Am I the only one that can not remember giving birth?

[Gmakes3]

I had a reasonable labour, contractions ok, used g&a but were comming thick and fast and not getting a break so finnaly had pethadine. Everything ok until the pushing and DD was back to back and stuck.Remember all the pain just disapearing and could not feel contractions. Delivered by Ventouse. Last thing I remember is the MW telling me not to push as the head was crowning. Then DD was on my tummy. Can't rember how she got there. Can't remember the cord being cut or the placenta being delivered. Shouldn't bother me I know as end result is perfect but it niggles at me. Wondered if this is "normal"

[peggotty]

No I can't remember a huge amount either just bits and pieces. can't really remember a lot about the 1st few days either Must have been all that wine

I think it's pretty normal...

[funnypeculiar]

I have huge gaps in my memories of ds (5 hour-ish labour, in eve, having been awake most of night before). When dh & I were discussing it the day after, he had to keep saying, um, no, they gave you the anitbiotics twice in a drip, remember? I could have sworn I hadn't had any.
Dd I can remember pretty much everthing, but it was a very quick labour!

If you had assisted placenta (injection to make it come faster) there won't be much to remember of that - I know I was cuddling dd whilst the mw was sorting the placenta out

Depending on how you were sitting/who cut the cord, that may well have happended very fast too (didn't with mine as dh cut cord both times ... and took a bit of explaining!

[Katsma]

No, you're not the only one. I have a complete blank of about 6 hours. Probably for the best

It only really came to light when I was telling DP about a girl in my ante-natal gp who had said having a monitor fitted to the babies scalp was the worst pain she'd ever experienced. He said "Like they did with you d'ya mean?". Did they? "Yeh, you squealed like a stuck pig!". Did I?!

I made DP retell the whole labour scenario to me - most of which I had no recollection of.

[Gmakes3]

Thank god it was not just me. Will try and not let it bug me now. Gotta go tuna stirfry awaits. Thanks

[Klaw]

My recollections of both births are hazy.... I blame it on the diamorphine!

However, if you don't have any 'assistance' and go into the trance like state you're supposed to, when you go into yourself, shortly before birth I wonder if that also causes a kind of memory loss... you know how poor concentration leads to poor recollection? Can any of the women fortunate to have birthed without drugs and 'assistance' let us know what their perception is, please?

[tissy]

I can't remember much about my elective section- I was apparently wide awake! Think it may have been the diamorphine!

[orangehead]

I dont remember 1st as had ga and crash section. The 2nd I passed out due to blood loss as they pulled him out with forceps. Like u I know it doesnt matter as I have two healthy kids but it does a bit that I missed both of them

[funnypeculiar]

klaw - my second birth was no drugs/bizarre transcendental wierdness and I remember it really well. There are some pretty odd memories (eg watching the birds circling out of the window & thinking "I will be like the birds, I will flllyyyyy over the pain, round and round, I flllyyyyy"

dd was g&a only and much patchier

[Klaw]

Interesting Funnypeculiar, so drugs interfered with your memories but your natural state left you with memories, and some heightened points of view... I can understand that.

Next time, (if there is one) I'm even foregoing the G&A, cos even though it's 'safe' it does affect you, make you dopey...... might stick with the mouth piece though...

[fihi]

hehe u are not alone... i only had pain relief with my first, so can't blame the drugs for not remembering everything about number 2&3. i asked loads of people before DC1 about labour, birth etc, and even the most honest of accounts had huge gaps in them. So it's true, they weren't lying to me, we really aren't supposed to remember.

[lucykate]

i don't remember much about ds's birth. only used g&a and had far to much of it, i was away with the fairies, had to ask dh afterwards what happened.

[WestCountryLass]

When my DS1 was born he delivered with his hand by his head all tangled up with the cord and tore me from here to kingdom come. I can remember coming round between contractions and the Drs etc (DS was 6 weeks early) were like black silhouettes in the corner of the room.

With DD and DS2 I have had home births and have had nothing like that all. I am pretty sure the pain from the presentation and tearing made me black out and for some women if they went through a lot of pain for them and their threshhold they would black out/have memory loss as the body does do that to cope with trauma.

[lulumama]

if it bothers you , it is ok to feel bothered!

yes,of course it is important that the baby is ok and you are ok, but birth is a defining moment and not being able to recollect it can be troublesome.

can you contact the hospital and ask to go through your notes with someone and that might help you recollect what happened?

[rozzyraspberry]

I had no drugs or gas and air with either of my births but they are still pretty hazy. I think it's natures way of making us have more!!! I remember directly after having ds1 thinking I don't know if I want to do that again. But it's true what they say you do forget and realise that it's all worth it. Currently 21 weeks pregnant with ds3.