View Full Version : How Did You Give Birth???
KapowSchazam
01-02-2007, 10:32
I saw this same question in another thread, and I've always wondered as the rates for caesarian births seem to be climbing!
In my gruop of friends, three had 'natural' births, while four of us had unplanned caesarians (2 emergency, 2 elective).
Wondering what everyone else's birth experience was, and how you felt about the birth in the days (weeks) following???
MrsTwith3
01-02-2007, 10:39
With my last DS I had a completely natural waterbirth.
My 1st I had an induced labour with many interventions and nearly ended up with a c/sec.
DS1 I had an induced labour, used gas for pain but was ntaural apart from that.
with DS1 I had a completely natural birth, no drugs etc..
with DS2 I had a natural birth, used a little gas becuase he had shoulder dystosia (basically his shoulders got stuck)..
KapowSchazam
01-02-2007, 10:48
I had an emergency caesarian as B was distressed and her heart rate kept dropping.
It was nothing like I had 'planned' and I was really disappointed with it for AGES, as having a c-sect wasn't something that even entered my thinking for what *might* happen!
My worst case scenario before that would have been to have a boy! (dh and I couldn't agree on a name!)
My worst case scenario before that would have been to have a boy! (dh and I couldn't agree on a name!)
:laughing: Zac went 3 days without a name coz I convinced myself I was having a girl
KapowSchazam
01-02-2007, 11:13
:laughing: Zac went 3 days without a name coz I convinced myself I was having a girl
LOL! DH wanted to name 'him' FRANCESCO (after his dad) BLAH!!! I told DH I'd just put whatever name I decided on the birth cert. He said he'd divorce me (cos he told his mum, WITHOUT consulting me first, who then told his dad. He felt that there was no way he could 'disappoint' his dad so much - I suggested that I wouldn't mind doing the disappointing!)
AND back and forwards it went. I think we were both very relieved that she was a girl! (They couldn't even tell us 100% at the scan - her umbilical cord was in the way!) :D Cheeky lil monkey that she is!
Good question Renee....
I only have two close friends that have had bubbas, one had a vaginal birth and the other had a c/s for a breech bubba.... i had a very unplanned emergency c/s for an obstructed labour...
Immediately following the birth I was fine with it... just happy that i had a healthy bubba... but as time passes I've thought more and more about it and realised that I wish I had trusted my body and what I was doing more as it was listening to the silly midwife that contributed to the c/s.... hopefully one day I'll get the opportunity to have another go and another beautiful bubba!! Or 10... lol....
I've had two uncomplicated, 'natural' births with some gas at the end! Both were induced. I felt very satisfied with my experiences.
BabyClancy
01-02-2007, 12:14
i had a great birth experience. it was a naturally delivery with only a bit of gas. i think it was better than i had expected but in saying that, the more i hear of other experiences the more i realise that i did a hell of a lot of pushing!
as soon as i had my little bubba on my chest though i didn't care an ounce about what happened:D
I had the ULTIMATE labour and delivery :)
3 hour natural induced labour due to pre eclampsia, just some gas during transition, no tearing. I pushed for maybe a half hour. This was my FIRST baby. I cant wait for the next one, Im probably going to drop it while Im walking lol I am so pleased I got the delivery I wanted, heck it was better than I ever dreamed. Im a labour junkie now :o
Mel lovie my midwives AND ob told me gas doesnt count in labour as pain meds cause its only in your body for something like 10 secs, so you can say you had a natural birth!
Completely natural with DS - Ended up with a 3rd degree tear and he was pulled out with the Venthouse.
Induced with DD - Had an epidural and an episiotomy. (SOOO MUCH better then the birth of DS).
Oscar's mum
01-02-2007, 13:36
I had 2 unplanned c-sections:(
KapowSchazam
01-02-2007, 14:50
I had 2 unplanned c-sections:(
What happened during the labour to have to have a c-sect twice? Were the bubs too big in the end?
I had an unexpectd in-labour non-emergency caesarean :(
it was to avoid high forceps delivery which is fair enough but... It's a sad edictment on our ante-natal care when the only time i heard a thing about fetal positioning (posterior bubs ect..) was after my c/s and not during the pregnancy when, with some planning I could have avoided a c/s or forceps altogether. :no:
KapowSchazam
01-02-2007, 18:27
Hi Nats,
What could you have done to avoid the c/s?
TinyStar
02-02-2007, 14:40
Hi Naybob,
you'll be very happy to hear that for my 2nd birth I had a VBAC:thumbsup:
My first was an emergency c/sec due to breech baby. (the breech was undiagnosed).
With Mr P I had some gas from transition onwards and had a very tiny tear and a graze,
DS1 was c/s, planned as he was breech
DS2 was an emergency c/s after 15 hours labour.
lachys_mama
02-02-2007, 15:37
i was going to have a natural birth but I freaked out and couldn't calm myself down enough to manage the pain s0000 midwifey brought some pethadine which helped me relax, had DS by sponteanous vaginal delivery with 20 mins of pushing and no tearing in the shower :D DP thought he was the bees knees for helping deliver him
Mariposa
02-02-2007, 17:31
all of my girls were naturals :D
KapowSchazam
02-02-2007, 18:27
you'll be very happy to hear that for my 2nd birth I had a VBAC:thumbsup:
Now, THAT'S what I wanna hear!!! Never want to go through c-sect ever again! (In case anyone couldn't tell! :p )
Well I WANTED a natural waterbirth with minimal drugs/ interventions. What I got was a 10 days overdue bub who didn't want to come out, an induction causing bub to turn posterior and pass meconium and thereafter every intervention possible right down to a failed epi and an emergency c-section (stuck baby). I was pretty traumatised by the whole thing. Not so much because I was disappointed it wasn't 'natural', but because of the way it was handled (certain 'caregivers' not so caring!) and the state of distress that both bub and I were in at the time. It was SO far from the calm birth I'd hoped for.
I think the thing that bothered me the most afterward was not being allowed to be the first to hold my son and not being allowed to take him into recovery with me for his first feed (despite both of us being fine). That haunted me for ages.
Anyway - all I hope is the next one is a lot calmer, and I will put my foot down about holding and feeding them when they arrive, no matter 'how' it happens!
our little treasures
02-02-2007, 18:54
I had traumatic natural births but I would do it all over again in a heart beat!!
I voted for natural, it was but at the same time it was interfered with epidurals, forceps and vaccums.:rolleyes:
Hi Nats,
What could you have done to avoid the c/s?
It would've been much easier if DS in a better position. ie - facing my spine instead of facing my left hip.
Plus I was pushing to early (I had an epi :o so I couldn't feel the urge or not)
Those things combined meant that DS's head, when I pushed down, kept swelling the cervix which was dialated fully but it just kept swelling with every push and preventing his head from decending.
During my pg a midwife told me I should spend as much of the labour as possible on hands and knees or on knees leaning forward. Well I spent 10 hours on my knees and didn't budge. I should've been on hands and knees every day encouraging bubs to turn but no one ever suggested it :mad:
When it got to pushing and the middie discovered anterior cervical lip was the problem then at that time instead of calling the obstetrician who, after a very painful VE, sent me to theatre, she should've encouraged me to lay on my left side and resist pushing. Allowing babies head to back off my cervix and repostition.
Alas this could've added more hours to an already 10+hour labour.... busy hospital...... other women ready to birth their babies..... surgeons need more practice any way .... what the heck send her to theatre.
End of labour.... much guilt and sense of failure :no:
But now I know better. I have read and researched so much already. I feel that armed with knowledge I will have a sucessful VB next time :yes:
Also the trends are turning back to favour vbac so when next time comes I would feel like I'll be bullied back in to theatre but I will have support and I'll be vigilant in making sure i do
KapowSchazam
02-02-2007, 20:50
End of labour.... much guilt and sense of failure :no:
From the sounds of it, the only ones who SHOULD be feeling guilt and shame are the midwives! They're the ones who are supposed to be there to help us give birth! I think in a lot of cases, they are just looking for an easy way to get the room free for the next labouring woman. I have two friends who had a c-sect becuase they weren't progressing fast enough. Both of them had had an epidural and were on a drip! :rolleyes: I think that the midwives (and antenatal class leaders) should go into more information about how being horizontal slows the labour cos bub's head isn't pushing as hard on the cervix as when you're upright. I think a lot of middies these days offer an epidural continuously, until you almost feel like you should have it.
I wonder if birthing centres are any better than hospitals??? (In this regard)
I wonder if birthing centres are any better than hospitals??? (In this regard)
I went to a birth centre as part of the hospy and had the same experience... unsupportive midwife.... bad advice.... should've trusted my own body and instincts....
I know better for next time!!
KapowSchazam
02-02-2007, 21:08
Well, bugger! There goes that idea! Maybe having a dolua? (sp?)
Well, bugger! There goes that idea! Maybe having a dolua? (sp?)
A doula... most definitely.... my "support" people... in my mum and sisters weren't really all that helpful either... in fact I think I would have felt more comfortable on my own....
Arm yourself with as much info as possible...
I'm actually studying to be a doula now... and I wish I knew what I know now 6 mths ago!
KapowSchazam
02-02-2007, 21:29
I thought afterwards that I did get the letters round the wrong way!
How long does it take to become a doula??? It must be very interesting! (also somewhat :barf: on the job! :o )
Naybob and Karma Kaz I have read a great book called the caesarean by Michel Odent. Brings up some great points :yes:
Really negates what we are taught in ante natal class about bring music into the birth suite bla bla bla..
Karma Kaz your likely right about being on your own being better off. I was to worried myself about DH's arms dropping off so he needed a break. Also the stupid midwifes kept calling on the PA system "Epidural to the front desk, epidural to the front desk" ... :banghead: Why did they do that all day ?!?
If pain releif is their it's soooo hard not to take it :no:
Was I so wrong :(
*butterflykisses*
02-02-2007, 21:44
i had a planned c/s because my first 2 where c/s
KapowSchazam
02-02-2007, 21:46
Nats, I know how hard it is to accept, but there was not anything that you could have done better. Even if you had the knowledge then that you have now, who knows if it would have made much (if any) difference in the end??? I have now accepted that there wasn't anything I could have done 'better' (or even differently) to change the outcome. B was engaged from about 36ish weeks and facing the right way, etc, but she was still pushing with the wrong part of her head - sometimes bubs will just do what they want to do (huh - she hasn't stopped! LOL)
Hindsight is always a wonderful thing - but please don't beat yourself up about it! Just think about the gorgeous, healthy bub you've got! Would you not have gone though any amount of pain and suffering just to guarantee a safe arrival??? I know I would!
Having a caesarian seemed like the worst thing that could have possibly happened, but then I thought about my friend's sister - she was full term with her 2nd child - a girl - she had noticed that she hadn't felt any movement that day, so she went to the hosp birth suite for a check, they did an ultrasound and found that a bit of the lining of the uterus had dislodged and wrapped around the umbilical cord, and managed to get so tight that it had actually cut off the supply to the bub & she had died. My friend's sis was then induced and had to go through labour and give birth to her daughter with the pain in her heart of knowing that she was already dead. If she had gone into labour the day before she would have had a beautiful healthy baby girl. I couldn't think of a worse birthing story than this. I would rather die myself than have this happen...it has ruined her whole family (she has a lil boy too - older - and has been TTC for two years since) and she is having marital probs. SO SAD!!! :crying:
Any story of giving birth has got to be better than that!
Nats - there's a fair bit of reference to Michael Odent in my doula stuff... some very good points!!
Nay - as long as you need.... its all self paced...
Wondermum
02-02-2007, 22:17
DS1 was natural birth centre - vaginal birth (pain relief gas & water). Very active labour, tried various positions to birth but ended on my back and had an episiotomy.
DS2 was delivery suite birth - vaginal birth (pain relief heat packs, morphine & gas) Very active labour, birthed in kneeling position on bed leaning against bed head, had second degree tearing and graze.
My 1st baby was breech, so I had to have an emergency c-section.
My Other 3 were all VBAC. My 1st VBAC was with an epi, but my other 2 where brilliant, fast and drug free :)
Hi Renee
I had an emergency C Section for DD1, it was due to them thinking I may have placenta praevia as I bled a lot... but when I went back pg with DS I found out that I didn't have pp after all. :banghead: The whole experience was rather cr@p and added to an already tulmutuous marriage, we had no family support and struggled.
5 years later we bit the bullet, things were much better between us and I researched vbac loads.... DS was a vbac and the experience was very empowering, recovery much better.
Then I had DD2 this year, another natural birth... a bit harder work this time round but another good recovery. I was anxious about having a CS as I didnt think we'd cope well, again no family support.
My advice to you if you want to vbac is to do your homework, knowledge is power and you may have to make on the spot decisions in your labour... check out the vbac section here and birthrites.
:hugs:
Nats, geez I didnt know your labour was that upsetting :eek: I can totally see why your mad.
Having an unneccesary caesar was my main fear. I told my OB and the midwives they could drag the baby out if they had to or even cut one of my legs off if it would help avoid a caesar. Im very lucky that my hospital was top notch and so are their staff.
Ive noticed its more of a trend to push women to have caesars in public hospitals as they are rushed and often are overbooked iykwim. The hospy I gave birth in had a rule of only booking a certain number of patients in for each month so that they were rarely if ever without enough staff or rooms. I had 4 midwives - two in with me the whole time and 2 who would support and check on me up until delivery. They were very anti-caesar unless neccesary and took it on board that I wanted to try everything possible first before going the caesar route unless it was a life or death situation. That said if I had had a caesar, I would be researching my butt off and having a VBAC next time round.
Atleast you have hindsight Nats and can arm yourself with all the info you need to have your VBAC, and IM betting youll do it and do it fabulously!!!!!
Well I WANTED a natural waterbirth with minimal drugs/ interventions. What I got was a 10 days overdue bub who didn't want to come out, an induction causing bub to turn posterior and pass meconium and thereafter every intervention possible right down to a failed epi and an emergency c-section (stuck baby).
I think the thing that bothered me the most afterward was not being allowed to be the first to hold my son and not being allowed to take him into recovery with me for his first feed (despite both of us being fine). That haunted me for ages.
totally understand how you feel.. My DS2 was 7days overdue and then his shoulders got stuck. When they finally got him out he wasnt breathing and was taken to the nursery for observation for an hour.. My first glimpse of my baby was him all blue and being taken away from me :no: I had to ask 4 times what was wrong with him and if he was ok before I got an explanation.
My GP is pretty sure that when they forced my legs back to try get him out it threw the L5/S1 disc in my back out which has caused me signifigant pain ever since (it pinches the siatic nerve so I'm in constant pain) so I actually wonder if I would've been better off with an emergency CS :confused:
LittleBoysRock
05-02-2007, 12:46
Natural with LOTS of intervention. :o
KapowSchazam
05-02-2007, 19:28
My first glimpse of my baby was him all blue and being taken away from me :no: I had to ask 4 times what was wrong with him and if he was ok before I got an explanation.
How horrible! I have a friend who gave birth a few weeks ago, she had to have an emergency c/s and they ended up having to give her a general anasthetic (sp?) cos the epi didn't work!!! :D She didn't even see her bub to over an hour later! Not even the dad saw the bub cos it's a proper op with general, and only staff were allowed in the room! :eek: No wonder she has PND!
Mummaof2
05-02-2007, 19:36
With DD i had her all natural with a bit of gas and a pethadein injection.
With DS I had him naturally but was induced but this time had no gas or pethadein
mini munchkin
09-10-2007, 18:19
Bit late finding this, but thought I'd add my experience...
I was sooo lucky, had a fantastic midwife, brilliant support person (DH) and a great birth. Not overly quick (12 hrs) but not terrible. Gas only and a few tears.
Happy to go again some time in the future, but wish I could have the same middie....
Love the idea of a doula, but think next time around with just be DH and I again, he was so great and I think he'd be even better second time around:yes:
Completely natural birth here...
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