OBEM: Anyone think Steph was quite measured compared to them?

[StartingAfresh]

Just me then!

Except begging everytime anyone entered the room for an epidural never got me one, even when I was crawling around the floor.

me too. i pity the women on either side.

It's just that I've seen a few posts on here that seem to imply she was making a fuss.

One of the biggest contributers to my subsequent PTSD was that fact that I felt that other people were judging me for my inability to cope with the pain. I judged myself even because if other people seemed to manage why couldn't I?

Oh thanks for this me too. I overheard the MW in charge tell my MW to make me be quiet cos I was scaring the others. I think I screamed something like I don't give a flying fuck what anyone else thinks. I think screaming helped me release the tension. Was also punching the bed really hard and sort of writhing. Well I did go from 1-7cm in about an hour with contractions every 2 mins. HAve never had that slow build up everyone else has. Its always nothing then agony with me.

Just because we screamed (and whimpered for my Mummy!) in labour doesn't mean a quieter person managed it better than us - they just managed it differently the uptight bastards

I think everyone is different and everyone copes with pian different. I think if your in the ealry stages of labour and a woman down the corridor is nearly ready to give birth you sit there thinking my god I hope Im not that bad. Then when your at that stage you are going to make some sort of noise. I had all the drugs going for my birth and I did not care Im not one of those women who wants to have a natural birth and feel it all sorry I dont think I would cope. I asked for everything and I had everything pethadine, gas and air and a very lovley and great epidural I loved that man the most he was my best friend! I loved my midwives I had a trainee there too it was great I was off my face but could still focus. I was on a slow labour for 5 days and they kept me in hospital as they did not know when it was coming! I was sooo tired so by the time the labour had stepped up a gear I was knackered. Have what you want and do what you want well dont beat anyone up!) you know what I mean if you need to scream do it (I only grunted when pushing). Im 28 weeks with 2nd and have my birthing plan ready....

Another Steph here! I had a very fast labour, went from "ooh something might be happening - omfg it hurts!" in such a short space of time, no time to get my trousers off before I had to push and the panic just took over. It does upset me reading some of the nasty things that have been said about Steph and I really hope she hasn't read any of the comments

I screamed through one of my labours. My GP's daughter was my Midwife and when I saw him a week later he said his daughter was still knocking back the headache pills .

I don't understand how people manage to stop screaming! I felt like I was being gutted from the inside out. I was worse than steph I think.

I was induced, so it took ages... All in antenatal ward too with other terrified women listening to the carnage behind my screen. I was only 2cm . After 40 odd hours of screams, they gave me a section probably to shut me up. I'm usually quiet, but found labour really painful, if someone had had a gun to my head and told me to stop making noise, I wouldn't have be able to!
What I found really puzzling was the threats the midwifes were issuing like 'you'll lose your voice', like you give two shits in labour about your voice.

I think most people on here have defended her right to scream if she wants to.

I think every birth experience is different and every woman has a different way of coping. I certainly don't think a woman can be accused of being hysterical or over the top if she screams during labour. Without drugs it has to be the most intense pain a woman will ever experience in her life. I did a hypno-birthing course and did all the relaxation and breathing techniques but it was impossible for me to stay calm at the very end of my labour and I feel totally conned to have been told the whole thing could be pain free - it has to be the biggest lie out there!

I coped ok-ish with the contractions i.e. I didn't scream, just groaned loudly. However, when it came to pushing my 9lb plus baby out, who got stuck and needed to be delivered by ventouse, after an episiotomy (all on gas and air), I screamed the place down - the pain was agonising. I never want to experience that again and will be demanding my epidural next time!

I was like Steph, about an hour after an internal exam revealed my cervix was......still posterior In fairness to my I was being induced and the prostin had hyperstimulated me so I was having 7 contractions in 10 minutes (instead of 4) oh, and DD was back to back. I resorted to hitting myself really hard on the head repeatedly as that dazed-impact feeling took the edge off the contractions (which were like being simultaneously torn apart and set on fire).

I managed to achieve the holy grail of epidural before established labour (but not before 8 hours of dementing hideous pain).

I knew exactly how Steph felt and those posting "get a grip" on other threads really don't know how lucky they've been with their births.

I worried too I was like Steph! I was told the lines "put your energy into pushing rather than into your voice" and "you'll get a sore throat" but goodness me it hurt. I too had a v fast labour with DS2 (2 1/2 hrs)- an hour after first twinge I was fully dilated in hospital. I had no pain relief as there just wasn't time. DS2 had his hand by his head ("nuchal hand") so it wasn't exactly a smooth round thing I was trying to move - it was his arm and elbow as well! So I put the extra pain down to this. I was pushing for 90 mins which seemed like forever. Ah well I don't know the midwives and never will again, I barely registered what colour hair they had let alone a name and face!