Q&A: Why Do You Get Chills During Labor?

Chills or shaky, jittery feelings during labor are very common. Usually they happen as a woman is going through transition — that’s when her cervix is dilated about eight or nine centimeters — or sometimes it happens after delivery.

The chills are probably caused by a number of things that are happening — an endorphin release, body temperature changes and/or a reaction to anesthesia. The chills tend to go away about a half hour after labor.