further to thread about good births, any good FIRST TIME birth stories?

[hostelgirl74]

Alot of the good birth stories I have come across (and there are not that many of them) tend to be people having the second and subsequent children. I expect this is cause they know went wrong before and take what action they can the 2nd time round. Also the fact that 2nd/subsequent babies are less likely to be late and you are more likely to have a shorter labour. Does anyone have any good FIRST TIME birth stories? As a first timer due anytime, these would be helpful!

Hey, I had my first baby 8 weeks ago a beautiful daughter :)
My labour was amazing!- 3.5 hrs with a water birth , only gas and air as pain relief. I didnt even know that I was in labour until i was on the way to the hospital to be checked over! never had an internal check as they knew I was going to have my baby soon!
My family history is of quick labours so the next one will defo be a home birth as long as the pregnancy runs as smoothly as this one did :)
Good luck with the birth of your baby x

Yep! First birth was at home, midwives didn't arrive very early so no time for gas and air.

Birth was very active but I suppose ignorance is bliss and I was actually quite surprised when the mw told me that the only thing holding the baby in was the waters! Second mw only just arrived in time.

Births 2 and 3 were also at home and got quicker as they went on. I have very fond memories of all of them.

Hope things go well for you too.

I had a great first time birth - in a birthing centre in the Isle of Dogs in 2009. Had a small show on Sunday morning, went to bed Sunday night with very gentle tightenings (2 paracetomol) and then woke up at 1am on Monday morning with period pain feelings.

By 4 am I decided to put on the tens machine. I stayed in bed dozing on and off until about 11 am with the contractions coming and going (2 paracetomol at about 8am).

I went for a walk down Deptford High Street at about midday to pay a couple of cheques into the bank. Just slowly walked with my DH (about a mile round trip) stopping when I needed to.

By 2.30pm my DH decided to ring the birth unit - we went in and when I got there she gave me a couple of co-codamol and I was 4 cm dilated luckily.

She filled the birth pool and I wallowed for 4 hours throwing instructions out to my husband - more water, more chocolate, more attention please. G&A started about 7 cms. By about 8pm the midwife suggested I tried a birth stool to push - so I got out, sat on a stool and 40 mins later my daughter was born. I felt fantastic about it for weeks after - only used G&A, my husband was really supportive and it was great teamwork. The midwife was fab. I needed 3 basic stitches and the G&A was just great. A really, really positive experience that I'll hold with me always and one I hope to repeat in about a week's time!

Good luck - breathe a lot.

My first birth was a doddle, although it was 25 years ago

3 hour labour, no drugs or gas and air, no stitches.

Just me and three midwives. I had him standing up. A midwife under each arm holding me up and the other one to catch my son. Easy peasy

The second birth was on my back, no drugs, no pain relief, no stitches etc. Just me and one midwife. Over and done with in 4 hours.

It was like shelling peas

I have one for you! I had my DS 9 weeks ago using Marie Mongan's hypnobirthing method. I live abroad so only used the book and CD without the classes but was still fairly relaxed going into it.
I was having fairly regular braxton hicks contractions from about 34 weeks so didn't think much of them as I'd gotten so used to it! I went for my 38 week check and it turned out I was 3cm dilated already. I still wasn't convinced I was in labour so my OBGYN told me to call him as and when things started happening. I was on my way home on the phone to my mum in London saying "I just wish my waters would break and then I would know when the baby was coming" - I reached the end of that sentence and sure enough, my waters broke in the car. This was at 11.30am. My husband came home from work, we packed up the car, called the OBGYN and headed to hospital (hospital and OBGYN office less than a mile from our house). When OBGYN examined me at midday I was already over 4 cms so we called our doula. By this point the contractions were gearing up but I could still talk and breath through them.
It all gets a bit fuzzy but I remember the doula arriving and massaging my back and neck whilst I bounced on the ball and listened to my hypnobirthing cd and around 1pm I asked to get into the bath.
The contractions were pretty strong by this point and I was having to vocalise on the outbreath (a nice way of saying that I was mooing like a cow...) but in between each contraction I was so relaxed I was nearly asleep and the water was great for helping with the pain.

After about an hour in the bath I started to get too hot so asked for some G&A and got out and sucked on that for a while. Again, the G&A really helped to just take the edge off but I was still able to focus on my breathing.
I started to get a bit antsy and decided I needed to pee. It was whilst sitting on the loo that I felt the head pressing down so my doula decided to get the doctor to check me. I figured I was about 6 cms dilated so was pretty surprised when he took one look and declared "oh, baby's head is right there so you can start pushing any time you like" - I was gutted, I didn't even get to enjoy the gas and air all that much before they whisked it away!
Anyway, that was at 3.20pm and I started pushing but actually didn't feel the urge. Around 4pm baby's head got stuck so doc gave me a tiny episiotomy which I didn't feel and my son came shooting out at 4.10pm! Straight onto my tummy and screaming away.
I think I was most scared of the crowning but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be (didn't feel any ring of fire!) and I was terrified of either tearing or having to be cut but again, I didn't feel the cut, or being stitched up.
I was up and in the shower after a couple of hours of skin to skin and breastfeeding, husband provided me with a burger king shortly afterwards and we all cosied up for the night (we only have private health here so the hospitals have en suite bathrooms and partners are allowed to stay).
All in all, it was an incredible experience and if I had to do it all again tomorrow I wouldn't change a single thing. I know I was hugely lucky, not only to have such a short and straightforward labour, but to have a room I didn't have to leave, access to my own bathroom and my husband to stay with me.
I was also very lucky to have an obstetrician who was very understanding of my wishes to labour in water and talked me through every step.
I would highly recommend reading the Marie Mongan book even if you don't use the methods. If you have any fears of childbirth, it really helps explain how the body works and gives you the tools to cope with any pain.
Of course all women are different, all pregnancies are different but I had a great experience!
Best of luck with the birth of your baby!

Sorry, just realised how long that post was!!

My first birth was an uneventful homebirth

No complications, no pain relief, no drama.

Don't ask me how my second birth went though...

Me
Good luck, you'll be fine.

Thank you - very positive!

my first birth ..

waters went whilst cooking a curry (although this is a classic induction effort, i think it was more lugging the shopping round sainsburys) - watched some Americas Next Top Model, started getting pains. Tried to sleep.

Got out of bed a bit later, unable to sleep. paced up and down a bit. phoned hospital who asked 'how frequent are your contractions'
What a bloody stupid question to ask at a time like this! i thought. Me and mum timed contractions, coming in at every 2-3 minutes and 20 seconds long. Phoned hospital back, they said 'call us in another half hour' and actually offered some useful advice 'breathe out over the length of each contraction'. I admit to not bothering with any kind of pre-birth preparation.

I carry on walking up and down, and crouching for contractions, pushing with every one. Contractions every two minutes and 40 seconds long. I feel the baby descend once and pop back up.
I phone the hospital again - having real difficulty dialling the number because it was just so hard to think about anything else. I say I am having contractions every 2 minutes of 40 seconds length. They ask 'are you having one now'? i say 'yes' as the sensation goes down my back like a steam roller. i then giggle at the ridiculousness of it. My Mum takes the phone out of the room and rants at the MW on the other end for a bit. She hands the phone back to me
'so you'd like the MW to come out then?' says MW sounding slightly bemused. 'yes please' say i.

MW arrives 20 minutes later. i am at 6-7 cms. she takes my BP and takes a pew, noting that baby is still back-to-back and saying it may take some time to turn. She also says she thinks i am coping very well, which is nice. i think flattery helps labour. I carry on walking up and down - willing myself to pass out. At this point, it is the feeling sick that really gets me. Another 20 minutes though, and i am on the bed pushing with my might, on all fours. Not quite. hop off and do a few more lengths of my bedroom, and back on the bed in a hurry, contraction pushing the baby out in a single sudden go, still facing back.

Immediately i feel absolutely wonderful. this is the best moment of my life. Baby cries. I am in an awkward position on all fours with cord hanging out, but as the mess and dangly bits are magicked away, i get to hold my snuffly little girl and rest. Hooray!

I had a really good birth - started at home in the night, had a bath, went to MLU at local hospital late morning, chilled out in MLU pool for 8 hours. OK I then had SPD problems and an epidural (fantastic!) and it got long and tedious, but ended up with a ventouse delivery and lovely baby.
The important bit was even though it got more medicalised than I'd hoped for, at every step the options were discussed with me, my views and fears taken seriously, informed consent obtained, and every single one of the staff involved was absolutely lovely and supportive - must have been 50 of them in the end! Though it's not actually true that I named ds after the anaethetist. :)

Especially when ds briefly stopped breathing an hour after birth so had to go to special care for a couple hours before being returned with a clean bill of health but on an antibiotic cannula for three days just in case - OK that's not a good bit of story but it had a happy ending. :)

I healed up incredibly quickly, too. So when people ask how the birth was, I say it was long, tedious, but on the whole good.

Doing it again in a few weeks so I'm hoping for shorter and without the scary bit at the end, but otherwise same again will do nicely!

I've only done it once and had a good birth! 10 hours total labour but only about three were painful, that was before I got the gas and air at around 7cm. Water birth, MLU, lovely midwife, 3rd degree tear and I swear it was all FINE. I know 10 hours might sound like a lot but some of that was at home watching telly, bouncing on a Swiss ball, tring to use the tens machine (highly recommended). I went to hospital quite early and felt more reassured there...I did have a great room with lots of space to labour and move around etc. I like the reassurance of medical help! Rather than a sleepy husband at 2am...

My first was a home water birth using hypnobirthing.

I was due the next day and was about to go out for a walk at 2pm when waters started trickling. MW came out to do a stretch and sweep to encourage things to get moving quickly as she knew how desperate I was for a home birth. 3:30pm 1st contraction took my by surprise. Mooched around the house for a bit then DH got the pool ready. Spent the afternoon in the pool leaning over the side and swishing around a bit. A couple of hrs later I asked about G&A out of curiosity as I couldn't see it, mw said it's in the car outside & too late now. 8pm baby had been sitting in the birth canal for a bit long and was getting fed up so mw told me I needed to push him out now. Wasn't ready for making an effort after being so chilled out all afternoon but at 8:57pm ds1 arrived. He then slept for 2 weeks, barely opened his eyes. He was a lovely sleepy laid back baby which I am sure was helped massively by his birth.

I had a wonderful first birth and it went according to my birth plan. It's only when I look back on my birth that I realise how priviledge I was. I was overdue as well. I had a sweep and then 24 hours later I went into labour. I felt the first twinges just before midnight. At around 00:30, I went to see the midwife at the birthing centre. I was the only one there about to give birth, so I had the full attention of the midwives. When I was 4cm dilated, I went into the pool. It was bliss. I spent nearly 6 hours in the pool, it was so relaxing - I almost fell asleep! (The contractions kept me awake, as you can imagine). However, for the actual birth, I came out of the water, and within 42 minutes my daughter was born, with just G&A and warm water as pain relief.

I credit the fact that I had been in the warm water for so long, that despite being my first birth, I did not tear at all. In the birthing room, there were 2 midwives, me, my husband and newborn dd. Everything was perfect. My first birth was a dignified, pleasant and enriching experience.

Unfortunately, the aftercare did not match the exceptionally high standard of care during my pregnancy and birth, but that's another matter.

Other than the part where my idiotic doula failed to show, my first birth back in August was fabulous.

I got to 8 cms dilated while at home on the bed, midwife came by after doula failed to show, told me how far along I was, cue husband driving like a loon to the birthing centre of the hospital, nurse took my heart rate etc. then midwife told me to choose a birthing position (side lying). Two hours of steady, controlled pushing equalled no tearing or stitches--something I was convinced would be a problem, as I have teeny, tiny boy hips and DS was not huge, but no bantamweight (7 lbs 8 oz). Oddly, I didn't make a sound during labour, though I believe years of excruciating period pains provided me with the ideal prep.

It being a birthing centre, DH was allowed to stay the night, and the three of us curled up in the double bed, with bacon sarnies for the grown-ups. Superb experience (and I'm in America, too!).

I loved giving birth, from the start to the end. Yes, it was painful, but I knew it was good pain. It was quite quick, as was 8cm when arrived at the hospital, and had only been in labour 3 hours. Was very thankful for birthing pool and gas and air. Gave birth on the bed on all fours. Had 3rd degree tear which was repaired in theatre, but recovery was fine. Midwives and theatre staff were fabulous.

A great birth doesn't have to only be quick a home water birth (although that was my plan too!) From the facts of my birth it sounds awful- contractions started at 5pm, midwife came at 2am to check me (planned homebirth) and I was 3cm so she went away again. She refused to come back again as my contractions were never closer than 7 mins apart so we ended up driving ourselves to hospital with me trying not to push in the car, waiting for an hour on labour ward as again nobody would believe I was really in labour, followed by 4 hours pushing, a ventouse, stitches in theatre and a night in hospital. Overall my labour from start of proper contractions was 21 hours.

BUT- it was amazing. The pain was always managable, with only my tens machine and breathing, and I have never felt more powerful or in control in my life. My husband was an amazing support and I just felt really relaxed and supported, even when it was difficult. I had been prepared for transfer to hospital etc and gone into it with an open mind so didn't really mind when plans had to change. The midwives all followed my birth plan as much as they could and involved me in each decision and I honestly thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Even when I was pushing we were all chatting and laughing between contractions. I'd do it all again any day.

I woke up just before 3 am as my waters had broken. It was a bit scary as I had been led to believe that first-time labours start slowly, the intnsity and frequency of contractions gradually increase and it takes many hours or even days, but my contractions were pretty intense, painful and close together right from the start. I had no idea how I would be able to tolerate much worse than that for hours and hours. We went to hospital at about 6am and the midwife looked sceptical that I had come in so soon after phoning to say my waters had broken, but it turned out that I was 8cm dilated already. Then I had gas and air and everything seemed a lot better after that! I loved gas and air. DD was born at 9.25am with no tearing, no stitches, no other pain relief. I may have overdosed on gas and air as a lot of the labour is all a bit of a haze to me and I barely remember it, but, compared to many stories I have heard it was a great birth.

Good experience here too - 39 wks gestation, waters broke around 10pm, contractions started a little after, went into MLU after midnight to find I was fully dilated and baby was born at 2am. A bit of gas and air and found the birthing pool great. I did have a second degree tear but healed completely and look back very fondly on the whole experience actually :)

All the best!

Wonderful experience here. Planned home birth. 15 hours in all but lovely slow build up through the night. TENS, a bit of gas and air but mainly breathing techniques saw me through. Waters broken to help speed things up but other than that, no intervention at all. Delivered standing at end of my bed and then stayed in bed with dh dozing and reading the newspapers before calling everyone to announce the new arrival. Afterwards, my legs ached (because I had spent the entire labour pacing up and down!) but I felt like Super Woman. Best night of my life.

I had an amazing home water birth with my DD at 38 weeks.

The birth itself was completely amazing. I'd been preparing by listening to a natal hypnotherapy cd a few times a week and going to pregnancy yoga. At 4am on Friday morning my waters broke in bed. By 10am I was having mild contractions, and by 1pm ish they were getting strong enough that I had to stop what I was doing to concentrate on breathing through them. The midwife came at 6ish and I was 6cm dilated. At about 9ish I got into the pool and started pushing what seemed like shortly after. DD was born all at once at 22:41 and was so relaxed that slthough she was breathing she didn't cry for ages. Once the cord stopped pulsating, DH cut the cord and I went upstairs to deliver the placenta on the loo. The midwives then tucked the three of us up in bed, showed me how to feed DD, then cleaned up and let themselves out. It was incredible.

Great first labour. 23 hours, 7cm when I got admitted to hospital, straight into the birthpool, tried a bit of entonox but made me a bit scared.
delivered 8lb 1 normally, with very small graze, no stitches.

I did think my waters had gone ( maybe my hind waters had) embarassingly after attempting to DTD after a show when I was 40+3 I had a midwife appt anyway and she sent me to hospital. I was having small contractions every 10 mins, no dilation, came home, laboured overnight, fairly regular contractions ( watching 24, very surreal) at 11am got up and packed a picnic for a walk, contractions hit me every 3 mins. Got into car, got to hospital 10 minutes later and then... see above.

I stayed in 2 nights, found bf hard, only later did I find DD had a profound toungue tie, got that cut at day 6 and never looked back. ( apart from when she got teeth!)

Really hopeful for a wonderful experience for you. I am due in March with DD2, planning to stay at home this time if all is ok. (not planning to watch Keifer sutherland with contractions, that was a bit hallucinagenic)

I had an amazing experience, even though it sounds pretty unimpressive when I write it down... I woke up on Christmas morning having contractions. They were two minutes apart from the beginning (about 9.30 am) and I couldn't speak through them from about 11 am. I went to the birth centre at about 1 in the afternoon, and they said I wasn't even a centimetre dilated and would have to go home. I wasn't into that - the taxi drive had been really, really uncomfortable. They said I could rest and take some gas and air and then go home, but I willed my cervix to open (I swear it) and was 4cm by the time they re-examined me. I did make mooing sounds, and ask to be knocked out twice (I meant, could someone punch me?) because I had a few panicky moments. But, the baby was born at 9.30pm and it was the most interesting experience I've ever had, like being completely removed from myself but totally present the whole time. I had no pain relief - I didn't like the gas and air because it made me feel stoned and I wanted to concentrate. It did hurt but because I was mentally different to everyday me, it wasn't 'unbearable'. The instant he was born was like surfacing from underwater, I found it utterly impossible to connect to the world around me during the labour so when he arrived the whole [new] world came crashing in with him. Euphoria. I really want to do it again.

Went to the hospital on the 1st contraction (DH was quite in a panic), got a lot of eye rolls from the staff, but I was 9 cm. 3 hours later after a very by-the-book, totally natural (not planned, but I was too far gone for any pain relief) labor (I'm in America, so no u's in that word) :), I had a very healthy 9 lb baby boy. Then MIL came to the hospital, dropped off a bag of doughnuts, took DS, and I had a blissful 20 minutes alone with myself and doughnuts. (FWIW, my 2nd birth was just as easy and over an hour shorter)