Freaking out!!! please ease my mind

[shellbell]

Hopefully someone can help me ease my mind. I'm one week shy of 8 months pg. and i'm starting to get worried about the labor and delivery. the thing i'm scared of the most is getting sick while in labor. that's because i have the biggest phobia about throwing up. i've never done it in my life and if i think i'm going to do it i start to freak out. i want to be able to use some kind of anesthisia but i don't want one that's going to make me sick or feel real sick. to tell you the truth, i'm more scared of getting sick then i am the pain. now that isn't normal. i dont' know what to do. can somebody give me any suggestions? can you tell me if you got sick when you were in labor and if you did was it from the drugs or what was it from?

[ssmom13]

I never threw up during either of my 2 labor & deliveries. None of the meds made me sick either, but I have one of those "cast-iron stomachs".

Good luck to you!

[missing]

I didn't throw up during labour. I had no drugs at all.

I had a little bit of "loose" bowels just after my water broke, but I was at home for that, and it was over really quickly.

If you're afraid of the drugs making you feel ill, consider not using any drugs, and just using your own coping strategies.

Good luck !!

[Andrea_G]

Shell,
Vomitting during labor is a common thing. I vomitted with my first, his birth was medicated. But I didn't vomit with my girls, they were both natural.

A lot of women think that they vomit from that pain. That isn't exactly true. Labor stimulates your digestive system. Generally this stimulation is more "downward", to clean you out. But sometimes, things go up.

Pain medication does increase the likelihood of vomitting. That's a noted side effect, not just my experience. There are medications that you can get if the nausea and vomitting is serious - but it would also make you VERY sleepy.

I sure hope you don't vomit during your labor! How lucky you are to have made it through this WHOLE pregnancy (let alone your whole life!) without tossing your cookies!

[BrandiL]

I vomited a couple of times during early labour and I was unmedicated. The only advice I have is that if you feel like you need to throw up while you are in labour just let yourself do it. It is much more uncomfortable to try and stop it.

[TwoForUs]

Normal or not... I'm RIGHT there with you! That was one of my biggest fears about labor actually. I too panic at the thought.

I had the loose stools as soon as labor started and that cleaned me out (very common and luckily NOT a phobia for me!).

I ate a little bit (some cottage cheese, a peanut butter english muffin) and drank a LOT of water and gingerale.

At one point I thought I *might* throw up but I didn't. I didn't have to do anything heroic not to... I just got wrapped up in what was going on and forgot. I told my doula that I thought I might and she just calmly got out the barf-catcher-thingie and told me to go ahead if I needed to, that it was alright. Somehow when she told me that it made it seem a little better... like someone cared and no one would be horrified and it might not be so bad.

Anyway, I didn't, and then labor got REALLY intense and frankly, I think if I *had* thrown up I wouldn't have minded much at that point! I was in the shower and I must have wondered because I remember thinking, "Oh well... I can just barf down the drain if I need to."

I didn't have any medications (the fear of vomitting and a super fear of needles in my back, in addition to a good Bradley education on why I didn't want drugs helped me not even consider them an option during labor).

The one thing I kept reminding myself was that sometimes throwing up is just what it takes to cause the body to dilate HUGE amounts rapidly. So if you by chance are one of those that do, it IS actually a good thing.

I also think the fact that I so much didn't want to probably helped me not do it also. I know if you HAVE to you will, but I think if you're borderline your probably have some control.

Anyway, this is a BOOK, but I just wanted you to know you're not THAT weird (or at least not alone in this!) and the experiences of someone who felt just like you do. Hugs!

[karin]

I did not throw up at all, nor did I feel nauseous at any point. My dd was born at home and therefore I did not have any drugs. I even ate a bagel with cheese between 4-8 cm.

I hate throwing up too. I had such terrible nausea while I was pregnant that I was praying to throw up and it wouldn't happen!

[hedra]

Threw up when I did a position change that my body didn't want to do (at the midwife's suggestion, and also with an epidural).

Second labor, didn't throw up. Also didn't do anything my body objected to, position-wise. (no epidural)

Not sure if they're related, but that was my experience.

[Y Thingy]

I threw up before and after labor, but during labor I was OK. I hated that, gave them reason to stick me with an IV. I took Gravol (sp?) and it helped.

If you never vomit your body is probably not going to do it during labor. I think only people with sensitive digestive system tend to get that.