Sometimes early labor contractions are quite painful, even though they may be dilating your cervix much more slowly than you'd like. If your labor is typical, however, your early contractions won't require the same attention that later ones will.
You'll probably be able to talk through them and putter around the house. You may even feel like taking a short walk. If you feel like relaxing instead, take a warm bath, watch a video, or doze off between contractions if you can.... Early labor ends when your cervix is about 4 centimeters dilated and your progress starts to accelerate."
astoria, early labor
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The first three contractions were like long, slow, warm menstrual cramps. After the third one, I felt like I had enough of a "pattern," to justify alerting Sheffield who was washing dishes. (I didn't want to call out his name and risk waking mom, who was asleep in our guest room.) Sheffield sat with me on our bed and monitored these "cramps." Eventually, out came the iPhone and ap that times contractions. I would tell him "NOW," and he would start timing, and then I would say "OKAY" or "OVER", and he would stop the timer. I pulled up my baby-labor playlist and swayed, rocked, bounced, and breathed to the music I'd chosen to get over each "wave" as I called it...
I was hoping to put words to the feel of a contraction (or as my birthing book calls it: a "surge"), but I find myself without the adequate vocabulary for this sensation. It does swell up on a gal, and definitely has a peak. But the actual feeling of a contraction is hard to place. I would say it's like a bee sting on the inside that covers a whole lot of territory. And it does seem to have the shape, movement, and swell of a wave. Incidentally, I am pretty afraid of ocean waves, but I know that should I get caught in one, or be dragged too far out to sea, panic would not help me. I should swim parallel to the shore and try to stay calm. That's how I treated contractions. With each one, I tried to relax and float in its direction instead of against it, to let my breath match its depth. Also, I've studied hypnobirthing, and those relaxation methods helped too. Though, it wasn't until later, in "active labor" that I really leaned on those.
Before long, Sheffield was dozing between contractions. I knew I should be doing the same, but they'd already progressed to a strength through which I couldn't sleep. We decide Sheffield should give in to slumbers, and that we should wake my mother to sit with me and take over timing.
I was hoping to put words to the feel of a contraction (or as my birthing book calls it: a "surge"), but I find myself without the adequate vocabulary for this sensation. It does swell up on a gal, and definitely has a peak. But the actual feeling of a contraction is hard to place. I would say it's like a bee sting on the inside that covers a whole lot of territory. And it does seem to have the shape, movement, and swell of a wave. Incidentally, I am pretty afraid of ocean waves, but I know that should I get caught in one, or be dragged too far out to sea, panic would not help me. I should swim parallel to the shore and try to stay calm. That's how I treated contractions. With each one, I tried to relax and float in its direction instead of against it, to let my breath match its depth. Also, I've studied hypnobirthing, and those relaxation methods helped too. Though, it wasn't until later, in "active labor" that I really leaned on those.
Before long, Sheffield was dozing between contractions. I knew I should be doing the same, but they'd already progressed to a strength through which I couldn't sleep. We decide Sheffield should give in to slumbers, and that we should wake my mother to sit with me and take over timing.
(Guys, it was the best interruption of sleep that woman has ever known.)
The next hour sped by. I was losing track of time, but my mom noticed that contractions were lasting longer and there was less time between them. This was around 6 AM and we knew we had to make some transit decisions. I had begged Sheffield that no matter the time of day, he'd drive me to the hospital in our Honda; no cab! He had some good reasons for wanting to take a cab: parking, having to move the car after certain number of hours, parking, parking, and the cost of parking. We'd also planned to get into the city before or after rush hour if it was a weekday.
We hit rush-hour like a bull's-eye without much choice. Once packed up, and my very slow journey into the back of the Honda, it was about 8:15 AM. Sheffield gently instructed me to take my time getting in the car and finding a position that I could bear. I chose to stand in the back, behind the passenger seat, facing out the rear window, but bent over with my head in my arms over the backseat headrest. (This is when it's great to be 5'3".)
The next hour sped by. I was losing track of time, but my mom noticed that contractions were lasting longer and there was less time between them. This was around 6 AM and we knew we had to make some transit decisions. I had begged Sheffield that no matter the time of day, he'd drive me to the hospital in our Honda; no cab! He had some good reasons for wanting to take a cab: parking, having to move the car after certain number of hours, parking, parking, and the cost of parking. We'd also planned to get into the city before or after rush hour if it was a weekday.
Ha ha hee hee ho!
We hit rush-hour like a bull's-eye without much choice. Once packed up, and my very slow journey into the back of the Honda, it was about 8:15 AM. Sheffield gently instructed me to take my time getting in the car and finding a position that I could bear. I chose to stand in the back, behind the passenger seat, facing out the rear window, but bent over with my head in my arms over the backseat headrest. (This is when it's great to be 5'3".)
Sheffield had broken down the route into five phases:
One: To the bridge
Two: Over the bridge
Two: Over the bridge
Three: Ramp from the bridge to FDR
Four: FDR
Five: Last leg to hospital (Lower east-side Manhattan, people.)
Four: FDR
Five: Last leg to hospital (Lower east-side Manhattan, people.)
...and all this between 8 and 9 AM.
Sheffield called out to me: "Phase 1 is over. We are in phase 2!" Mom held my hand and warned me of right and left-hand turns. I moaned and breathed and began the mantra, "Peace, Calm." I was annoyed when I lifted my head to discover how bright the sunshine was. I wanted a cloudy day – or better yet – nighttime in which to labor. I wanted a cave in which to labor. A cocoon.
Sheffield called out to me: "Phase 1 is over. We are in phase 2!" Mom held my hand and warned me of right and left-hand turns. I moaned and breathed and began the mantra, "Peace, Calm." I was annoyed when I lifted my head to discover how bright the sunshine was. I wanted a cloudy day – or better yet – nighttime in which to labor. I wanted a cave in which to labor. A cocoon.
And it was wicked cold on November 18...
Phases two, three, four pass, and oh my, we are almost there! Getting out of the car was now much more difficult than getting in it had been. Sheffield couldn't get the car close to the entrance, so mom and I walked a block and a half to the hospital while he parked the car. It was nearly 9:00 AM, and it was so wonderful and weird to be passing New Yorkers dressed and ready for work as I struggled -in what could arguably be considered pajamas- stopping every dozen paces to breathe through another contraction.
The New Yorkers took no notice.
It was 9 o'clock on the nose when mom and I got through the hospital doors. Approaching security, unable to speak, I simply spread the folds of my big wool sweater to display the bump; that and my dazed expression were explanation enough. "Fourth floor?" He asked. I nodded. But we waited for Sheffield, giving me time to "re-center" myself. We'd learned that a lot of of birth methods fall to shit at this point because the hospital environment can shatter the little spell one has put over herself. And now, I truly understand. "Peace, calm", I whispered, knowing that if I really couldn't take the pain, the hospital was the place to be. We'd planned for so long to avoid the epidural, but Early Labor was ending, and Active Labor is more than just "waves." I don't know if I can do this...
Phases two, three, four pass, and oh my, we are almost there! Getting out of the car was now much more difficult than getting in it had been. Sheffield couldn't get the car close to the entrance, so mom and I walked a block and a half to the hospital while he parked the car. It was nearly 9:00 AM, and it was so wonderful and weird to be passing New Yorkers dressed and ready for work as I struggled -in what could arguably be considered pajamas- stopping every dozen paces to breathe through another contraction.
The New Yorkers took no notice.
It was 9 o'clock on the nose when mom and I got through the hospital doors. Approaching security, unable to speak, I simply spread the folds of my big wool sweater to display the bump; that and my dazed expression were explanation enough. "Fourth floor?" He asked. I nodded. But we waited for Sheffield, giving me time to "re-center" myself. We'd learned that a lot of of birth methods fall to shit at this point because the hospital environment can shatter the little spell one has put over herself. And now, I truly understand. "Peace, calm", I whispered, knowing that if I really couldn't take the pain, the hospital was the place to be. We'd planned for so long to avoid the epidural, but Early Labor was ending, and Active Labor is more than just "waves." I don't know if I can do this...
I squeezed my mother's hand; Peace, Calm.
*A Note: It will become clear that my preference (for me) was a natural childbirth. I realize this is not everyone's cup of tea. But it is the cup of tea for me. This does not mean that I think it is right for everyone. You may have made other choices. Great! I love the birth you had and I love the child it produced or will produce. Let's agree that we both made our choices for very good reasons. Some of my reasons are based on research and some are based on my own personal quirks (neuroses?), and, above all, I fully believe that being "open" to any outcome in the delivery room is the best approach for expectant parents. This is our birth story.
To be continued...
*A Note: It will become clear that my preference (for me) was a natural childbirth. I realize this is not everyone's cup of tea. But it is the cup of tea for me. This does not mean that I think it is right for everyone. You may have made other choices. Great! I love the birth you had and I love the child it produced or will produce. Let's agree that we both made our choices for very good reasons. Some of my reasons are based on research and some are based on my own personal quirks (neuroses?), and, above all, I fully believe that being "open" to any outcome in the delivery room is the best approach for expectant parents. This is our birth story.
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