While talking to a pregnant friend the other day the topic of labor came up. I was asked, "What is it like to be in labor?" to which I answered, "I don't know." If we were talking in person, I'm sure I would have gotten a strange look from that comment but instead I just got a, "???"... Yes, I do have two kids but honestly, I don't know. I would never be able to differentiate between real labor and false labor if I were ever to have another child. That's because I was induced for both of my girls. I never went into labor naturally and was put on an epidural before I ever felt any real pain during labor...
My oldest, Alayna, was induced due to me being pre-eclampsic. I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia during the 20th week of my pregnancy, same time I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, so I was watched very closely. I was also in the hospital quite a few times due to different issues so my pregnancy with her was very high risk as it was. I went into the hospital when I was 33/34 weeks pregnant and wasn't given a choice. I was having irregular contractions but I was leaking amniotic fluid and my blood pressure was fatally high. They said if I waited any longer I would have had a seizure. So they transferred me to labor and delivery and told me that I was having the baby that night. (Well, 14.5 hours later.) So my tall, skinny, beautiful and extremely smart 7.5 year old was a preemie....an 8lb preemie -- yes, she was the largest baby for the one month she was in the NICU. (Yep, they said if I carried her to full term she would have been 12lbs, probably due to my gestational diabetes.)
My pregnancy with my youngest was such a stark difference from my oldest, I had no issues at all and only gained 20lbs. However my OB/GYN was pregnant at the same time I was and she was due the day after I was due -- Dec. 26th. She had a scheduled induction for the 23rd of Dec. so she scheduled me for the 21st for two reasons...
1. So I would be home with Alayna and Olivia on Christmas2. So she would be able to deliver my baby.
Olivia's labor was only 7 hours and she was here...also 8lbs, nearly full term and no issues.
So no, I don't know what it is like to go into labor naturally but I do hope that I experience that one day. I've been through inductions twice and I'm not really a fan of them, I would rather nature take it's course. One day I'll actually get to know what real labor is like, but that's one day in the far far future.
