5 Ways to Get Through a Long Labor

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide

While the average length of a first labor is typically 12-18 hours, not including inductions, there are labors that last longer. Some labors last longer because of physical issues, the baby moving into a better position, mom’s body opening. Other labors are longer because of emotional issues like fear of your surroundings or of becoming a parent, or that your husband won’t make it on time. These can be very real things. For the women who have to deal with lengthy labors, it sounds like it’s a lot of pain. Though having had six labors of my own, I’ve had a wide variety of times: (in order) 36 hours, 45 hours, 8 hours, 11 hours, 4 hours, 2-3 hours, and 45 hours. The easiest labor was actually my 45 hour labor. The reason? Because I managed my labor well. And I’ve also seen it happen many other times in my time as a doula. So here are tips on making the most of a longer labor.

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A Home for Births

By opening a freestanding birth center, perinatologist Steve Calvin is determined to make maternity care more satisfying for women and cost effective.
By Kim Kiser

Standing on a sidewalk on Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis, Steve Calvin, M.D., is at the intersection of high-tech and high-touch health care. Behind him is the 100-year-old Victorian home he bought two years ago and turned into a freestanding birth center—a place where women can deliver their babies in much the same tradition as their great grandmothers. Across the street, a crane is busy at work on construction of the Mother-Baby Center on the campus of Children’s and Abbott Northwestern hospitals—a place where women will have access to some of the most sophisticated maternal and neonatal services in the Twin Cities.

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Call The Midwife trailer - BBC One

Fear and Pain: A Cultural Picture of Childbirth...and What We Can Do to Change It

What if I told you that I gave birth to my child without anesthesia or medication of any kind, without any medical interventions to speak of...and the result was a childbirth experience that was virtually devoid of any pain? That I experienced childbirth in its fullest, most visceral state, completely comfortable and aware throughout the whole process? Would you believe me?

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Labor of Love Trailer

When Midwifery Works

By Birth Without Fear
I recently attended the long anticipated birth of a dear friend of mine. This birth was a planned HBAC. Her first birth was a c section at 35 weeks due to problems with one of the babies. Those babes are now robust, fun 7 year old girlies. I was with her during that pregnancy from the day..yes the day those babies were conceived on a camping trip.

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Natural Childbirth: Crazy or Conscientious?

Unaware of alternatives, the majority of women use drugs to cope with the pain of labor and delivery.

Most of my friends and family members think I’m crazy. By choice, I bore my first child without an epidural and I’m hoping to do it again the second time around.

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Do You Really Need to Attend a Childbirth Class?

September 12, 2011 by Rhythm of Life Consulting

This week we are thrilled to welcome Laura Fields to the Mother’s Advocate blog to discuss the importance of knowing your options and taking the right childbirth class to ensure a safe and healthy birth.

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How Dilated Am I? Assessing Dilation in Labor WITHOUT an Internal Exam.

7 March 2010 by sarahvine

It’s the magic question weighing on most laboring mothers’ minds: (as well as the minds of her partner or birth attendants!) How much longer? Is there any way to tell how far along I am in the birthing process? I’ve seen mothers beg for an internal exam and then be gutted about the answer (What? ONLY 4cm STILL!?) and suddenly *poof* she looses her resolve. It’s akin to having a test and finding out you’ve failed it, in front of your loved ones as well as complete strangers. Everyone knows this feeling is not conducive to labor – suddenly doubt and fear slide in and the laboring mother feels tense. Her oxytocin levels (our body’s natural pain-killer and labor inducer) take a nose dive and immediately she feels much more pain and she starts to run away from the contractions.

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Birthing guru says labour over-managed

IN the 1970s, while his colleagues were plugging in their new electronic fetal monitors, French obstetrician Dr. Michel Odent was encouraging mothers to give birth squatting in silent, dimly lit rooms at his low-tech birthing centre outside Paris.

Later, he introduced the concept of birthing pools and stirred up controversy by suggesting that a father's presence in the delivery room is not only unnecessary, but also hinders labour.

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6 Things I Learned from Ina May Gaskin

By Tine Reese from Bloom Spokane

Last Friday I attended the Midwives Association of Washington State Spring Conference where Ina May Gaskin, “mother of modern midwifery,” schooled us on the horrifying history of childbirth in the U.S. and shared her thoughts on restoring childbirth to its rightful owners—women!



The title of Ina May’s presentation that day was, “Combining the Best of Modern Obstetrics with Respect for Nature & Traditional Midwifery Approaches.” Here are some of the highlights.

1. We Must Know Our History

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5 Doula Myths Debunked

As doulas become more common on birth teams around the world, I get fewer blank stares when I tell people what I do. Most people have at least a nominal sense of what a doula does, even if the lines are a bit fuzzy for them. Over the years, however, I've noticed some common misconceptions about doulas and their role in birth. Because I hear these myths again and again, allow me to debunk a few for you.

Myth #1: A doula would interfere with the bond between my husband/partner and me in labor.

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Vaginal Birth a Safe Option After Multiple C-Sections

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Very few, if any, obstetric topics have raised more discussion and controversy in the past several years than VBAC, or vaginal birth after cesarean section. Most studies on this subject have come from small, single institutions or have relied on birth certificate data with all of its inherent inaccuracies.

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A Beautiful Home Birth

Myth #783 - Birth is Scary

Absolutely lovely post! I wish main stream media would print such encouraging and empowering stories!

After she had her baby (Charlie, my 800th baby) the other day, this new mum said, "You know, once you're in it, labour isn't scary! You just do it!"

I have so many clients who have carried the fear of childbirth with them for years and years. Some even postpone the event for as long as possible, just because their friends (or families) have told such horror stories over the years.

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