QuestionIs it normal to have nausea during the third trimester even if I didn't have morning sickness before?
How long should I expect to be in labor?
IS there anything I can be given other than an epidural for the pain?
How long should I expect to be in the hospital?
Will the baby be able to go home with me right away?
AnswerNausea is very common in the third trimester. The baby is growing and pushing aside all your internal organs. This includes your stomach, which is getting shunted aside and squished at the same time that your caloric needs are increasing. This can cause nausea, and also the heartburn that is common during the end of pregnancy.
Labor is very variable from woman to woman. Remember that normal always comes with a range. For example, people of normal height can be anywhere from 4'10" to 6'6"...that's a pretty big difference! Labor can vary anywhere from 2 hours to 4 days...that's right, I said 4 days. And as long as mother and baby are not in distress, there is nothing wrong with allowing a long labor like this to continue. In fact, a longer labor may be safer than the shorter, 2-4 hour labors, because it allows the mother and baby both to more slowly and gently ease into position, stretch and bend, reducing the risk of tissue trauma such as vaginal tears, hemmorrhoids, bruising of the baby's head, etc.
In the hospital, you can sometimes receive a spinal anesthetic instead of an epidural. This is commonly used when a planned c-section is expected, because the effect is total and usually lasts for several hours. However, it is not as commonly used during vaginal childbirth, because it cannot be controlled (turned up or down as needed). Other options include oral or intravenous narcotics. These are less than optimal, though, because they cross the placental barrier and can affect the baby, increasing the risk of breathing problems after birth. For this reason, these drugs will likely not be offered to you if you are thought to be within 2 hours of delivering.
A normal hospital stay for a vaginal birth is 24-48 hours. This allows you to recover from what is essentially running a marathon, and allows the hospital to monitor the baby for any problems, especially if you were given any medications during labor. Even receiving an epidural increases the risk of fever and the need for a sepsis workup. If you have a c-section, a normal stay is up to 4-5 days. Usually you will have your external stitches or staples removed before you are discharged.
Unless your baby has problems, of course your baby will go home with you. Circumstances where your baby might have to stay longer include preterm birth (<37 weeks), suspected sepsis, or previously undetected birth defects. This is not common.
