WTF - What the .. Fridays | Body Shakes During Labour

First edition of What The!?... Fridays of 2021!!

Let's talk about body shaking during labour.

Most birthing people will experience some shaking or shivering during labour, but are rarely prepared for the intensity.

Whether you have a vaginal birth, an epidural or a c-section, you will likely experience this little known phenomenon.

Some birthing people shake uncontrollably while others only have the shakes in certain areas of the body (the legs or arms). The most common time to get the shakes is around transition, when the cervix is fully dilated before pushing begins, or immediately after birth.

Reasons for shaking during labour & birth:

⭐️Hormones - We can blame hormones for almost everything in pregnancy including uncontrollable shaking during labour. Hormone shifts & temp changes can set off an adrenaline response. Although birth can be a positive, uplifting experience, the huge shift in oxytocin & stress hormones can bring on what looks like a shock reaction.

⭐️Hard Work - It’s not called labour for nothing. Your entire body works very hard to move your baby down and out, which in turn increases your body temperature.

Less common reasons:

⭐️Blood Incompatibility - A recent theory points to blood incompatibility between the birthing person & baby.

⭐️Amniotic Fluid Embolism - This is a rare but serious situation, which happens as a result of amniotic fluid coming into contact with the birthing person's bloodstream. This is most likely to occur during birth or immediately after. The effects of amniotic fluid embolism happen quite suddenly, and include low BP, chills & shakes.

⭐️IV Fluids – IV fluids tend to be cooler than your normal body temp and can affect your internal temperature regulation.

What Can You Do?

⭐️Stay warm: have a dry, warm blanket handy.

⭐️Skin to skin contact: this isn’t just good for baby, but it also helps reduce stress hormones & boost oxytocin, which can help reduce body temp in the birthing person.

It’s important to remember, in most cases, shaking in labour is a normal physiological response. It’s part of your body’s way of coping with the intensity of labour & the recovery process after birth.