Please tell me happy first baby childbirth stories....

[octanegirl]

I'm due in a few days and now bricking it having reads recent threads about tears, episiotomies, incontinence and whatnot.
Please will people with happy straightforward births tell their stories so I don't have a total meltdown...?
Thank you!

With Ds1, wearers broke and then nothing for 4 days so induced. Dilated to 10 cm then EMCS as DS distressed. Was still an amazing experience, midwives and Drs all fabulous, v supportive and calm.

DS2 v similar though naturally went into labour before EMCS. Again, brilliant staff made it an amazing birth. I've never ever felt disappointed with 2 CSs just delighted with my healthy boys!

Even if things don't go straight forward lay you can still have a fantastic birth experience!!

If you insist OP!

I was induced with a pessary at 42 +5 at 9pm. A couple of hours later I had some cocodamol and put on my TENS machine. About an hour after that I wallowed in a bath for an hour or so having some tightenings. MW examined me about 2am. I was 9cms dilated. I went to delivery suite and DH was called. I had gas and air to help with what i learned were comtractions! DS1 arrived at 4.45am.

My first labour was 2hours 40mins

My labour lasted 10 hours from start to finish but at the time I would have sworn it was only about 4 hours!

I got woken up by a contraction at 2.30am, went to hospital at about 7.30am and I was 5cm dilated. A little while later (turns out it was 4 hours later!) I was starting to push so they examined me and I was 10cm. DS was born at 12.29pm.

The pain was bearable and I didn't have any g&a until probably about 9.30am. The pushing stage was more painful (I did tell the midwives to get DS out any way they could so I didn't have to push anymore) and I had a second degree tear but neither were anything like I had imagined or what other people had told me it would be like!

Good luck!

great thread and I cross posted my epidural thread for some reassurance. Bumping for any more nice stories, thanks ;)

1st baby, 3 hour established labour no drugs no g&a home birth in the water, no tearing :-) x

I went into labour, had gas and air, it did hurt but I was out shopping the next day with no tears or anything. We didn't buy newborn as midwife said to expect a big baby and he wasn't so bought some baby gros that fitted.

Waters broke at home (explosion on the couch!) at 5pm, was 38 weeks.

Went to hospital at 7pm, confirmed water broke. Went back home, sat in bath, paced up & down, contractions started to come every 3 minutes.

Went back to hospital at midnight, after gas & air and shot of morphine DS was born at 3.30am. . No tears, no stitches, latched on straightaway. Was lovely experience (well. . . Sore at the time) but not as horrendous as I'd expected. 10 hours from start to finnish. Pregnant now with number 2. . . Hoping for same delivery!

Good luck

Mine went smoothly (if you ignore the PND!)

Waters broke at 2am, went back to bed. Woke again around 6am with contractions, which really ramped up by about 9am, arrived at birth centre about 11am (40 minute scary drive, using TENS machine on the way).
Got there, was only 2cm - got into the pool as I was in heaps of pain. Sucked on G&A for an hour or so. Got out. Wanted to get back in - lasted about 2 minutes before I demanded to get back out again. Onto the bed, lying on my side, one leg in the air. Had diamorphine injection about 3.30pm, baby born at 4pm! No tears or incontinence here, healthy but sleepy baby. Back home by 8pm.

Waters broke late evening, went into hospital and got them confirmed. Went home, had a sleep, woken by contractions. Got my Tens machine on. Walked around a bit, hid under a blanket, all ok. Went to hospital, got sent home. Contractions ramped up, went back to hospital, got on the gas & air. Baby born 2 hours after arrival, not too much pushing. Stayed in overnight, walked home (15 mins away) the next day. It was really fine.

Lots of nice stories, thank you. A worrying amount of tearing though!

I my first baby at home. Not going to lie, it was long and tough (30 hours from waters breaking to baby - about 14 hours established labour) - but the midwives were fantastic, my boyfriend and friend were wonderful, I got to 6cm on TENS and then had G&A till 8cm and then just a lot of positions till 10cm (G&A stopped being helpful!)

Contractions were very painful but pushing was satisfying and quick. Baby born with no tearing at all on my own sofa. Placenta came out naturally about 45 minutes later. Breastfed immediately, for almost an hour. Shower, proper food, own bed with boyfriend and baby. Baby was wonderful, fed brilliantly, settled and relaxed (she still is a pretty easy baby). I was out walking again the next day and running within a month.

Also have a friend who delivered 2 days before me who had exactly the same story, except in hospital, and 10 hours shorter (cow!)

A lot of luck involved with labour and it's not helpful at all to play one-up-man-ship games, but remember normal deliveries are more common than not.