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What is labour really like?

© Nicole Deak

The title of this article is somewhat misleading. Labour is different for every woman, and every woman chooses a different way to labour – whether it be at home or in the hospital, whether it be walking, relaxing in a hot shower, or lying in a dark quiet room attached to a fetal monitor. But, for most, labour follows a typical pattern of stages. Reading about those stages really tells a woman nothing, and those who have been there before seem most eager to share when the labour and birth was horrific. So, what is labour really like…forgetting the stages and the medical jargon, what really happens?

Currently I am 24 weeks pregnant and my thoughts are already lingering to the big event. As I chose a natural birth at home in a birthing tub with my first pregnancy, I have only secondhand knowledge of epidurals and hospitals and episiotomies etc. And, no matter how many women told me about their labour and deliveries, my own experience sits foremost in my mind. Part of me is apprehensive as I no longer have any misconceptions about labour, and part of me is excited to take the journey once again. And, while this labour may be entirely different than the last, I am fully aware of the power, the awe-inspiring power of the human body to split into two separate individuals.

Giving birth naturally is not something to be feared or dreaded, it is something to be revered. The innate knowledge of our bodies to nurture a fetus, send out the signal for labour to begin, and then do what is necessary to bring that fetus forth is a power like no other. If a woman can give herself over to that internal power, let the natural process wash over her instead of fighting against it, labour will not overwhelm her, but will carry her to a new level of understanding. She will emerge transformed and will gain new levels of respect for her body.

During my labour, there was a great deal of pain. There’s really no other word for it. Discomfort just doesn’t cover it. But, the type of pain is near impossible to describe. It’s not a pain that comes when there is something wrong, if anything it seems like a natural hurt. It comes on gradually, building to a peak, and then decreasing and allowing the mother to rest and rejuvenate. When my labour began in earnest, the contractions were two minutes apart, but there was always a break. It was important for me to vocalize; thereby pushing the pain into my abdomen where it belonged and not letting it get up into my head. Visualization was important as well, trying to focus on pleasant images such as visiting my grandmother during summer.