What REALLY happens during labor . . .?

Well it depends, it differs for every labor. Only one thing is for certain, you will lose all humility. You will have so many people looking at your nether regions and as worried as I was about this, when you are in labor, you really don't give a hoot.

There is alot of monitoring, and all too often people go in expecting that this process is a swift process, and all to often (allthough not always) it is not.

Be prepared for a long wait just in case.

When you first enter they will check your cervix for dilation, and then begin to monitor your contractions (constantly or intermittenly depending upon your situation and choice), then it is a waiting game, with periodic cervical checks. In some cases even if you have dilated they may send you home if you are not at least 3 or 4 cent. dilated.

They may choose to break your water if your water doesn't go on it's own. Once your water breaks you are stuck in the hospital until that baby gets here.

Other than the above, there are so many different senarios that could be played out, there is no way to say THIS is exactly what happens.

Best of luck!

what happens when you're in labor at the hospital and you have to go to the bathroom? Depending how far in or if you have an epidural you get up and go - or they catheter you is it common to urinate or defecate (poo) on the table? Yes - so don't even worry about it does it hurt more with a c-section as opposed to natural birth? you are numb with a c - and the recovery time is longer. Natural is very painful with-out drugs does it hurt after birth and for how long? about 2 week - natural and longer for a c what are the most common things to happen during pregnancy, labor and birth? name calling - pain - relief - sadness does it hurt as bad as people say really? (there's no worse pain in the world) That is true - but its also a joy at the end and such a relief that the intensity of it is diminished how many times do they take your blood? twice with each of mine - unless you have other problems When do they hook you up to a IV and when do they ask you if you want an epidural? they ask right away - IV is toward the beginning - and the epidural is done when you are far enough along as not to stall the labor What are the dangers of having an epidural and what does it do? minimal - and worth every risk Can the husband go in with you right away or do you need to request it? as long as its alright with you he can be there the entire time If you don't get an epidural and it hurts too bad can you get other pain medication, how well does it work and what kinds can you get? ie; do they give it to you in a shot? just barely takes the edge off E is better how many times should you see the doctor when you are pregnant about 1 every 3 weeks until closer to term them more frequently Good Luck - and I recommend reading the book -- "What to Expect when Expecting"

Honestly... I am all for home birth and think hospital birth is a more dangerous place to give birth.... but I will try and give you an unbias an answer as possible.

Every hospital is different, and every doctor is different. In general, after you check in, they will give you a gown (some let you wear your own though) and get you into a bed. Some do tests right away (blood tests, fetal monitoring etc.) and some don't; some let you walk around, and some make you stay in the bed with the fetal monitor on constantly. A few let you use different positions during your labor, and even the shower, but MOST like to keep you in or near the bed so they have access to check you and do all the interventions that THEY deem NECESSARY. Most will check your cervix when you go in, and again every hour or so to see what progress you're making. You are offered drugs the further along you get, and if you take epidural, you will have to stay in the bed, get a catheter and have constant fetal monitoring. If you don't take meds, they usually leave you alone to labor and check in on you every 1/2 hour or so.

Bottom line.... they take over, take control, and intervene without fully explaining your rights because it's more convenient for them. All interventions come with risk... but they are done so routinely, and side effects are deemed 'normal part of childbirth' so they are downplayed, and in the end publicized as safe. If you were left to your own devices in labor, you would instinctively know what positions to be in, what works best for you, your labor would progress just fine without anyone sticking their hands up there, and your body would automatically push when the time is right. Everyone just freaks out so much about childbirth, and the media has brainwashed us into thinking it's some kind of life or death situation, that everyone runs to the hospital so their baby can be 'saved'!!! It's ridiculous.

Read..... educate yourself... and make INFORMED decisions.

Good Luck!

Seriously...? lol! Sorry hun... but you DON'T wanna know! hehehe... If you're already up the duff it's too late to back out so you're better off now knowing and just going with the flow.

Ok ok ok.... well, if you have a vaginal birth, expect ALOTTA pain! I have had two epidurals, just before bubs poppin' out, after a 36 hour labour and a 63 hour labour!! And I tell ya hun, it wasn't by initial choice but I hadn't slept, I was having contractions no more then 2 minutes apart the WHOLE time... (sigh)... and I was buggered. It was a living nightmare. Anyway, my second epidural didn't work, baby had the cord wrapped around her neck, she was in stress and I could feel EVERYTHING! I was panicky, tired and was close to giving up and closing my legs.

But... I tell you what... it was ALL worth it and I would NEVER trade places with my husband. It's an incredible experience and (silly me) am going for a third round!

Best wishes

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RE:

What REALLY happens during labor . . .?

Ok. I've asked so many of my relatives, read so many articles, and looked at so many websites, and I've yet to been given a real, true, and accurate description of what will transpire once I'm at the hospital to deliver the baby.

So, be as descriptive and/or blunt as you want when...

They will want to hook you up to check everything, babies heart rate, your blood pressure, they will give you an internal to see if you are dilated. I had to pee in a cup thing attached to the toilet. Then they unhook you and leave you alone for a while and come check on you every once in a while. I had natural births, so no drugs, so didn't have any need for them to keep me hooked up to monitors or have an IV but if you are getting an epi they will hook you up again.

i woke up at 1 am with a leg cramp then all of a sudden i had what felt like menstral cramps so i sat on one of those big exercise balls to measure how far apart they were.... they started to get stronger kind like that sting when u get blood taken (the one stop where the needle goes in) all over my tummy for 30 second and it would let up... 5 minutes later the same thing would happen. around 2am i went to the hospital i was only 2cm dialated so the nurses made me walk for a half hour... i would take a few steps and then feel like someone had just stabbed me in my gut... it was very painful... i was stuck at 2cm for 4 hours and the pain kept getting worse and worse... finally when i got to 3cm they gave me this drug that made me feel kind drunk (it took the pain away) but it only lasted for 45 minutes then they gave it again only lasted 15 minutes... after that i was on my own dealing with the worst pain in my life (and i have tons of peircings and tattoos- this pain was 100 times worse that anything i have ever gotten done) i was uncomfortable i was hurting so much it feels like my stomach was being ripped out... finally i got the epidural and after that i was good i could feel anything, i didnt even feel my son crown or anything... i wouldnt even hold up my own legs the nurse and me fiance had to. but after my son was born i forgot about the pain and it was so amazing just having him in my arms.... so good luck!

ok i had a baby on December 23 and the truth is it hurts sometimes you poop they give you medicine so it doesn't hurt but for me

it took a long time for me to get just try and push through the pain and when the baby enters the birth canal they cut off the medicine so that's when you really need push the faster the head crowns the better then after that he or she whatever your having will just come just know that its worth it after it all said and done k good luck and you ll do fine

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Expect your experience to unfold in a completely unique way to you. Every pregnancy is different and every woman is different. Assuming that you have a healthy baby and everything goes "normal" and that you have a healthy vaginal delivery - well anything can happen. My 1st pregnancy, my water broke but I was term. I did not go into labor in 24 hrs so they induced me with pitocin and ordered me to the hospital. I went through about 18 hrs of labor because I did not dilate but had contractions due to the drugs. Finally, I had to have an epidural. The pain of the contractions and the stress went away at that point and they told me when to push because there was a contraction monitor hooked up to my stomach. They told me when to push and about 30 mins after that the baby came out. Then a few minutes later, the afterbirth or the placenta came out. Then I rested. They took the baby away as a precautionary measure since I had tested positive for staph A I think it was and they had to make sure the baby was fine. They brought the baby in about an hour later all clean and wrapped up. They kept me and baby for an extra day for observation. My second delivery, I didn't know I was having contractions until I was in the transition phase of intense contractions. I hurried to the hospital and baby came out 30 mins after that. They had no time to give me an epidural or pain meds. The third baby I didn't know I was having contractions until the transition phase and so I went to the hospital and 30 mins later, the baby came out. They gave me a pain med to take the "edge" off the pain but it made me sleepy which was fine. It all happened so fast. I felt fine afterwards. I went home 24 hrs later. So, everyone has a different experience and every delivery happens different. Some women end up with a c-section and some are pre-mature. People don't tell you everything because they don't want to scare you about it because it is intense, stressful and painful no matter how you look at it. No one wants to scare you with the horror stories of outlandishly awful things that they have had happen to them or heard about. Chances are it will all go well for you. So, basically, you realize you're having contractions and call the doctor. They either tell you it's time to come to the hospital right away or tell you to wait until the contractions are about 5 mins apart. You get to the hospital and they try to help you according to the method and plan you have chosen. If you have a short labor, the baby comes out quickly. If labor takes longer then you'll have alot of contractions at the hospital and possibly the opportunity for the hot tub and other techniques for helping you cope with the pain. Eventually you get to the transition phase - the most intense and fast contractions. Then, you get to the pushing phase where you push the baby out. The baby's head shows and then comes out, then the shoulders and after that, baby just slips out like butter. But, anything can happen, your water could break early, the baby could be breech, the baby could have the cord wrapped around it's neck. The shoulders could get stuck on the way out, the number of ways that your delivery can happen is infinite. In any case, there has never been a better time to deliver a baby. There are experts on hand, the technology is great, the doctors know how to help every delivery go as well as it possibly can. Even if you have a c-section, I have friends who swear by it that it is easier and a fast recovery because they know just how to do one these days so the incision is small and it goes very fast and it's painless with the epidural. If you have a c-section they wil schedule it like an operation and you won't have contractions. Some people choose to schedule their delivery and have a c-section or get labor inducing drugs so baby can come out on a convenient date. I think that's crazy - and anything can happen when you schedule it too so - well - congratulations - wish you all the best! If you get to the hospital and you're already in heavy labor - they put you in the bed you will deliver in and nurses stand by and your doula if you have one is there. If you're not in heavy labor yet - there are other things you can do other than lay in bed such as suck on ice chips, watch TV or try out the hot tub and do other pain management activities. If you haven't read What to Expect When you're Expecting - that's a GREAT book I recommend. It has so much helpful information about what to expect and the hospital and more information about the stages of delivery and such. You should call the hospital where you will deliver and sign up for a class that will help you be comfortable as well. Most hospitals also offer a tour of the facilities ahead of time too. When I had an ob-gyn delivery - they put me in bed the entire time hooked up with an IV and monitors. When I had the midwife at the hospital, they asked me if I wanted this or that rather than telling me everything they did was mandatory. I don't like IV's unless necessary and I like to be able to get up and walk around. Of course, my prenatal care with the nurse midwife was great and I was relaxed - but the babies came out so fast the midwife barely got there in time to catch the baby on the way out! That's the kind of delivery I wish for you! So, you make a birth plan - that book I recommended will tell you how - so you can help decide ahead of time what you want, don't want etc... Some women want to be coaxed out of medication if they ask for it and others want a level of medication to help. You need a birth plan and then to remember that it probably won't go exactly as planned and to be flexible. If you use Yahoo!s search engine and look for labor plans - there you can find a gazillion different templates to help you write your own idea of your wants, likes and dislikes so your ob-gyn can help you have the best labor and delivery possible.