Transition / Home Birth / Natural Birth

Transition lasted about 1 hour, give or take, with my second child. Here is an unedited clip. There is screaming, crying, and shaking.

For me, I had my bloody show during this time. I was incredibly hot and the shakes were the first sign that I had entered transition. I felt gassy/ had indigestion and cried often. I was facing a lot of self doubt and battling my previous traumatic experience. Transition can bring up a lot, especially if you have dealt with trauma or have been assaulted.

What to expect during the transition stage of labor: Your cervix is dilating completely. You might see your bloody show. Contractions might be very close together, longer, and stronger. You might experience the shakes, vomiting, nausea, indigestion, pooping, hot or cold, and maybe lots of emotions! There might be a lot of pressure in your rectum, vagina, and lower back.

How to manage transition: Get in a position that makes you feel most comfortable! If you don’t want to move, that could be a good sign that you’re in transition! Give yourself a few contractions and try a new position. Leaning, squatting, side lying, etc. Get in the water (natural epidural/ relaxes muscles all over body), use either hot or cold compresses, depending on if you have hot flashes or cold chills. I had extreme hot flashes and a rag dipped in ice water helped. Ice packs, too! If you have a support person, ask them to help with hip squeezes if you don’t mind being touched! Listen to those encouraging you. Think “I can do anything for one minute”. Each contraction brings you closer to your baby! At one point, I request a tens unit. I was never able to use it, but this can be used to help manage pain.

Transition means that you’re so close to the finish line! A lot of this might sound overwhelming and can even feel overwhelming, but you’re about an inch away, once you reach this point. Saying things like “I can’t do this anymore” means that you are right there! This is like a mental wall during labor that you have to climb over.

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