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Childbirth

Surprises during birth

110 replies

BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 15:37

So I had ds a week ago and was thinking of the things that happened during birth that surprised me. Even though I've read countless books there were still things they didn't mention.

I had a home birth with no drugs or gas and air just so you get a picture. Just 12 hours of labour, 6 was full on pushing.

Shivering - for the last half an hour I convulsed and shivered. Poor dh was freaking out thinking I was fitting. Midwives didn't really raise an eyebrow, just said it was strong hormones.

The pooing - I know a lot of people poop but I pooped a little bit at almost every contraction for 6 hours. Watching dh fishing around the birthing pool with his wine sediment sieve with a horrified look on his face was brilliant.

Mucous plug - I'd been looking forward to seeing my bloody show for weeks lol. It happens way into labour near the end and came out like a rocket. There was SO much of it!

Waters breaking - I was also looking forward to this. Either a big gush like you see on the telly where you go into labour or the trickle trickle to let you know it's on it's way. What I wasn't expecting was giving a really good push, a really loud POP and half a gallon of brown smelly water flying all over the sofa (which I hated so very glad). He'd pooped inside which I knew could happen I just wasn't expecting the mess.

Anyone else get some shocks?

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AmberLeaf · 30/11/2013 15:45

The looooooooong loud farts.

I had to warn the midwife a couple of times to stand clear! Grin

I found the waters breaking quite nice, like a really satisfying wee.

The lovely relieved feeling when the placenta came out.

Congratulations on the birth of your son Flowers

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Mealiepudding · 30/11/2013 16:15

The euphoria when the pain stops!!

I never saw any of my three mucous plugs or placentas Sad and

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BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 17:04

The placenta coming out was lovely wasn't it!

My midwife insisted I inspect mine very closely. Bluergh. I just thought that rather than saying it as I wanted to look like a good hands on Mummy. It was sat next to me in a bowl for half an hour after the birth as I wanted everything to transfer to him before the cord was cut. It pulsated like some horrid alien for a while.

Another thing that suprised me was the way I had to have total silence for 6 hours. Every time anyone talked or touched me I'd fly off the handle. I could deal with the pain if I was in my own zone and people talking brought me back to reality. My midwife starting to knit pissed me off. Gave me the impression there was a long road ahead!

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BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 17:07

I was horrified when both of my midwives were holding a leg each and them and dh were all face into my moomin cooing at his head and I let out this rip roaring stinky fart practically in their faces. They all fell about laughing because of the suprised then horrified look on my face was apparently like something out of a carry on film.

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CPtart · 30/11/2013 17:25

How, even though I was told not to push by the midwife as I was fully dilated yet still on the ante natal ward, when my waters went with a bang my body took over and was pushing involuntarily.

How long the umbilical cord was, I asked for a right good look.

Yes, the euphoria when the pain stopped. I was in stirrups being stitched and felt on top of the world.

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AmberLeaf · 30/11/2013 18:27

Yes the involuntary pushing was quite amazing. Made me wonder why in the films they tell the Mum to push, you don't need telling! your body just does it.

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LovesBeingHereAgain · 30/11/2013 19:08

My biggest shock was a finger up the bum afterwards Shock

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Rosencrantz · 30/11/2013 19:14

Love this thread! Marking my place!

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EssentialCoffee · 30/11/2013 19:21

I was shocked that it was nothing like on tv, I was very calm the whole way through and didn't scream, shout, swear, moan etc., I was in too much pain and just concentrated every effort on sucking in as much gas and air as possible!!

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LoganMummy · 30/11/2013 19:23

Loves - me too!!

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oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 19:26

Loves lol, have to agree, finger up the bum through me!! What did I push out of there!!?? I never asked and still don't know lol!!!!

xx

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oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 19:37

Oh, I went through two different - first was epidural (straight off I knew I wasn't going to cope with the pain, as much as I wanted all natural, just knew) and was good I did - was pretty much pain free until last moments -

Second, my OH didn't want me to have an epidural, so stupidly didn't, OMG, there's no amount of gas and air that helps, after 12 hours, I screamed for an epidural, he shouted at me when midwife left (prick even called me selfish), but when they put me on my side to get it, Ds2 shot out!!!

Wasn't prepared for that, I was sat wrong for too long, just needed to be in the right position!

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ZaZazebra · 30/11/2013 19:40

Puking repeatedly with the contractions as they were so painful.

Wetting myself (or it could just have been the waters that kept coming and coming and coming and coming) with every painful contraction such that I'd gone through a pack of maternity towels before I'd even got to hospital.

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gaggiagirl · 30/11/2013 19:42

I thought that when babies head was out,that the baby was born. I was friggin annoyed when having DD that you have to keep pushing to get the shoulders out too!

Also the involuntary pushing thing. No one told me that the pushing just happens on its own.

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Chopsypie · 30/11/2013 19:48

Every idea I had about birth and labour went out of the window. I wasn't going to blindly follow drs orders but was going to question and explore alternatives.

Nope did exactly as I was told, when I was told. Everything went out of the window, and I totally put all my trust in the dr/midwife

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kelper · 30/11/2013 19:48

I hated noise too. I'd made a lovely playlist, but the second dh turned it on I was screaming at him to turn it off!
Nearly falling asleep during full labour, I was so tired although my labour was only 9 hours, it started at 1am so no sleep.
And my waters didn't go til about an hour before I delivered ds, I was in a birthing pool and it just felt like a fart. But there was meconium so I had to get out of the water then :(
I don't know if I poohed, dh won't tell me Blush

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Wishfulmakeupping · 30/11/2013 19:51

I'd forgetton about the shivering!
My biggest surprise was giving birth without being sick or pooing basically everyone in the world had told me that I would vom everywhere and poo so that what I expected :( on giving birth to my lovely dd my first thought was 'thank god she's here ok' second thought 'she's beautiful' and third was 'yey I didn't shit myself'

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BoohPear · 30/11/2013 19:55

Flowers congratulations!

For me it was that I didn't realise that when you're ready to push it makes you feel like you need a wee and a poo with every contraction. I clearly remember shouting this regularly before the midwife who didn't think I was very far along shuffled me out of observation and into a room!

And yy to the involuntary pushing, they told me to stop and have a breather after I got the head out but my body had other ideas!

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geekaMaxima · 30/11/2013 19:58

That my contractions never became regular. NEVER.

They were an average of 4 mins apart when I went to the birth centre, but were actually going 2 mins, 5 mins, 8 mins, 3 mins..

Right up to the moment ds finally popped out, the gaps between them stayed totally unpredictable. I did drop off for a quick doze during some of the longer gaps while I was pushing, that was nice Grin

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BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 19:58

After 5 hours of pushing I crawled into the pool and fell flat out asleep between every 3 minute contraction. They got me on tape, head back, snoring and everything. Then I'd wake up and scream for two minutes!

Wasn't expecting to sleep lol.

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EasyCompadre · 30/11/2013 19:58

I'm yet to do this for the first time (already nervous about April...) but WHAT?! Finger up bum?? But why?! I'm glad I'm at least aware of it before the event now!

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oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 19:59

I never also realised I had such a vocabulary when it came to swearing!

Can someone please also tell me what they pushed back up my bum????

I also loved the fact that whilst stitching up my vagina, midwife said 'oooh, feel like I'm doing a 'Sampler' (I googled after to find out what that was, but think my vagina would have shouted back at her if I knew then what it it was!!!!)

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BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 20:00

I did a wee and poo with every contraction for 6 hours! How there was that much in there I don't know.

Another surprise was eating and drinking quite far in, even near the end. I nearly choked on a muffin during a contraction though.

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DawnOfTheDee · 30/11/2013 20:04

I had ended up with an EMCS with DD1 so don't think I got a finger up my bum. As I'm pg with DD2 now and hoping for a 'natural' birth please could someone tell me what the finger up the bum thing is about? TIA

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Lurleene · 30/11/2013 20:04

With my first the biggest surprise was when an actual baby came out. It had been going on so long I think I'd forgotten why I was there.

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