Birth stories

Harley

Imported from Detroit
Joined
Oct 17, 2006
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Age
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MI
Sineya
As a mommy-to-be, I want to hear your child birth experiences (this includes those of you who were in the room too...not just the birthers.) Even if it didnt go well, I want to hear your story.
 
It was funny scobro! Sometimes I get into a weird mood memory lane mood and I ask my kids if they remember getting born.

First of all, congratulations kryptonite!! And just remember it will end! And then you'll have the love of your life to bring home with you! Also, if I may, epidural is your friend!

So I have 3 kids and 2 birth stories. First time I had twins. Not the best story probably.... Went past 40 weeks so had to be induced labor took about 40 hours...it was pretty awful but no complications with delivery (had vaginal delivery) and kids were healthy.

Second time there was only one baby but she had a huge head! Still does 🙂. I swear pushing her out of me was the single hardest thing I've ever done! I still think I deserve a medal.

Hope that helps. You can contact me with any questions.

And sorry if that was tmi for some!
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
All moms deserve medals LOL! :)
Not sure how graphic I should be LOL....

The basics...

Waters broke at 3.15am, went to hospital at 8am, sent home at 8.30am. Back in hospital for 11.15am and gave birth at 11.35am! Present were my mum and the father. No pain relief and had to be stitched up at the end as I had what they called a "traumatic birth", ie very quick in the final stages.

There you go...you want any more info just ask me 🙂
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
Wow, that was a quick L&D!!
Ooh, I love everything related to pregnancy and childbirth, and I love birth stories. Well, honestly sometimes they make me mad too LOL. It's a big interest of mine. I am leader of our local chapter of International Cesarean Awareness Network. So if you have any questions, let me know. I'm not an expert though, just a lay advocate, and I've only been doing this a couple years. I'm a big supporter of women's choice in birthing, including homebirth.

So, my birth stories:
-DS1 was born 10 years ago. My water broke at 38.5 wks at about 10:00 pm. By the time we got everything & everybody (my BFF was going to be my labor coach along with DH) together, it was about 1 am. I was GBS+ (group beta strep) so we did IV antibiotics. Other than that I wanted and had prepared for a natural birth. However after 12 hrs post-SROM (spontaneous rupture of membranes) I was only dilated to 2 cm & having very easy contractions, so we augmented with pitocin. I labored another 9 hrs and after 50 min of pushing delivered without an epidural (although I did use a little bit of Stadol to relax me). Most incredibly experience of my life! He was posterior which is what caused the stall in progression, once we were able to get him to flip things progressed rather quickly. He had a big conehead because of the long labor LOL (19 hrs in all). I had serious breastfeeding problems with him & developed postpartum depressiong (PPD). That's also when I discovered Buffy! 🙂
-2nd pregnancy was an 11 wk miscarriage.

-DS2 was breech at 36 wks. I had a doula (which I highly, highly recommend!!) & she and I discussed what to do at the time. I could have searched for a doctor who would have attended a vaginal breech birth (great info here), but there was only one in the area who would have possibly done that, only in specific situations, and I decided not to switch to an unknown care provider at that time. I do wish now that I would have at least looked into it. Anyway, my OB agreed to try an external cephalic version (ECV- where they attempt to turn the baby head-down manually), but when we did an ultrasound we were unsure about umbilical cord placement. So we decided to take a look at my next appointment. By them I was dilated to 2 cm and experiencing light contractions. He was born at 37.5 weeks by cesarean section.

-DS3 was my VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) attempt. I had a very VBAC-supportive doctor. If she hadn't been, I would have changed providers immediately as I felt very strongly about VBAC. In Oklahoma, providers who will attend hospital VBACs are becoming harder to find since the major malpractice insurer in the state has banned their doctors from attending VBACs. Anyway I went much longer with him. I am against inductions for non-medical reasons, but at 41.5 weeks we decided to do a light pitocin induction (heavy pitocin inductions can increase possibility of uterine rupture in VBAC; prostaglandin inductions- cervadil, cytotec- significantly increases possibility of UR). Even though my blood pressure was great, I had a lot of swelling and was starting to spill protein in my urine. I labored for 10 hours without an epidural (with the help of a doula and Hypnobirthing techniques), and was fully dilated. However, DS had not descended despite my efforts (including laboring in every single position known to man LOL!). He was big (10.5 lbs), posterior, and the cord was wrapped around his body several times. After he experienced some hearttone fluctuations that we weren't happy with, we consented to the cesarean. I was disappointed in that, but glad that I had done all I could to birth vaginally. I believe because he had experienced 10 hrs of labor is possibly what led him to be healthier than DS2 who deals with asthma still (a well-documented side effect of cesarean deliveries). However, we had a very disappointing hospital stay afterward (poor care from postpartum staff and baby nursery staff).

If I were to have any other children, I would strongly consider homebirth with a certified professional midwife. But, we're done!

So, there you have it. You asked for it LOL! I could talk about this stuff all day. But here is a great website that gives lots of good, evidence-based information about pregnancy & childbirth: http://www.childbirthconnection.org/.

Good luck with everything! I hope that everything is going well for you, and that you have a very uneventful pregnancy. 🙂
 
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FetalPig
I've never seen the abreviation DS1 DS2 etc used before - what does it stand for?
I haven't gone through labor but all three of the births my mom went through went relatively smoothly. She said that it was painful but not too bad. She's a tough cookie, my mum.

One of my best friends just had a baby seven months ago. It was a difficult labor and she ended up needing an emergency C-section but both her and her baby boy ended up fine.

🙂
 
Comments on this post
[MENTION=10617]FetalPig[/MENTION] agrees: I've never seen the abreviation DS1 DS2 etc used before - what does it stand for?
Sorry, on parenting boards they're used a lot. DS=dear son, DD=dear daughter, DH=dear husband, etc. I have 3 boys. Sorry, hard to get out of that habit LOL!
 
F
FetalPig
thanks!
R
randiann
And here I was thinking it was "damn husband" all this time!
My son (who is almost 5 now 🙁) did NOT make things easy on me! I've heard some people who have had such easy times, and i'm always jealous! But I'm a big wimp too, so that doesn't help.

He was born 8/16/2006, at approximately 6:30 pm. He didn't want to come, so I had to be induced and came in to the hospital early in the morning. I wanted a natural birth, but that idea changed right after the first contraction after they broke my water! Overall it wasn't bad until about 5pm when I went into hard labor. His head was turned at sm angle, and he has a true knot in the cord and it was wrapped around his neck. He got stuck, and after an hour and a half of hard labor they decided it was time for an emergency c section. That was all the motivation I needed to get the job done though, and he came right after that. I was worn out! Because of the cord issues, he wasn't breathing at first AT ALL and they were very worried about him at first. I didn't get to hold him, and they took him directly to the nursery. They then medivaced him to a larger hospital within the hour with a larger nicu just incase. It wasn't till the next day that I got to see him and hold him, which was amazing. That day was rough though.

Best of luck to you, hopefully yours will go smoother than mine!
 
My pregnancy was way more traumatic than my delivery. I was hypertensive and on bed rest on this horrible medicine to make the contractions stop from about 35 wks. I was dilated to 4cm about a week before actually delivered. I essentially had contractions for a month before actually being "in labor" but the weren't consistent and as long as I took the crazy medicine and didn't get out of bed they went away. The actual day I had munchkin, I had just been in the hospital for about 3 days for high blood pressure and had been released that morning. I was at dinner with my family (I'd finally been cleared to come off bed rest since I was 38 weeks), and the little bit of walking sent me into active labor. Since I'd just left the hospital, I didn't want to go back and finally my husband couldn't stand the clear pain I was in, decided that it was time to go back to the hospital. He was an EMT at the time and I kept joking with him between contractions that he was going to have to deliver the baby. I had always planned on getting an epidural even though I am scared of needles so when we got checked in they prepd me for it immediately since I was at about 6-7cm and fully thinned out. I passed out when they put in my IV and again when they but in the epidural. We prepared the team for that since I always pass out. Unfortunately, I don't believe they got the epidural placed correctly and it didn't help at all and I've had back problems since. I don't recommend an epidural. Apart from that my son's birth was very quick. He was born vaginally at 7:08 am (we went to the hospital around midnight, dinner was at 8ish). There were no complications and he was perfectly healthy. I was running again 4 weeks postpartum. I recommend waiting the full 6 before returning to exercise though, I was stir crazy from a month of bed rest and needed to run (I exacerbated my back pain and had some lower abdominal pain as a result...don't do it!). Anyways, we're working on baby number 2 and my plan is a epidural free vaginal birth for baby 2. I'm honestly more concerned about the pregnancy than the birth but regardless the working on being pregnant part is fun 🙂

Good luck! I can't believe you're all grown up! PM me if you need anything or have any questions!
 
H
HalloweenRain
Wow that sounds awful! Good luck getting bub #2 in there!
My daughter was born 4 years ago, she was supposed to be a natural birth like I had planned. I went into labor at 1pm. As the contractions were just getting to about a 7 on the pain scale her heartbeat slowed, then became very faint. My doctor (a real life miracle worker IMHO) quickly prepped me for a cesarean. They gave me an epidural block and soon cut into me, to save my little princess. She was delivered into my arms at 3:13am. A tiny beautiful little angel. Every finger and toe accounted for. She had the darkest hair all matted to her tiny head. She couldn't open her eyes but that first hour she smiled at me(don't listen to what they say, babies can smile at the age...I have video proof). They took her away from me to the NICU for observation. They stapled me together and wheeled me to a little room where a nurse asked me how I was every 10 minutes(for an hour or so). Then I was wheeled to my private room. My husband came in and talked to me about our gal. I had some problems concentrating because my legs had all the feeling and weight of two large cement tubes. I was scared out of my mind, so much so that I was trying to throw myself on the floor, in an attempt to get away. The nurse came in and spoke to me about the effects of the epidural, and after several minutes-worth of the hushed phrase "everything is okay." I began to calm down. I fell asleep and several hours later awoke to the sight of my husband feeding our Laeora a bottle of formula, while my mother watched on with an anxious look on her face. I asked to hold her and was given the chance, though my mother held a foot the entire time. The wound began to burn as I held her and I had to let go of her again while the nurse injected Demerol into my I.V. about 5 minutes later I was asleep again. I left the hospital 3 days after my babies birth and didn't get another decent night's sleep again for year.

My son was born last year in May. He was a planned cesarean and much easier. I went in, they cut in, took him out, stapled me up, and gave him to my husband. The numbness was there in my legs again, but knowing how it would feel, I was much less afraid, and only mildly annoyed. I stayed 3 days again to recuperate. I enjoyed being waited on as much as I could because I knew I wouldn't get another day of rest again. I was wrong. My son slept the night through on his first night home(he woke up once but when back after a change and some milk, almost as soon as his head hit the mattress) and almost every other night since. He may wake up at 6:30 every morning but at long as I go to sleep by 10pm I have enough energy to tackle the rest of the day(EVEN ON WORKDAYS!)

Being a mother is incredibly fulfilling. Yes, I do miss going out and having fun, but even all of the fun things you do when you're single and "free" combined could never compare to holding and snuggling that little sweetie in your arms while they gurgle and coo and try to focus on your face. Even waking up 4 times during the night to loud wails, while my daughter cut her first teeth was wonderful. A memory I look back on and smile at.

Congratulations Kryptonite, you're in for a wild(but wonderful) ride. Enjoy every minute of it, you wont believe how fast it goes.
 
I have never given birth... but I do know the story of my own birth... My mom was in labor for a SUPER long time and I was two weeks late. There was a point in labor where it stopped progressing... it stayed like that for a really long time and they were about to do an emergency c-section when it picked back up because something was wrong... But turns out, as the doctor put it to my mom (or so I've heard), I just didn't want to leave.

My sister Maya was born two weeks early and mom was barely in labor. Seriously, her water broke and about an hour later Maya was born.

My youngest sister was supposed to be born on Christmas... but mom wasn't having that. She didn't want to do a c-section, but she asked her doctor to medically induce labor the week before Christmas. He said no... that she should carry my sister until she was ready to come out unless there was a medical reason not to. And by what the doctor said was sheer force of will on my mother's part, my youngest sister was born a week before Christmas on December 18. 🙂
 
I was running again 4 weeks postpartum. I recommend waiting the full 6 before returning to exercise though, I was stir crazy from a month of bed rest and needed to run (I exacerbated my back pain and had some lower abdominal pain as a result...don't do it!). Anyways, we're working on baby number 2 and my plan is a epidural free vaginal birth for baby 2. I'm honestly more concerned about the pregnancy than the birth but regardless the working on being pregnant part is fun 🙂

Good luck! I can't believe you're all grown up! PM me if you need anything or have any questions!


Seriously bob, you couldn't start with walking? Crazy lady.

Take your time and enjoy being a new momma!!! Don't rush back to stuff. I went back to college one week after my bubby was born. Needless to say, my grades suffered that semester. It would have been nice though to stay home with him for awhile instead of jumping right back into things, and if given the chance I would have done that (and a WHOLE lot of other things not baby related) differently.
 
First off Congratulations. I am actually pregnant myslf, with second child. I will share my first expierence, my son is about to be two.

I went to bed Sepetember 18th and straight off was feeling like a tiny cramping feeling . Disturbing me enough to not be able to sleep. I woundered around my house fours hours, even showering to see if the water soothed the pain. I was up at 4:45a.m to see my husband off to work. Then about 7:00am I knew something was happening. I woke my mom up and told her. She figured i was in stages but not crampling over as she says she didn so figured i still had time. So we waited a bit. Then at like 10am we decided to call my do and tell her what was up. At that she told us to go ahead and head to the hospital she would meet us there.
We called my husband home then headed to the hospital, arriving at 11am. At first arrival thy wheled me in and checked me. I was in labor, but beginning stages. My doc told me to go out walking it would help induce it, and she'd chek me again in a hour. I didn't wanna walk the pain had become s much I just wanted to lay in the fetal position. Still I was made by family to walk. When I came back I was double along then I had been before but my water wasn't breaking. My doctor waited a bit more then at 2:30 decided to brake it. As soon as it popped my son was coming. I began pushing soon after. I did everything natural, no epidural or ivs in my hand. For me the contractions were painful yes but as long as I breathed and allowed them to come rather than onstrict them they came at more ease and quickened the process. I also found the pushing more awful then the contrations. I lost oxygen a little at one point cause i am so small so they put a oxygen mask on. Other than that I find for my first chilbirth it was easier then I expected. He was born at 3:35pm september 19th, healthy weighing 8 pounds 6 ouces. I just hope the second comes at ease. I am due in 3 months kinda nervous again even though I have been through this. You can hear some horror stories sometimes.
 
[MENTION=11204]HalloweenRain[/MENTION] said: Being a mother is incredibly fulfilling. Yes, I do miss going out and having fun, but even all of the fun things you do when you're single and "free" combined could never compare to holding and snuggling that little sweetie in your arms while they gurgle and coo and try to focus on your face. Even waking up 4 times during the night to loud wails, while my daughter cut her first teeth was wonderful. A memory I look back on and smile at.
ITA! Mothering has been the hardest, most tiring, worrisome, but wonderful job I've ever had!

[MENTION=10499]Manderz[/MENTION], ITA about the pushing! Although I actually found the time between pushing worse than pushing! They weren't lying when they called it the "ring of fire"! I actually used a mirror while pushing & strangely, it helped. Because I felt like I pushed for such a long time it helped me to see that I was making progress! It was so weird to see his head, then it would go back in.

@
randiann agrees: And here I was thinking it was "damn husband" all this time!
Oh yeah, oftentimes that's exactly what it stands for LOL!
 
Well, I never planned on getting married and having kids. I have always been petrified of childbirth, and the mention of a c-section will pretty much put me into hysterics.

That said, I had an easy pregnancy, but the birth was horrible. It's a long story, both baby and I were fine through it, but it was looooong and insanely painful. I was told never to tell my story to someone who hasn't given birth yet. Haha.

I'm just praying this second one goes a little easier...
 
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