Anyone else find a quick, 'easy' birth more traumatising than a slow medical one?

[bronya]

DD arrived last night, after only 2 hours of established labour. Hardly any break between contractions and it just felt like I was totally out of control the whole time. Her delivery was smooth and straightforward though, all as it should be. I feel a little shocked still at the speed of the whole thing.

In contrast, DS's birth took three days, an eventual epidural, episiotomy, forceps and intense monitoring (his heart beat started dipping). Somehow, that was so much less stressful! After his birth I cheerfully announced I could do it all again. I don't feel like that this time!!!

I'm the opposite to you. My first birth was 52 hours, forceps non-breathing baby. I was in so much pain for days.

My second was 1 hour 54 minutes from start to finish, easy, out in 5 pushes and not nearly as painful as the first. I loved my second birth.

Congratulations!

My DD arrived in 80 mins and 3 pushes and I felt completely steam rollered! I much preferred 7 hours of labour with Ds1 (Ds2 short but traumatic,will gloss over)
The MW said it's the same amount of 'work' for your body compressed into a short time, like running a marathon at Usain Bolt speed, so it's common to be a bit physically shocked immediately afterwards, not to mention no time to get your head around it. I seriously felt like I couldn't move my legs and was all shakey. I was fine a couple of hours later though, escaped with barely a scratch. No more for me, couldn't cope with it being any faster falling out in Sainsburys

That makes sense bakingtins - I was all cold and shakey afterwards, then had a massive blood pressure dip when all the adrenaline wore off.

I'd go along with that

dd was 3 days, no.intervention but long and pretty painful.
do was a 45 mins in hospital, and a couple of pushes.
I felt so panicked and out of control - scared, I suppose.
dd was how I expected it to be

I had my son two weeks ago, I had irregular but not strong contractions for about 6 hours, then my waters broke and I went from 4cm to ds being born in an hour. My pushing stage was only four minutes. My ds was 9lb 12 far too big to come out in an hour. I found the whole experience horrific, my contractions were so intense and there was no time to recover between each one, let alone have any decent drugs! I felt so out of control compared to my 12 hour steady labour I'd had previously. It was frightening and I felt I couldn't mentally keep pace with my body. Like you I was shaking for nearly an hour afterwards and I felt it difficult to bond with my son in the immediate aftermath, I think I was in shock. It's definitely made up my mind that I never want number three!

I agree completely, my dd2 came into the world two weeks ago, 2hrs 45 mins from waking my husband up to birth. Felt like being on a roller coaster ride. Was completely shocked when we got to the hospital and they said you appear to be pushing, turns out I was 10cm she arrived 30mins later. Scares me to think how close we were to having her in the car park. I have nothing to compare it to as my first dd was an ELCS, but it was pretty scarey and felt very out of control, not how id imagined it.

I found that aside from the speed of labour, that the actual birth without an epidural was more traumatic/overwhelming despite otherwise being very similar to dc1s birth. Felt much more out of control.

I can see what you mean.

My first labour was 30 hours established labour (twins) - I was induced, had an epidural (and several top ups ), and had twin 1 by forceps and twin 2 by c-section. Throughout the labour I was very in control, very self consious, very quiet and knew totally what was going on. I felt on top of the pain.

With my second labour -that was 4 hours of active labour and baby was out in 4 pushes, I was completely out of control, shouting, screaming, crying like a child. It was completely different to my first experience - I had told my partner (not the twins dad) how quiet and in control I would be and I ended up completely the opposite !

To be honest I preferred my second labour - on reflection it did feel really natural - but at the time it was very overwhelming - almost like I had been possessed .

Interesting to see articulated here what I felt with DS birth. 5hrs from first contraction to him being born. Had waters broken, and went from 2cms to fully dilated in about an hr. Pushed for 20mins and he was out. Contractions were close together and got strong so quickly I had no time to process what was happenjng. Remember pacing the delivery room without a clue of where to stand, what to do, how to breathe or get through each contraction. Tried gas and air which made me instantly vomit and then I sudden needed to push. Gave birth on all fours and I remember no one telling me what I should be doing or what was happenjng just being there in pain while my body took over and I had no control. Once he was out I remember looking down between my legs and seeing umbilical cord hanging there and thinking "what the FUCK just happened????"
Was shaky for hours afterwards.
Partner and midwives declared it a great fast easy straight forward birth. I was a bit more like, eeerrrrrr straightforward for who?????

Am now 39 wks with DC2 and the idea of a fast intense pain relief free labour again - possibly even quicker as second child - terrifies me.

I get it too. My last labour I was in established labour for 8 minutes!! I had an induction - pessary followed by waters broken. At waters broken was 2 cm, cervix still thick and posterior, so not easy to break them. Instantly started contracting strongly, every 2 mins, was shock to system...within 30mins was checked and at 5 cm, was pushing head out practically as soon as mw had removed hand after VE...

It was so fast that I couldn't keep up with myself, I kept thinking 'beat this contraction' (ie breathe over it) but they were just too intense - I was growling and shouting all over the place!

When baby was born I really felt like it was a dream, very odd and very emotional! I was also shaky and dizzy after - I think all the adrenaline and endorphins flooded my system too late to help with birth and just spun me out instead.

i am grateful for the speed in some ways as had dreaded induction.

Am reading with interest. I only have one child but I had 3 days of irregular mild contractions that I didn't realise was labour and then all of a sudden my waters went and within 1hr 50mins my baby was born.
I went from 6cm to her out in 50mins (cue 3rd degree tear and transfer to hospital for surgery to stitch up plus Xmas in hospital as she was almost 3 weeks early)
Everyone tells me I am so lucky it was fast and I do feel thankful as I am not sure I could have coped longer as once my waters went I felt steamrollered with contraction after contraction.
However I remember the complete shock after the birth and I was shaking for a long time after and felt very detached from the whole thing (like I was looking down from above)
It's an interesting idea that a fast birth can feel like a long labour just crammed into less time. That really strikes a chord with me but obviously don't have the opposing medicalised birth to compare to.

I feel the same my first DC1 was 3.5 hours at home and I coped very well. I had DC2 8 weeks ago and that labour was only 45 minutes from first contraction to looking at him asking the midwife "is this real?"

It was really intense. I lost it, I had no break between contractions so couldn't compose myself. Afterwards I felt very out of it for the whole day. It all felt surreal. Both baby and I were fine afterwards I had no tears or stiches but feel like the 3.5 labour was easier to cope with. But I think I'd prefer 45 minutes to a long medicalised birth and a long recovery

I completely see what you mean. I had dc3 a week ago, I rang the hospital at 4:30 and by 5:10 she was here. I found it hard going fro, nothing to intense within minutes and would rather they built up and I had time to at least ask for some pain relief. It all just happened so quick.