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Tell me about your transition(s)

3K views 49 replies 49 participants last post by  Surfacing 
#1 ·
Did you panic? Did you get angry? Did you get loud/scared/etc?

I've read and heard so many negative transition horror stories - but for me, it was the best part of labor! I was so focused and very calm. I was more anxious before, when I wasn't sure what to expect or how bad it was going to get. And pushing, well, sucked! But transition was great... Am I the oddball?
 
#2 ·
Birth #1 - I don't remember ever having a typical transition. No moment of panic, no "I can't do this".

Birth #2 - much faster labor, and I do remember things getting very intense at one part and I distinctly remember having this almost-dialogue with myself. It was like the emotional self and rational self conversing:

emotional me: oh god, I hate this, I wish I didn't know everything I know about epidurals so that I could just get one right now
rational me: aha, you want to give up, you're in transition, you're almost done
emotional me: but what if I'm NOT almost done!?! what if I have TEN MORE HOURS OF SOMETHING WORSE THAN THIS?!?!
rational me: yup, you're in transition



Seriously, it was like I was reacting to labor and reassuring myself at the same time. Very odd. And it *was* transition, my son was born less than an hour later.
 
#3 ·
3 months ago I experience transition for the first time. I'd read so many stories of women going through the same thing, and it seemed that the most common thread was a feeling of helplnessness, of wanting to throw in the towel, of women saying "I can't do this!" and having to be reassured that they can. Then later they realize that this was transition.

So, I expected that. I was very surprised when I was in the final stages of labor, and was waiting for the "Take me to the hospital, I don't want to do this, you all suck" reaction... but then I started pushing.
I definitely went through transition, and I had a looooong labor, so it's not like I skipped that part. It just was never so bad that I even thought of going to the hospital or wanting pain meds.

My favorite part of labor was pushing though. But, I can definitely see how you'd like transition.

FWIW, I also went through transition twice with my DS2. I got the shakes and was dilated to 8cm... then things stalled, ctx stopped for about 15 hours, before coming back again hard (baby was born in 4 hours from the return of ctx). So that probably changed things a bit too.
 
#4 ·
I had a home waterbirth. My transition seemed to be fairly short but intense. We didn't do vag checks, but the pain intensified to the point where I calmly informed my husband that I couldn't handle the level of pain much longer. He quickly told me I must be in transition because this was the "self doubt signpost" mentioned in our Bradley book. I didn't feel self-doubting; it was just a fact that I couldn't handle that level of pain much longer! I remember thinking that I didn't have any other options because it's not as if we had any drugs on hand. It passed relatively quickly (although the pushing stage brought a whole new dimension of pain, sigh.)
 
#5 ·
Transition with my second son (homebirth) was mostly spent in the birth pool. I was in such a zone. Though it was really painful, I also feel it was the best part of my labor. I actually had a song in my head and was thinking about things and not paying attention to much around me. I was suprised how lucid I was. I let the contractions come over me and rolled from side to side in the tub. It was intense, but it was not horrible by any means.

I did not panic until my body started pushing, and thankfully that only lasted a few minutes.
 
#6 ·
I slept through some of it.

:

I had been having contractions for a couple days by then and not sleeping. I had only gone to the hospital when I did because I had started vomiting. I was just worn out and fell asleep.

I woke up, they checked me and I was at 8 or 9.

I hollered, then I would apologize for hollering.
I was telling jokes in between contractions. I was making fun of my Dr. I was commenting about how he acted like he had plans or something as he kept leaving. Once when he wandered out I said he better get his hand stamped.

Me being a smart mouth is kind of a defense mechanism I guess.
: I can stay in control as long as I can keep a sense of humor.
 
#9 ·
I focused on staying VERY calm during my last birth (I have a lot of anxiety issues in general, so it was difficult) and I didn't freak out until about 1 minute before I started pushing. I was feeling the beginnings of the urge to push and I said to my mw and doula and dh, "I can't do this! Tell me I can do this! Help me stay calm!" 10 minutes later my baby was here.
 
#10 ·
I had a very bad and very long transition. I was begging to be transferred to the hospital and to have a cesearean. I did have enough wits about me to know that an epidural does no good when you are about to push anyway. I was pacing in a mad panic. Luckily, my midwives and husband were absolutely amazing and talked me through it.
 
#11 ·
I never had the self-doubt/I can't do this feeling in transition. I did have very painful contractions (although whether that was transition or right before I'm not sure). I was pretty anxious at that point because neither DH nor my midwife had arrived, I could feel DD's head moving down, and I really did not want to birth with no one there...not to mention that I was incapable of getting my underwear off at that point! I did feel like I was going to puke for just a second, and I felt shaky...I remember thinking that I probably needed to eat but I wasn't going to be able to get anything for myself.

So I guess for me it was just sort of there...not really any better or worse than the rest of labor. Actually pushing was horrible, so it was much better than pushing!
 
#12 ·
My second all natural labor was pretty uneventful, I don't recall them being really any worse than the contractions leading up to the transition contractions. I didn't have the urge to throw up or feeling unable to continue with the delivery... as if that's an option, lol.

Transition to holding my newborn was only about 20 minutes total, I was dilated to an 8 when I arrived at the hospital.

My first birth was highly medically managed and I don't recall much of the labor/delivery.
 
#13 ·
I actually felt relief each time. I recognized my transition (everything intensifies & I suddenly get cold & nauseas) & immediately thought to myself "Wow! I am in transition already! I'm almost done!! Woohooo!"
 
#14 ·
I had the whole "ohmygod what was I thinking - I can't do this - when will it ever end??" litany running through my head, I was burning hot (the room was like 62 degrees - my MIL was wearing a jacket and ready to grab my robe), and I was convinced I was going to throw up (and that stupid little emesis basin was NOT going to be big enough so they HAD to bring me something bigger because I was going to puke my whole GUTS up), but I didn't.
 
#15 ·
Definitely "I can't do this" and "I have to go" like, I felt the need to go someplace else, both times. That said, both my transitions were less than 20 minutes long, so it really wasn't *that* bad
 
#16 ·
I get excited and kind of panicky during transition. I start complaining and wanting it to be over with, saying "I can't do this" "No!" etc etc...During my last two births I've reached over and bitten DH's arm during pushing. I'm not even aware of it, if someone happens to be standing to my right, I will turn that way and bite them. Some kind of leftover primal reflex I guess
 
#19 ·
Transition was when I lost my mind. I didn't go nuts...I just don't remember much about it. I remember pushing and I remember active labour but not transition much. What I do remember is thinking "I must remember never to get pregnant again." and "I can't continue...this is going to take hours and hours longer!" when in reality it only took about 20 minutes from when I had that thought. LOL!
 
#20 ·
with #1 it was the whole I can not do this anymore thing

with #2 it was the same.....told DH that if it was going to be THIS intense that I was not going to be able to go natural again. He was a VERY fast labor. 2 hrs.....so I was in transition but had NO clue since it was so fast until about 4 mins later when I noticed I wanted to push LOL! Then I knew it was transition 4 mins earlier LOL
 
#21 ·
transition is short for me, just a couple minutes, but with #1 I was like, 'ok, I'm done, I need to go home, get me away from this, I can't do it' and with 2 I said the famous 'I don't think I can do this anymore' and got all whiney and weepy, and when I started to push I slammed my hand on the bed and yelled, 'I HATE this part!'.
and I do hate the pushing, it freaking sucks, good thing it's so short.
A
 
#22 ·
With my son, first birth, I never knew I was in transition...my m/w mentioned that I was...I remained inward and focused.

With my daughter, second birth, I had a serious OMFG transition. It was crazy, crazy, crazy. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and wanted to die. The most painful part of my recovery were my lungs/throat.
 
#23 ·
With DD, I do remember saying out loud that I "couldn't do it anymore", but otherwise I don't remember feeling panicky, scared, loud, or anythin else of that nature. I wasn't vocal during that labor, and I spent pretty much all of transition laying on my side with DH rubbing my back for me.

With DS, labor was faster, and I KNEW I hit transition when all of the sudden I couldn't make a decision about ANYTHING. The midwife saw me working really hard and starting to get panicky through a few contractions, and the birthing tub wasn't ready, so she asked me what I wanted to do. All I could do was say "I don't know, I don't know!" over and over again. So thank heavens she took over and had me get hands-and-knees on the bed. I never would have chosen that position on my own, but apparently if I get to the point where I can't decide anything, I'll accept a decision from someone I trust
I was definitely vocal during that birth, but not in a screaming way. More like loud growling during contractions, lol. I was also very panicky and scared that time around, and I'm pretty sure I said *several* times that I couldn't do it, or "help me!!" or whatever. After the birth was over, the only way I could describe how I felt was by saying it was like I was being pushed along by a runaway freight train. I really didn't feel like I had any sort of control at all, and that scared me. Thinking ahead to the next birth, which will likely go even faster, makes me feel quite nervous. But at the same time, I have complete faith that it will all go well - I just have to somehow remember that it will all go quickly, and I *can* handle it, even if it feels like I can't.
 
#24 ·
I also had a great transition. I had had several hours of back labor - not a lot of fun. But DS turned when I sat down to put on my shoes. I had transition in the car, exactly what I had been dreading, yet it turned out to be the best part. It was a gorgeous clear cold winter's night, the stars were amazing, and I had figured out how to deal with those friggin' contractions. It was the part of labor where I most felt like I knew what I was doing, weirdly enough. I arrived at the hospital at 9cm. Pushing sucked though. Really sucked.

Sarah
 
#25 ·
Transition was really rough for me. Horrible, actually. I had severe panic and "I am going to crawl through the wall syndrome," which I guesss is the getting away others mentioned... plus nausea and "I cannot do this, I CAN'T" and also "HELP ME."
And NOT ONE PERSON THERE said "You are in transition, you are almost done, you can do it!" Arggghhhh!
:
 
#26 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Taedareth View Post
I didn't feel self-doubting; it was just a fact that I couldn't handle that level of pain much longer!
That's pretty much what happened with me. I had a really short, really intense labor and I went from 4 to 10 cm in 30 minutes. The m/w checked me and told me that I still had a long way to go time wise, right when I was apparently entering transition. It had taken me 4 hours to get from 0 to 4 (I know when I had my first contraction and I wasn't dilated AT ALL yet) so she figured it'd be another few hours before it was all over with. I panicked, because right after she checked me (literally, I think about immediately after she checked me) I started having contractions one on top of the other, with no more than a couple seconds in between and it was so intense I knew I couldn't possibly continue on at that pace for a period of hours, but I thought that's how long I had to go, since she'd just told me it was. I would've recognized it as transition had it not been for her assurance that I was nowhere near through laboring.
So the moral of the story for me is that it doesn't matter what anyone says about how much time you have left - even if it's a trusted midwife. When you feel like it has to be almost over, it is.

ETA: I actually enjoyed pushing, other than the whole ring of fire, my vagina is going to tear open into my pelvis and abdomen and spew blood everywhere feeling, which only lasted for a couple minutes anyway. I actually did not feel a single contraction while I was pushing. I just pushed until I had to rest for a minute, then did it again. I never felt anything other than that I was pushing and I thought I was going to be left with the world's largest vagina when it was all over with. Contractions didn't register at all.
 
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