Thread for positive birth stories

[Melittlebee]

Is there any?!

Went in to be induced, pessary didn't go in as was already in labour... went to the labour ward. Had some gas and air, an epidural, phoned a few friends and family, gave birth. She was alive, healthy, loud.

My children were born so fast I didn't even have time to think about it. With my daughter, I never even had a contraction that I felt. She literally almost fell out as I was walking to the loo.

Yes! DD1! Induced, loads of gas an air which made me laugh more than I've ever laughed in my life. Epidural. Never felt more love for my husband in my life. I was in absolute bliss!

I had an Emergancy c section very early because I was ill but I still consider it a good experience. It was all very calm, everybody knew what they were doing and communicated well with me. I felt like I was treated well throughout, the staff were amazing and I can't fault them. There was very, very little pain (apart from recovery from c section which was manageable) I'd expected the spinal block to be more traumatic but it was fine. Also, we recovered really quickly, I was up and about within 24 hours and ds was in neonatal but he had a very smooth journey and I felt he was very well cared for. I've shared my birth story quite a bit because a medical Emergancy doesn't have to equal a traumatic birth if it's handled well.

None of mine were horrendous.

Best was dc2. Waters went at 3am, was in hospital at 5am, baby arrived at 6:45am. Just me, DP and a MW, G&A. No tears or grazes.

We were home for a late lunch.

Even my less nice births were ok. DC1 was an augmented labour so I stalled at 6cm. Had to have waters broken and was on the drip. Pushed for 2h and even after a total of 51h of labour I had a natural delivery without tearing or even grazing.

DC3 was induced. 22h of niggles after the pessary went in. When contractions started properly, baby arrived very quickly. They were unable to do any of the monitoring they wanted to (the whole reason I was induced to begin with was because I had GD and they wanted to monitor my blood sugar levels etc during labour / delivery). It was all way too fast. I was checked at 5cm, waters then went everywhere and baby was there about 10 minutes later. Again not a tear or graze.

Thank his for a positive thread about births!
Being a FTM and about to give birth any day, it's so refreshing & reassuring to hear births can be positive. I've only ever heard horrific stories before so it's made me feel slightly less panicked hearing these stories.

Went to hospital with bleeding (no-one had ever mentioned this would happen) and a tummy ache just to get checked out. Found to be 8cm dilated, waters broken for me and less than an hour later DD popped out easy as pie. No stitches or tearing and only mild discomfort. So lucky. DS hurt lik

oops!
.. like buggery, but only for 2 contractions and again no tears.
Decided not to tempt fate by trying again.

Three weeks early; waters broke when I was putting on make up to go in to town at 1.30 pm. One contraction and I was 7cms dilated. DD was born at 5.30 pm. Probably would have been earlier but I had no urge whatsoever to push!
It was painful but I was so full of endorphins afterwards that I was buzzing and reliving the experience time and time again in my head.
DD shot out and poor doctor at his first birth was covered in fluid. Midwife told him off for wearing good trousers 😂

I forgot to say in my previous post- the amazing high you have after you give birth is just amazing. I felt like superwoman, like i couldnt believe i had given birth and i just wanted to tell the world i had given birth

Induction started by pessary at 11am. Lovely early labour with DH on antenatal ward, sitting and chatting. 4cm at 8pm so down to labour ward. Epidural painlessly and easily in by half 8, although pain was totally manageable I had a pelvic injury I wanted to ensure didn't bother me during pushing.

1am my waters were broken at 9cm. 2am started pushing. 4am she arrived. 6am I was up and in the shower! I spent the whole labour chatting to my husband and napping. It felt more like a date than labour. It was amazing.

Almost 7 hours back to back natural labour with my second - although very painful I had a water birth and was able to cuddle him straight away and I always think of it as a very calm and positive birth. I did have an awful first labour so I feel very grateful to have had this one.

I had 2 great births, both in hospital.
For DS1, I went into labour at 9pm and had him at 11.50pm with just a TNS machine and gas and air. The worst part was being stitched up as I tore at the last minute.
DS2 was 4 days early. I was still at work as I had a good pregnancy and wanted to take my maternity leave after the birth..I went into labour at 11.30am, finished some jobs at work until 1pm, went to see my boss and told him I needed to start my maternity leave NOW.
DS2 was born at 7.20pm, just TNS and gas and air again.

First - laboured at home until 7cm with Tens. Went into MLU, got in the pool, had a bit of a lull and then pushing. Baby born in the pool. No real pain just intense and relentless throughout, but also the biggest bloody high afterwards.

Third was a HBAC - I was drinking tea and chatting happily until 20 mins before the birth. Twenty mins of intense contractions and baby was born in the pool. Again an amazing experience

Yes, I went into labour at exactly 41 weeks at about 3am. Arrived at the hospital around 5am and I was about 5cm, managed for a while but eventually had some gas & air and a dose of pethidine. Waters broke around 8:45am and DS was born at 9:16am after 20 minutes of pushing, tear free! He came straight to me and latched on. Did take me an hour to get out the placenta though. 

With my DD (first born and only one) I went into labour at 39 weeks and 3 days. I had a 'show' at about 10pm and had mild contractions for 3 hours from 10pm until 1am. At 1pm the contractions became a lot stronger and about 5 minutes apart,so went to the hospital at 1.30am. The midwife said I was 6 cms dilated and broke my waters. Had gas and air for pain relief,DD was born at 5 am. The midwife said it was 'incredibly quick' for a first one.

Had a great birth with my DS (first baby). Went to bed as usual at 10:30pm, woke at 2 with a bit of tummy ache and he was born about 6 hrs later at 8lb 12.5oz. Laboured at home until 5ish, was 6cm dilated when examined at hospital, admitted to the Midwife Led Unit and gave birth in the pool with 2 puffs of g&a. It was obviously painful but not as bad as I anticipated and like a po said, positive in a way as I had it in my head that every pain brought him closer. Lifted him out of the water myself and he latched within minutes, had delayed cord cutting and placenta was out naturally within 10 mins (before I'd had chance to get out of the water!). Was home in time for tea!! I did practise hypnobirthing and meditation in the lead up and it 100% helped me.

First - 5 hours. Ruined by awful staff and no care but don’t worry, that hospital dept was so awful it was shut down. Was home in time for tea.

2nd baby - at home as the hospital above was still open... 2.5 hours, was more tired afterwards but still fine.

No stitches or recovering needed.

Yes, long calm labour after a problem free pregnancy. Slight problem in the last 10 minutes, someone stuck a needle in the back of my hand. Work up eight hours later to a beautiful baby boy.

I had a really bad experience with my first - I didn’t deal well with being induced, and it was long and exhausting and he was back to back. Ended with forceps and I generally felt powerless.

Next two babies - completely different. Both exactly the same. Went into labour naturally, stayed at home and had my husband, mil and a doula (though not for the last) and felt very relaxed. Laboured using hypno birthing techniques and was chatty and laughing in between contractions.

After a couple of hours I was ready to get into the pool and within an hour, my babies were born. Once in the pool because it was so quick, contractions came constantly with no break. I could feel the wave motion of the baby moving back and forth down the birth canal but slowly making their way down. It was a complete out of body experience - I was vaguely aware of my husband and midwives but generally was completely in my own head. It was just me and my baby doing what we needed to do and it really felt like we were experiencing it together.

Both babies born exactly the same way but two years apart Lovely home birth, in my pool and only 4 cm when getting in the pool. Going from 4cm to full dilation, transition and birth in an hour IS painful and overwhelming but not in a bad way - more in a life affirming way. It was so powerful each time.

My two last births healed all of the upset from the first birth. I didn’t believe positive births were possible but they were wonderful and I felt like superwoman. And the massive highs afterwards - I felt like I’d taken Ectasy!