# what is baby doing during labor?



## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

I don't know why this never occurred to me before, but I have no idea what the baby is doing during the contractions. I mean the whole time, from when they first start to when the little one actually comes out. Are they awake? Moving around as much as usual (except, I assume, during an actual contraction when they're being squeezed)? My last labor was sorta long, and I'm wondering if the little guy was awake most of the time... cause he seemed really tired when he came out. Wanted to take a nap right away. My midwife thought it was sort of funny, but he looked perfectly healthy, so it was just one of those oddities that I'm wondering now if there's a reasonable explanation for.

Thanks!


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

I've wondered about that too.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

DD stopped moving almost entirely once labor got well underway. It kinda worried me, actually, since she'd been so active the few days beforehand. My best guess would be that she was concentrating, just like me.


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## aja-belly (Oct 7, 2004)

ds was kicking. nonstop. he was spazzing out. the stronger the contractions got the crazier they made him. he kicked and dance around so much it was making waves in the tub. i told him if he didn't stop i was gonna name him punk.









he was born suddenly between contractions, so i really think he kick himself out.

i don't think that's typical though.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

My first was turning himself breech during labour. I didn't labour with dd (let them schedule me for a c/s when she turned breech at 39w







)...laboured for about 8 hours with ds2, and he was pretty quiet...

I think it really depends on the baby, and I don't think ds1 was at all typical!


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## AnnesMoM (Jun 19, 2005)

My mw said that lots of times (in an unmedicated birth) the baby will actually be pushing against the top of your uterus with his feet during a contraction and "helping out".


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## babsbob (Nov 17, 2005)

The baby is working hard too!!! They kind of rotate their heads to help open the cervix and the push and wriggle a little bit help push themselves out. So the first thing I said to dd when they put her on my tummy was "You did it!"


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AnnesMoM* 
My mw said that lots of times (in an unmedicated birth) the baby will actually be pushing against the top of your uterus with his feet during a contraction and "helping out".

My DD did this! When I was pushing, my belly hurt really really bad in one specific spot. When her head was crowning I touched that spot on my belly and you could feel the perfect shape of her foot pushing on me. After she was born we said "no wonder that hurt!" because she had ginormous feet


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## jlwagner (May 2, 2006)

My ds kicked and wiggled the whole time - even as I was pushing him out.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

they are asleep and awake and they actively move to fit better- you can feel the heads nuzzling around and they spin. they also suck their fingers or thumbs, squeeze the cord-- their head molds to fit, they have reflexes that help and their heart rates changes depending on the activity and the stimuli - including a vagal response to their fontanels being stimulated - endorphins get higher in response to the stimulus, and the whole time their bodies are still working on nourishment and respiration via placental circulation


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## Phoebe (Jun 12, 2003)

Facinating!
It seems like such an alien world in there. In some ways it is...then again some ways not.
Very interesting.








:


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## goddessgold1 (Oct 29, 2006)

I have wondered what the bay is going thru, does it hurt, are they scared,etc. Kind of makes you womder, things that make you go hmmm.......


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## Quagmire (Sep 27, 2005)

Hah, good question!

DD1, no idea.

DD2 was sleeping through most of my labor. Her heartrate only went up a tad through transition. And now, it appears she's a fairly mellow baby. Wonder if there's any significance to that?


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

DS#1 was freaking out, so was I, tons of narcotics and he got scratched by the doctor's knife during an unecessary, "routine" episiotomy. Looking back maybe it was a good thing he was drugged







I'm sure he was exhausted from me pushing him for 2.5 hours. He was a sunny side up posterior baby.

DS#2 calm, happy, cooperative, got stuck on a cervical lip but kinda just slid right out after it was gone. He was very quiet during contractions and I don't recall much movement during labor, but his heartrate was perfect and steady the whole time. This was an unmedicated home birth...wow what a difference.


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## EastonsMom (Oct 24, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AnnesMoM* 
My mw said that lots of times (in an unmedicated birth) the baby will actually be pushing against the top of your uterus with his feet during a contraction and "helping out".

I sooooo felt that! You could even see it on my belly!

Very cool thread!!


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## EastonsMom (Oct 24, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mwherbs* 
they are asleep and awake and they actively move to fit better- you can feel the heads nuzzling around and they spin. they also suck their fingers or thumbs, squeeze the cord-- their head molds to fit, they have reflexes that help and their heart rates changes depending on the activity and the stimuli - including a vagal response to their fontanels being stimulated - endorphins get higher in response to the stimulus, and the whole time their bodies are still working on nourishment and respiration via placental circulation

That is amazing!!! I so can;t wait to learn more about this, I really want to be a MW one day


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