Tell me about your transition(s)

[AlpineMama]

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?

[hubris]

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.

[danotoyou2]

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.

[Taedareth]

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.)

[Shell_Ell]

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.

[JessicaS]

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.

[coobabysmom]

I felt overwhelmed and started crying. It was at that moment I realized I didn't want to leave the house to birth at the hospital birth center. Dh calmed and reassured me and it was over as quick as it came on.

(Next birth will be at home...)

[cheeseRjedi]

With DD I had the typical "I can't do this anymore' feeling and threw up.

With DS (I love typing that ), I threw up but never doubted myself. I realized it as transition because I threw up, could not move or talk (even between ctx), and felt my body gearing up to push.

[DoomaYula]

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.

[AimeeandBrian]

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.

[caedmyn]

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!

[mikayla's mama]

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.

[zjande]

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!"

[Avarie]

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.

[Juvysen]

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

[Mama Poot]

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

[erin_brycesmom]

I never really noticed transition unless you count the urge to push.

[kaspar]

i'm quitting mdc because mdc is unkind and discriminates against mamas with special needs babies.

[AnneCordelia]

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!

[goobergrl6]

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