Tell me your good birth stories..

[youlookbeautifultonight]

Please share your positive birth stories with me, I am getting myself worked up but I know there must be very many births that go smoothly to plan. I would absolutely love a water birth and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it all works out

My babe was born 13 days after her due date. I had gas & air and 2 injections of diamorphine? My water broke at 2pm and DD came into the world at 11.23pm the same day. I gave birth on all fours (classy lady I know) and although it stung it was nothing compared to what I thought it would be (Thank you 'One Born Every Minute'). I didn't scream the hospital down (like everyone thought I would) but I did bite my DH when he told me to "really push" bastard . DD was 9lb 5oz. my little chunk.
Good luck OP.

My DD was born at home, I got a show and some craps at 7.30pm, contractions started pretty fast and we didn't have time to fill the pool. I started on the birthing ball, then got into the bath which was lovely, my DH was great with the back massages. We called the midwife but as it was my first DD she thought I'd be hours so didn't come right away. I was in and out of the bath, used yoga breathing and just focused. It was hard at times but also empowering. We called the midwife again she arrive at 11:45pm and DD was born at 11:57pm. so just 4.5 hours in total, the last hour was tough going, I remember thinking I can't do this and why the hell did I want a drug free home birth but after making some crazy, wild animal sounds and finding strength from somewhere DD arrived and all the pain was gone. Its all worth it. good luck OP

My first birth DID go to plan - home birth, no complications - but I still was a bit shell shocked by the intensity and length and took a few days to come to terms with it. And I was exhausted!

It can happen though! I remember being 36 weeks and feeling like everyone I knew had had awful deliveries. My waters broke first, and I started contracting right away. Basically the contractions gradually increased in intensity for 30 hours, and I was supported at home first by my boyfriend and friend, and after the first 18 hours or so, the home birth midwives (who were amazing). Other than the last few hours, I enjoyed my labour. I did lots of walking and kneeling, lots of good breathing and counting! Hugged my boyfriend. Got excited. I had gas and air when the midwives arrived (I was 7cm) and that helped a bit. I tried the pool briefly but they said it was slowing things down so mostly I didn't use that.

The last bit of transition lasted several hours for me and I found it very very tough. I had great support and they all told me I was doing amazingly -I felt like I was failing by going too slow, that I wasn't coping with the pain. But I got through!

Though I was so exhausted I could hardly keep my eyes open I only took 30 minutes pushing and had no tears at all. Baby was perfect. Being at home was amazing. We had showers, hugs, a relaxed start to breastfeeding, proper food, later champagne!

I recovered very quickly.

11 hours start to finish with no pain relief. Like a particularly bad bout of constipation! Read Juju Sundin "birth skills" it's fantastic!

Two very different but good birth stories here.

With my daughter my birth plan was: whatever happens happens but I'd rather not have an epidural or intervention.
Anyway my waters broke at 8pm 5days before my due date, I went in to be checked and then chose to go home as was only 1cm dilated, contracting strongly at first overnight and next morning but they gradually slowed and became less regular during the day so went back in to be 'accelerated' (induced). Had pessary and then drip. At first used gas and air then body started to push, I couldn't control it and didn't even know I was doing it but was only 5cm dilated so midwife suggested epidural. Was fab, so peaceful and got some sleep, when fully dilated I pushed for 30mins and she was born at 3pm (so 43 hrs start to finish) Small episiotomy which healed well, honestly never gave me any bother although had been quite terrified about thought of having one.

With my son my birth plan was: whatever happens happens but I'd quite like a delicious epidural again.
Contractions started quite mildly about 8pm on my due date, went in to hospital at 2am and was 4cm dilated. Got in pool which was just lovely, managed pain easily so assumed I was a long way off still. Asked midwives to check me at 6am (with a view to getting the lovely epidural before the pain got too bad). Waters broke as I got out and was found to be fully dilated! Cue much weeping and gnashing of teeth as no epidural but used gas and air successfully and he arrived at 7am. The crowning, pushing out was painful but that only lasted minuts and the rest was fine. I was amazed at myself. 11hrs start to finish! My son is now 3 weeks old and although I did have a 3rd degree tear I feel completely fine - no pain in perineum and no loss of control in going to loo so think will heal well this time too.

Good luck, your birth may well go precisely to plan - I have friends who had exactly what they wants and we're delighted, I also have friends who like me had different experiences to those planned but were also delighted.

Sorry for mammoth post
X

I've had 3 very positive birth experiences.

All 3 went exactly as I had hoped. 2 were calm, relaxed home births.

Remind yourself that you can do it.

Read 'Birth Skills' by Juju Sundin. It is full of fantastic practical techniques for dealing with pain during child birth and also has lots of positive stories.

I have a good birth story.

I was worked about having an induction because I was overdue and the morning before I was to go in I woke with a big cramp at about 4am.

I went downstairs and started bouncing on my birthing ball then woke my husband to put my TENS machine on at about 6, the contractions were intense but manageable. At about 7 my contractions were only a couple of minutes apart and I got to the hospital in about 15 mins to be told I was 8cm already. I went straight up to the home away from home suite and got into the birthing pool. My DS was born at 11.30.

Seeing him be born in the water was just amazing! He had a little head of dark hair that I saw first.

My second one was bloody awesome. Not entirely to plan. Planned a homebirth. Midwives came, my BP was apparently a couple of points over what they were comfortable with. So they sent me to hospital. Got put on the monitor and my BP was slap bang in the middle of average so they sent me home. Wanted to be in the pool. Our water pressure is crap so (despite my husbands best efforts) the pool didn't fill in time so my son was born on the living room floor after three pushes and nothing but a tens machine - not because I'm some crazy hippy martyr that refused drugs, it was just manageable without them.

Had shower in my own shower and slept in my own bed. I'd do it again (if it wasn't for the small matter of having to be pregnant for nine months)

After a couple of false starts where we went to hospital and then came back again.

I laboured at home. Mainly under kneeing in a bath with the shower running over my back, a little on all fours in the lounge, some lying on my side on the bed. My waters broke loudly I freaked out a bit but my mum was there and suggested I just have a lie down. I did for a while then decided to get up again. eventually I asked OH to call the midwife so we could go into the birth centre. They didn't answer! eventually he got onto delivery ward the midwife asked why we wanted the birth centre. OH explained I wanted a water birth. She said come in the delivery room has a free one.
We went in.

I asked for a fluid drip as had been vomiting for about 24 hours (with the force of the contractions) and felt dehydrated. I got checked. 9 and a bit cms. Asked for the pool. not enough time to fill it. so I had gas and air.
A bit later I said I feel like pushing. I did. It took me two or three contractions to work out how to push. I pushed (second stage) for 10-20 minutes. DS was born all 10pound 2 oz. he did a poo on me as he was passed up but then went on to have a long feed.
I was discharged a little after lunch. about 7 or hours after DS was born.

For more birth stories check out tell me a good birth story
or see if there is a [[http://www.positivebirthmovement.org/ positive birth group near you

Classified high risk so I ad to be in a room close to theatre, monitored etc.

Started feeling uncomfortable at 7pm on dye date, kept fidgeting and walking around. DH realised I was fidgeting every 15 minutes. Starting to feel pain with the discomfort so rang hospital when it was five mins apart. Had a warm bath and paracetamol, DH timed things on his iPhone. At two minutes apart (2am) I went in expecting to be sent home. Was 5/6 centimetres.

Got changed, used TENS, fell in love with gas and air, had DS at 8am. Tear with stitches but quick recovery :)

Hazchem just a heads up on that site... one (just one) of those stories I found quite triggering to my anxiety. Lady hires a doula for home birth, MW is late, doula grabs and pulls the baby and mum gets a tear (ironic it was the doula who panicked and intervened roughly).
All ended well but was a bit

Just got my 1st NCT magazine through (local) -it had a wonderfully comforting birth story. Baby was back-to-back but mum and HCPs all dealt marvelously with it so the birth wasn't scary etc'. Gave a sense of 'safety net' i.e. even if nature throws a curve ball, you can still have a positive birth with good plans and supportive HCP.
It ended with the words, roughly, "Don't be a hero, ask for pain relief if you need it".

Please try not to worry. Often we tend to concentrate on the really dramatic birth stories but there are lots of lovely ones too. Having had Hypnotherapy before I did a Hypnobirthing course for my first DC1 eight years ago when nobody had heard of it and friends and family thought I was totally mad and wasting my money! I had been very fearful prior to this and it turned it around completely teaching me deep relaxation and visualization techniques amongst other things. So on my son's birth day, I was just totally calm and focused. I had an eight hour hospital water birth and really loved it, using the HB techniques mostly with a little G&A near the end. Whilst I agree with other posters some of your birth is down to luck you can teach yourself powerful techniques to remain calm and focused in most situations. I do recommend the pool birth with the hypnobirthing. I now teach Hypnobirthing and you might like to look at my website as I have many good birth stories there to inspire you: www.ryedalehypnobirthing.co.uk. PM me if I can help you further - note totally genuine, no selling, I like helping mums-to-be if I can x

My midwives were wonderful. Labour was pretty long in my case, and was worried I'd probably end up with an epidural (which I hadn't wanted), I tried to keep going without it. I was terrified that if/when I needed it, it wouldn't be available as you need 1:1 midwife care after it's put in. They reassured me that it would be available if I needed it. When I eventually asked fot the epidural, I got it very quickly & wished I'd asked sooner!

*Squizita thanks for letting me know. I regularly recommend that site so I might contact them. Sounds like the doula really overstepped the mark. In almost all cases of quick births leaving mum and baby to it is the safest option and particularly if the attended isn't skilled at helping physically.

Oh the link for positive birth movement is here

This website provides and editorial before each birth story so you can see if it has anything that might worry you or don;t want to read at the moment birth journey The book the stories are from isn't available in the UK at the moment but if you have an Aussie friend you might be able to get them to buy you a copy

Hazchem worth noting that the mum didn't mind - so for her a good birth story! I have anxieties due to inexperienced HCP making errors regarding a gynie issue in the past so it's as much 'me' as the story!

I know what you mean about the mum having a good birth. I read a birht story and the mum was really pleased with it and I was freaked out by it.

I might just recommend the birth journey one form now on as it has the editorials so there is no surprises.

have a look here - tellmeagoodbirthstory.com/
and you can often find some lovely positive birth groups locally thru facebook/twitter whereby mums/duolas/mums-to-be get together to tell their birth story.
I have had two very normal natural births using Natal Hypnotherapy CDs and hypnobirthing techniques, Natal Hypnotherapy now do workshops which are a fab idea, you can find your local practitioner here www.natalhypnotherapy.co.uk

I had what can only be described as a fantastic labour and birth. I slept quite badly the Thursday night, probably in the early stages of labour but didn't realise, and then in the morning I woke with an uncomfortable feeling like constipation. Sent my oh off to work, even though he wanted to stay home to make sure I was OK, and tried to get comfy.

I decided to call my mum, everyone likes to chat to their mum when they're feeling crap right, and she said shed come round for a coffee and keep me company. When she arrived I was having a bath to see if that helped and got out soon after as nothing was helping. At this point I still thought I was ill or something.

Mum had been keeping an eye on when I was feeling "not right" and finally, about 30 minutes told me I should call oh as I was in labour. I told her not to be silly and she promptly informed me that I wasn't feeling "right" every 5 minutes. My oh got home an hour later and we all trotted off to the hospital.

I arrived at hospital at midday and was examined and told I was 8cm. Went to delivery and waters went just as I was about to get on the pool. Oh will never let me forget that a perfectly good pair of his trainers got ruined.

The pool wasn't what I expected and I had to get out after about 30 minutes as I felt like I was being boiled alive.

My beautiful son was born at 2.55pm after 5-6 hours of labour. I did tear but tbh, I didn't care and had no problems with healing.

Good luck!!

People love to tell the horrific stories. The nice easy births don't make such a good story so you won't hear them much.

I had a straightforward birth with dd. 26 hours from first contraction to baby out, 40 mins second stage. No pain relief as I didn't feel I needed it.

Mine was fine.
Waters went first (luckily at home and I hopped in the bath so no mess!). The midwife told me to come into hospital for monitoring and I started having contractions after a few hours. Baby arrived after 8hrs of contractions and from memory I was pushing for about 40 mins.
Sounds textbook, but I still felt a bit shell-shocked afterwards. I think that's normal though! I wanted a water birth but it wasn't an option for me when the time came. But that was OK.

DS2's birth I feel really positive about now, though maybe not so much at the time/immediate aftermath This isn't a horror story though, I think I'm just saying that some people don't have "easy" births but that doesn't mean they aren't good or positive.

So, with DS2 I had about 12 hours of manageable contractions at home with just a tens machine. I was considering having him at home. The contractions were very unmanageable by midnight (so about 15 hours in) so the midwife came out to me and I decided I needed more pain relief at that point. I went into hospital at 3am and the contractions were on top of each other and absolute agony, out of my mind pain BUT I coped, I didn't panic, it was fine.

I had some g&a in the hospital and although it took the edge off it was still pretty unbearable so got an epidural about 5am. Bliss! I rested for the first time in about 22 hours I needed that break to physically by able to get the baby out. I could feel to push but had no pain as DS was born, unassisted, and straight onto my chest for skin to skin at 7am. No tearing but I had an episiotomy which healed nicely. Back home by 4pm.