To have really enjoyed childbirth?

[MissJC]

4 days of back to back labour, high blood pressure, epidural, forceps, episiotomy and a blood transfusion but my god did I enjoy the entire thing!

Don't get me wrong, I got a bit hysterical when the registrar cut me and I actually heard my flesh ripping, however as soon as she was out I wanted to do it all over again. LO is 7 weeks and I am starting to get broody remembering how lovely the whole experience was!

Anybody else a sadist like me? Or am I a total oddity?

YES!!! I loved mine too. Arrived at the birth unit already 7cm, lovely room, very calm and serene, had the head of the unit as my midwife. DS motored down my vag like a trouper, MW and student MW just sat back and allowed him to arrive with minimal intervention - they described it in my notes as a 'beautiful physiological birth'.

Despite giving birth 20 miles away from my house, I genuinely felt like I could walk home when we were discharged (I didn't, of course) and wanted to be like Angelina Jolie and repopulate the earth!

Two days later the drugs wore off and I felt like I'd ran a marathon!

Well my guilty secret is I had an orgasm. I really really hope they thought the When Harry met Sally moment was me gasping with the pain of it all. I'm not sure how my son would react to that revelation.

I've said this before, but after DC2's birth I remember thinking to myself quite seriously, "Wow. I am amazing. I can do anything. This is what Beyoncé must feel like every single day."

Never really thought of Beyoncé much until that moment. Don't know where it came from.

Apart from being overawed at meeting my baby, I felt like a warrior just out of battle - knackered but victorious!

I had text book births, every midwife has said that they wished all births they dealt with were as quick and straight forward but I actually do feel a bit sad and guilty as I know plenty mothers who had traumatic and/or births that went on forever when really all mothers deserve as easy as possible/positive labour.

Beyoncé

I'm glad I am not the only one! My friends and family were all a bit when I said how much I enjoyed myself. The fully gory lot, turds and all!

My mum was in the room as I am a bit of a mardy arse in actual fact and fully expected a nervous breakdown, my mum is hard as nails, she was the one who was green to the gills and when the blood started flowing I looked at DP and was more concerned about him passing out and bashing his head off my leg stirrup. Never seen anyone so pale in my whole life! Haha!

I love reading your other experiences, just goes to show how different and unique each little entry into the world is.

Gawd you are totally being unreasonable and I dislike you a lot!!!

I had four pretty awful births and recently had a dream where my baby just popped out and it was so lovely and made me broody as hell.

Thank goodness DH has had the snip.

I loved it too op! Particularly being high as a kite on g&a with the first - dh and I had a real giggle in the delivery suite. Look back with huge fondness on both my labours, despite the second one being quite... different to the first.

I loved my birth. It was beautiful. First baby, had him at home in the water. As soon as I had him I wanted another

I feel the same OP, loved every second of my labour, even the failed forceps & subsequent emergency caesarean. Fortunately I get to do it again in three months time

DS2's birth was momentous. I had 2 paracetamol and gas & air. I felt totally in control and can genuinely say I enjoyed it.

Which is amazing because DS1's birth with HIDEOUS! Induced after going 14 days overdue, uncontrollable contractions, immobilised by the catheter and monitor. It just went on and on and on.

I loved my second birth (at home) It was uncomfortable for about 10 minutes and crowning stung but it was AMAZING. I wanted to do it again straight after!

I loved mine. It was traumatic at the end, but the first 40-odd hours were amazing

I loved it, only had gas and air which was shite Even my labour partner dm was shocked at how I handled it as she seemed to think for some reason I was a right wimp when it cames to pain

The whole time I felt so in control and listened to my body, it felt totally natural. Never in my life have I felt I've done something so awesome and I was high with endorphins for days after.

It was a very healing experience since my first was riddled with health problems for both of us, cs, prem birth amd PND because of it all.

Yep, loved both my births!

DS1 was a 4 hour hypnobirth in a private hospital with DH and my doula, laboring in water and then OBGYN present at the end to help with episiotomy and stitching.

I felt like I was fucking flying after baby arrived, the euphoria is something I've never experienced since the moment he was born. I felt battle worn, sore and like I'd been hit by a mack truck but by God it was a brilliant feeling. I didn't stop smiling for days and felt like I could eat nails.

DS2 was a lovely, slow burning, epidural birth as he needed to be monitored closely. I arrived at hospital at 10pm with strong but irregular contractions (not particularly painful), contractions ramped up quickly to every 2 minutes so I requested an epidural at 10.30, by 11pm the epidural was in place, the lights were dimmed and DH and I went to sleep. OBGYN woke me up at 6am to let me know I was fully dilated and to start pushing, 3 pushes later out DS2 came.

Presumably because I didn't have the endorphins pumping around me like with the first one I didn't feel superhuman, but instead I had the feeling of my heart exploding when I saw DS2 and I was absolutely overwhelmed with love and joy. Cried buckets.

I would give anything to experience it all over again, the days I gave birth to my sons were the best of my life.

My first one was very quick, I lost a lot of blood and was terrified and shocked by the whole thing.

My second was two weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. Yes it hurt but I was really in the zone and actually managed to utilise the hypnobirthing stuff that I had learned (and not used) for my first labour. It was a thoroughly calm and empowering experience and I was so pleased to have exorcisms the demons of my first labour.

Both my births were quick, only had gas and air for both, but I think my head was in a much better place the second time.

First one, not so much, as I had a bitch of a midwife who insisted I did it her way. I didn't feel in control.

Second and third were great. I discussed what I wanted with the midwife when I went in and then just did my own thing (nothing weird or unusual - just kneeling). I was totally in the zone and my body did what it needed to do. No drugs on any of them.

My DD is 4 months and I don't think I could ever go through that again I found it absolutely horrendous

I love labour. I love the exciting 'get the car, baby's coming' stuff. And getting to the hospital and people giving you 'go on girl' type looks as you waddle in. Don't get me wrong, fucking hurts, but is just an amazing experience, after I had my second on gas and air only, in a pool, I felt like there was absolutely nothing I couldn't do. Amazing. Would love a 3rd!

I didn't love it. Reasonably straightforward birth, just gas and air and the birthing pool, but I was 3 days in early labour and the pushing stage was 3 hours of not a great deal of fun. Worth it, though!

I quite enjoyed dc2s birth (home waterbirth)
Dc1's had some good moments but the end bit was unpleasant (emergency forceps delivery in theatre).