Tell Me About... the Transition phase of labour

So this post and video is about the next stage of labour in my little series about about. Now transition is the stage that follows on from Active Labour and is before the birthing stage when you’ll meet your baby.

You’ll be having regular and strong surges, around a minute or so long. It can be the most intense phase, the most uncomfortable. But this phase is usually short - perhaps 10-15 minutes (4 or 5 surges long).  Your cervix will be around kind of 8 to 10cm dilated

This is the transition from the first part of labour when the cervix opening to give an exit pathway for baby, to the body getting ready for the birthing stage - hence it’s called ‘transition’.

It can be a real ‘marker’ with your labour, and really distinct phase or for some women it happens and is over without really being recognised. As I’ve said in all these videos, and as I say in my hypnobirthing and birth preparation courses - EVERY LABOUR IS UNIQUE

But as a guide, transition is when there is a natural spike in Adrenaline, the stress hormone. This is a really primitive safety mechanism if you like, in that because we need to be SAFE when we actually birth our baby - we need to have a little ‘double check’ at this point in labour to make sure we are safe and we can bring our baby into the world SAFELY without being chased by a sabor toothed tiger!

So all the way through these videos, and all through your labour I've talked about keeping your stress hormones at bay, minimising them - allowing your oxytocin to flow. But this adrenaline spike is meant to happen, It’s part of the physiological process of labour.  But we want to be in the ‘on alert’ state that is transition and the adrenaline causes for as little time as possible. If we don’t, then we’ll stay in the stress response and our labour can stall here - UNTIL WE FEEL SAFE AGAIN

So when your birth partner notices you’re in the stage, and this might be really clear by how you are acting. There can be a really obvious change in emotional state - many women suddenly feel overwhelmed and out of control (due to the adrenaline)

 If I tell you that I call it the ‘bat shit crazy’ stage this might give you an idea. In that the adrenaline spike causes you to feel the intensity of the surges, so if you’ve been coping really well so far - using your hypnobirthing techniques etc, then suddenly this can be quite uncomfortable.

I have heard of women who have been coping BRILLIANTLY demanding a caesarean at this point, or ALL the drugs, or wanting to go home - when they ARE at home! Or demanding their mother.

There can also be shaking, nausea and vomiting.  

 So this is a really important part of labour for your birth partner to know about. They need to REASSURE you that YOU ARE SAFE when you hit the bat shit crazy phase! Simply with words like - 

“You are safe”

“I’m here for you”

“We’ll be meeting our baby soon”

“I love you”

Anything to CALM and REASSURE her This is all about the birthing woman feeling safe again,

They can also encourage you to focus on your hypnobirthing breathing to help stay calm too and increase the oxytocin.

Remember that every surge (contraction) and part of labour is doing its job, and that labour doesn’t last forever. You WILL be meeting your baby soon.

Because if all wasn’t well and she wasn’t safe, that adrenalin will  remain highs - to keep her safe and now allow our baby to be born. Once the woman feels safe, the adrenaline will far, Oxytocin will drop back in and you then move into the ‘birthing’ or second stage of labour. Also know as the down stage in hypnobirthing

I hope that helps you understand the birth process better. Because as I always say on my no BS Antenatal and Hypnobirthing Courses - knowledge about labour and birth really is power. I’ll be doing another video on the ‘birthing’ stage, and then on the placenta too soon

Susan x