What was giving birth to you like for you mother?

[Papillon]

Mum had a quick hospital birth with me, I arrived at 5am. Dad was not allowed to attend and so was milking the cows, he saw the sunrise and hence my middle name became Dawn

[MrsFio]

my mum had forceps with me but she said i was almost out anyway (lovely)
and straightforward birth with sister but had a retained placenta or partial retained (so she tells me)

[Papillon]

What was giving birth to you like for your mother?

[Flamesparrow]

Fairly long, breach birth . Lots of people in the room ready for anything going wrong. My dad had to wait outside because they didn't want any extra people in the room if it all went wrong, which he is still upset about.

[anniediv]

Waters broke on Friday, I was born on Monday. Mum was at home throughout (I have 3 siblings). Dad didn't attend, he had the others to look after. Just the GP and midwife were with her. My Mum had my sister in hospital then the other 3 of us at home. My Dad wasn't present at any of the births. When I had dd1 I looked at my Mum with new eyes, I can't imagine anything more isolating (for me anyway) than being alone when giving birth. Hooray for my Mum! Incidentally, my sister is 45, I am 35 and my brothers fall in between.

[NomDePlume]

Horrible, by all accounts.

She went into labour with me at 32wks, her waters broke so she lost all the fluid and then her contractions stopped. The consultant at the hospital told her to go home, which she refused to do because she said she'd lost so much fluid that you could prety much see my outline through her stomach, like I was vacuum packed . So she stayed in and eventually went back into labour with me a few hours later. Labour was only 12 hours, so pretty average length but because it was 'dry' it was extra hard, plus the fact that I was prem made it a bit of a 'mare all round.

[ilovecaboose]

Didn't realise she was in labour until my Gran insisted she phoned the hospital. She insisted to them she would drive in as soon as my dad came home from work. They sent an ambulance. My gran went with her. She went home when my dad got there (just in time).

Dad phones Gran from hospital to tell her baby born - spends first half hour trying to get word in edgeways while she tells him how she had to get home without her bus pass

Basically very quick easy labour. Same with my sister.

[NomDePlume]

pretty

[alexsmum]

the taxi got lost on the way to the hospital. She was shaved and given an enema, and then although she was coping really well the midwife wanted her to have pethidine.She refused and the midwife said ' nonsense it'll make you feel better' and jabbed the syringe into her leg.
She then felt dizzy and woozy and headachey.When she felt the need to push,she sent dad to fetch the midwife and he never came back!!! it didn't bother her because she said he was annoying her by talking to her and stroking her hair!

And then i was born!

Thank god times have changed!

[NomDePlume]

lol @ bus pass gran

[ilovecaboose]

when my cousin was born gran spent all the time on the phone telling them they'd picked an old lady name

UNfortunately she died when I was 2 so never really had the chance to know her but she was a 'character' apparently.

[ghosty]

TBH I don't know if my mother remembers it all as I am the youngest of 4 and by then it was 'Been there, got the t-shirt' ... my eldest brother was not yet 5 when I was born so the details of each birth have run together
I do know that on my due date she went to her doctor and insisted he broke her waters as she was fed up with being pregnant (she had been pregnant for 36 months in 5 and a half years ). I was born the next day.

The birth she remembers most was that of my second brother (her 3rd child) as she nearly died of a haemorrhage a few hours after he was born.

[bakedpotato]

My mum had me in very medicalised circs on her back, loads of drugs, consultant care in New York in late 60s. It was the way things were done then, there (everyone thought my mum was very kooky for doing antenatal yoga classes).

She had my sister in the early 70s in London, and felt a bit more involved this time. She thought it was amazing that the midwife let her move around, off her back

My dad was there both times.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

I was pretty quick apparently. She knew she was in labour because she didnt fancy the egg and chips she'd cooked for dinner (? WTF).

She got to hospital, quite late on - she had urges to push etc. They insisted she had a shower - despite her protests that I was well on my way, and shave and enema. Then the minute then got her up on the bed and legs in stirrups (oh the good old days...) I was starting to crown apparently. The midwife apparently decided it would be worthwhile giving my mum an episiotomy, except thought a student should have a crack at it. Student got it wrong and cut horizontal instead of vertical (x marks the spot.....). No pain relief (local anaesthetic etc) except for some pethidine.

She was in shock a little after the birth because it was quite quick and hurried. I was whisked off (weighed 5lb something) and she was left, all night (I was born at 12.30am), on her on in the delivery suite, waiting for someone to come along and clean her up. Someone came at 6.30am. She didnt get to see me for a while after that.

Glad things have moved on somewhat since the 70's. They still arent great though.

[Tutter]

very easy, apparently. at home (unusual for 1971, or 1970 when her labour started!) with no pain relief.

she had me an hour and a half into the new year, so doubt she did much partying NYE 1970 .

[CarolinaMoon]

aww, Papillon, that's lovely

My mum had a difficult birth with me - she's still a bit traumatised by it 31 years on. She was induced, had only pethidine for the pain (which didn't work, just made her feel woozy), they kept losing my heartbeat, and I was eventually delivered with forceps.

The MWs refused to call my dad until it was too late, so his first glimpse of me was me being wheeled past him in the corridor when he was on his way in.

[trinityshiftingherleatheryarse]

both her and I almost died due to placenta acrecia (sp?)
she had many blood tansfusions and didn't see me for days and days as she was in intensive care

[kittywits]

Absolutely horrific. She had 60 internal stitches poor woman. We were both not well as you can imagine .

[DontlookatmeImshy]

My mumhad high blood pressure with both me and my db. She was induced 1-2 weeks early with both of us and had forceps each time.She doesn't gointo much detail butI get the impression it was very unpleasnat for her.

[beatie]

My dad was allowed to be present at mine. He hadn't been allowed to 3 years previously, when my brother was born.

My mum was given pethidine and she tells me that it was awful for her. She said she felt like she was on the ceiling looking at herself as a tiny person on a big bed. Her labour was 5 hours long. No stitches! The midwife told her that none of the women whose babies she'd delievred ever needed stitches.

[fairyjay]

My mum cleaned the freezer, waited for my dad and aunt to go and return from visiting my nan in hospital, then announced that they better wander in themselves! She was given a bed, and after a quick examination, left alone with my dad until 20 mins. before I was born - which was very unusual in the dark ages! She then waited around for ages to be stitched. She always says to me that it's called labour because it jolly hard work!

[fondant4000]

My mum doesn't talk about it much - neither me or db very good experiences I think!

Db breech in local cottage hospital (mum says she would have 'leapt' at a cs, but not possible then). Difficult and painful birth, db kept in nursery for many days and given bottles, so mum not able to breastfeed. So traumatic she did not want another child, but dad persuaded her 4 years later.

She wanted to have me at home, but I was late so she had to go into hospital (the rules apparently). I was head down but back to back, so another long painful labour with forceps - not as traumatic as my db, and she did breastfeed for 2 months with me. My mum fully in favour of cs and all drugs because of her own experience! But she was happy that I managed to bf my own dd.

Saw her yesterday (i am mow 7 months pg) she said the doctor told her she was 'wrong shape' for good births (nice and supportive). I think she's always felt a bit like her body failed her somehow.

[expatinscotland]

She had an elective c-section w/me.

[Papillon]

My dad was allowed to come to my sisters birth, apparently quite unusual - mum thought she would have to handcuff him to her if the staff said no!

[DashingRedhead]

Not brilliant for her, poor thing. I'm one of three and each time things weren't great. Her first time she was left alone for so long that she almost knocked herself out on gas and air and couldn't push. My brother was forceps with his cord around his neck and she's convinced he nearly died. I was a long, difficult labour, she tore very badly and was stitched with absolutely no anaesthetic. Her third nobody thought she was really in labour though she kept telling them and they were trying to persuade her to eat some supper (hospital omelette - mm!) when they found that my brother was crowning! Dad was never allowed to be there (though he claims to be so squeamish that he'd be no use) and usually found out by phone.

Having said all that, she is very matter of fact about it and doesn't seem to think she had a worse experience than anyone else. Very soppy mum (bless!) who thinks we're all worth it! She is, however, hugely impressed with the level of care I'm getting and the kind of information available to us. Came to one antenatal appointment with me and was amazed at the registrar checking that I was drinking enough water.

[BudaBabe]

Hideous. 36 hours. Took her 4 years to want to do it again. Unfortunately that baby died as a result of Mum contracting rubella while pregnant. She went on to have 3 more - was totally knocked out for one but it wasn't a section so hae no idea how that worked! SHe is terrified of labour even now when any of us are PG>