The following is a post I sent to the ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness
Network) list. It is very, very important information for ALL birthing women
and can make all the difference in a VBAC birth. Read it carefully, copy it,
send it to your clients. One of the ICAN women replies to my post at the
end:
Subject: ICAN: Tip for birth
I wanted to write to those of you who are pregnant to tell you something
that has been running through my mind all day about how you can be
successful with your VBAC births. Many births begin in the night…. woman
will get up to pee, feel her membranes release and then an hour later begin
having sensations fifteen minutes apart. Because we think of birth as a
family/couple experience, most women will wake up their husbands to tell
them something’s starting and then, probably because we all hope we’ll be
the 1 in 10,000 women who don’t experience any pain, we start getting the
birth supplies organized, fill up the water tub, etc. I have seen so many
births that take days and days of prodromal (under 3 cms. dilation)
sensations and they usually begin this way. The couple distracts themselves
in that early critical time when the pituitary gland is beginning to put out
oxytocin to dilate the cervix. Turning on the light, causes inhibition of
the oxytocin release. Many couples don’t call their midwives until they have
sensations coming 5 minutes apart at 7:00 a.m. but they’ve been up since
midnight timing every one of the early sensations. If they had called their
midwife at midnight she would have said “Turn off the light and let your
husband sleep as much as possible through the night. You, stay dark and
quiet. Take a bath with a candle if it helps and call me back when you think
I should come over.”
That first night can make all the difference and yet so many couples act
like it’s a party and don’t realize they are sabotaging their births right
at the beginning. Staying up all night in the early part does two things–it
throws off the body clock that controls sleep and waking and confuses the
brain AND it inhibits the release of the very hormone you need to dilate
effectively. You know that it can take days to recover after a night of
partying or after working a graveyard shift. Don’t start your birth with
that kind of stress on your hormone system.
When you begin to have sensations, I urge you to ignore it as long as you
possibly can. Don’t tell anyone. Have a “secret sensation time” with your
unborn baby and get in as dark a space as you can. Minimize what is
happening with your husband, family and the birth attendants. What would you
rather have–a big, long dramatic birth story to tell everyone or a really
smooth birth? You do have a say over your hormone activity. Help your
pituitary gland secrete oxytocin to open your cervix by being in a dark,
quiet room with your eyes closed. Gloria Lemay, Vancouver
Pam wrote:
“I really loved what Gloria had to say here. For me, it’s all about what
went wrong at my first birth (stayed up all night timing
contractions…stupid, stupid, stupid, and was totally wiped out by morning),
and could have been improved at the second, when I lacked a place to stay
dark and quiet. I printed it out for my husband to read, and am putting it in my
file of important things to remember when labor starts, within the next
couple of weeks.”
Great tips, Gloria. I am one who has labored prodromally for all three of my births (so far). I do agree with the gist of what you are saying, but at some point, when a woman labors this way, being “dark” and “quiet” doesn’t always solve the exhaustion problem.
I am thinking specifically of my first birth, where I labored two days and (hard labor) nights (my labor “started” in the morning, though), and even did the things you suggest above both nights (didn’t wake DH, slept through, then between ctx, till it got overwhelming and needed to work with them, still letting DH sleep) yet, I feel as though my being alone so much and downplaying it actually contributed to my emotional exhaustion at the end. And, far from being overly dramatic, the hospital staff had no idea I had been laboring for so long (we arrived a few hours before she was born), and I think the lack of them knowing/believing that (the nurse would not let me say that labor started two days prior) contributed to the difficulty of that labor. To them, I (a primip–lucky!!) just waltzed in at 6 cm and proceeded to push out a baby, only 10 hours from the onset of contractions (again, what the nurse would take as an acceptable time frame–a completely manipulated number).
Though I think it’s generally great advice to downplay/not pay attention too soon and the like, in my second and third births, I found it reaffirming to acknowledge that labor was happening. To give myself permission to take comfort measures I would have otherwise saved for “active labor” if I were trying to ignore it. My second birth was so much “easier” than my first, and I believe some of that had to do with my state of mind, acknowledging that my body really was doing something in those weeks of pre-labor, and just letting it do its crazy thing.
Is it your opinion that prodromal (or prolonged) labor is always a result of adrenaline or fear? I know many people believe that, but my labors are an exeption to that idea, because I truly enjoy birth and am not an over-excited laboring type (I can really relax, and am very low-key on the drama). I really think my body just needs to warm up that way, and I’m okay with it.
Again, I agree with you about 99%. So true what you’re saying. But part of me wonders what my problem was–like I did something wrong to make myself have prodromal labor. Then I think by that standard, all the precipitous laborers must be doing the “right” stuff, and that just seems like too much of a generality.
My providers do not necessarily know I labor this way, since we now call my home birth midwife when I am HAVING the baby. I wouldn’t know when to call otherwise–it could be days or weeks before labor becomes birth.
I’d really like to know more of your thoughts on this subject, with your years of experience. Please expound on what you’ve found!
P.S. Sorry so long; I plan to bookmark this post for my students!
This makes so much sense! With my last baby, I had prodormal labor for two weeks. I practice hynobirthing and finally determined that I could either be in a relaxed state OR time my contrax. So I decided to quit worrying if THIS was it, and just let things happen. My body labored through the night — while I slept. And the next day we BARELY made it to the hospital.
Iam so thrilled to have read your article!!! I’m now pregnant with my 5th baby. I’m planning a home birth, low lights, tub /water tub. I have had 4 c-sections all truly not needed. Due to exhaustion/light drama during the night, going to a very medically interventive hospital and I gave into the staff out of sheer exhaustion.
In regards to woman laboring at night (so dead on), all of my labors but one proceeded at night. Thank you and please continue to post articles for VBAC’ING MAMMAS!!! More articles greatly needed to wake up our population!
Thank you so much for the VBAC advice! I never would have done this if you had not suggested it. At the first twinge, I would have been so excited and woken up my husband to start timing them. I didn’t realize darkness prevented oxytocin release. Even after we get to the birthing center, I’ll make sure they keep the lights low. Keep the VBAC advice coming!
I just wanted to say the tips make a lot of sense. I remember at my second hbac (after four sections) how I thought I must be so far along only to find out I did not even dilate. After the midwife check and inform me how far I really was…I almost got upset but then I stopped and said to myself “Im going to bed.” I went to bed and I woke up the next morning in transition and had the baby within two hours of waking up. I was so caught off guard I ended up having the baby on the bathroom floor instead of the birth pool. I really thought I had all day to hunker down and wait for the baby to come. I realize resting well really made a big difference. As for the missed water birth…I wouldnt change it if I had a choice.
—Jerri
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Great post Gloria.
It seems that birth stories that include “natural” induction, lots of energy expended early with long walks, lots of excitement & getting others involved quickly often travel a harder road.
Rest, conserve energy, & get as comfortable as possible always seems to be the best course.
Great post Gloria….I find, especially with first time moms, this can be hard advice to follow. I’ll be sharing this with all my clients, thanks!
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