Practical Birth Questions- All you wanted to know but were afraid to ask?!

[Potol]

I'm about to give birth in about 7 weeks' time and I had a series of fairly mundane and possibly daft questions. We're going on a maternity tour next week and I'll have a chance to ask some of these questions then but I just wanted to see what people's experiences were generally like. So I thought I'd put it to the good folk at MN to see what they had to say (taking inspiration from the thread about labour pain). Apologies as the majority of the questions pertain to a hospital rather than a home birth, but I'd be curious to hear about ppl's experiences in general. So here goes:

-Did your waters break dramatically with a big whoosh Hollywood style or was it a slow trickle? I'll be commuting (a short distance) and making presentations till late in my pregnancy and I'm afraid they might break in the midst of random people....

• At what point did your hospital ask you to come in? a) when your waters broke b) when contractions began c) when contractions were x mins apart d) others

• Did you spend any time on the antenatal ward before being moved to a delivery suite? Was your OH allowed on the a.n. ward after visiting hours?

• Once labour began how often did your midwife pop around to see you?

• If you had an epidural how long did it take before they were able to provide you with one?

• So what happens when you've given birth and the placenta is out? I've read that most people spend a few hours in the delivery suite before being moved elsewhere (if at all)? Is it just a, ahem, clean up operation, or are there any specific checks done at this stage?

• How long after, if at all, did you move to the postnatal ward? I've heard/read plenty of horror stories about these. Is there anything you would have done differently/demanded in the p.n. ward?

• This is a really stupid question. How soon after birth does lochia start? Do you pretty much not stop bleeding after the placenta is out or does it kick in a while later?

• How soon after birth did you attempt to breastfeed? I'm worried that if I'm unable to feed then the baby will go hungry and the midwives will insist on formula. I'm not taking any bottles/formula in my hospital bag. Is that silly and should I be more prepared?

• Any other tips/thoughts?

Many many thanks!

Thanks everyone again! Just showed DH this thread and despite the fact that he's a medic and has delivered plenty of babies, he said he found it really fascinating and informative to listen to people's experiences from the 'other side' as it were!

-Did your waters break dramatically with a big whoosh Hollywood style or was it a slow trickle? I'll be commuting (a short distance) and making presentations till late in my pregnancy and I'm afraid they might break in the midst of random people....
Only on one out of the nine did my waters break before 2nd stage. The one where the waters went before labour established just leaked slowly.

• At what point did your hospital ask you to come in? a) when your waters broke b) when contractions began c) when contractions were x mins apart d) others

1st and 9th went in for induction. 2nd went in when I thought I should due to pain of contractions (4hr before delivery) the rest I went in once I went into transition.

• Did you spend any time on the antenatal ward before being moved to a delivery suite? Was your OH allowed on the a.n. ward after visiting hours?

1st baby induced - spent time on antenatal ward. No visitors outside visiting until in established labour. 9th induced - own room where dh stayed during the day until it looked like nothing was happening and he went home for the night. Others straight to delivery.

• Once labour began how often did your midwife pop around to see you?

First induction - regular checks once connected to ctg monitor. Every couple of hours with the last induction. Only monitored for around 20mins after prostin inserted.

• If you had an epidural how long did it take before they were able to provide you with one?

No epidural.

• So what happens when you've given birth and the placenta is out? I've read that most people spend a few hours in the delivery suite before being moved elsewhere (if at all)? Is it just a, ahem, clean up operation, or are there any specific checks done at this stage?

stayed in delivery for 1hour+ with baby + dh. baby being cuddled and fed. Then went for a shower and taken to post-natal ward.

• How long after, if at all, did you move to the postnatal ward? I've heard/read plenty of horror stories about these. Is there anything you would have done differently/demanded in the p.n. ward?

Moved to postnatal ward once showered and clean. It was fine.

• This is a really stupid question. How soon after birth does lochia start? Do you pretty much not stop bleeding after the placenta is out or does it kick in a while later?

Started immediately for me

• How soon after birth did you attempt to breastfeed? I'm worried that if I'm unable to feed then the baby will go hungry and the midwives will insist on formula. I'm not taking any bottles/formula in my hospital bag. Is that silly and should I be more prepared?

Baby born and straight on to breast to feed. First baby needed attention so didn't feed until about half an hour after born

HTH :)

-Did your waters break dramatically with a big whoosh Hollywood style or was it a slow trickle? I'll be commuting (a short distance) and making presentations till late in my pregnancy and I'm afraid they might break in the midst of random people....

first child, they were broken for me at the hospital and nothing but a trickle, second child, they popped at home (while I was on the loo) when in labour and was contracting regularly

• At what point did your hospital ask you to come in? a) when your waters broke b) when contractions began c) when contractions were x mins apart d) others

1st, when CX 5 mins apart, second was emergency transfer in ambulance

• Did you spend any time on the antenatal ward before being moved to a delivery suite? Was your OH allowed on the a.n. ward after visiting hours?

spent no time on antenatal at all either times

• Once labour began how often did your midwife pop around to see you?

in and out constantly

• If you had an epidural how long did it take before they were able to provide you with one?

didnt have one

• So what happens when you've given birth and the placenta is out? I've read that most people spend a few hours in the delivery suite before being moved elsewhere (if at all)? Is it just a, ahem, clean up operation, or are there any specific checks done at this stage?

a clean up, MW's dissapear and come back with toast, you feed baby, they poke your boobs around a bit, i told them to go away, I went and had a shower - as refused to have a bath in a load of blood like I did 1st time round

• How long after, if at all, did you move to the postnatal ward? I've heard/read plenty of horror stories about these. Is there anything you would have done differently/demanded in the p.n. ward?

1st time probably about 3 hours, second time I had DD at 8am and left hospital at 9.30am and didnt go on the ward

• This is a really stupid question. How soon after birth does lochia start? Do you pretty much not stop bleeding after the placenta is out or does it kick in a while later?

yes, you will just bleed

• How soon after birth did you attempt to breastfeed? I'm worried that if I'm unable to feed then the baby will go hungry and the midwives will insist on formula. I'm not taking any bottles/formula in my hospital bag. Is that silly and should I be more prepared?

• Any other tips/thoughts?

@yuule NINE??!! NINE? and a bit . I'm struggling to persuade DH that we want a #4 :o

Really? Nine?