Abnormal Labor

Question: is it abnormal for a cat to be in labor for over 13 hours? my cat had kittens this morning at 2:30 am...she had three...but she still has some in her stomach...is this abnormal or normal? she has atleast 3 more in her...i can feel them and see them. should i be worried, or does labor sometimes take this long for a cat...a cat expert told me that this is normal and sometimes can take 24-32 hours for all kittens to be delivered...is this true?

Answer: Me again yes she will be fine one answer says she could die but she wont i promise, and one said she should have them in 2 to 6 hours that's not possible,as cats kittens are born hours apart,and always take as long as i have said, and i have over 27 year's of experience with birthing cats and have never had one die on me and all had healthy litters, and like you say she is happy and content and not at all stressed, and it can take longer for first time mothers but you dont say if its her first litter, but if she doesnt give birth to the rest after the 24-32 hours is up from start of labour contact the vet to prevent infection as the kittens dont have the amniotic fluid around them.

Question: How long were you in labor with your 1st and or 2nd child? I have a 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter. With my daughter I was in labor for 8 hours (kind of fast for a first pregnancy) and with my son my whole labor (contractions and all) was 1 hour 50 minutes. They were so fast and I am wondering how abnormal my labor and deliveries were? or if it is more common than I think. Thank you:)

Answer: I was in labor for 13 hours the first time, but only pushed through three contractions. I was in labor for 4 hours the second time, only pushed twice and he was out. With the third it was a whirlwind, I was only in active labor for about an hour. I read that the average first labor is 12 hours. Yours was fast compared to that average.

Question: For those of you who experienced back labor....what are the signs? Did it shift to regular uterine? I'm 38weeks and 4days pregnant. My mom said she had back labor with me (although that was 23 yrs ago so she doesn't exactly remember - she just knows she didn't feel a thing in her tummy or abdomen)...I'm trying to decide if what I'm feeling warrants a trip to the hospital or just a nice hot shower and a nap. (yes I know better safe than sorry - but I'm serious this is a borderline call here - for any of those who have been pregnant you know what I'm talking about...) Currently my back hurts so much worse than it his throughout the pregnancy. The bulk of the pain is focused just above my tailbone. The pain can sometime radiate into my hips and thighs but not always or regularly. Sitting makes it ok, lying down makes it worse. Kneeling sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't. I have the occasional tightening of my tummy but it isn't regular nor painful. Baby is still moving occasionally. No abnormal leakage. Could this be back labor?

Answer: This doesn't sound like back labor (or early labor in general). It's rare for a woman not to feel anything at all in the abdomen during labor, even if she is having "back labor" so I would say your mom is very lucky. Contractions occur in the uterus so almost every woman is going to feel SOMETHING in her abdomen during labor - not just in the back. The term "back labor" just basically means that because of the way your baby is positioned (more toward the back) you are going to feel a lot of pain back there along with each contraction (and maybe sometimes in between). Also, just because your mother had back labor does not mean you will. Again, it depends on the baby's position and NOT on genes or heredity. Since the pains you are feeling right now are not regular and can be somewhat relieved by changing positions, I would say you are not in labor, but that your baby is in a position that is causing some extra pain and discomfort. Or possibly you are experiencing sciatic which is nerve pain that can radiate from the lower back and buttocks to the backs of the legs. Either way, now is a good time to practice "pain coping" techniques that will serve you well in labor - counterpressure to the back, massage, hot compresses and warm baths. If your back pain at any time seems to worsen, or the tightening starts becoming regularly, definitely call your doctor or midwife. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Question: I'm 38 weeks pregnant and i think i lost my mucus plug. Will I start to go into labor soon? The mucus that came out was a clear and greenish. There was No blood. But it was very abnormal and very thick and sticky just like the plug.

Answer: Shouldn't be too long now! Pay close attention to contractions, baby movements, etc..! Good luck!

Question: ATTN VETS.........9 y/o Golden with labored abnormal breathing, he is also very lethargic.? He went for a walk this AM, after the walk was too tired to go home. He stayed at a friends house for several hrs. After i drove him home and since then he has been very lethargic and will take 3 shallow breaths followed by a single deep breath that appears to be painful. He will only lay on his side. There had been no trauma and he doesn't appear to have pain while i pressed on his ribs. He is a little over weight, but this is very abnormal for the big guy. does anybody have any ideas??????? Please help

Answer: He needs to go to vet ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question: My midwife said that I might have to get a shot of something that will help stop labor? what does she mean and what will they do to me in the hospital? Im nervous.. Im asking this while I wait to see if my contractions stop on there own. 35 weeks today. 3rd child. They are abnormal contractions. last a minute and they come every 2 min or 5 min or one after another. Weard!

Answer: Most hospitals won't consider irregular contractions to be true labour, although it is possible to have irregular contractions during your entire labour (I did with my last two, one of those was born at 35 weeks also). If you go to hospital, they'll probably examine you, do an internal, put you on a CTG scan so they can see how the baby is doing, and how strong your contractions are. If your labour is well advanced (waters broken, cervix dilating, strong contractions) they may well just let the labour proceed. If your labour is only mild, you may get an injection, usually of Bricanyl (also used as asthma preventative, but in powdered form for that), to stop your contractions. If they don't think you are in true labour, they'll probably just send you back home to put your feet up and rest. Good luck.

Question: Please tell me am i in labor or what? I am 33 weeks or more pregnant and i have had lower back and abnormal pains going back and forth and my legs are very restless and I cannot sit or lay sit for very long is this labor coming and this is my third child and I am a little scared?

Answer: Is your belly tightening along with those cramps? Are you having more than 6 per hour? You should always call your doctor if you aren't sure. We can't diagnose preterm labor over the internet.

Question: 39 weeks and abnormal bowel movements.... ? This may be a little TMI for some. BUt for the past week I have noticed my bowel movements have been a really weird color. and I have had diarrhea lately. They are consistently the same color for the past week. and it seems abnormal. Did anyone experience this before labor? or could I be ill?

Answer: Diarrhea is normal before labor, its your bodies way of cleaning out before the baby comes, to make room. Sounds like you could go at any time. Good luck to you and Congrats!

Question: I have heard that you can get diarrhea right before you go into labor...? For the last 3 - 4 days I have had a mild case of diarrhea. Not too bad thankfully. But just abnormal for me. I am 36 weeks and I feel ready to go. I have heard that diarrhea can come along as part of the labor process. Is this true or do I just have my hopes up?

Answer: It is true. I had diarrhea a few hours before I went into labor. It is usually caused by prostaglandins that get the contractions going. Prostaglandins also hyperstimulate the bowels and intestinal system (which is why some women get diarrhea with their period), thus causing diarrhea.

Question: Abnormal Squamous Epith? Crystals and Bacteria in Lab results..? I am pregnant and because of it, I had to get some routine blood work done. I'm going to be going on a trip, so had to pick up some of my records *( including lab work results, in case i go into labor on the trip. )* and while reading them... *( come on, you know you would read them too )*... I was looking at my lab work and saw in the "abnormal column" there were a couple things listed... 1. Squamous Epith its 50-100 but the reference range is 0-10... 2. Crystals its "amor ura" 3. Bacteria is moderate but the reference range is negative... I'm not one to stress or anything but because I go to a large practice my doctors didn't go over my blood work nor my ultrasound results with me... So does anyone know what this stuff means and is there something I should be doing to make it healthier for the baby??? Thanks

Answer: As a healthcare practioner, the results you quoted sounds more like results I get from a urinalysis not from bloodwork. These results in a urine specimen indicate a urinary tract infection. Also.....you SHOULD look at your medical records. They are yours. Its what you are paying for. I always give my patients copies of thier test results and explain them to them. This is the service you are paying for....you employ us. Think of it that way.