my phases of labour

The textbook stages of labour don't tell me much. There are plenty of medical descriptions of what happens, but none of them could prepare me for how I was going to feel. I imagine that everyone would have their own unique flow, perhaps even different with each baby. This is purely for my entertainment and preparation purposes - I don't expect these ideas to be universal.

1. Excited
I realize that a lot of people don't get to experience this part specifically, but both times I knew a few hours before it got going that it was coming on. This was the time to snack, laugh, get nervous and prepare.

2. Curious
Getting uncomfortable now. Hmm, wonder how intense this is really going to get? Interesting experiment. Might be nice if it was a short one. ("early labour" in texts). This is the part where lots of stuff I read recommended playing cards, cleaning the house or otherwise trying to put off paying attention to labour. Good luck with that. I had to fight the urge to time obsessively which I found discouraging for the most part. In my experience there is no doubt when things kick up a notch, numbers don't necessarily correlate.

3. Focussed
I would characterize this stage as starting when my exclamations over contractions are no longer voluntary. Gasps, moans, some sailor-like cursing and raised eyebrows. For me this coincided with what professials call "active labour" although as far as I'm concerned it had always been going on quite a while by this point. Still lucid between contractions.

4. Zoned
I'm gone. The time/space continuum is fundamentally altered. I am in my own bizarre, intense world. Don't talk to me, touch me or heaven forbid, try to move me. Unless it's very, very important (which it sometimes is) or you have guaranteed extremely helpful advice. It takes everything I have to keep it together. I didn't have a very clear "transition"phase, but this was certainly the hardest for me.

5. Down
Focus slides back in. Contractions space out and change. Still super intense and totally out of control but in a really different way I find easier to deal with. I can feel exactly what the muscles are doing and know the baby is moving down. Wild but finally feels like progress. Involuntary grunting as I wait for the dilation to finish.

6. Out
This I can understand. It feels more like a physical challenge than mental now. I didn't expect to have to learn how to do it but it took me ages to get the hang of it with Ivy. I've had both the experience of being exhausted and not having the urge to push and also that of having no choice with the baby coming fast. Both hard work but soooo close now. Finally meet the baby!

7. Blissed
Instant relief. Total euphoria. Possible megalomania. Yay, look at me! Do you see what I did? I am amazing! A superhero! Please wait on me hand and foot for several days (weeks, months) while I sit back and appreciate the amazing thing I've just accomplished.