Three common myths about labor
Myth #1: Your water breaking will be the first sign labor has started.
Despite how media portrays labor, a woman’s water breaking is most often NOT the first sign it has begun. It is actually more common for a woman’s water to break somewhere in the middle to the end of her labor, during active labor or when she is pushing. Personally, my water broke 20 minutes before our first child was born and about 30 seconds before our second child was born. It’s important to know this so that you understand 1) the importance of learning the early signs of labor so you can best prepare for the remainder of it and 2) that you know nothing is wrong with you or your labor progression if your water doesn’t break early in labor.
Myth #2: Beware of big babies.
Mama - just because you have a baby that is measuring “big” does not necessarily mean that your labor will be more difficult. And truth be told, it doesn’t even mean your baby will actually be born big.
What do I mean by that? That providers sometimes predict weight incorrectly? Yes! This is a topic for another day, but for now, just know that research shows measuring big, especially when the measurements are done later in pregnancy, does not mean your baby will actually be born big (which medically speaking is 8 lbs. 13 oz. or more).
So what about complications during labor? Tearing, for example, is something that women are told to fear if their baby is potentially big. But baby’s size is only one factor. Other factors that play into tearing include baby’s position at birth, mom’s positioning during labor, pelvic floor/connective tissue deficiencies, assisted delivery (use of forceps/vacuum), etc. All of this indicates that tearing is something that can happen independent of the size of your baby.
Shoulder dystocia is another hot topic when babies are suspected to be big. And while it is true that big babies have a higher likelihood of shoulder dystocia, because half of all cases of shoulder dystocia happen to babies that are normal to small size, the conclusion is that it’s not possible to truly know which babies will have should dystocia and those that will not. It is an unfortunate potential complication for all babies and not just for those who may be big.
So what’s the takeaway? Preparation for labor is important for all women. High quality and supportive care is important for all women. The potential of having a big baby should not be presented to women in a fearful way. Providers should provide accurate and evidence-based information, and all women should know where to find it on their own. What help with that? Take a childbirth education class! But you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?
Myth #3: It’s not worth it to write a birth plan.
If you’re anything like me, you heard at least a handful of times during your pregnancy some variation of this statement - “having a birth plan is a surefire way for things to go the opposite way of how you plan.” I can’t help but cringe a little when I hear people mock birth plans. Because really, the perpetuation of this myth stems from people not understanding what a birth plan really is and how it’s meant to be used.
What people don’t fully realize is that the process of writing a birth plan - researching options, learning about the birth process, talking through everything with your partner - is just as important, if not more so, than the plan itself.
A birth plan is a communication tool. A birth plan is a means to learn and grow in confidence. A birth plan is not a list of demands. A birth plan is not written under the assumption that every step of your labor and birth will follow exactly as you have outlined. But when you research birth and learn more about it, you learn that anyway.
So write that birth plan, mama! (I can help!) Learn. Research. Talk to your partner. And politely disregard the people who try to tell you otherwise.