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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Surprises during birth

110 replies

BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 15:37

So I had ds a week ago and was thinking of the things that happened during birth that surprised me. Even though I've read countless books there were still things they didn't mention.

I had a home birth with no drugs or gas and air just so you get a picture. Just 12 hours of labour, 6 was full on pushing.

Shivering - for the last half an hour I convulsed and shivered. Poor dh was freaking out thinking I was fitting. Midwives didn't really raise an eyebrow, just said it was strong hormones.

The pooing - I know a lot of people poop but I pooped a little bit at almost every contraction for 6 hours. Watching dh fishing around the birthing pool with his wine sediment sieve with a horrified look on his face was brilliant.

Mucous plug - I'd been looking forward to seeing my bloody show for weeks lol. It happens way into labour near the end and came out like a rocket. There was SO much of it!

Waters breaking - I was also looking forward to this. Either a big gush like you see on the telly where you go into labour or the trickle trickle to let you know it's on it's way. What I wasn't expecting was giving a really good push, a really loud POP and half a gallon of brown smelly water flying all over the sofa (which I hated so very glad). He'd pooped inside which I knew could happen I just wasn't expecting the mess.

Anyone else get some shocks?

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puntasticusername · 30/11/2013 20:05

Oops what do you mean, your OH didn't want you having an epidural? Why on earth would it have been his decision...?

glorious · 30/11/2013 20:06

The finger up the bum is to check you haven't done any damage. They ought to ask and explain why like my lovely midwife. It must be a shock if they don't!

The shock for me was how hard pushing was and feeling absolutely nothing from transition onwards. No pain relief then, and I honestly couldn't feel the contractions any more or DD crowning (with her hand by her head!). It was a bit odd actually but I'm not complaining.

oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 20:08

Easy Just go with the drugs my lovely, and believe me, when baby is in your arms, you tend to forget everything that came before straight away!!! (and that tends to be the moment they stick a finger up your bum!!!)

Easy yep, giving birth can be 'arrrgghhh', but tell you what, that moment you've got little babe in your arms is the best moment in the world!!

That's why we all do it again!!!! xxxx

glorious · 30/11/2013 20:08

So e.g. I had a tear and they were checking it didn't go into my anus. Also I think you can prolapse. And piles

sapphirestar · 30/11/2013 20:09

I thought it was a suppository painkiller they put up your bum after, I just assumed because I'd had stitches but never asked! The midwife did come round with another several hours after the birth.

NaturalBaby · 30/11/2013 20:11

This is going to sound insane but I honestly did not expect to have to push so hard. It was only for an hour but I had burst blood vessels round my eyes from pushing so hard. I did hypnobirthing so was expecting to breathe him out .
Ds2 and ds3 obliged by flyin out within minutes before I realised that I was fully dilated.

All my babies cords were really short - I could only lift them to the top of my bump.

Finger up the bum?!? wtf??

CecyHall · 30/11/2013 20:11

I always thought that the waters broke you cleaned up and carried on, I didn't expect the first gush and then a bit more every time I stood up. It seemed to go on forever keep coming out.

oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 20:12

punt long story, and we 'live and learn' (he was told I may be in labour longer if I had an epidural, and he needed to get back to his 'other kids', it was his weekend to have, and ex wife was hardly understanding, even though I was 'giving birth')

glorious · 30/11/2013 20:17

sapphire sounds like that's another possibility but definitely not in my case. I had to beg for paracetamol on the ward and it took 24 hours to get any (bad 2nd degree, lots and lots of stitches). Ouch

Original poster

BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 20:19

I had a natural birth and didn't get a finger up my bum. That would have added insult to injury!

This is after birth I know but I'm so shocked that I have no control over my bowels.

I've pooped myself several times in the last week. :(

I don't actually think this is 'normal'. I guess ds must have damaged something on his way out.

OP posts:

Thesebootsweremadeforwalking · 30/11/2013 20:20

Well, the finger up my bum was definitely a suppository (sp?) painkiller, I think ibuprofen but not certain. (Obstetrician asked me if I had asthma before doing it.)

Anyway, my own big surprise that I was mostly ok with the labour and birth pain with varying degrees of pain relief each time, but that the stitching was actually the most uncomfortable bit, even with G&A!

oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 20:22

Cecy twice I was two weeks over and had to have my waters broken both times!

The second time I was being 'looked' after by a new bod, who was being 'looked on' by an old girl who just kept shaking her head because she was hurting me every time she tried to break my waters - she couldn't do it -

Eventually, 'new bod' went on a lunch break, 'Old girl' then came straight in, gave me a massive cuddle, told me to 'suck hard' on the gas, she was going in - she pretty much 'clicked her fingers', and my waters were broken, no pain at all - that's experience for you! She told me she was training new bod, but she was so good x

Original poster

BummyMummy77 · 30/11/2013 20:24

It didn't occur to me to take any painkillers until about 5 days later! Bloody hippy midwives.

OP posts:

glorious · 30/11/2013 20:24

Oh I'm so jealous! I got the wrong kind of finger clearly

oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 20:27

glorious lol!!!!!
haha x

SunnyL · 30/11/2013 20:29

How it was even possible to go 3 days without sleep (back to back baby so loooong labour) and yet despite being shattered when baby arrived I couldn't sleep and could only lie there staring at her.

How it would be possible to fall asleep while a room full of people went excavating up my foof (needed manual placenta extraction).

onlysettleforbutterflies · 30/11/2013 20:32

My big surprise was how much the contractions actually hurt, I genuinely wasn't expecting it! Don't know if it was because I was induced or not as I only have one dc. Was also shocked when it all went tits up and I needed a ga for the c-section, I hadn't even thought about things going wrong.

I think I was blissfully naive, which was good as it meant I wasn't worried about the birth at all!

PatTheHammer · 30/11/2013 20:32

That it was like pissing razorblades when I had my first wee afterwards. That was with no stitches or tears, just a tiny labial graze.

Ouchy, ouchy ouch! And it was in the bath....Christ knows what it would have been like just sat on the loo.

Plus the size of some of the clots that pass afterwards. I was shocked, saved a massive one for the midwife to see (thought there was something going terribly wrong inside) she took a cursory look and told me it was perfectly normal. I would HATE to see an abnormal one!

therunnawaybride · 30/11/2013 20:36

Oh Christ yes the shakes!!! I got them just after; I shook ridiculously uncontrollably midwife with dd told me it was adrenaline and gave me a little massage which helped
Don't remember getting a finger up the bum but I did get a doctors hand almost up to the elbow up my fanjo as I wouldn't stop bleeding and he wanted to make sure there was no placenta still up there

therunnawaybride · 30/11/2013 20:39

Oh yes pat the clots are bloody horrific aren't they!? I did the same thing after my first

Fozziebearmum2be · 30/11/2013 20:45

Oh yep, finger up the bum and the horrendous pain from stitches! Birth was fine, happily do that again but not stitches..

The g&a! Loved it-would love a tank to keep in the corner of the room was like being completely drunk minus the hangover

GeeinItLaldy · 30/11/2013 20:45

That I didn't swear. Not once. I had applogised in advance and everything because I can be vocal and tend to swear a lot even under normal circumstances. Turns out I'm utterly silent in labour.

The other surprising thing is that no one knows when or where my waters went. Examined by consultant who ordered me to be transferred to delivery to have my waters broken (I was induced). Half an hour later in the delivery room, midwife goes in to break waters and they were gone. No one has a bastard clue when or where they went, least of all me thanks to the vast quantities of G&A I was sucking in.

oopsadaisyme · 30/11/2013 20:48

Every thing was horrific!!! But come on, who wouldn't do it again for that feeling when little warm one is put in your arms and you get that first look at him/her????

Worth that surprise finger up the bum every time xx

Thesebootsweremadeforwalking · 30/11/2013 20:58

Ooh, YY to a personal tank of G&A ....

BikeRunSki · 30/11/2013 21:04

The shivering got me too. I had an emcs, i thought it was a reaction to the anaesetic.

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