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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder if anyone has a positive hospital birth experience?

61 replies

minicorrect · 09/06/2011 12:29

I had a nightmare first birth in hospital, and every single person I know that has had a baby since then has some sort of horror story to tell about their experience too.

I am determined to have a home birth this time with as little intervention as I can get away with, but am also very aware that this may not be possible nearer the time. So basically, I need to hear some positive stories about how giving birth in hospital can actually be quite nice really (well in the grand scheme of things anyway!).

Anyone care to share - am hoping for once that IABU!!!

OP posts:

TheFeministsWife · 09/06/2011 12:54

My first birth was horrible. But my second was amazing, euphoric in fact (yes the gas and air helped that ).

JoySzasz · 09/06/2011 12:55

All 3 of mine were fantastic hospital births.

in 3 different hospitals, in one that is not sopposed to be that great.

pointissima · 09/06/2011 12:56

We would both have died had I not been in hospital. Being alive to tell the horror stories strikes me as pretty positive

bruffin · 09/06/2011 12:58

I had a horrendous first birth due inducing because of pre eclampsia and very long stay in hospital. But DD two years later was completely different and I felt elated at the end of it

Lancelottie · 09/06/2011 12:59

Yes, first birth OK-ish if a bit long, no intervention barring gas-and-air.

Second birth really calm and strangely pleasant (and only took a couple of hours), with a single midwife who stayed past the end of her shift saying, 'I'd really like to say hello to your baby' , which I thought was lovely.

Third birth was an induction. Ouch. On the other hand, once it got going it was quick: 'D'you think I might be ready to push yet cos it bloody hurts?' 'Well, I'll have a little check, dear ooh! Whoa! Catch it!' [or words to that effect I have 'second stage labour: 3 minutes' in my notes]

bruffin · 09/06/2011 12:59

Forgot to say second birth I didn't even have gas and air because it makes me sick.

LadyWord · 09/06/2011 12:59

I loved mine - I felt treated like a queen. I've no idea why, as I too hear nothing but horror stories, even from people who were at the same hospital.

Both times I had a very painful and long labour followed by a caesarean and several-day stay. Midwives, nurses, bf counsellors, surgeons, anaesthetists, support staff etc were all fantastic - not just efficient, but genuinely friendly and lovely. Things like rubbing my back when bf hurt. Giving me a blanket bath in bed (when still attached to a catheter) and joking that I just had to imagine I was getting a spa treatment. The head bf counsellor staying late to come up to my ward and see me specially. The night duty auxiliary coming to chat to me about baby names. The midwife who saw me when I came in in agony in labour with DS, coming up to visit me on the ward 4 days later, to see DS and to tell me having a boy is great. And a lot more things I could list.

I have encountered 1 crap, unsympathetic midwife in total and she was a community one (not in hospital) - and I've had one nurse get narky with me when I asked when I would be able to get discharged, because she was rushed off her feet. I totally let it go because it's a very demanding job.

Clytaemnestra · 09/06/2011 13:01

I had an elective-CS and it was fabulous - everyone was so friendly and kind, and DD was born healthy and perfect.

The ward afterwards was fantastic as well, on the second night when ALL DD wanted to do was feed (and she howled every time she was put down) by 3 in the morning a midwife came and sat with DD for an hour, holding her while I caught an hour's sleep. I made DH bring her chocolates the next day for being so understanding. And I had a private room which was nice too. The whole thing was a wonderful, positive experience.

AberdeenAngusina · 09/06/2011 13:01

I had both mine in the midwives unit of the hospital, and went home the same day. Both were wonderful experiences, with excellent midwives, pretty, clean, comfortable rooms.

Can't praise the Midwives Unit of Aberdeen Maternity Hospital enough.

IWantToBeAFairyWhenIGrowUp · 09/06/2011 13:02

I had to have my DD early due to being pre eclamptic (is that even a word). My midwife and all the consulants were absolutely fantastic.

DD was kept in NICU for a week and the care there was superb, the midwives there were brilliant and very helpful.

I had to go back in a week after she was born due to a womb infection and on the ward I was in the care was excellent too.

I had a very positive experience.

LiegeAndLief · 09/06/2011 13:02

I had a pre-term cs and a VBAC in hospital, both were great. Well the cs was obviously not great as ds was prem and turned out to be quite poorly, but the staff were wonderful and the anaesthetist was very kind and reassuring. VBAC really was great despite CFM and very interested consultant!

MerylStrop · 09/06/2011 13:03

First was an EMC/Safter long labour but incredibly positive.
Second was an elective (of sorts) CS but we will gloss over that because I hated it.
Third was a fantastic hospital VBA2C. Lovely care, wonderful, efficient aftercare. If the first two had been like that I would have had 5 children by now!

fraktious · 09/06/2011 13:05

I don't do hospitals, I don't do medical intervention, I had a good experience (I think, I was quite high on gas and air). Same midwife throughout, very hands off, avoided all intervention - and this was in a drug and scissor happy hospital.

olliesmummy11 · 09/06/2011 13:05

I also had a nightmare first birth just 12 weeks ago, and i'm still recovering but reading your messages has reassured me that it might not be so bad next time. Im the only one of my group of friends to have had a baby so have had nobody to ask about their birth experiences. Just wish I could share a positive birth story, maybe next baby I will be able to...

AberdeenAngusina · 09/06/2011 13:05

To add - the midwife who had delivered DC1 popped in to say hello when she heard I was in having DC2.

MooMooFarm · 09/06/2011 13:06

All my children were born in hospital. I am way too much of a worrier/pessimist to have ever considered a home birth!

My first and third times were straightforward, relaxed and accompanied by lovely midwives both times, with minimum (almost no) intervention, just a 'watch and wait' approach.

My second time was very stressful because DC no.2 was in distress and had to be born quickly as there were concerns about DCs heart. But even so and despite being terrified at the time, the midwives and doctors concerned were fantastic and very professional, and did exactly the right things to ensure a happy and healthy baby at the end of it.

I'm not going to have any more children but if I had to I would definitely go with a hospital birth again.

MotherOfSuburbia · 09/06/2011 13:06

4 hospital births - never really considered homebirth as such a small space with all the other kids there etc. All births perfectly nice and natural - 2 of them water births - other 2 arrived too quickly for that. Midwives were hands off when I wanted them to be and hands on when they needed to be. Think hospitals and midwives get a bit of a bad press which is a shame.

WriterofDreams · 09/06/2011 13:07

I had DS 5 months ago in a hospital and it was great. There was one midwife who was a bit of a pain but I had another midwife sticking up for me and I'm a stubborn cow quite outspoken so I was able to make things go the way I wanted. My one bit of advice is to make it very clear from the start that you know what you're doing (even if you feel like you don't) and be very firm so that you'll be listened to. Most of the time you'll be listened to anyway but if you encounter an old-school, do-as-you're-told midwife like the one I had then a bolshy firm attitude is necessary.

SexyDomesticatedDab · 09/06/2011 13:09

Not me directly - we had 4 hospital births. No major intervention for any of them (first was induced by gel) and al went well. Overall very happy with all of them - all different and in 2 different hospitals. All delivered with gas & air only (for me anyway ) some possibly slightly 'better' than others but think we were glad to have the re-assurance there if anything did go wrong (even by #4 - you pretty much know what to expect).

LadyWord · 09/06/2011 13:12

Totally agree with WoD about being firm. Without being rude or a PITA, you need to stick to your guns and make a noise about what you want.

skrumle · 09/06/2011 13:13

i had a pretty horrendous experience first time round which left me totally traumatised.

second time round while it wasn't a fabulous experience (induced, crap antenatal staff, unable to move due to being monitored so epidural, EMCS, lost 2 litres of blood, didn't get to hold DS till 2.5hrs after he was born, etc) it was SO SO SO much better than the first time because i was prepared for something worse.

i know it's not really what you were looking for but honestly - no matter what it will be better this time because you will be better prepared, and will also know what you want to fight for.

sadlovedgirl · 09/06/2011 13:13

hi mini,

sorry you had such a bad time, I too had a bad 1st experience, induction followed by two failed epidurals, successful spinal block and forceps to get my dd1 out as i had been in labour for 3 days!

My worst fear 2nd time around was that i hated the internal examinations, so it was those that i was dreading, but i stayed at home as long as possible, got into hospital at 5:15am, examined once, was told that i was 9.5cm dilated, my waters broke (all over the very nice midwife) and i had dd2 at 6:41am with no pain relief!!!!

All the staff that looked after us were fantastic and to be honest it makes me feel a little bit cheated the 1st time round.

The best bit? ... being home by 6pm the same day!

Hope all goes well for you and your OH for the safe arrival of you DC.
xxx

Primalscream · 09/06/2011 13:14

4 hospital births - 2nd birth awful but that was down to a really grumpy midwife - (she was definitely in the wrong job ) other 3 brilliant - and all different hospitals.

porcamiseria · 09/06/2011 13:14

me!!!!

WidowWadman · 09/06/2011 13:19

One EMCS, one ELCS, both lovely.

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