Vomit during labor

PERSISTENT VOMITING DURING LABOR RELIEVED BY ANÆSTHESIA. Read before the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, March 21, 1887. | JAMA

PERSISTENT VOMITING DURING LABOR RELIEVED BY ANÆSTHESIA. Read before the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, March 21, 1887. | JAMA | JAMA Network [Skip to Navigation]

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April 30, 1887

SAMUEL C. BUSEY, M.D.

Author Affiliations

OF WASHINGTON, D. C.

JAMA. 1887;VIII(18):484-486. doi:10.1001/jama.1887.02391430008002

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Abstract

Nausea and vomiting at the beginning or during the progress of labor is not uncommon. When occuring during the early period it usually ceases with the evacuation of the stomach, or only recurs occasionally. In some cases the patient will vomit at long intervals until the delivery is accomplished. Such vomiting is usually regarded by the laity as beneficial, the popular belief being that "sick labors are easy labors." Obstetricians do not seem to have attached any special significance to the occurrence of such gastric disturbances during the first stage of labor; but when persistent during the second stage, producing exhaustion and lessening the activity of uterine contractions, the safety of the patient may demand immediate delivery.

The complication of labor with persistent vomiting must be very rare, as I have not found a single case reported in detail, after an extensive examination of obstetric literature. Only a few authors

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The Silver Lining of Vomiting During Labor

Vomiting during labor sounds pretty awful. I mean, it’s kinda like getting kicked when you’re already down. No mother is excited to hear that throwing up during childbirth can be pretty normal.

But wait, there’s more! Your Pollyanna childbirth educator (that’s me!) is here to save the day with some good news. Did you know that there’s a silver lining to vomiting during labor? Throwing up in labor is not all bad and there’s actually some good news attached to it!

Before we get to the good stuff, I did want to share with you that what I’m writing about in this post is purely anecdotal and based on my experience of assisting women in labor. Take from this article what’s helpful, and leave the rest.

Also, just as an FYI, a small minority of women throw up throughout their entire birth experience, which, as you can imagine, is an extremely difficult labor. This post isn’t written for them necessarily, and they would probably get more out of my article How to Stop Throwing Up During Labor.

Why Do Women Vomit in Labor?

Vomiting during labor can be caused by the pain of contractions and as a response to the hormonal shifts that happen as contractions become longer, stronger, and closer together.
Vomiting can also be caused by dehydration, which ironically, vomiting makes worse.
During one of my births I asked for a cervical exam and then for my midwife to break my water. The sensation of those procedures and being flat on my back is what I think made me throw up. It was a yucky experience!

The Silver Lining of Vomiting During Labor

Nobody wants to throw up and we’ll do just about anything to make it stop, amiright? Most of us resist the involuntary urge to purge. It’s such a yucky experience!

But what if I told you there’s a few good things that can come from vomiting during labor?

1) Feel Better After

First of all, many women find relief and actually feel better once they throw up and get rid of whatever the body is wanting out. If you feel like you’re going to throw up and are holding back but it’s getting too intense, you may find relief by giving in and letting your body throw up. Tell yourself that “I’ll probably feel better once I throw up”.

2) You’ve Made Progress!

Second, vomiting can be a sign of transition, which is the last part of the first stage of labor. Vomiting in labor may mean that you’re in transition and getting closer to pushing and the birth of your baby, which is the whole point of all these shenanigans.

If a laboring woman’s contractions are long, strong, and close together, she begins vomiting, and is showing other signs of labor progress, that’s a good sign she’s getting close to pushing. Tell her she’s making progress! “You’re getting so close, mama! You are doing it!”

3) Can Encourage Dilation

Finally, the silver lining to throwing up in labor that nobody talks about is that the downward force and pressure that comes with vomiting can actually help the cervix to dilate. Seriously!

Don’t believe me? Take a moment and pretend to vomit right where you are. Contract your abdomen and feel the downward pressure that even fake vomiting creates. Imagine that happening in labor, but with more force, and that’s how sometimes throwing up in labor can help your cervix to open.

Tips for Vomiting During Labor

If I’m with a woman in labor and she throws up I find it helpful to remind her of a few things:

“Hey, you weren’t throwing up an hour ago! Your contractions have gotten more intense as well, right? Well these things may be a sign that you’re getting closer to pushing. You’re doing a great job! You’re doing it!”
“Hey, sometimes throwing up can help the cervix to open up even more. It’s not all bad!”

Also, when a woman in labor feels like throwing up or has thrown up I find it helpful to have these things on hand:

Lemon essential oil to sniff right out of the bottle
Disposable vomit bag (these things are amazing!)
A cold, wet washcloth or two to clean and cool her face/neck
Toothbrush and toothpaste to get rid of that yucky taste
An ice cold glass of water

7 things about childbirth that are not customary to say out loud may vomit. And it will be ok. Nothing extraordinary, no pathology.

Just nausea and vomiting. Many people learn about it only when they are in the maternity hospital. There are several causes of nausea .

First, it can be caused by epidural anesthesia. Because of the "epidural" you may experience a sudden drop in blood pressure - hypotension. It can lead to nausea and vomiting.
Secondly, vomiting and nausea can start because of the pain you are experiencing.
Thirdly, this condition can provoke too heavy lunch or dinner in the first stage of labor. For this reason, in order to minimize the likelihood of this kind of trouble, at the very beginning of the contractions, if there is a feeling of hunger, it is better to limit yourself to a light snack. When the active stage of childbirth begins, you can no longer eat, you can only drink, and only water is better. nine0013

2. You may start chattering

About half of women in labor usually complain of chills and chattering during childbirth. This does not happen because you are cold. In fact, body temperature during childbirth can even rise by 1-2 degrees, because of which a woman, on the contrary, should feel hot. The exact reason why a woman feels chills and her teeth chatter is unknown, but recent research indicates that maternal and fetal blood type incompatibility may be the cause. nine0013

“During delivery, a small amount of fetal blood enters the mother's bloodstream,” says Henry Klapholz, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard University Medical School in Boston. “Studies show that if there is a blood type incompatibility between mother and child, for example, the mother has type A blood and the child has type B blood, then the mother may feel chills and trembling.”

Cardiotocography (CTG) is recorded during labor to monitor the fetal heartbeat. For many giving birth, this procedure seems extremely inconvenient, because the sensors are placed on the uterus, which is already contracting painfully. However, CTG is necessary in order to notice fetal hypoxia in time, and to check the activity of contractions - if it is low, then the doctor will start stimulating labor. nine0013

3. Possibly defecation on the delivery bed

As the baby passes through the birth canal, air is expelled from the anus, so be prepared for gas to come out. The likelihood of such a scenario is increased with epidural anesthesia, which paralyzes the anal sphincter. Another unpleasant side effect of childbirth is defecation right on the delivery table or delivery bed.

"This is due to lack of space," says Arianna Scholes-Douglas, MD, head of the high-risk pregnancy group at the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “When the baby’s head passes through the birth canal, it presses on the rectum, the latter is flattened and its contents are pushed out.” nine0013

Don't worry about this. Obstetricians who take birth for more than a day have seen all this more than once and treat it with understanding and calmness.

Photo: Jonathan Borba/Unsplash

4. You may not be aware of your actions

During childbirth, especially if it goes without anesthesia, you may suddenly find yourself screaming, crying, scolding your husband or a doctor. Obstetricians admit that some patients begin to behave completely unpredictably and do not control themselves. nine0013

Don't worry, it's just a reaction to pain and general fatigue. Hormones may also be to blame, as childbirth causes changes in estrogen and progesterone levels, which is akin to severe premenstrual syndrome.

If you lose control of yourself, don't be discouraged. Doctors and nurses are used to such reactions. But if you still want to maintain control over your actions and emotions, you need to seriously prepare. It is believed that women who attend childbirth preparation courses remain calm during childbirth more often than those who do not. nine0013

5. Your brain can “switch off”

In the heat of the moment, you can forget everything you learned in childbirth preparation courses. All breathing techniques and self-anaesthesia during childbirth can remain somewhere there, in the secret nooks and crannies of your brain, which flatly refuses to be your assistant now. It remains to rely only on nature and obstetricians. Perhaps, in such situations, partnership childbirth is a good option. Provided that the brain of your partner has not turned off even earlier at the sight of what is happening. nine0013

Many women after childbirth cannot remember a single detail of what happened.

6. Love at first sight may not be

Do not be upset if, when you hold a newborn for the first time, you do not experience great happiness. You have just gone through exhausting work, you need time to recover. Try breastfeeding your baby and then have a nurse take care of it to give you a chance to rest or sleep.

Photo: Sanjasy/Pixabay

7.

Birth is hard for dads too

Birth can be hard for dads too. In fact, a monitor squeaking and now and then giving incomprehensible signals, a roller coaster of emotions, blood and the environment in general - not every man can withstand all this.

Doctors admit that sometimes they have to ask men to leave the premises. The sight of a wife in severe pain can upset her husband, which in turn makes the woman even more nervous. nine0064

If your husband is asked to leave the maternity unit, let him know what could be worse: “One father lost consciousness when his wife was giving birth,” says obstetrician Heinrich Klapholz. “The poor guy broke his leg in the fall and had to be hospitalized.”

Anna Aksenova, Svetlana Lyuboshits

“Some women vomit during childbirth, while others get diarrhea.” What is it like to be a midwife?

Anna works as a part-time midwife in a private clinic. Over the past decade, she has helped about 50 mothers during childbirth, while she was not only directly present at the birth itself, but also helped with advice during the first eight weeks after. She knows everything about childbirth. She is not just a nurse, but also a social worker and, of course, a psychologist. Anna spoke about the intricacies of working as a midwife. nine0013

About the ugly moments

As a midwife, I am ready for anything that can happen during childbirth. Some women vomit, some have diarrhea. This happens because the woman's uterus and intestines contract at the same time. All this usually happens at the beginning of labor, but it can happen again at the very end, when the baby passes through the birth canal and everything is pushed out with it. Finally, the midwife must be prepared for the sight of blood. Some women lose a lot - about 400 ml. But despite everything I've seen, I still don't find the birth process disgusting - I think childbirth is beautiful. nine0013

About the placenta

It is now fashionable to leave the placenta after childbirth. Some even make cocktails out of it. One mom took a piece of her placenta and made a smoothie with frozen berries and coconut milk. She did this because she heard that it may contain certain substances that protect the new mother from postpartum depression. I have no idea if this is true, but why not? Maybe it will really calm a woman down, and in a smoothie you are unlikely to taste the placenta. nine0013

About the presence of the father at childbirth

As for the presence of the father, everything depends on the man. There are those who doubt everything a midwife says and does, and this is usually very annoying. It is clear that he cares about his wife, but professionals know better! There are those who really provide tremendous support to a woman: they disinterestedly do everything that the doctors say and are ready for anything to facilitate the process of childbirth for their beloved. And there are those who are annoyed and constantly glance at the clock. These kind of men sometimes don't even put their hand on their wife's shoulder during childbirth. It seems like they don't care at all. Finally, there are guys who just don't want to be there during labor, so they leave the room until their baby is born. Obviously, it all depends on the relationship within the couple. I sometimes, by the way, experience more than the future daddy. nine0013

Regrets

Of course, childbirth is a complicated process. A woman experiences severe pain, and a man often feels guilty because of this, and to such an extent that he cannot even hold a newborn in his arms. Which couples should not have children? I honestly don't know. Sometimes children's services send me to check on troubled parents: their apartments are in disarray, there is no proper food. Once I even had to contact the guardianship service, because I saw that a disabled child was not properly cared for. nine0013

Disability

I don't have a lot of experience with children with disabilities, as most children with severe disabilities are attended by a doctor rather than a midwife. But I had a couple who found out in their fifth month of pregnancy that their baby had Down syndrome. When they learned this, they stopped wanting this child. The baby was born prematurely and they refused even to be with him for a while. He died on the same day.

Stillbirth

This is a very heavy topic. But worst of all, if the woman is already at a long pregnancy and the child suddenly dies in the womb. It is very difficult to comfort parents. I try to work with these couples for several months after the event to make sure they are taking care of their physical and mental health and to reassure them that they can talk to me at any time.

Parental mistakes

Many couples find it very difficult to share the workload after giving birth. It can be difficult for a girl to accept the fact that a man is returning to work, and she is now forced to stay at home. One woman told me that 5 weeks after giving birth, all she really wanted to do was go to a bar and smoke a cigarette.