do you think you get the birth you visualise or can you visualise the birth you are going to get? or is it completely down to chance?

[gigglinggoblin]

didnt know what to expect with ds1. ended up with induction, monitoring etc etc. expected and got the same with ds2.

was determined to have relaxed waterbirth with ds3, did yoga and wanted to breathe the baby out like they said, it all happened just as planned

just had ds4. couldnt visualise birth at all. really wanted home waterbirth but never really felt it was going to happen. ended up getting carted off in an ambulance and having emergency cs under general, so i didnt see the birth.

find it a bit odd that the 2 births i could visualise happened just as expected, the one i couldnt i didnt get to see.

of course i may just be thinking about it too much cos im bored anyone else any thoughts?

I think it is down to chance but I know what you mean. ds1 and dd were natural (well fairly natural, ie delivered vaginally). I felt soooo relaxed with dd and felt all the way through the pregnancy that it was going to be easy and the birth was very quick and relatively painless. I was a bit anxious about ds2 and it did end up going wrong with a CS. Strangely I was so negative about not having one I almost pretended I'd not had it and hardly had any pain medication afterwards and was on my feet by Day2, home on Day 3 and hoovering the L/R on the same day. By Day 8 I was driving my car. Mind you the midwives said my scar had healed amazingly well and I felt fine. Hope you are recovering OK.

I think it is totally down to chance. I was convinced I would have a lovely waterbirth and I ended up with a premature induction and a terrible labour.

chance

chance

chance for the great majority of cases, I think

maybe just me who is odd then

Chance !

I visualised no pain relief bar gas and air, aromatherapy oils wafting gently round the room.

Instead I got an early induction for 72 hours linked up to all sorts of machines followed by a middle of the night emergency c-s.

Luck or not as the case may be. I visualised nice natural waterbirth. Had labour from hell!

maybe not just visualise then, but actually what you believe will happen. i visualise winning the lotterty all the time, but dont believe it. whereas i just knew that was how the births would be. think half the reason i worried so much about ds4 was i didnt know whereas with the others i felt i did if that makes sense. not just wishing for something, just a feeling that it will happen a certain way

chance
visualised all pain relief known to man
delivered practically in carpark
i think it's not helpful to have an extremely clear idea of your ideal birth

Still chance - the first time round I assumed I would be sort of average (maybe some pain relief but not an epidural etc) - was posterior presentation with epi and ventouse.
Second time I thought it would be the same as my first but it took a tenth as long with no pain relief except TENS.

If it's just random then a few people will end up with what they expect - maybe you are just one of them, GG.

unless you're unlucky,I think you can think yourself into a certain state of mind which should help you give birth more easily, esp if you have already given birth (no matter how difficult it may have been). Visualisation,if you like,or part positive thinking, part relaxation, part determination to tryand have a certain type of birth.
HTH?

oh,well mycomment put the stops on this thread then! Was it something I said?!

you can visualise the birth lol it happened to me........my ds even looked like i expected and i also knew for a fact i was having a boy before i found out

Chance.

I honestly thought everything would be ok.
Even after I had a lot of tearing, I really thought they'll stitch me up and everything would be ok in a little while.

A year later and it still isn't ok.

Totally chance.

Completely chance.
It should have been perfect, there was a perfect pregnancy, a perfect calm and relaxed attitude, a perfect lead up to the arrival at hospital...
and then I got the midwife from hell

I reckon its chance. I had 3 c-sections and then a homebirth so I didn't know what to visualise!
Managed the first stage all clam and breathing and visualising. Got to transition and then started yelling and panicking. ho hum
Got to pushing and told them I wasn't going too cos no-one had mentioned that it feels like your bottom is ripping open and thats all the sensation is in your bottom!
How come everyone kept that secret in the antenatal classes?
I didn't have any pain relief though which was something I had planned.
Did need gas and air for the needle weilding maniac who sewed me up.