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Original poster

The moment in active labour you remember best.

55 replies

Ostryga · 24/08/2021 22:52

Mine was being told I couldn’t have an epidural at 4cm because I “wasn’t in enough pain” after 10 hours of non stop pacing due to awfully positioned Dd and all I wanted to do was fucking sit down for 5 mins.

I projectile vomited onto the midwife’s shoes and she paged the anaesthetist.

OP posts:
ScatteredMama82 · 24/08/2021 22:55

My first labour was awful, I remember it in snapshots. The first was sending my DH to get me a mars bar! Then coming round after pethadine to random conversation about the mw's ex who used to work with my DH in another country (I thought I was dreaming, but he told me the next day it was real, very odd). Then lots of people, machines, being shaved, DH crying...

FusionChefGeoff · 24/08/2021 22:55

Thinking "I can't wait to tell Mumsnet this" as my midwife suggested I push and the feeling was so much like having a poo, I thought "right, I'm obviously going to have to shit this baby out"

ifoundthebread · 24/08/2021 23:01

With my son I got to the hospital and started feeling the ring of fire before even being checked, said something about it hurting and the midwife told me to stop being dramatic I wasn't that far along in my Labour yet, just wait until later. Spread my legs for her to check dilation and she caught ds, surprised she didn't swallow him how far open her mouth hung in shock 😂

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Aroundtheworldin80moves · 24/08/2021 23:04

Telling DH the baby was coming, him running out the room to get help, looking back and there being a baby on the bed.

jeeezusmaryandjoesph · 24/08/2021 23:04

I forgot my birthday when they were giving me pain relief and the midwife was insistent I couldn't have it unless I said my DOB. I was more upset about never having a birthday again as I wouldn't know it was my birthday, I actually sobbed 😂.

MrsFin · 24/08/2021 23:07

My umbilical cord rupturing and splattering blood all over the midwife and the walls and floor of the room. It was everywhere!

Ofnorman · 24/08/2021 23:11

First one- well into the G&A and hearing someone wailing like a banshee. Realising a few minutes in that it was me doing the wailing Blush

Second one- Getting into the car and thinking 'I hope they don't send me home'

Arriving at the hospital and thinking 'I hope I make it to the labour ward'

I did, but only just.

Hellotoallmyfans · 24/08/2021 23:11

Being high on gas and air and alternatively pushing/moaning and breathing in time to Beyoncé and J-Z's "crazy right now" - it was on the tv in the room and I remember thinking "this song has been going on for hours now!" and wondering why Beyoncé's voice sounded like she was singing underwater!

LadyOfTheFlowers · 24/08/2021 23:11

DS1 - I felt very 'powerful' the entire time, if that makes sense? Active part I remeber feeling blown away by how much it all just hurt and announced I was going home
DS2 - telling the midwife I was going to die and for her to inform my mother I loved her and for dh to look after DS1
DS3 - Thinking I have to get this baby out now and I'll worry about the damage afterwards ; active labour lasted 4 minutes
DD - I kept asking over and over if her head was out yet as my whole body just seemed much less effective at expelling the baby and it seemed so much harder then the previous 3 Blush

keeping2chevronsapart · 24/08/2021 23:15

Forgot all about the pain the second dd1 was born. When in labour with ds1 all I could think of was 'oh I remember now!'

Cleverpolly3 · 24/08/2021 23:23

First time - a poo being discretely tissued up as I howled and thrashed around with no pain relief in the final throes of pushing though he was still in his waters

Second time - being told Christ’s there’s loads of hair that’s why we couldn’t clip the monitor on as I threw up violently minutes before she was born

Third time being told you’re only five centimetres he’s not coming yet to holding him in a blanket cord snipped and placenta out less than five minutes later

That was quite enough for me Grin

Cluelessgardener · 24/08/2021 23:25

When my husband was finally allowed in. Cheers covid 😐

SpaceBethSmith · 24/08/2021 23:25

“You can’t be in labour, you’re talking during contractions”

“Well why is there a head between my legs then?” (I was standing up).

My sister HOWLED laughing.

Blueleah · 24/08/2021 23:41

I remember being desperate for pain relief drugs and being sent home by the hospital to suffer because I wasn’t dilated enough to be worthy of being admitted. I never did dilate. I sat at home in agony until the next day and the hospital never followed up. What, did they think my labour just magically stopped?! In the end DH took me back to hospital and said I don’t care if she isn’t dilated, you need to admit her so she can have drugs because she can’t cope with the pain any more. I remember the sheer relief I felt at finally having access to painkillers.

Blueleah · 24/08/2021 23:44

Also I remember the surgeon lifting the baby out of me and my only thought was how elated and relieved I was not to be pregnant any more!

SprogletsMum · 24/08/2021 23:46

Out of the 4 of mine, probably the most memorable moment was stopping to watch the fireworks before getting into the car to go to the hospital with dd3. Less than an hour later I'd had a natural unexpected breech birth.

SprogletsMum · 24/08/2021 23:49

Hmm or possibly with dc2 when the student midwife was listening in with the old fashioned pinard(?) thing and I said you do realise her head is nearly out? Then the midwife running in and pulling my trousers down just as her head popped out.

FreezerBird · 24/08/2021 23:50

Both: the sheer amount of amniotic fluid. It just kept coming and I'm sure I could hear the midwives splashing about in it.

DS: the absolute JOY of the epidural kicking in. No longer was death imminent! I was just having a baby! It was all going to be fine! How much I loved Simon, the anaesthetist! (nb: it wasn't actually that fine, but it was a hell of a lot better than it had been)

DD: crowning. Saying to the midwife "it's burning" and the midwife saying "well it's going to burn if you want this baby out", to which I said in (according to DH) tones bordering on the haughty "I am aware of that. I just needed to say it."

icebearforpresident · 24/08/2021 23:53

Laughing hysterically because the G&A, as well as getting me high as a kite, made my nose go numb. The song I can’t feel my face was everywhere at the time and the fact I couldn’t feel my face while there was a song called I can’t feel my face was literally the funniest thing in the world. Of course no one else knew this so midwife and husband just thought I was batshit crazy.

Nsky · 25/08/2021 00:00

Not much about second labour.
1st after much pethedin, the nurse telling me my baby was about to be born, I said really, are you sure at 3am.
The labour had gone on far too long

Fauvist · 25/08/2021 00:09

Not in chronological order:

The bit where I locked myself in the loos in reception at the MLU because they said I should have called first (I wasn't rational) and thought maybe I'd stay in there forever. It was dark and quiet and really nice in there.

The bit where I said 'can we speed this up' after hours of pushing and had an episiotomy with no pain relief. I swore. A lot. DH tried to stop me swearing and lovely midwife said 'no, just let her do what she wants' and I LOVED her. Even though she'd just chopped into me with a pair of scissors.

The bit where I said to my husband 'this isn't going to work, can we stop'. I think he laughed and then I swore a lot.

The bit where I kept saying 'I'm having this baby now' and they said 'no you aren't' and then about two mins later they examined me and I was fully dilated.

The bit where I was lying on the stairs at home and then suddenly got up and said 'I have to go to the hospital RIGHT NOW'.

The bit where I thought I might be in labour and husband thought it might be OK for him to go to work. No. We had a baby ten hours later.

The bit where she arrived.

Hen2018 · 25/08/2021 00:14

First labour - being told for 4 hours that I wasn’t in labour. Thinking labour must be appalling if this was just the build up. Then everyone running round in circles sorting out nappies and gas and air and it was all done within 45 minutes.

Second labour - the gas and air running out (at home) and watching the midwife’s bare feet against the floorboards (it was too hot for shoes).

ChiefAdjusterOfRubensShorts · 25/08/2021 07:10

First and only labour, having DS 15 years ago.

Going into hospital after waters breaking in the early hours of the morning, being told I was 2cm dilated and that DS would probably arrive later that afternoon.

Being checked on 90 mins later to be told I was 9cm dilated and needed to go to the delivery room right away. The delivery room was right across the corridor so I had to waddle over, but when I got off the bed I desperately needed a wee and DH had to hold a bedpan under my nightie while I staggered across the hall and we had to stop halfway (in full view of the nurses station and everyone else) so I could wee!

DS arrived 30 mins later.

reluctantbrit · 25/08/2021 07:34

I had to leave the birthing pool and go on dry land aka the bed as suddenly DD's heartbeat changed. I was stark naked and resisted all attempts to even have a sheet over me.

My water didn't break until really late and I soaked the midwife.

The second midwife I had was a 60+ year old no nonsense one (I loved her) and she just told me to push my foot into her hip and push. According to her the student midwife had a date and needed to go but wanted to have the delivery in her records. The student midwife did a great job deliverying DD.

keeping2chevronsapart · 26/08/2021 00:05

@Cleverpolly3

First time - a poo being discretely tissued up as I howled and thrashed around with no pain relief in the final throes of pushing though he was still in his waters

Second time - being told Christ’s there’s loads of hair that’s why we couldn’t clip the monitor on as I threw up violently minutes before she was born

Third time being told you’re only five centimetres he’s not coming yet to holding him in a blanket cord snipped and placenta out less than five minutes later

That was quite enough for me Grin

Ex dp used to often mention about dd1 having a poo when she came out, I never corrected him!!