10 Signs of Labor Progression || It's WAY more than Dilation

Time to chat today about labor progression. We can get so hung up on dilation that we often forget about all the other ways we can measure labor progression AND how we can see labor progress without ever doing a cervical exam!
From the purple butt line, change in affect and the rhombus of Michaelis, let's learn about all the ways our body can show us labor is moving toward the pushing stage.
Did you notice any of the signs during your labor? Anything else that told you, "YES! We are making progress!" Let me know in the comments!
Check out my instagram for more content: / nursezabe

[@addymiller5297]

I’m 24 weeks with my second and I can’t express how thankful I’ve been for you with both of my pregnancies. You’d think once you’ve had the first, it’s been there done that but that is just not the case! There’s so much to learn so thank you for what you do!🥰

[@luvqueen4eva]

Thank you! This is so informative and helpful 18 weeks pregnant and love your videos! 😍 Learnt a heck of a lot of stuff from you!

[@susannebukatz4457]

This was great! I’m so amazed what our bodies do to help with the birthing process. This will definitely help me when giving birth in a few weeks.

[@NadiaSeesIt]

Extremely helpful video - thank you for all you do!!

[@luveuful]

Your videos helped me to have an empowering unmedicated birth two years ago with my daughter, and I'm watching them all again as I am expecting baby #2! Thanks to your advice I listened to my body and was able to labour in the comfort of my home until 7cm when I arrived at the hospital. I remember not knowing about how common vomiting is during labour, and I ended up throwing up not long after I arrived at the hospital as my water was breaking. Thankfully I only got sick once lol!

[@gabriellaforeman5469]

This was such an interesting video! I just recently learned about position changes as baby is descending into the pelvis. When you mentioned that some women have a purple line appear I told my husband to be looking out for that when I'm in labor lol

[@Nurse_zabe]

Honestly with my patient that I mentioned in the video, I wish we had taken a picture so she could have seen it and we could have watched it's progression. If I ever have another baby, that's what I would do 😂

[@briannadoff4051]

Your videos always make me tear up nurse Zabe! I love how you speak with great empathy, excitement and knowledge! Listening to positive birth stories (including yours) was the #1 thing that mentally got me through labour! My water was broken after 32 hrs labour but it slowed contractions down, then had pitocin for the final 6 hrs, baby was OP came out OP but I’m SO curious to know what OA labour feels like and transition without pitocin. Lucky bubs was little 36 weeker so only 2 grazes 👍 felt unstoppable afterwards, couldn’t sleep from the high!

[@mledda621]

You mentioned a few things that I never heard of. Very interesting and informative. I love every one of your videos. You are able to give information and make it easy to understand which is appreciated and helps so many. I hope you have a great day!

[@Nurse_zabe]

Yay for new information! I'm always trying to find more to share with you guys!

[@nirestevens2031]

Thank you so much for this information!!! The more info I have, the less fear I have! 30w now

[@austinmerrifield9836]

This was so helpful! Thank you!!

[@Nurse_zabe]

You're so welcome!

[@halfblood1234]

Your videos help calm me down so much! I'm currently 28 weeks with my second and ooh boy has this pregnancy been so different from my first. I'm hoping to wait until I go into labor naturally this time (which I'm stressing out about BIG time) but with complications like Gestational Diabetes this time around I don't know if we will get to make it to due date.

[@martinaslivova6339]

Amazing video ! Maked me shiver and go through my labor in my thoughts again 🥰 Wish I knew about the purple line before so I could ask midwives if I had it! My labor signs? I think my daughter did a great job. 🥰 pain in belly for about 3h but no contractions. They started one hour before she came out. Gosh I knew she was coming, that weight I can still feel it 😂 she was a sport!

[@createconsiderconnect3356]

Your hair is on point in this video friend!! I enjoy your presentation of content & the subjects you choose to cover 🧡💛💚 Always well done! I especially love when you let your quirky personality shine through 😂 Definitely think we could be friends IRL 😉

[@Nurse_zabe]

Aw, you're so sweet! 💕

[@obyerere]

love it, thanks for the video. 34 weeks

[@sabine46]

I wish I could move during my contractions! My son was back to back and the contractions were so painful my body just froze in pain during every single contraction! Eventually I got stuck on 9 cm and his heartbeat started dropping so they took me in for an Em C section. I vomited during my progressions! But in 8 months we hopefully get to try again, we just found out we are expecting baby nr 2!

[@Nurse_zabe]

Congrats on baby #2!!! Back labor is so, so terrible! It sounds like you were working really hard to meet your baby. I hope the birth with your current pregnancy goes more smoothly and with less vomiting 💕

[@A1exBOfficial]

Ooh, that was interesting about the positions. I was in an active, standing position for most of active labour, but then when I was in transition, I wanted a more restful, hands-and-knees position. I guess it could've been the length of time I was in labour, though!

[@Nurse_zabe]

I would still consider hands-and-knees to be an upright position. It can feel great to feel grounded, quite literally, in transition. Hands-and-knees definitely provides that while allowing you to move with the contractions! By restful, I mean lying down, either on your side or back (tilted so you're not flat).

[@A1exBOfficial]

@@Nurse_zabe Ahh, that makes sense! I couldn't imagine lying down during active labour!

[@dreamchord4544]

Super useful! My midwife told me not to wait too long to come in (5.5 hour first labor 😬) so I need to keep an eye on my progress at home without cervical checks!

[@erinw6726]

One weird thing in both of my labors that I vaguely recall is feeling like I needed to push/not able to stop myself but my nurse saying my cervix had a small anterior lip. Both times my nurse (with permission) helped to push the lip out of the way to get me officially to 10cm. 25min and 13min of pushing in each so clearly my babies were very much ready. I also recall feeling the need to get on the floor for contractions once I hit 4-6cm. My labors progress on the faster side. 6.5hrs from the moment I realized I was having contractions both times (2nd time the contractions were weird so I didn't know I was contracting off and on for the first 2hrs so technically 8.5hrs from when contractions started). The bulk of my progression is in the last 3hrs. My first labor I rapidly jumped from maybe a 1 to a 6 and within an hour my daughter was born. My second went a little bit slower. Was a 6 when we reached the hospital and 2hrs later my son was born. OB in my second pregnancy did not want me waiting at all once contractions started. He made sure it was in my chart that I labor quickly and because of how low baby was he had me on labor watch from 36w onward

[@lauraskeet9302]

With my first baby I had a horrible experience with my only cervical examination, so I declined with my second baby when it was offered. I knew the baby was coming quickly and knew it would slow me down and it wasn't going to make any difference...5 minutes after I declined baby crowned 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@jbb8261]

I’m never having another cervical check in labor either. Glad to know it worked for you

[@monicag.1527]

Rhombus Machaelis was pretty crazy!

[@Nurse_zabe]

It was wild to see in person. Since so often we labor in bed with an epidural, it's not visible nor is that room able to be made.

[@arini40]

I so hope to that I get to experience birth as you describe it next time. First one was complete madness. I was induced and I had the baby very fast and it was very very intense.

[@KnittingJoy]

Do you see many women declining cervical exams during labour?

[@Nurse_zabe]

Some! Although my facility follows the evidence really well of not doing them frequently or without reason. I really value working with providers who are practicing evidence based medicine. And my providers also really value the voice and preferences of their patients. I will say I recently had a patient come in without a single cervical exam and deliver her baby after 4 hours of laboring in the hospital. I was so happy we supported her in her birth. 💕

[@lochiemarkland74]

I never had any cervical checks with my baby! I had him at a birthing centre rather than a hospital, and didn’t actually get offered if I wanted one, however I progressed really fast and my midwife could tell where I was at without needing to check me, I was already trying not to push as I arrived 😝

[@jbb8261]

I’m going to. The hospital gave me an infection from checking me too much with my first birth. I don’t care what is going on, I will NOT allow a cervical check in my next labor.

[@allyg7xluv]

The triage nurse checked me when I came in at 3, and I wasn't checked again until 11:30 after I had just gotten my epidural, and turns out I was already fully dilated and effaced. After my epidural, I did not have another contraction. The monitor showed no contractions and my belly wasn't tightening at all. But I had pressure telling me to push. So the nurse just waited for me to tell her when I needed to push each time. Pushed for an hour or a little less. FTM. Is that common?

[@Nurse_zabe]

It sounds like you were contracting, but they had a hard time picking them up on the monitor. This does happen from time-to-time, but they didn't need to no because you felt the pressure. Overall an hour of pushing is less than the average for your first baby, so it sounds like you listened to your body to safely and quickly bring your baby earthside! Good work!

[@allyg7xluv]

@@Nurse_zabe Thanks for replying! I love your channel! I have been watching for 3 years now. You made me feel confident and not afraid throughout my ttc, pregnancy, and birth with my sweet boy 🥰

[@Wendyroo6817]

I would love to learn more about molar pregnancies. Have you ever seen one in your practice?

[@Nurse_zabe]

I haven't seen molar pregnancies in my practice because they wouldn't come to labor and delivery, but I have had patients who've had a history of a molar pregnancy with a previous pregnancy.

[@kinseyjohnson4341]

This has been super helpful! I was induced because I was late for my first labor, I never had early labor signs at all. I went in at 40w 4d at a 2-3 and I stalled at a 6 and it led to a c section. While they were doing my c section they said my tailbone was kept forward. I didn't have a medical need for the induction but felt I "needed to" based on what my doctor shared about the placenta not working as well after 41 weeks. This pregnancy I plan to wait for my body to be ready, unless medically necessary of course. My question is have you heard of someone having all the pain of their contractions being only in their rectum? From my first contraction on I had stabbing pain mixed with the pain of the worst need to poop when you have the flu in my rectum and no pain in my belly or back. With the information about my tailbone in the c section and the way it hurt postpartum I think it was because of the pressure on my tailbone. Do you think it'll happen again? If so what are the best positions to help baby get past my tailbone? After seeing a pelvic floor therapist they said my tailbone is pliable and not stuck in the position it was in labor. I am just so worried I won't be able to birth my son without a c section again and truly desire a vbac. I am currently 35 week pregnant and want to do everything I can to help labor progress and have my body ready to go!

[@jbb8261]

40 weeks and 4 days is not late 😢 god I hate the fact that they make mothers think this. Anything past 42 weeks is “late”

[@charlottelucas9062]

Not sure if youll see this but i figured id ask, as you said the more dilated you get the less uncomfortable cervical checks may be.. is it normal to bleed like a lot during a cervical check? One of the student nurse/drs checked my cervix around 7 cm and it was SO painful and her glove was covered in blood, just wondering if that's normal/something i might expect with this next delivery..?