What Happens During Labor in the Hospital?
So, you are in active labor (5 cm or more) and the hospital has deemed you “ready” for a birthing room. So off you go. At this point, you call or text your doula and photographer and let them know which room you are in, so they can come and meet you there.
The room will be fairly large since it must accommodate a team of nurses, your OB, the heating table for the baby, the bed, medical equipment, and usually a couch that can double as a bed for your partner. It will also have a bathroom and usually a shower.
If you are not into “hospitally” stuff (really, who is?), it’s important to bring things that will help you relax and feel safe.
What Can I do during a Hospital Birth to feel more Comfortable?
- Your Own Gown
2. Electric Candles
3. Birth Affirmations
4. Your Own Music. This can be played on the hospital speakers (in your room) often times.
5. Aromatherapy. I have only been to one hospital that allowed a diffuser. However, Amazon has little patches of aromatherapy tabs. They can be found here.
What Happens During a Hospital Labor
Ok, so you have your creature comforts, you are in active labor and are now in your birthing room. What now?
Let us assume you are doing a natural birth without an epidural.
Now it is a waiting game. What I mean by that is, you will hopefully continue having your contractions. They will become more intense as time goes on. They will become quicker until they are on top of each other. And then you have a baby.
Now, all of the stuff in between. If you go to the hospital too soon and they still admit you, the likelihood of you asking for an epidural can increase. Why is that? Labor can take a while, and you get tired. Being completely exhausted is a real reason epidurals are asked for. You simply get too tired and cannot take on contractions while exhausted. In other words, really stick to that 5-1-1 rule (part I in the blog)and stay home as long as possible.
It is important to relax and listen to your body. Yes, labor progresses quicker if you are using the UFO method. That is you are in an Upright, Forward-facing, and in an Open position. Movement is your best friend during labor. However, if you feel you need to rest or sleep, please go with that. Never think taking a nap will stall labor. You can move afterwards, as you are in for a lengthy stay. If you can catch little cat naps in the early active stage, you will likely have more stamina for the more intense time later on.
What if I Feel Pressured by Labor Nurses or my OB during Labor?
In no way am I stereotyping here, so please save the hate mail. I am only speaking from my own experience, having been to many births.
There may be times when a nurse will check your dilation. Remember, this is an elective procedure. In no way feel like you must comply. If you are listening to your body and you don’t want to be checked, you have every right to voice that. But if you do want it and you have not progressed much over a specific amount of time, they may strongly suggest interventions.
The suggestions may be said in such a way as to make you feel like it is the best thing in the whole world. I have heard things like, “if you would like to have a little Pitocin to move things along, you could be holding your baby much sooner”. I have also heard, “You are so close, we could break your water and baby will be here in no time at all”. Now these statements sound very reasonable right? Nothing pushy about it, correct? But imagine you are so exhausted, perhaps in a lot of pain, and someone throws out one of these “life preserver” statements. Right at your most vulnerable, the chances of you jumping at it, is high. In no way am I saying any of these interventions are bad or wrong, but if you have it in your mind, you are doing this as naturally as possible, these statements that nurses say, can go against what you want, and when you are vulnerable, you take it.
Adding Questions to Your Birth Plan
When I do birth plans with clients, I always ask them, “Do you want staff to offer interventions or do you want to wait to ask yourself?” This is hugely important. It’s totally ok, if you decide to have interventions, but make it on your terms. You or your partner ask for them. When you are offered options at a vulnerable moment during labor, those options can change the course of your birth dramatically.
Using Your B.R.A.I.N. During Labor
Whenever you are given an option to do something, such as getting a little Pitocin, breaking the water, getting an epidural, always use the acronym BRAIN.
For example, an OB says, “Would you like a little Pitocin since it seems your labor has stalled”? First of all, yes, your contractions can slow down or become less intense. Some practitioners call this “failure to progress”. What a nasty little term THAT is! As necessary as I feel hospitals are, they are often run on numbers. If they can’t get you delivered and moved to the maternity ward quickly enough (opening up the room for another birthing person), then they may look for ways to speed you up. Contractions slowing down or becoming less intense are often part of labor. If you and baby are doing fine, then, in reality, they should just leave you alone. However, they don’t always do that.
B. in BRAIN
Ask what the benefits are. In the example above, ask your OB, what benefits are there to me and baby if I have Pitocin?
R. in BRAIN
What are the risks? If I get Pitocin, what are the risks of that?
A. in BRAIN
What are the alternatives? If I don’t get Pitocin, what can I do instead?
I. in BRAIN
What does your intuition tell you? Do you feel Pitocin is the right thing to do?
N. in BRAIN
What if you do nothing? What will happen if I do not do Pitocin or any alternatives? Even if for a little while.
Part III
Part III will come out in a day or two. That part will be pretty short, but vital!
