Does anybody else remember really random things from their labour?

[GrimmauldPlace]

I was chatting to a friend who is due to give birth imminently and I was talking about my own labours and births. With DS I don't remember loads, only being screamed at by someone to shut up and stop pushing. They didn't believe I was fully dilated as I was only 3cms half an hour before. How wrong were they! Again, with DD I don't remember a lot apart from the really vivid image of my mw who had a piercing on her forearm. I remember bending over the bed and she was on the opposite side trying to get a cannula in and I was mesmerised by this piercing. Friend thinks it's quite strange that I don't really remember the specifics of the contractions and whether I was on the bed etc but I do remember a piercing.

Anyone else seem to have blanked out most of their labour but remember random things? I do remember pushing both kids out though, 6 pushes with DS and 2 with DD The midwife just about caught DD in time!

Thy rushed me to delivery suite from the ward and I was laying on the bed so I remember the lights above me going past very quickly... I recalled this 4 hours later to a junior midwife when she asked how I felt (I was basically saying after having the drugs they gave me for pain and seeing the lights go by it was a very surreal experience) and she reported it to a senior midwife that I was having hallucinations

I told the person from the RAID TEAM WHO WAS CALLED TO CHECK I HADNT LOST THE PLOT... trust me... I did not hallucinate one bit of that fucking birth mate...

I remember feeling a click in my pelvis right before I got the first urge to push. I also remember my DH asking what colour lighting I wanted as he was messing about with buttons in the birthing suite and telling him that I didn't ffing care, and he said "blue it is then" To be fair I remember most of the labour, these were just random bits.

I was in silent concentration for what must have been at least an hour and then all of a sudden came out with 'huh I didn't take my toe nail varnish off'
MW thought it was hilarious.

I remember I had a room full of midwives doctors pediatric nurse and them all shouting at me push push I stopped pushing and told them all to be quite and just one person tell me

I remember random things with DS1 as I was "in the zone" but mainly I remember coming over very proper and polite - first, I remember one of the nurses coming in and asking what I'd like for lunch, when I was mid-contraction around 7cms. I very calmly told her that I was kind of busy squeezing a baby out but inside I was shouting "are you fucking kidding me?!"

I then remember bearing down and the pediatrician telling me that baby's head was right there and did I want to feel it? I said "ahhh that's really kind of you doc, but I think my hands are ok where they are (polite smile/grimace of exertion).

I also remember everyone telling me to count to 10 when pushing during each contraction, but nobody was counting for me which I found hard because all I could hear was my own "arrrgghhh" of exertion - when I had DS2 and my OBGYN told me to start pushing and counting, I sternly told everyone in my delivery room (but mainly DH) that somebody had better fucking count to 10 because nobody did it last time and it's really hard to count to 10 efficiently when you're squeezing a baby out of your vagina!

So sorry for all of you that had such terrifying births.

I remember when I must've been nearly 9cm getting these weird body wretching feelings and saying what's happening. I kept refusing to be examined because I didn't want to lie down, but when they did I was 9cm so got in the pool and started pushing almost straight away. I remember the doc saying it was ok to roar like a lion when I pushed, so I started making loud noises. I remember telling DH that my midwife was mad because she wanted a drug free birth like I was having and she should have an epidural. I remember asking how much longer before the baby would come out as she kept seeming to go back up after my pushes. And I remember the look on my doc's face when she looked at the pool after I got out! I remember lying down for ages being stitched up, DD finding her way to my breast for the first feed, then being sat up and put in a wheelchair and promptly passing out.

I had a very long labour and was given an epidural to help me to rest for a few hours as I was exhausted after 2 nights with no sleep at all. I kind of zoned out from everything that was happening around me and focused on a crane I could see in the distance. i spent hours watching that crane but can't recall a thing that happened in the room during those hours.

With DS2 4 days ago at my home birth I said: bugger mooing like a cow I'm hooting like an owl.

Absolute cunt of an anaesthetist berating me for how much my epidural was costing the NHS. I would have given him what for if he hadn't had a fat needle in my spine at the time. Prick.

kavv what a dick! Did the midwife not say anything in your defence?! How did the cost come up anyway?!

Midwife had left the room but me DH and my sister were all 😳 I was desperately trying to keep still mid contractions so he could do the epidural, the other two could see the massive needle and did not think it was the right time to be antagonising him.

Yes it costs the NHS but it's available as an option for those who need it and I don't have to justify it to YOU CuntyChops is what I wish I'd said at the time

Bit late i no but mine was seeing my consultant come in to theatre to help deliver my dts wearing white wellies!!!

Once I reached hospital I had my eyes shut all the way through labour!
When I was having stitches I imagined I was sitting at my desk with my male boss sitting next to me They took me off the gas and air at that point

For some reason this thread dropped out of TIO.
Sorry about all the bad birth experiences some of you have had.
It took me 3 years before I even considered having another child after my first birth. Even then I was petrified until the day I had my 2nd.

It's very weird what you remember. The first midwife I saw had piercing blue eyes and managed to get me to 'breathe' and 'calm down' enough to get off the bathroom floor and on to a bed. I'll never forget her eyes.

Also the thirst. They put me in a wheelchair to go from triage to delivery within minutes of me arriving as DS was coming fast. My red water bottle (vividly remember it being red) was on the side and they were going to leave it. I went berserk reaching for it but unable to verbally communicate at this point. It worked. They handed me my bottle and off we went.

Also remember the mouth piece coming out of the gas and air and the sheer panic that I needed it back.

I gave birth stood up.both times and both times despite being told this is what I planned to do the mw being in a panic and then totally shocked at the mess on the floor. I remember pushing (v quick.both times) while staff ran around looking for clothes etc

I did that 'retreating into yourself' thing too Rat, I wasn't really aware of anything except the pain and couldn't seem to 'hear' anything anyone said to me. Weirdly I don't remember DH being there although I know he was, I didn't really communicate with him at all from what he's said. The biggest thing I remember was what an utter bitch my MW was, patronising, grumpy, impatient and with not one ounce of kindness or empathy. I've lost the 2 hours between my contractions becoming constant (back to back labour, no break in the pain whatsoever) and DD being delivered completely. Vaguely remember the panic and everyone rushing in when DD got distressed and being told they were going to cut me and deliver her with forceps and remember that I couldn't feel anything that was going on 'business end' despite having had absolutely no pain relief which I suppose was a blessing. I also remember them trying to put DD on my chest when they finally got her out and me pushing her away, still feel guilty about that but I was so out of it with pain I didn't know what I was doing. It was all very surreal, I think the fact that there was no break between contractions and the pain was beyond anything I'd ever experienced and nothing like I expected made me go into a kind of shock. They gave DD to DH and then took me straight to theatre to stitch me up, I remember crying because the anaesthetist doing my spinal was so kind to me and that was the first bit of kindness I'd been shown since I arrived at the hospital. It took over an hour to stitch me back together I was in such a mess and I'd recovered myself somewhat by the time they took me back to DD, DH put her straight into my arms and I felt so relieved because I fell in love straight away, wasn't sure I would after the way it all happened. I also remember being totally pissed off because they'd given DH a bottle of formula to give her while I was in theatre and I wanted to breastfeed so it felt like they'd taken that away as well as treating me like shit. All in all I just remember it being the worst experience of my life but DD is the best thing that ever happened to me so I just try to block out the rest.