Are you a screamer or a moaner???

[Queen]

Moaner in the beginning with heavy breathing, but then when my body takes over I scream/yell....particularly when someone tries to boss me round or tells me to be quiet

[Just Me]

I was silent, or whimpering at the beginning with both my posterior births until they broke my waters and then I screamed and screamed and screamed ...

I made it to 9cm with DD2 before they gave me a c/s - she was in a footling breech position - I only moaned through her labour and only for the last couple of contractions ... huge difference

[flossy17]

I swear I groaned her out of me - like really deep from the gut type groans or 'lowing' as the midwives put it - my throat was one of the sorest parts of my body the day after giving birth! No screaming at any stage though.

Didn't know they had a name for it, i suppose it was a groan sort of grunt when i was pushing them out, sort of like when tennis players grunt cause they're putting so much effort into it iykwim. Makes me clucky just thinking about it. I could so do it again, maybe not my first labour but def the second..it felt sooo good to push her out!

[kungfubecca]

Bit of both looking back the screams were followed by midwives telling me to slow my breathing now I understand why I did pity any first timers that may have been on the ward just starting their labor to listen to me would have scared the be geebers out of them

[Liviam]

I was a moaner and groaner and had a bit of a cry at transition. Then pushing I was a deep groaner.

[Snacks]

I definitely think screaming can a sign of feeling a bit out of control. I was "trained" by my SIL-midwife-support-person to channel that energy in to relaxing my body, lowering my shoulders and moaning rather than anything else.
With Phoebe, once I arrived at the hospital I was so pushy it was crazy. I grunted like a beast while I pushed and I too had a MEGA sore throat afterwards. I appologised to the midwife when I realised how sore my throat was and said, "I must've been very noisy!" LOL. She was very gracious and told me I wasn't. But we both knew.

[Smoke Jaguar]

A bit like Nickel and Lily Dust, I am silent and breathing until crowning, where I groaned a couple of times with DD, but not with DS. When it's transition time my out breath has a 'note', so that it sounds like a yoga 'om'. Just channelling everything into a peaceful delivery and letting my body use all its resources to do what it knows how to do.
So, groaning, I guess, rather than a moan!

[2CheekyMonkeys]

It can also be a sign of where the mother is psychologically. If a client of mine is screaming or high pitched, I will check to make sure she's not feeling frightened or scared, and help her to feel calm again. Send the energy down.... not out and up through the mouth! Generally speaking, I see screaming as feeling out of control, frightened or scared and can utilise energy best used other ways.

totally agree and so true of my labours. first time labour i was scared out of my wits, no one there seemed to be paying me much attention, i was a screamer. when the midwife changed shifts the fist thing the new midwife said was 'stop screaming you are going to have a sore throat'. she didnt say it nicely or give me a reason and i felt really ****ed off at her.

second labour, i was more of a moaner and then grunter towards the end. i was in a much better head space, more prepared.

i wish i had a good midwife the first time round.. or even knew that douulas existe4d.

[My Three Sons]

Mostly i think i was a moaner, but a bit of yelling when crowning!