Vaginal fortitude or recklessness?

[EmilyAnne]

OK, my fellow ladies.
I have never had a child.
I have never had a 6.2 lb. object pushed out of my vagina.
So, I have absolutely no idea what it would be like.

I'm just curious about the Hawaiian Governor's reference about Palin's Texas to Alaska plane ride while in labor.
What about that journey hints to being a tough, strong woman? Can a TOUGH woman really just extend her labor until she's good and ready? Can she just clench real tight and hold that baby in for hours?
Doesn't a baby just come when its time?
As an outsider, taking such a long journey seems purely reckless.
Then again, maybe she was advised by a doctor that she had enough time?
I just don't understand the idea that holding out through a long labor makes her TOUGH. Are women with short labors WEAK?
Weird stuff.

[mcctatas]

1. I had two normal deliveries with lots'o'drugs and one

c-section, I would rather be comfortable than tough any day of the week...

[EmilyAnne]

5. Good for you, mama! Awesome!

I want to have children soon, but its scary.
I hope the maternal instinct just somehow takes over like a magic spell so I stop obsessing about the details!

[mcctatas]

7. I didn't have a shred of maternal instinct...

I was practically a Bristol Palin with the first one, but they're like lays potato chips, you can't have just one;) I think the maternal instinct kicked in the second my first daughter was born, the details tend to take care of themselves....

[DesertFlower]

12. i stopped at one.

i never had any regrets that i didn't have more. my son only had one. i have a lovely granddaughter and 2 great granddaughters.

[DesertFlower]

11. it is scary. nt

[DesertFlower]

2. i had one child 7lb. 8 ounces.

i went into labor about 6 am. didn't even call my husband. i called my aunt and grandmother. they came over along with my cousin. my landlady and her daughter in law came over. i made coffee for everyone. my aunt said i couldn't be in labor because i wasn't screaming in pain. at around 4 pm i had the "show". my aunt said "that's it -- we're going to the hospital". we called hubby and told him to meet us there. i was admitted to the hospital at 4:20 pm. my son was born at 6:10 pm.

of course, i only lived 10 minutes from the hospital.

[EmilyAnne]

4. That is a wonderful story! Did you feel like you had total control over the labor?

I know there are things you can do to make it easier or go faster. I just don't understand the idea of being "strong enough" to hold the baby in until you make it to your home town 10 hours away.
Is that possible?
Just to make it clear, I am not suggesting that Trig isn't her baby. It just seems weird for people in the RNC to hoot and howl about how long her labor was. Bizarre.

[DesertFlower]

10. i felt very comfortable.

it was nice to have my family and friends with me.

now when my sister was born, my mother said she held back. she went into labor right after dad left for work. she called dad and he came right home -- got her to the hospital. he had to carry her in. my mom said the hospital staff yelled "here comes one -- and it's in a hurry". there was no time for any preparations. she said she held back because she didn't want my younger sister and i to have to watch her give birth. i was 12. my sis was 5. i proabably would have fainted.

the RNC will hoot and howl about everything having to do with sarah palin.

[blondeatlast]

3. Sarah Palin is a mother, but she ain't no mom. She endangered her unborn child's life--

really, really endangered it--by doing that.

I had a c-section after just as risky a pregnancy as Palin had (maybe moreso) and I did exactly as I was told to do by my doctors (I now have a happy, healthy 11 year old).

Recklessness is the correct answer.

[EmilyAnne]

6. It seems like it to me but, like I said, I don't have experience to draw from.

I'm so happy that everything worked out so good for you and your child. Your 11 year old is lucky to have such a devoted mama!

[susanna]

8. Though I have no children myself...

I am aunt, godmother and suchlike to a boatload of them. From my understanding (from friend and family moms), there was a rather specific point in labor when they realized that nature had taken over, and that they (mom) were out of the control loop.

In a nutshell, I doubt honestly a woman can "hold it in" or "extend her labor until she's good and ready." Baby comes when baby comes. It's mom's job to facilitate the birth at that time.

I'm sure other mothers can chime in on this, especially if I've been fed a line of bull from all the moms around me. :-)

[SeattleGirl]

9. If that story is true, then Sarah Palin is flat-out fucking irresponsible.

My water broke in the middle of the night; woke up in a wet bed (yeah, I know....ewwwww).

After 24 hours of very hard labor, they ended up having to do a C-section on me.

I do not consider myself "tough" because I went through 24 hours of labor. Nor do I consider women who go through short labors weak (hell, I ENVY them!).

A woman's body is going to do what it's going to do in labor. It has nothing to do with strength or weakness.

I think Sarah Palin was being awfully wreckless, if that story is real.

[Venceremos]

13. As far as I know

you cannot "clench real tight", etc. I have two children, both delivered naturally. At least with my two, a baby just comes when it's time and you can't stop or extend your labor.

With my oldest my water started leaking but didn't break all the way. The doctor said I had to go to the hospital right away because when your water breaks or even just leaks the baby is at risk of infection.