# Is it common to throw up during labor??



## HopefulEm

Recently I started reading "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" and I noticed a lot of the women during their natural births throw up during labor. Is this really that common?? 

I hadn't heard of it before. Is it one of those situations where the pain is so bad you feel like throwing up, or is it just general nausea?


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## Mummafrog

It is more about the body emptying to prepare to use all of its energy for labour. Just as it is common to go to the toilet regularly before labour, it's common to throw up. I have never heard of it being to do with the intensity of pain. It's still important to eat during labour but it helps to eat lightly I've heard so you don't feel uncomfortably full and get nauseous. 
I've read stuff from Ina May too, she's great :)


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## RaspberryK

Yes I did, at transition, just loads of water. Midwife didn't recognise this as a sign so left me at home , and we went to hospital where ds was born in 30 mins. 
Xx


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## BunnyN

Before labour I kind of wondered if the throwing up was more to do with side effects to drugs, which it is sometimes, but I had a drug free birth and the first thing I did when labour really got going was to throw up. I threw up quite a few times over the next 30 hrs of labour. Toward the end I couldn't eat or drink much without throwing up shortly after and I worked hard to have little sips of water so I didn't dehydrate because it was a long labour. Sucking on ice cubes was quite good. I didn't feel that queasy (like I did during the awful morning sickness) it was more jut a strong sensation that I needed to throw up. After I did I'd feel fine again. It usually did come with a particularly painful contraction and felt partly related to the pain but as Mummafrog said I think it was more to do with my body feeling the need for an empty stomach so it could concentrate on labour. I stopped throwing up before I got to the pushing stage and although the feeling came on suddenly it was never so quick or intense that I couldn't make my way to the toilet to throw up. I hope that helps. That is just my experience so it might be different for others.


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## smallpeanut

I threw up when I was given gas and air. Then I refused to have it near me lol :) x


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## SarahBear

HopefulEm said:


> Recently I started reading "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" and I noticed a lot of the women during their natural births throw up during labor. Is this really that common??
> 
> I hadn't heard of it before. Is it one of those situations where the pain is so bad you feel like throwing up, or is it just general nausea?

Yes, it's very common. If it happens to you, one way to keep a positive attitude about it is that it means you're getting close. This typically happens in the transition phase and when you open up, up top, things tend to be opening up down below. It's not about the pain though. My pain was quite manageable and I still threw up. (TMI warning) At one point I was on the toilet with a pot in front of me because I never knew which end things were going to come out of. Loose stool is also very common during labor... Labor is a messy ordeal. Basically, don't worry about it and if it happens, think to yourself, "woohoo, this means I'm getting close to being able to meet my baby!"

Edit: Also, I don't remember feeling nauseated. I just remember that I'd suddenly feel the need to throw up. It happened multiple times. You're body is going through a lot during labor.


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## ttc bubby no2

I threw up during transition with my first, I had my show at the same time. With my second I felt like I was going to be sick during transition and had a bucket ready but managed not throw up.


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## Shadowy Lady

I didn't but when I was in transition I swear I thought I would throw up a few times. It never did happen for which I'm glad. I have a phobia of throwing up :/


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## lozzy21

Yep, you get every body fluid and excretion during labour.


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## madasa

Yes, it's very common. You can also throw up if your blood sugar gets very low, so nibbling and sipping in early labour can really help. It's got nothing to do with pain. I had an easy labour last time and still threw up. But ...as Ina May says, "as above, so below" (the theory is that it can help you dilate) :D


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## SarahBear

madasa said:


> Yes, it's very common. You can also throw up if your blood sugar gets very low, so nibbling and sipping in early labour can really help. It's got nothing to do with pain. I had an easy labour last time and still threw up. But ...as Ina May says, "as above, so below" (the theory is that it can help you dilate) :D

That's what I was getting at. I think it's true!


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## SwissMiss

I didn't have anything in my stomach by transistion with both my labours but dry heaved intensely both times. Also thank God withouth nausea, just an intense 'urge to purge' so to speak.. :blush: 
I HATE throwing up but I barely remember that bit - I only just did b/c of reading the thread! :blush: :roll: 
xxx


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## Lois22

I was never sick or even felt sick


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## BunnyN

My mum wasn't sick at all during her natural labours so not everyone gets it. 

It's funny I threw up through the whole labour but stopped by transition.


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## Kirstiedenman

I threw up uncontrollably with my first to the point of needing an injection to stop it as I could barely catch my breathe I was vomiting that much. I had a huge fear of it this time round and made sure my midwife had the shot on standby as it was a homebirth but although I felt like I needed to lots of times I never actually did thank god. I never felt nauseous though it just sort of appeared and out it came lol


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## BunnyN

Kirstiedenman said:


> I threw up uncontrollably with my first to the point of needing an injection to stop it as I could barely catch my breathe I was vomiting that much. I had a huge fear of it this time round and made sure my midwife had the shot on standby as it was a homebirth but although I felt like I needed to lots of times I never actually did thank god. I never felt nauseous though it just sort of appeared and out it came lol

That is interesting you had it the first time and not the second. Did you have any medication or anything that may have made you sick or was it just your reaction to labour?


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## Mrs W 11

I was really sick but I'd drank lots of water and was on gas & air so I felt drunk at the time, which meant it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I have a bit of a phobia too x


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## MonyMony

I've heard of this of course, but it never happened to me either time. I have a low tolerance for pain too, and started shaking uncontrollably with my first labor. But never had the urge to throw up at all.


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## Reidfidleir

I didnt. Never felt an urge to either. But I don't generally vomit. Last time I did was 16 years ago. Yep. 
My bowels emptied in early labor but that was it.


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## KateNicola

I threw up during labour. I was induced so I didn't really have any easing into it (zero to hard labour). I didn't feel nauseous, it just came up during a contraction and then I was fine. I hit the end of the bed! Remembering that still amuses me for some odd reason :shrug: Everything tends to come out during labour. Do NOT worry about it. If someone tries to give you grief, they need to be removed.


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## Pearls18

I was sick a couple times at the start of DS's labour I think it was the force of the contractions. With DS2 was sick a fair few times during, and afterwards (it was the after pains that caused it afterwards) I normally hate being sick but I didn't feel sick, it was just an involuntary thing, and tbh was a distraction from the pain :haha: it was the early hours though and I hadn't eaten so wasn't much, my poor hubby though!!

(It was always mid contraction)


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## Erised

I never felt or was sick with either of my 2 labours. I do wonder if this one will be different, as just during pregnancy I've found myself gag very easily and nearly throw up at the silliest of things ... something I never had with the previous 2 either.


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## DianaB

When I was in labour with DD1 I never even had any nausea, with DD2's labour I threw up a couple of times but it wasn't to do with pain. It was just the fact I got really, really hot and they hadn't brought in the fan yet, I get really sick when overheated.


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## StarlitHome

Yep, threw up during natural labor with my daughter! I'm sure I'll throw up this time too as I've thrown up throughout this pregnancy :sick:


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## roomaloo

First time I puked so much I needed a drip and IM anti emetics. Second time not even a bit of nausea. So it can totally vary


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## xxenigmaxx

I threw up uncontrollably over and over with my first, but I didn't have even the smallest amount of nausea or need to throw up with my second.


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## Alyssa Drough

I threw up when I had my first proper full on contraction, and threw up a few times more with some of the intense contractions for the next couple of hours. I think it was partially the shock of how painful they were (FTM) but once I was in transition and then into the pushing stage no more puking.


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## Brieanna

I threw up the whole time I labored at home, from Saturday night until Sunday night. I got really dehydrated because I couldn't keep anything down at all and would dry-heave when I had nothing in my stomach. It was absolutely horrible. I had taken no medications before or during labor so it had nothing to do with that.


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## JadeCrusader

Right as the contractions began getting really serious I felt this EXTREME wave of nausea and I had to try to relax and breathe with my eyes closed until it passed. My midwife told me that as the baby's head and shoulders are working their way past the cervix there is a pressure point in there that gets pushed on and causes the nausea. I guess it is extremely common. I luckily didn't throw up, but she had me eating soup, sourdough bread, and drinking pineapple juice and water to keep my energy up and my stomach not upset. Granted, I could only eat about half a bowl of soup and a couple of bites of bread, but I really think that definitely helped. Just do what your body wants and it shouldn't mistreat you :).


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## ladyluck8181

I've always thrown up a few minutes after giving birth but never during labour. I distinctly remember being horrified after my second cos I started throwing up and peeing myself at the same time :rofl: I was screaming at the midwife inbetween streams of vomit that I was wetting myself :haha: DH says I was so ashamed of myself that I started crying afterwards lol.


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## MummyToAmberx

i threw up through-out pregnancy, in early labour and throughout labour but perfectly fine once baby is out. x


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## lovelylaura

I wasn't sick with either. x


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## BunnyN

MummyToAmberx said:


> i threw up through-out pregnancy, in early labour and throughout labour but perfectly fine once baby is out. x

Did you suffer with HG?


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## icegurl470

I had nausea all through early labor. I puked on my bathroom floor right before we left for the hospital and in the 4hrs it took me to get from 2cm and 4cm I probably filled up like 6 puke bags. After that the nausea was gone.


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## wishuwerehere

I wasn't sick with either, but i did have diarrhoea with my first :blush:


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## Jaycrew

its common I heard, thats like transition but i have never experienced it. I did experience it after lol- go figure.


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## dairymomma

I puked with DS when I hit transition. It was mostly dry heaves as I hadn't had anything to eat or drink other than a little apple juice a few hours before. I didn't puke with DD though. Hoping to avoid it with this baby too but we'll see. I peed with DD so I guess that makes up for it. :haha:


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## greenpear

Oh God, I was projectile vomiting and had an awful diarrhea :blush: at the same time. My mom kept yelling at me to get off the toilet, she was scared I'd give birth into it :rofl:

Yeah, no one prepared me for this. I heard nausea is common, but had no idea that I would get diarrhea too :( Hoping this time around it won't be like this


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## Mummy2Corban

Didn't throw up with my first but felt sick with my second! X


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