"I told them I needed to push. They sent me to the bathroom."
By my third baby, I knew exactly what it felt like to have to push. But here's the thing β I never had normal labor pains. Not once. Every time I had a contraction, I had to pee. The nurse said I was only 3cm and had a LONG way to go. She took me to the bathroom and walked out. Then I started yelling βthe baby is coming!β She came back explaining that the baby can't be coming yet, put her hand down to check, and started screaming βGET BACK IN BED!β A student doctor caught my daughter. I called it bladder labor β nobody in that hospital had ever heard of it...
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Labor & delivery nurse here, 22 years. I have NEVER heard the term bladder labor but I've absolutely seen it. We had a patient years ago who kept saying she just needed to pee. By the time we checked, the baby was crowning. This needs a name and you just gave it one.
OH MY GOD. This was me with my second!! Every contraction felt like I had to pee! I kept telling the nurses and they looked at me like I was crazy. I had no idea anyone else experienced this. I'm literally crying right now.
The post-delivery urinary retention is a known complication but it sounds like the nursing staff didn't take it seriously enough. Bladder rupture is rare but real. You were right to be concerned. And the "bladder labor" phenomenon β I'd love to see more research on this.
The nurse telling you that you just need to pee WHILE THE BABY IS COMING OUT. I can't. This is why women don't trust medical staff. We KNOW our bodies. Listen to us!