what got you through transition (natural birth)?

[badmisterkitty]

An oxygen mask. lol

[EmilytheStrange]

Transition for me was from 4-10 in an hour. In the tub.

My doula expressed to me to groan low. I kept thinking of the woman on here talking about mooing through it. I wanted to moo just to freak out DH and the doula, but my sense of humor wasn't that high.

I think I mostly screamed and hollared through it. I was not the serene being I had imagined I would be.

It took me by surprise because breathing was working before transition, but it was no longer sufficient. I thought it was the tub that made it so horrible, but I think transition just sucks.

[SweetMama34]

Transition scares the bejesus out of me! I haven't done it unmedicated yet, but plan on it this time.

[sublime.mommy]

I spent the first half of transition keeping busy, finishing some cooking I was doing, making a cup of tea I ended up not drinking 'til hours later, gathering supplies, crapping about 8 times. The second half it was too intense to do anything but act like it was happening. I moved from all fours on the floor to the toilet to the very hot bathtub over and over for about 20 minutes trying to be comfortable while the baby was doing all her twisting and turning. DH kinda fearfully cowered in the corner (his first baby, my 3rd) weekly attempting to soothe me as I thrashed around like a demon. I knew it was going to be quick and intense. I knew it would all be over very very quickly and that thought kept me sane.
DH was pretty surprised when a head was hanging out of me less than an hour after my water broke. But he managed to catch his baby.

It was only 3 months ago, and I can remember all the activity, but already I forget the pain lol. I know it hurt, but I can't remember it.

[Hillargh]

The lowest most primal moans I can manage, starting softer and rising in volume to peak and go back down with the intensity of the contraction. High pitched screams make you clench up. Keep it as low as you can stand. I sounded like a dying caveman. It's okay.

Sitting on the side of a bed, one leg on the bed and under the other (think a figure 4 with your foot under your knee) the other hanging off the bed, leaning back on my hands as far as I can.

As stupid and impossible as it sounds, do not clench up. Relax your jaw, relax your bottom, no grabbing on for dear life and making your body tighten and work against you. It took conscious effort for me every single time, but it was no where near as bad as when I clenched up.

Stay hydrated! Um, darkness and silence was huge for me.

Beyond that, I'm useless. I labored far past transition and held DS1 in resisting the urge to push for HOURS and a long car ride. With #2 I hit the second half of transition as I was installing the car seat and was kind of stuck in my driveway for a while before another long car ride. I suck at knowing when it's time, so for that very last part my advice is not too great LOL.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DS Forum

[omahonycm]

I didn't know I was in transition. I had only laboured for about 20min at that point. I was planning a home birth but when my contractions started one on top of the other with no break, it scared me and we started loading the car up for the hospital. I hit transition but was just thinking about how I needed to hold it together for the car ride. I kneeled down, sitting back on my heels and hammered my thighs with my fists, trying to focus on something besides the pain.

I got the urge to push pretty soon after and tried not to but couldn't really help it. Something made me reach down and when I felt her head, I just pushed with all my might and in 2 pushes she slid out into my arms right there in the living room rug. Lol. DH came into the room to tell me everything was in the car at that exact moment she was born. Good thing we had a midwife on the way! Less than an hour labour from water breaking/slight cramps to holding a baby. Crazy! Transition really is when you think you can't do it any more, and for me the world got very small and focused

Oh, I think at one point I launched myself at my 6'1" 260lb hubby and almost dropped him. Lol.

[omahonycm]

Originally Posted by sublime.mommy I spent the first half of transition keeping busy, finishing some cooking I was doing, making a cup of tea I ended up not drinking 'til hours later, gathering supplies, crapping about 8 times. The second half it was too intense to do anything but act like it was happening. I moved from all fours on the floor to the toilet to the very hot bathtub over and over for about 20 minutes trying to be comfortable while the baby was doing all her twisting and turning. DH kinda fearfully cowered in the corner (his first baby, my 3rd) weekly attempting to soothe me as I thrashed around like a demon. I knew it was going to be quick and intense. I knew it would all be over very very quickly and that thought kept me sane. DH was pretty surprised when a head was hanging out of me less than an hour after my water broke. But he managed to catch his baby. It was only 3 months ago, and I can remember all the activity, but already I forget the pain lol. I know it hurt, but I can't remember it.

That was me too! Less than an hour. Crazy stuff, eh?

[BESMama]

I kept saying to myself " this is one less contraction until I meet my baby".

[Verde]

It helps me to know that when I hit about 7 cm, that's about as bad as the pain (of contractions) is going to get Just knowing that makes sense to me. With my recent birth I was focused more on "working" instead of being "in pain". For pushing, I just push right through pain, as if pushing it away.

[leyash]

now that it's done... i screamed and hollared. i had back labor so there was a lot of "babe, rub harder. BABE. HARDER BABE AHHHH" moments. he could NOT push hard enough to satisfy me, and even then, the back pain was still horrendous. anyway... yeah, not graceful. i went from 5 to 10 in less than an hour, and pushed for less than 5 minutes, and screamed through that as well.