Labor & Birth

On the blog

What is Perineal Massage for Labor (and Does It Actually Work)?

Tassia O'Callaghan

Cervix Dilation Chart: How to Track Your Progress During Labor

Tassia O'Callaghan

Inducing Labour With Dilapan-S

Phoebe Corcoran

Analgesia (Pain Relief) in Labor: What Are Your Options?

Dr. Fatema Mustansir Dawoodbhoy

Back Pain After Epidural: Is It Normal?

Katie Mill

What Is a Foley Bulb Induction?

Katie Mill

En Caul Birth Explained: Causes, Risks & What It Means

Katie Mill

Why Do Babies Cry When They’re Born?

Katie Mill

What are the 4 Stages of Labor?

Kesgia Sophia Roelofs

What is Dystocia? Obstructed Labor Signs, Symptoms & What to Do

Catherine Craik

Evening Primrose Oil for Labor: What’s the Story?

Alicia Wallace

Placenta Encapsulation: The Risk of Placenta Pills

Keshia Sophia Roelofs

Cervical Effacement: What 70% and 80% Effaced Really Mean

Tassia O'Callaghan

Baby Born at 33 Weeks: Your 33-Week Preemie

Keshia Sophia Roelofs

Baby Born at 31 Weeks: Your 31-Week Preemie

Tassia Agatowski

Baby Born at 32 Weeks: Your 32-Week Preemie

Tassia Agatowski

From the community

Recent discussions

Sex life (or not)

When did people start having sex again after their c section? This is my second c section and I just feel very weird lol

Is Partner allowed to stay overnight in ward?

Hey mums, I’m thinking of an elective c section in Whittington hospital. Does anyone know if my partner is allowed to stay with me overnight? I don’t have any other family members in London, and I’ve heard the hospital won’t offer a private room for C section. So wondering if they let my partner stay with me over night in a shared room or it’s gonna be a tough night me alone with a lot of pain and a newborn ?!

DOC TRIED TO FEAR MONGER ME

THIS FRIDAY AT THE VCU THE DOC TRIED TO FEAR MONGER ME OUT OF TRYING AN VAGINAL BIRTH TELLING ME THAT IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY UNSAFE AND HOW IT WOULD END IN EMERGENCY SURGERY.

THAT I NEEDED TO COME BACK MONDAY FOR A C SECTION CAUSE IT WAS HER RECOMMENDATION

BTW MY MAIN DOC TOLD ME IT WAS FINE TO TRY SINCE I HAD ZERO COMPLICATIONS THIS PREGNANCY.

IVE HAD TWO C SECTIONS BEFORE THIS BUT WITH THE UPDATES IVE LEARNED WITH A VBAC I HAVE AN 85% CHANCE OF A SAFE DELIVERY.

Grooming 🙈

I’m 5 weeks post c section and the situation down below is becoming too much😂
When did you go back to shaving?
Im thinking of just doing some maintenance rather than fully shaving as im not up for the irritation that comes with it growing back!

Large bowel/labor soon? 38 wks

So today for the first time right when I woke up I needed to poop urgently which isn’t normal for me, I usually poop at the end of the day and it’s not a large bowel it’s pretty small compared to my normal pre pregnancy bowels and also I’ve been more constipated while pregnant. This morning it was actually a good consistency and a larger amount than even normal, could this mean my body is clearing itself out for labor soon?? I’m currently 38 weeks and 3 days

Texas

Does anyone know how many people are allowed in the room with you while having a C-section? I know in Louisiana I was able to have 3 so I’m curious

Mucus plug

I began to lose pieces of my mucus plug yesterday. Today I’m pretty sure the whole thing came out. I’m a bit worried as I’m only 37 weeks.

How soon did you go into labor after losing your mucus plug?

Mucus plug

I’ve noticed today that my plug is starting to come loose a few hours ago.
I’m 39 weeks on Sunday and scheduled for induction the day after my due date next Sunday .
There is no blood it’s thick and fairly clear. How long after losing it did you go into labor if you had a similar timed experience?
How do I know when it’s gone? I’m more than ready to have this baby I just don’t know what I’m supposed to expect my body to do from this point forward. First time mom.
My mom and sister both never experienced water breaks so I’m not sure if I will or not.

Birth options

Hello! I am 16 weeks pregnant and I am finally able to start thinking about my birth now! I am so 50/50 between natural and c-section.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

What type of birth did you have Andrew you happy you chose it?

Or what type of birth are you looking to have?

Thank you so much Xxx

Weeping from c section scar

I am 2 weeks 3 days PP and there has been a bit of oozing from corner of my incision.
Midwife has said it’s not too much to worry as it’s not red, swollen or hot to touch and been put on antibiotics since Thursday
Today I noticed a odour so have tried to air out the incision (which is under a skin fold) to see if that helps.

I have also notified 111 and waiting for an out of hours doctor to call me.

Just wanted to know if anyone else experienced this to help me be less anxious while I wait for doctors.

Royal London Hospital maternity Triage

Has anyone had any experience at the RLH maternity triage (6th floor) and if so, what was your experience like?

On two occassions I have been there regarding concerns with my health during this pregnancy and have had an unpleasent experience from the staff on the front desk, seems to be always one in particular where they have been dismissive with the sort of attitude like "why are you here" "we can't help you with that here" It's made me anxious about having to ever go there again, if need be. 🫤

Hospital bag checklist ✨

I feel like a lot of us have been discussing this for a while so I’ve pieced together what we’ve all said (water birth, c section mamas might need more). Other 2 x screenshots in the comments. If anyone spots anything missing feel free to add below ⬇️

C - Section

How did your stomach/abdomen / pelvis feel like afterwards???

C-section vs vaginal birth

I’d love to hear from moms who have had both a C-section and a vaginal birth. Which experience & recovery was easier for you, and which would you choose again?

With my first baby, I was in labor a long time and ended up needing an emergency C-section because her head was stuck. It was 3 years ago, and I honestly don’t fully remember how hard the recovery was. I remember the first few days being rough, especially getting out of bed and going to the bathroom, but after that it’s kind of a blur, so I’m wondering if I’m forgetting how hard it really was.

One thing that also scares me is that during my C-section, I needed two spinal shots because the first one didn’t fully work. That was really stressful for me, especially because they tell you how important it is to stay completely still while they do it. The idea of having to go through that again with a planned C-section makes me really nervous.

At the same time, I’m also scared of vaginal birth because of the possibility of bad tearing.

I also have a 3-year-old now, which I didn’t have during my first recovery, so I’m wondering how much harder C-section recovery is with a toddler at home, especially if my husband only has about a week off and I’ll mostly be on my own after that.

Part of me likes the idea of a planned C-section because it feels more predictable—I’d know exactly when it’s happening, could plan childcare, and likely be away from my daughter for a shorter, more set amount of time. But part of me thinks this is probably my last baby and I might feel sad if I never experience a vaginal birth.

If you’ve had both, which would you recommend and why?

C-section information

How long were you in hospital for after your first C-section? I am having my first C-section next week and would be grateful of any advice or information. Thanks

DCDA // DIDI mamas , when did you fully pack your hospital bag?

I’ve got all my twins things packed but nothing of mine as I’m still using it. When is the right time to actually pack and leave it packed ?

Fact-checked by experts

We work with acclaimed women’s health experts and leading voices in fertility, motherhood, and pregnancy to ensure our content is medically reviewed, expert-approved, and written with care.

Learn more