Is it possible to just not go into labor/dilate on your own?? - Page 2

[buckeyedoc]

Originally Posted by soso-lynn

It cannot be genetic, unless it is some sort of new mutation that hapenned to your grandmother's generation. Otherwise, your family would never have had living children before c-sections.

Yes, this. Natural selection would have favored women who could deliver live babies vaginally, even if it took days or weeks of labor.

[claudi81]

Not every woman goes into labor naturally or on their own, just like not every child is born when it's "ready"!! Not to be negative, but to be realistic, I hear all the time, about the phrase" your baby will be born or you go into labor when the baby is ready". How come babys are still born, born to early or born dried out like a prune or severly sick due to meconium problems or bor after the placenta was almost completely calcefied...sorry but as long as this all happens I just can not believe that every body is perfectly engenierted and build made for babys to be pushed out through our vagina (sorry if it sounds harsh)....yes, it is the optimum way to give birth givin the right circumstences, but how often in live do things go by the book.

My personal two cents on your situation, you will never know if your baby is possible to be born vaginally, if you do not give it a try. I mean just like every pregnancy is different, every birth can be different...it can be positioning, the right chemickals, whatever it may be, but I would not give up on the thought that sometimes everything can be in a good position and you may be suprprised how smoothly it may go....!

I have a friend who had a c-section (FTP), a 21 hr labor 4 hr puching and a 2 hr labor ...so every birth can be so different.

[phathui5]

Originally Posted by NewSolarMomma

Your body will not grow a baby that you cannot birth unless you have uncontrolled gestational diabetes, a pelvic deformity or a pelvic injury. 8lbs 10oz is not that big, healthy yet, but not big.

This is just not true. My sons head was too big to fit through my pelvic opening, and I'm not deformed. This is not common but does happen. At 41 weeks my water broke and contractions started on their own, I was dilated to 4" and partially effaced when I got to the hospital. The contractions didn't get regular, after many hours I got pitocin which worked great. I got to full dilation and effacement but baby didn't want to come down. I pushed 2 hours, labored down 2 more hours, then pushed another 1.5 hours. after 35+ hours I opted for a CS, as he was starting to stress in certain positions. When my doc pulled him out, we learned that he was REALLY stuck, like a cork on a bottle. No amount of time or position change would have gotten him out. He was 9# 2oz, but it was only the circumference of his head that was an issue.

Not everyone dialates like they should, babies don't always fit, these things do happen!

I'm wondering a couple of things.

When you started pushing, was it because you had an uncontrollable urge to push or because you were ten centimeters and it was "time" to push?

Did you try pushing in an upright position? Squatting? Standing? On a birth stool or toilet?

Were you pushing in bed?

[hildare]

in my opinion:
i think that eventually you would dilate, or go into labor. however, if you are gbs positive or have a hospital birth and get checked frequently or at all, your chances of having a healthy baby decrease the longer it takes to go into labor or dilate on your own.
my waters broke and i didn't dilate or even efface after 48 hours. i had refused the gbs test, and was having an hospital birth. i had a c-birth, after pitocin didn't work. i made an informed choice about the c-birth.. i had had lots of checks and it just didn't seem to be happening. (i also am older, have tons of fibroids, and the babe was past 40 weeks) so.. while i think that it would happen eventually for just about everybody, it's not without risk to wait and wait for it to happen. i do intend to try for vbac next time and i won't let them check me, if the situation happens again.

[buckeyedoc]

While I believe virtually every woman will eventually go into labor on her own and will almost always be able to push that baby out if given the time and freedom of movement, that isn't the same as saying everyone will be healthy that way. Those are two separate things IMO. Of course, a baby could be stillborn or have meconium aspiration before labor started on its own. None of us is guaranteed a healthy baby no matter what we do, and that's unfortunately a part of life. So while most moms and babies are healthiest when labors are left alone with minimal intervention, sure, there are times to intervene with inductions, augmentations or C-sections. I don't think anyone claims there are none.

[ceiba]

I have wondered this too ever since the birth of my twins 2.5 years ago. After the C-section, the OB said the first baby was tilted a bit sideways and couldn't descend, and that's why I didn't dilate past 4 cm after 32 hours of induction. Now I am soon to be pregnant again and have begun researching VBAC, and I now feel that if I hadn't been induced, but had waited for true labor to begin naturally, the babies might have moved enough to allow them to descend. But then again, maybe not. I'll never know for sure, but it is extremely interesting to hear the stories on this thread. 

I am hoping that since I'll have only one baby this time that things will go more smoothly. Last time I jumped at the induction at 37.5 weeks because I was so sick of being hugely, uncomfortably, multiply pregnant, and I ended up a classic case of cascading interventions and hospital- and OB-imposed time limits leading to a C-section. 

Thanks for sharing your stories, everyone. I hope to be back with a VBAC success story next year.

[Lisa Hillis]

I do believe that a women's body was designed for laboring and what not. However I went in 1cm dilated waited and a week later nothing. I was effaced but she would not drop. I had a c-section. Her head was huge!!! She was in a perfect position just she was not going to drop at all. I never had contractions, Doctor would not induce. I was "39" weeks. The pressure in my pelvic area was unbearable for 3 weeks. Had my c-section and they were amazed that I didn't go into labor already. They were wrong on my due date by 4 weeks. Going through the same thing now with baby number 2.

[MovnMama]

Originally Posted by NewSolarMomma 

Your body will not grow a baby that you cannot birth unless you have uncontrolled gestational diabetes, a pelvic deformity or a pelvic injury. 8lbs 10oz is not that big, healthy yet, but not big.

This is just not true. My sons head was too big to fit through my pelvic opening, and I'm not deformed. This is not common but does happen. At 41 weeks my water broke and contractions started on their own, I was dilated to 4" and partially effaced when I got to the hospital. The contractions didn't get regular, after many hours I got pitocin which worked great. I got to full dilation and effacement but baby didn't want to come down. I pushed 2 hours, labored down 2 more hours, then pushed another 1.5 hours. after 35+ hours I opted for a CS, as he was starting to stress in certain positions. When my doc pulled him out, we learned that he was REALLY stuck, like a cork on a bottle. No amount of time or position change would have gotten him out. He was 9# 2oz, but it was only the circumference of his head that was an issue.

Not everyone dialates like they should, babies don't always fit, these things do happen!

Originally Posted by Lisa Hillis 

I do believe that a women's body was designed for laboring and what not. However I went in 1cm dilated waited and a week later nothing. I was effaced but she would not drop. I had a c-section. Her head was huge!!! She was in a perfect position just she was not going to drop at all. I never had contractions, Doctor would not induce. I was "39" weeks. The pressure in my pelvic area was unbearable for 3 weeks. Had my c-section and they were amazed that I didn't go into labor already. They were wrong on my due date by 4 weeks. Going through the same thing now with baby number 2.

Not to derail but this is what terrifies me about vbac. My sons head was in the 95th percentile. I also had FTP and was manipulated into a c section after 20 hours an a cascade of interventions including AROM and pitot in. Now due in June and hoping for a vbac, but what Iif the kids head is just too big? 

[roadfamily6now]

Originally Posted by buckeyedoc 

While I believe virtually every woman will eventually go into labor on her own and will almost always be able to push that baby out if given the time and freedom of movement, that isn't the same as saying everyone will be healthy that way. Those are two separate things IMO. Of course, a baby could be stillborn or have meconium aspiration before labor started on its own. None of us is guaranteed a healthy baby no matter what we do, and that's unfortunately a part of life. So while most moms and babies are healthiest when labors are left alone with minimal intervention, sure, there are times to intervene with inductions, augmentations or C-sections. I don't think anyone claims there are none.

I wholeheartedly agree.

[frugalmama]

It can happen but isn't very common. I had trouble with my daughter - I have pinched and malformed nerves in my spine that caused the natural feedback loop that makes labor progress not work for me. After several weeks of contractions that registered at labor levels according to my doc {I never felt a thing} and my water being broke for 48 hours with no progression despite trying natural methods such as nipple stim, etc to get it going I consented to pit. I was only dilated half a cm when they started pit. From when they started pit to DD's birth was just 7 hours and she was born in 3 pushes. I never felt a thing through my entire labor even with no pain meds - they had to tell me when I was having a contraction to push. 

So yes - it does sometimes happen. 

[womenswisdom]

Originally Posted by Lisa Hillis 

I do believe that a women's body was designed for laboring and what not. However I went in 1cm dilated waited and a week later nothing. I was effaced but she would not drop. I had a c-section. Her head was huge!!! She was in a perfect position just she was not going to drop at all. I never had contractions, Doctor would not induce. I was "39" weeks. The pressure in my pelvic area was unbearable for 3 weeks. Had my c-section and they were amazed that I didn't go into labor already. They were wrong on my due date by 4 weeks. Going through the same thing now with baby number 2.

So you're saying you were actually 43 weeks? How did you/they determine that? A lot of this post isn't making sense to me... Why wouldn't they induce? If you never had contractions, how do you know you wouldn't have been able to give birth vaginally? Many women are effaced and dilated before labor starts. I just don't get this whole post.

[emthom]

Some women just take a long time to dilate. I was in labor for 69 hours before they pressured me into a c-section. Labor started Sunday at 11am. After only 6 hours of labor my contractions were already 2-5 mins apart so we went to the hospital and I was only 1 cm and "really thinned out". Babe was posterior so not putting the pressure needed on my cervix to get me farther. Did lots of spinning babies techniques on Monday to turn him. Had a doc appt at 1pm on Tuesday and found out he was then anterior and I was at 5 cms. Labored at home until 3am when we went back to the hospital and I was at 9 cms. But my care provider was not supportive, thought I should have given birth by then, and pressured me into a c-section birthing my babe at 7:48am. But you will likely be able to do it. Just have patience and stick with it. Like others have mentioned, spinning babies is great. Have faith in yourself, get educated (if you aren't already), and listen to your gut. Best of luck!

[JoyFilled]

I believe if you are going to have a VBAC you need to convince yourself that you can do it and hire a doula.  Do everything in your power to make it happen.

My first birth was generally the same as your - 2 weeks over due, water broke, 24 hours later nothing, induce with pill, 12 hours later contractions pick up a bit, start to not feel well, 3 hours later checked 3 cm, pit started, getting sicker, 4 hours later baby was still high and unengaged and I was still 3cm, 2 hours later c-section.

My second one I did everything I could think of for a VBAC.  I had a very supportive team.  But at 8 days overdue and with a baby high, everything high and closed I choose a c-section.

Labour was not my fear - not going into labour was.

[boekvraat]

Hi, I just have to add to this letter. I too do not dilate at all, also genetic. I ended up having C sections for all my children.

It was, however, only when I had to have a Merina inserted some 6 years ago (for very heavy bleeding) that it was discovered that I cannot dilate at all. Even after injecting the os of the uterus to relax the muscles there, the gynaecologist still could not insert even the thin glass rod which is used to measure the length of the uterus! I ended up having a D&C to get the procedure done.

So to those of you who think that ALL women can dilate, get you facts right first. All you are doing by saying that, is to heap unnecessary guilt onto those whose bodies do not react in the 'normal' way.

[TheDivineMrsM]

Originally Posted by buckeyedoc 

While I believe virtually every woman will eventually go into labor on her own and will almost always be able to push that baby out if given the time and freedom of movement, that isn't the same as saying everyone will be healthy that way. Those are two separate things IMO. Of course, a baby could be stillborn or have meconium aspiration before labor started on its own. None of us is guaranteed a healthy baby no matter what we do, and that's unfortunately a part of life. So while most moms and babies are healthiest when labors are left alone with minimal intervention, sure, there are times to intervene with inductions, augmentations or C-sections. I don't think anyone claims there are none.

Well said.