One of my favorite moments of labor, one that happens only occasionally, is when a woman falls asleep in between contractions. I see this most often when women are in the transition phase of active labor or in the pushing stage.
It is wild to think that in the midst of arguably the most intense physical experience of your life you can nod off to sleep!
During contractions a woman is focused with a scrunched up brow and may be squeezing her partner’s hand and moaning or grunting. And then when the contractions end, all that tension releases, she falls into a deeply relaxed state and lets the rest of the world just fall away.
It amazes me Every Single Time.
And every single time, I rejoice that she is getting a brief respite so that she is ready for the next wave that is going to bring her that much closer to welcoming her baby.
~ Lisa W., RN
