the main idea that I would like to add to those already expressed is that
once I got into the mindset of "I'm actually having this baby", I was so 
excited that I could have endured anything.

I really never went into labor for my first daughter.  It was 5 weeks (!!!)
after my due date(we all suspected it was a little off), my placenta was not
working fully and I had lost amniotic fluid.  It was time for an induction.
The induction didn't really dilate me much (4 cm in about 12 hours) and the
baby's heart beat was dropping even without contractions -- that is fetal 
distress. Marisa had also pooped her meconioum already (stress sign).  I had
internal monitors, external ultrasound monitors, baby's scalp blood test 
(while in uterus), everything in the book.  But even through all of this,
the thought that my baby was coming out soon carried me over.  The C-section
wasn't bad, was actually a relief.  The epidural didn't hurt and the doctors
were very friendly (I delivered at Beth Israel in Boston). There were about 3
pediatricians waiting for her; they had to suction her lungs as soon as she 
was born because the meconioum got to her lungs when she started breathing.
Then she was speedily taken to the special care nursery, where she spent 
36 hours.  I didn't see her much the first day, but it didn't matter.  She
was being taken care of wonderfully.  I didn't feel too bad after the C-section,
don't be afraid of them (I used  to cry before I had her just with the thought
of it).

I broke my water 10 days before my due date for my second daughter, and I 
couldn't believe it! An early baby? For me?!  But, as happened to another noter,
I really didn't go into labor until 4 days later, and even this wasn't really
hard labor, but I was so tired of waiting that we went to the hospital anyway.
They kept track of me every day during those 4 days, temperature, stress tests,
etc.  My labor was slow, and they used a little pitocin to speed it up (I 
started to get a fever while in the hospital).  Lisa was born vaginally, and
I couldn't believe it!

After my third delivery, I feel like the women in those stories you hear who
just drop the babies anywhere and keep walking!  My labor started while I was
napping on a Saturday afternoon and actually woke me up.  I tracked the 
contractions for about an hour, and they were about 3 minutes apart, but not 
painfull.  When we got to the hospital, I was 5 cm dilated! A far cry from my 
first delivery!  After four hours in the hospital, Cristina was born, no IV,
no ultrasound belts, no nothing!

So as you see, all are different. Don't be afraid of any of it; some can be
uncomfortable, but there are people there for you.  And remember, you don't
have to look pretty or be a good patient, scream if you want to (more out of
frustration than pain), bend over, go on all fours, whatever makes you
comfortable.  I had my babies without pain medication (except for the C-section)
but I would encourage you to have it if it would make you feel better.  I found
that by the time I wanted some medication, it was too late! (dialated too much),
and that thought alone took the pain away.

If you want to know, the most uncomfortable thing for me was having the doctor
doing an internal while I was having a contraction. They try to time it right,
so that they catch you between them, but sometimes it's not possible.  But,
again, they don't last very long.  Also, keep deep breathing.  It really helped
me.

If you want more reassurance, call.  My DTN is 296-5104.  I love to talk.

Good luck!

    Hello again,
    
    Well, I went to the doctors yesterday and found that i was still only 2 
    centimeters, but i am 75% effaced. So my doctor asked me to come in
    today for a non-stress test. It went well, the heartbeat is fine and
    they also did an ultrasound to check the baby's movements and the
    ammniotic fluid to see how much there was. All is fine. I have to go
    back tuesday for another one if I haven't gone into labor yet. Oh geez,
    that would be awful,considering that at the moment I'm alreadya week
    overdue! The doctor tried to estimate a weight of the baby, I wish he
    didn't! He said roughly a 9 pounder!!!!!!!! That seems huge to me. But
    doctors have been known to be way off. For my sake, I hope so!!
    
    
    Well, I'll keep ya posted!
    
    Sandy

    re: .61
    
    My doctor told me that according to my ultrasounds I would have a 9 -
    10 pounder and my son weighed only 7 lbs. 5 1/2 oz.  Don't forget, it's
    only an estimated weight.
    
    Lori B.

    I haven't heard of an estimate that wasn't at least a pound high.
    
    --bonnie

    Well, My Dr. was a good guesser then. I asked her at a friend's request
    how big she thought my baby would be about 3 weeks before I delivered
    and her guess was 6.5 to 7 lbs. And wouldn't you know Justine weighed
    6 lbs 11 oz.
    
    Jan

    Bonnie..
    
    My Dr. sent me in for a "size" ultasound immediately prior to my
    induction.  The tech. said maybe 6.5, 7 pounds, tops...
    
    12 hours later, Robby arrived, all 8 pounds of him....

    Re: size estimates
    
    About a month before my due date, a nurse practitioner told me it felt
    like a big baby - 8 pounds at that point - and sounded like a boy. During 
    my delivery, I was again told it felt well over 8 pounds. I delivered a 
    6 lb 5 oz baby. Because of the way my son was lying inside they were
    actually feeling the width of his rear-end rather then the width of his
    hip. Luckily, my son has a small rear-end otherwise they would have
    predicted a 12 pounder and I probably would have passed out.
    
    "Fee"l tests mean little (but the sound test was accurate!!!)
    
    Andrea (looking forward to that same nurse practitioner come close to
    		my next delivery date)

    Don't ever pay attention to their guesses.  At about 2 weeks before
    my due date the doctor said, "8 pounds, give or take a pound".  The
    possibility of a 9 pounder scared me a bit.  Then I thought, "What a
    great estimate to give.  She's covering 7-9 lbs which is probably
    most babies."  A few weeks later as she saw Eric's head coming out
    she said, "This has gotta be a 10 pounder" with me yelling, "NO WAY".
    She was much closer that time - he was 10 lbs 2 ozs.  
    
    Yikes, I still can't believe it 13 months later.
    
    Donna
    

    re: .67
    
    I know how you feel.  I was told my second baby would be low 8's.  That
    seemed reasonable as my first was 7lbs 8oz.  Well, my baby ended up
    weighing 10lbs even.  The Dr said "this is no baby, it's a man".  I
    still can't believe I delivered this kid vaginally in a very,very short
    time.    Babies  can hide themselves inside of you.  I never had an
    ultrasound so we had no idea how big he actually was.  My Dr has always
    been very good at guessing weights ( he really studies your belly and
    estimates) he flunked this time though.  It is a good thing that I
    didn't know how big he was before labor started -- I would have been
    petrified.  
    
    Donna
    
    P.S.  I gained 10lbs less with the second baby and he was 2 1/2 lbs
    bigger!!  So who knows.f

    Well, It finally happened! On Sept. 9th at 10:06 am, I gave birth to a
    beautiful healthy 8lb. 1/2 oz. 20 and 3/4 inch girl Danielle Elizabeth
    one week over due. On saturday the 8th, my water broke at 1:30 pm,
    within the hour
    my contractions were 5 min. apart. And after 19 long hours of labor and
    4 hours of pushing, she finally came! 4 hours before she was born, my
    doctor told me she was in the wrong position and if i didn't try
    pushing in different positions, she would have to come c-section. Well,
    i was determined to have her naturally so i worked my butt off to make
    sure she would be delivered that way! And sure enough she was delivered 
    vaginally! I have to tell ya, it's like the commercial for the army
    goes" it's the toughest job you'll ever love!"
    
   A proud mom!
    Sandy
    
    

    RE: -1
    
    CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES!!!!!!

    Re:.69    CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    As for me, exactly 2 weeks late after 2 non-stress tests, and being on
    pitocin just about all day, Russell Anthony was born on August 31
    weighing in at 10 lbs, 3 1/2 oz.
    
    Being induced for me was alittle frustrating.  I was started on a
    pitocin iv at about 10:00 am.  My Dr. said at that point I was about 1
    cm dialated.  All day I had mild contractions, nothing to write home
    about.  As a matter of fact, I was in more pain from rolling the iv
    stand over my foot while walking around than I was from any of the
    contractions. Then at about 5:00pm I started having real contractions. 
    My Dr had just come in and told me I was only 1 1/2 cm dialated.  She
    was going to give me another hour and if nothing progressed, she was
    going to send me home!!! I cried when she left the room.  I wanted to
    have the baby!  One hour later, I was 3 cm dialated and the Dr. broke
    my water.  Things happened quickly after that.  In about an hour and a
    half I was fully dialated and pushed for less than an hour.  The Dr
    couldn't believe how big Russell was.  The nurses were taking bets on
    how much he weighed.  Everyone was amazed when the scale read 10 lbs 3
    1/2 oz.  I was afraid I was going to wake up and still be pregnant!
    
    Anyway mommy and baby are now having fun getting to know one another. 
    Russell was well worth the wait!
    
    marianne

    Speaking of size estimating...
    
    My last baby was about 10 days late, according to my original due date
    based on menstrual cycles.  So doc decided to do an ultrasound to see
    how he was doing in there, how big he was etc.  The technician, using
    leg bone measurements, skull, and chest measurements determined to be
    at least nine and a half pounds.  Estimating that they put on about 1/2
    pound a week at that stage, by the time he was born he SHOULD have been
    at least ten pounds.
    
    He wieghed 8 lbs 1 oz!  Off a little I would say.  So much for high
    tech!
    

    My baby was born Sept. 13 at 12:10 am after 26 hours of labor.  It was
    no fun but worth it.  I now have a beautiful baby boy named Griffin. He
    was 8 lbs 3 1/2 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long, not to mention 10 days
    late.  Congradulations to all you other new moms out there, isn't it 
    wonderful?
    
    
    
                                                        Kim 

    I'm now ending my 37th week of pregnancy.  For my last two appointments
    the doctor has given me internals and checked to see if anything is
    going on.  He says "no action"  I am assuming this means I haven't
    begun dialation.  Does anyone know when this will start?  When
    did it start with you, and how long did you have to go before you
    had your baby.  My due date is November 2nd, and I'm just waiting
    now.
    
    Also, at this time, I'd like to say good-bye and thanks to all of
    you in Parenting.  I do not think I'll be back to Digital in the
    near future, at least not for a year hopefully, maybe even longer
    if I'm lucky.  Take care and thanks for everything, I'd hate
    to think of how boring my pregnancy would have been without all
    of you......
    
    Lisa
    

I think dialation is one of those things that is such a variable from
person to person  or even pregnancy to pregnancy.

With my first child, I never had an internal exam until I was in labor at
the hospital.  I showed up 6 cm dialated.

With my second, I had an internal at 37 weeks and was 4 cm dialate.  I
remained 4 cm dialated through 40 weeks.  I showed up in labor at the
hospital at 4 cm and stayed that way along time, 'til they broke my water
and gave me pitocin.

    Isn't dialation only one part of it though?  Doesn't effacement come
    into play here too?
    
    I remember the OB doing an internal for both deliveries, and making a
    comment about if I had been allowed to go naturally I wouldn't have
    been for at least a couple more weeks. He specified there was no
    effacement PLUS no dialation.
    
    

    In my lamaze class last night our instructor told us that dialation and
    effacement are different.  She told us not to be concerned if we are
    staying at one number for a long time because we could be effacing.
    
    I am due November 1 and I am not dialating yet either.  
    
    I would also like to take this opportunity to say good-bye to everyone. 
    This is my last week.  I should be returning sometime in January or
    February.  I look forward to using notes again to answer my questions
    on newborn/infants.
    
    Angie

    With my son, I went for my appointment on my due date, and had no
    dilation. The doctor told me that my cervix had softened up, but
    that was it. That afternoon, I lost my mucus plug and started labor.
    The next afternoon, around 1 pm, I went into the hospital and
    that evening delivered a baby boy. 
    
    It doesn't matter how early you dilate, it will come. Good luck,
    you'll do fine!!!
    
    Sheila
    

    Cynical musing: Has delivery ever been held up because there was 10cm
    dilation BUT NO EFFACEMENT?  Seriously folks, does anyone care how thin
    the cervix is, if it's open far enough?  Isn't effacement just a
    convenient, though hardly infallible, means of predicting the start of
    dilation?  (If not, why not, in 25 words or less...)
    
    Leslie

ok, I'll bite.  I think the effacement allows the cervix to be pulled open.  
Kind of like a really thick rubber band would be harder to stretch than a
thin one.....

    Well, I've got a friend that was fully dilated, but had to wait til she
    was also 100% effaced which took a few hours more.  So I gues delivery
    does wait for full dilation and effacement.

    Thanks for the replies.  Hmmmm...  Effacement is merely thinning of the
    cervix, right?   And the cervix is the port, or door, through which the
    baby passes in a vaginal birth.  I'm still having trouble figuring
    out why it's important whether it's a rice-paper door or a bank-vault
    door; seems to me the meaningful question is, is the door OPEN far
    enough?!
    
    I think the effacement count is somewhat comforting when it's the only
    sign you have so far that labor will in fact begin... but it can start
    *weeks* before the delivery, or not til noticeable contractions begin. 
    Hence my dismissal of effacement as a medical term with a low
    usefulness factor.  (The barn door is hickory... no, it's oak... no,
    actually it's 14 layers of plywood with a veneer of cherry...  Who
    cares, it's open and the HORSES ARE GONE!)
    
    Leslie

    I enjoyed your reply, Leslie;
    here's my uneducated guess; could not the effacement effect the 
    elasticity of the cervix? Perhaps its like popping the baby's head
    through a silk pullover as opposed to a wetsuit.THAT would definitely 
    be harder on mom and baby, no?
    
    Monica

    I see what you mean!
    
    Alex made her escape through the window instead of the door, so I don't
    have a "memory" from the cervix to help me imagine this.  (We got to
    8cm, who-knows-what effacement, when the cerix said "forget this, find
    another exit".)
    
    Leslie

    
    I little C-section humor...by Steven Wright:
    
    
    I was caesarean born, can't really tell, although whenever
    I leave the house, I go out the window.
    

    Whoops, yes, I should have credited Steven Wright because I was aware
    of the quote!
    
    (Gave my cat a bath last night.... she liked it but I can't get the
    fur off my tongue....)
    
    Leslie

 re .86 (Leslie)

>   (Gave my cat a bath last night.... she liked it but I can't get the
>    fur off my tongue....)

And that "routine" is by Steve Martin...

Jill :-)