Anyone else had an en-caul birth?

[mumtoason87]

I had a pretty tedious time giving birth. I chose to have baby at a midwife unit, so no decent pain relief was available.
I attempted to birth in the water but had to be taken out as I had been pushing for too long - with no real progres. I can't remember ever feeling the urge to push. I was just doing it, or at least trying to because I was told to. My waters never broke and all I could feel was a water balloon come out between my legs and then it would go right back inside after I stoped pushing. When I eventually managed to give birth - on the bed with my legs pinned back by two midwifes - he was born in his amniotic sac in its entirety. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and how you found your labour?? We're trying for baby number two, and I'm starting to get anxious about the thought of having to give birth again!!

[ChocolateBiscuitCake]

I just gave birth with my baby in her sac. But it was an ELCS so not sure it had an impact on my labour. However, turns out I had undiagnosed polyhydramnios which explains why the last few months of pregnancy were so tough!

[Mosling]

Dd2 was a perfect birth (unlike dd1...) and born fast in water, no laborious pushing, just slid out. Seriously, no effort at all after 2 nasty contractions, she just came, no trauma, no conscious effort. She came out totally in the caul, which I didn't realise at first as it had slit as she came towards me and I just saw a halo. DH said she looked like a supermarket chicken as she came out though, shrink wrapped!

I thought maybe the caul smoothed her exit if you see what I mean, it was a lovely experience. V unlike the 60 hr hard, hard work of birthing DD1. So you may well find that first and second births are very different, nothing to do with the caul.

[mumtoason87]

Thanks Mosling, that's very encouraging to hear!

Congratulations chocolatebiscuitcake !!

[heliotrope]

Simikar story! Ds2 born at home in water in his caul, he just came out, obviously it was still intense but completely different from first labour when I didn't feel urge to push or know what to do at all. My body knew second time around.
Second birth will almost definitely be easier, caul or not. It's supposed to be lucky or make a good sailor!

[mumtoason87]

Thanks heliotrope!

[lagartaroja]

DD2 was born in her caul and I did feel like I kept getting close to pushing her out and then she'd get sucked back up again! It really wasn't too bad though and still easier and quicker than first time. I attributed it to the fact she was a lb and a half lighter than my first and that my birth canal was more like the Amazon...!

[ceebelle83]

I was born en caul 32 years ago. The midwife put it in a specimen jar with formaldehyde and my mum kept it all these years!

[AWhistlingWoman]

My DD1 was born en-caul. Also had that strange water balloon thing - my DH was very confused, he thought we might have been having an aubergine instead of a baby - and felt the whole 'she's getting sucked back up' thing that lagartaroja describes.

I thought the same as mosling, maybe the caul smoothed her exit, but she was premature so quite a bit smaller than my other three. But yes, I'm sure that all second births are supposed to be easier and none of my others have taken any longer (all of mine have been very quick though!)