# So how common is talking through contractions?



## Epona (Jul 20, 2009)

This is a pet peeve of mine. I can talk through the whole thing. All the contractions, through the entire birth process, I'm talking. I have had my four children in four different places with four different support staffs. I tell them this, my husband tells them, my in-laws tell them! Two of my births were very painful, an induction, and a posterior baby. I cannot get people to believe me. As I was explaining the intense pain through my posterior contractions, I wasn't taken seriously. When the baby is coming, and I'm telling them that, I always get that hesitation, and they're shocked to see a head.

As I read birth stories, I see the same thing mentioned, about being told that if you can talk through the contractions, you're nowhere near close. But it obviously happens. How often does it happen? And is it common to be ignored as I have been? How do *you* react when you have a mother such as myself? I'm rather put off with it at this point. My last midwife was better, I must admit, but still, the element remains.


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## mamato3cherubs (Nov 30, 2004)

I have personally not seen much of this at all. So I would not say too common. Yes, maybe until 7-8 cm, but not after that. I think that even the women I have seen that could have, end up off in labor land reguardless.


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## filiadeluna (Oct 2, 2007)

I suppose just about anything is possible. That would anger me to not be taken seriously just because I'm talking.







There was definitely a certain point during my labor where I could not talk beyond a word or two at a time - I just held up my hand in a stop motion to signal that I couldn't say anything yet. I too had an induction and a posterior baby (same labor







). It's rough. I feel for you.


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## iemaja (Feb 26, 2007)

I don't think this is very common at all. On Monday, I was with a woman who, like you, talked throughout her contractions. She even spoke easily during her pushing contractions! It was somewhat disconcerting. I've never seen this before - I've been a busy doula for two years and a busy midwife's apprentice since the beginning of this year. I would think that if you shared this info with your midwife during pregnancy that she would take your word for it during your labor and birth.


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## Epona (Jul 20, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamato3cherubs* 
I have personally not seen much of this at all. So I would not say too common. Yes, maybe until 7-8 cm, but not after that. I think that even the women I have seen that could have, end up off in labor land reguardless.

Ok. Thanks for replying.







I think I can't really get into labor land, because I'm always distracted by my family.







Perhaps that is why, I'm just a little too present.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *filiadeluna* 
I suppose just about anything is possible. That would anger me to not be taken seriously just because I'm talking.







There was definitely a certain point during my labor where I could not talk beyond a word or two at a time - I just held up my hand in a stop motion to signal that I couldn't say anything yet. I too had an induction and a posterior baby (same labor







). It's rough. I feel for you.









Yes, it's frustrating, to say the least.

Yikes, I can't imagine having the induction with the posterior You're a strong lady!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *iemaja* 
I don't think this is very common at all. On Monday, I was with a woman who, like you, talked throughout her contractions. She even spoke easily during her pushing contractions! It was somewhat disconcerting. I've never seen this before - I've been a busy doula for two years and a busy midwife's apprentice since the beginning of this year. I would think that if you shared this info with your midwife during pregnancy that she would take your word for it during your labor and birth.


Huh. I didn't think it was that uncommon. Yes, you would think they would, wouldn't you?







Well, I'm glad that you've seen someone else do it! It would be nice to be taken seriously by a birth professional.


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## littlebb (Apr 15, 2009)

I'm really curious about this, as it came up in discussion with a few women before (when I was getting hit with the 'you'll never be able to give birth without an epidural' claims). I've not yet given birth (I'm due any day now) so I'm not sure how I'll be in labor. But this has always made me curious because I have such a high tolerance for pain and my way of dealing with pain historically has been to talk and/or laugh through it. Even as a little girl, when it came time to get shots or have blood drawn, I always giggled uncontrollably - I never thought it was 'funny', it was an uncontrollable response. As an adult, I am still the same way.

In fact, I had brain surgery last year and it required a lot of IVs and major tubes to be hooked up intravenously before surgery began. One of them was an IV lock and BP monitor into the veins in the crook of my elbow. It took them an hour to properly get it 'installed', which was very painful and traumatic (they couldn't get it in right, veins rolled, hit or miss, etc.). As traumatic as it was, I still giggled the entire time, which really scared the staff and my DH.

Anyway, of course I have no way of predicting that I'll be anything like that in labor. But I'm also a psychology major and I'm inclined to believe that some brains are wired to handle situations such as these in a certain way, just as the next woman might 'moo' or make extremely low sounds during her contractions. I'm sure it's rare, but it would make sense to me that some women are just able to let go of the pain and go with the flow enough to keep conversing during labor. Just as some women are able to have orgasms during their labor : )

Regardless, it would bother me, too, to not be taken seriously just because it's a rare occurrence. That coming from other women who should be placing trust in us and our bodies to do what comes naturally can be discouraging to say the least.


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## durafemina (Feb 11, 2004)

I talk through my whole labour/birth - oh sure, it's interspersed with yells and groans and I have those quick moments of sleep . . . but mostly I talk







Sometimes I think I'm trying to talk my way out of it. . . .


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## Care Lee (Feb 12, 2009)

I also can talk through contractions. I prefer not to at the end, but somehow I stay very polite, withdrawn, but able to communicate. I have a very hard time being admitted to the hospital. I go from 2-10 cm very quickly (as in 45 min), and my babies come out in 1-3 pushes, and the staff always tries to tell me to go home, and I have to argue, and still they don't believe me when isay the baby is coming out
until they see the head. This time I have the same midwife as last time, and she has promised to call ahead so I can be admitted without argument at 2cm.

It is very frustrating to have to convince everyone that you are REALLY having a baby soon.


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## purplepaperclip (May 19, 2008)

I couldn't do it, that's for sure.


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## Cativari (Mar 26, 2007)

I talked and nursed through my entire labor with my son. I nursed just before they said I was good to go. When I arrived no one believed I was in labor until they hooked me to the monitors(which didn't last long, I wouldn't allow it). I got there at 6cm in two hours or so I had my son. I had the whole labor and delivery staff in my room watching because they'd never seen a NCB like mine before. They had be joking that I'd prolly have my babe in the hallway.

ETA: I even told my DH to get the ready as I started pushing. so we'd have pictures. That got a laugh out of everyone in the room


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## Veronika01 (Apr 16, 2007)

I talk through labor too. And I don't go into labor land. I'm always very aware of what's going on around me and I never reach a stage of "not caring" anymore. Nearing the end of labor I don't really want to talk though and would rather be left alone. While my daughter was crowning I told my dh "Come over here, she's being born". So yeah, I can talk through just about anything, LOL.


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## gcgirl (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Veronika01* 
I talk through labor too. And I don't go into labor land. I'm always very aware of what's going on around me and I never reach a stage of "not caring" anymore. Nearing the end of labor I don't really want to talk though and would rather be left alone. While my daughter was crowning I told my dh "Come over here, she's being born". So yeah, I can talk through just about anything, LOL.

I prefer not to talk when I'm exhaling through a deep contraction, but even with a pit induction and contrax on top of each other I was able to converse with the hosp staff and DH and my doula. I never reached a point where I couldn't think clearly or converse.


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## GoldmanBaby09 (Apr 7, 2009)

I talked through my whole labor. My contractions were never more than 4 minutes apart and 45 seconds long, so very manageable with lots of breaks in between. I was totally amazed when I was checked and was complete. I pushed for two hours, and during the last hour, I had my mw's apprentice hold a mirror so I could see the head as it emerged. Even while I pushed, I told the apprentice where to position the mirror so I could see it. In the birth video, there is a lot of audio of me saying, "To the left, the left. No, up, I can't see it!"


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

I could talk through the DD's labors, not DS though. I could barely talk when I wasn't having a contraction, it was just SO more intense then my other labors.


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## boringscreenname (Sep 26, 2007)

I was able to talk through my entire labor and delivery, but whenever I'm in pain I get quiet, so I wasn't saying much, I was perfectly capable of it though. I also never reached a point where I couldn't think clearly.


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## mama to 2 girls (Dec 11, 2006)

I don't count dd1's labor because I had an epi thru the first 3/4 of it...but with dd2's labor I talked thru my whole labor but not during a cntrx (well except in the beginning) but during pushing I believe I just "growled" or was silent. With ds it was the same but his labor was longer.....I even remember right before pushing that I told my m/w that I was probably going to resist pushing because I was afraid of pushing because the same thing happened with dd2 but that not to worry because after the first few pushes I would get into it.







But my mom even has a pick of me laughing (in between cntrxs mind you) during the last few cntrxs before pushing. It wasn't just me laughing though we were all talking.







Then during pushing I either was screaming (totally different from the low few growls i made during dd2) or said a couple curse words. The only time I talked was to say that my hip was cramping up.

I don't know if that counts because I never actually talked thru a cntrx except for the point where I got to about 6cm's. Then from there on out I couldn't talk thru them.


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## filiadeluna (Oct 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Epona* 
Yes, it's frustrating, to say the least.

Yikes, I can't imagine having the induction with the posterior You're a strong lady!









Thanks! It was rough, for sure. There were points where I couldn't talk, but I sure as heck SCREAMED.


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## elanorh (Feb 1, 2006)

With dd2, the nurse 'talked' me through my birth plan. I told her upfront that I birth quickly and that baby was coming soon, but she didn't believe me. She'd hooked me up to the monitors and was watching that while I was talking and I guess she just thought I wasn't that far along since I could talk (I knew that was what she was doing).

This is the second time we've had a good laugh at a nurse going google-eyed at how far along we were when she finally went to 'assess' before calling the doctor. DH and I agree, if we have a #3, we will bring a video camera just to get the nurse's reaction!









I think I could talk through contractions with both (first was posterior) but I didn't talk a lot towards the end anyway .... I was concentrating on what was going on, I guess.







But with dd2, we were joking around with the OB during the pushing phase ....


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## mom2reenie (Nov 14, 2006)

With DD1, I talked through the whole labor and asked them all kinds of questions. That was the most painless labor I had.

With DS1, I talked up until 9.5 cms. My midwife said the only other women she had ever seen more calm then me was a lady who slept until she hit 10 cms and then woke up to push. During pushing, I talked, but it was more of a "I don't think I can do this, it really hurts" moan.

With DS2, I told the nurse my last two providers thought I was in false labor and I don't feel pain until I start pushing. She believed me, told me she'd check on me more often than she normally would a non-medicated patient and told my DH to come get her if I felt any pain because she figured given my history that meant the baby was close. I only had two contractions that really hurt, dh ran and got the nurse and once my water broke as DS was crowning, I was fine and able to talk through pushing.

All three providers mentioned that its rare to see someone talk up to pushing stage and then talk while pushing, but I was glad that the nurse with DS2 listened to me and came running when DH told her I was in pain, especially since my contractions never get regular or close together.


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## Epona (Jul 20, 2009)

I was offline for several days.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *littlebb* 
But this has always made me curious because I have such a high tolerance for pain and my way of dealing with pain historically has been to talk and/or laugh through it. Even as a little girl, when it came time to get shots or have blood drawn, I always giggled uncontrollably - I never thought it was 'funny', it was an uncontrollable response. As an adult, I am still the same way.


How interesting. Now I actually have a very low tolerance for pain. But birth pain I can handle.









BTW, I was reading another of your posts awhile back, and congratulations on your soon-to-be LO! *You've made it through a lot.*









Quote:


Originally Posted by *durafemina* 
I talk through my whole labour/birth - oh sure, it's interspersed with yells and groans and I have those quick moments of sleep . . . but mostly I talk







Sometimes I think I'm trying to talk my way out of it. . . .

















Maybe that's it!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Care Lee* 
It is very frustrating to have to convince everyone that you are REALLY having a baby soon.









Totally. And I'm so jealous of how fast you progress btw! Your body just gets right down to it!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *suebee79* 
I couldn't do it, that's for sure.











Quote:


Originally Posted by *Cativari* 
I talked and nursed through my entire labor with my son. I nursed just before they said I was good to go. When I arrived no one believed I was in labor until they hooked me to the monitors(which didn't last long, I wouldn't allow it). I got there at 6cm in two hours or so I had my son. I had the whole labor and delivery staff in my room watching because they'd never seen a NCB like mine before. They had be joking that I'd prolly have my babe in the hallway.

ETA: I even told my DH to get the ready as I started pushing. so we'd have pictures. That got a laugh out of everyone in the room

Now that I couldn't do. Nursing during labor.







I think it would irritate me to no end.

Of course, *now* I'll end up doing it.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Veronika01* 
I talk through labor too. And I don't go into labor land. I'm always very aware of what's going on around me and I never reach a stage of "not caring" anymore. Nearing the end of labor I don't really want to talk though and would rather be left alone. While my daughter was crowning I told my dh "Come over here, she's being born". So yeah, I can talk through just about anything, LOL.

I'm so happy to hear other women say this! I tell my midwives that I don't really think it's all that uncommon, and they give me the smirk. You know the one? The "no women can talk during a horrible contraction" look?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gcgirl* 
I prefer not to talk when I'm exhaling through a deep contraction, but even with a pit induction and contrax on top of each other I was able to converse with the hosp staff and DH and my doula. I never reached a point where I couldn't think clearly or converse.

I've actually been told to stop talking and groan or growl deeply, because talking wasn't helping me to "use the contraction to its fullest".









Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoldmanBaby09* 
I talked through my whole labor. My contractions were never more than 4 minutes apart and 45 seconds long, so very manageable with lots of breaks in between. I was totally amazed when I was checked and was complete. I pushed for two hours, and during the last hour, I had my mw's apprentice hold a mirror so I could see the head as it emerged. Even while I pushed, I told the apprentice where to position the mirror so I could see it. In the birth video, there is a lot of audio of me saying, "To the left, the left. No, up, I can't see it!"









Birthing mirrors should really be bigger. This little hand held nonsense...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Peony* 
I could talk through the DD's labors, not DS though. I could barely talk when I wasn't having a contraction, it was just SO more intense then my other labors.


I've been thinking about this. Two of my births have been really intense, and yet I wonder if I'm not setting myself up for the so-intense-that-I-can't-talk labor, now that I've gone and said it on MDC.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *boringscreenname* 
I was able to talk through my entire labor and delivery, but whenever I'm in pain I get quiet, so I wasn't saying much, I was perfectly capable of it though. I also never reached a point where I couldn't think clearly.

Sure.







I never had trouble forming words. Even the dirty words were very easy for me to say.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *mama to 2 girls* 
I don't know if that counts because I never actually talked thru a cntrx except for the point where I got to about 6cm's. Then from there on out I couldn't talk thru them.

This is what most people expect. It just seems so unhealthy to place these expectations on women. We all birth so differently. I wonder if it works in reverse. If a woman cannot speak through the early contractions, I wonder if everyone waits with baited breath for twelve hours, expecting the babe to crown at any moment?









Quote:


Originally Posted by *filiadeluna* 
Thanks! It was rough, for sure. There were points where I couldn't talk, but I sure as heck SCREAMED.









My posterior was my loudest birth. My induction was intense, but I was just plain *loud* for my posterior.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elanorh* 
With dd2, the nurse 'talked' me through my birth plan. I told her upfront that I birth quickly and that baby was coming soon, but she didn't believe me. She'd hooked me up to the monitors and was watching that while I was talking and I guess she just thought I wasn't that far along since I could talk (I knew that was what she was doing).









Amazing, isn't it?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mom2reenie* 
With DD1, I talked through the whole labor and asked them all kinds of questions. That was the most painless labor I had.

With DS1, I talked up until 9.5 cms. My midwife said the only other women she had ever seen more calm then me was a lady who slept until she hit 10 cms and then woke up to push. During pushing, I talked, but it was more of a "I don't think I can do this, it really hurts" moan.

With DS2, I told the nurse my last two providers thought I was in false labor and I don't feel pain until I start pushing. She believed me, told me she'd check on me more often than she normally would a non-medicated patient and told my DH to come get her if I felt any pain because she figured given my history that meant the baby was close. I only had two contractions that really hurt, dh ran and got the nurse and once my water broke as DS was crowning, I was fine and able to talk through pushing.

All three providers mentioned that its rare to see someone talk up to pushing stage and then talk while pushing, but I was glad that the nurse with DS2 listened to me and came running when DH told her I was in pain, especially since my contractions never get regular or close together.

Hmmm, interesting. I don't like pain. I wonder if my talking through it,rather than going into labor land, actually helps me with tolerating the pain?

Yeah, I've had the nurses, often react quicker. I think they're more prepared to have anything thrown at them, because they've seen so many other unexpected things.

Thanks for all of the feedback ladies!


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## mbhf (Jan 8, 2005)

I talked through all of my births. My last birth (new MW) when the MW arrived she asked if I wanted to be checked, she said judginh by my behavior I was probably around 4. I said yes, and I was 9. I am always very polite and talkative (if impatient and loud) while I'm in labor.


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## fwlady (May 11, 2009)

I have also done weird things through birth. They didn't think I was very close with #3, even after my water broke and I was 4cm. I was quilting all the way up until then. Then, had to argue with the OB about what I wanted and didn't want. And, then back and forth to the bathroom. She was born in 57 min from water breaking to birth.

Now, with #6, I was also quilting. But, I told them to be back in 1-1.5 hrs because I go fast once I get to 5. I was at a 4 then. I went to the shower for a while, but then, came back and was still hand sewing between ctx that must have been when I was complete, because the ctx spaced out and were manageable once I was on the bed sewing. I would put it down briefly for a ctx, and then cont. Finally, I felt the urge to push (which I only do at crowning), and put the piece down for good. When I started to push, I only realized then that the MW was there and they were moving stuff into the room. And, yes, she was born in 1hr25min from when I said that.

The last birth, I was still ironing and sewing at the sewing machine, and was going to send for the kids, still thinking that maybe it was another night of prodromal labor. I went to the shower, and 1hr15min later, he was born. So, I am quite functional through most of the labor until things really get down to business. I can't talk though, even though I am very chatty. Kymberli


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## triscuitsmom (Jan 11, 2007)

With my second baby I talked through every single contraction until he was born. It was my way of getting through them. I talked to the baby mostly and encouraged him and myself... but could also talk to other people too.

The OB resident on call kept telling me I couldn't really be in active labour because I was smiling and talking... I finally snapped "Why wouldn't I smile, I'm having a baby today!!!!"







: After that she didn't get to check me anymore and I finally got to labour in some peace


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