How do women seem to just pop babies out???

[Alicia870]

My labour was a marathon- back to back 50 hours. Ended with ventouse and an episiotomy which ended up with infected stitches. It was a hellish recovery. I felt as though I'd been through a plane wreck - everything ached and down there... omg! Ouchhhhhh for weeks and weeks. I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand, I couldn't lie down without being in agony. I needed stronger pain meds than paracetamol to get me through the day. I couldn't walk properly for weeks. It felt like I was carrying around 5kg in my pelvis!
Honestly- it was a rough recovery. But is that normal! How do other people seem to be sitting with hair and makeup done on day 3 and walking around town and dressed in jeans a few days later?' I don't actually get it? I've only had one baby so far- did I have a particularly rough time or do other women just pretend and then go and cry in the toilet?! Don't get it!

I had an ELCS and it was wonderful. I wouldn't say I popped the baby out but it was calm, relaxed, fast. Recovery was fine.

For what it’s worth OP, after my terrible birth, my later planned section and recovery was a million times better. It was a totally different experience. The consultant was pretty easy to persuade. He agree when he looked at my notes that it was a good idea. Mine was officially for mental health reasons but I 100% believe it protected my physical health.

What is the protocol with requesting an elective c section? Is it the woman's choice if she has a valid reason such as prior birth trauma or can they decline?

I'm told it depends on where you are as to whether they agree however I'm yet to hear of anyone I know being turned down. Mine was maternal request based on my first labour and no argument whatsoever. They agreed it would be best. X

I had a text book one hour Labour with my second child, home birth, no pain relief etc. I felt fine, put the jeans on, went shopping either the day or 2 days after (can't remember exactly) and oh my stomach ached as I walked, that deep aching, like it hurts to be empty? I guess almost like doms from the contractions? You wouldn't know it to look at me but I was in pain! I was too cocky lol.

But I totally empathise, it isn't fair how easy some births are, or how easily some women fall pregnant etc. My penance for my easy births was my after birth pains, I suffered hideously even after my first, as soon as I needed to BF I was bent over in pain vomiting. Put me off ever having a 3rd as they get worse! Hands down my after birth pains were longer and more painful than my labours.

Hope you're all recovered now!

My cousin nearly died in labour with her first and is being point blank refused a c section for her second. I think it's shocking, presumably they don't think what happened last time will happen again but you'd think the mental reasons alone would be sufficient. No one else I know has been turned down (I don't live in her area).

Luck, genes...who knows?

I had an induction, long, horrible labour and emergency c-section with DC1, then a horrible pregnancy and elective section with DC2. They were born 4 years apart as it took me a few years to get over the trauma of my first birth and to feel completely physically and emotionally recovered.

In that 4 years, my best friend had 4 babies! All textbook pregnancies, quick intervention-free births, back in her size 10 jeans within a month each time and full of energy.

2 sections here. Amazing fast physical recovery, thinnest I've ever been.
6 months on with both.... 2 stone heavier and wheezing up the stairs..... Sigh

I think it's also worth remembering that for some people, it's just how they cope.

I had a straightforward but long labour with my first, really struggled with breastfeeding and he was a terrible, terrible sleeper but I desperately needed that sense of normality to feel in control. My house was always spotless, I was out with the dog, at baby groups etc.

My second is 10 days old today and while the birth was much quicker, and she's easy so far, the whole thing was really stressful and I'm physically fine but a bit of a mess on the inside. I don't feel like I've had time to process anything. The house is perfect though, toddler is well turned out, the washing is all done and I've painted my nails. It's either that or sob on the sofa all day!

I'm in the "luck and genetics" camp. My babies don't fall out but I've had two very straightforward births and basically just stand up and walk out of the hospital after. I've been tired from lack of sleep in labour, sore muscles like a long run and a bit low in iron from the blood loss but basically fine. I think being physically fit up to the birth helps but again I have the unfair advantage of feeling fine in pregnancy right up to full term and not finding it a challenge to exercise once I'm out of the pukey, knackered first trimester.

Life is unfair and unpredictable, basically. Sorry.

Luck and genetics. I'm rubbish at childbirth. First was an emergency section after 75 hours of agonising back to back labour (almost entirely on nothing stronger than gas & air), pushing and failed forceps. I was up 5 hours after ds was delivered and got dressed entirely by myself. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to until the midwife in charge of the ward popped her head through the curtains to say hi as I was stood up pulling a pair of tights on, turned pale and demanded I got back into bed or she was off to get a consultant to make me.

Ds had to go to NICU and I was walking down a flight of stairs and across the hospital straight backed within 24 hours. Met the Anesthetist who was in theatre with me and he was worried I had nerve damage because it didn't hurt. Had to endure being prodded and poked to determine that A. I could feel pain and B. I just wasn't.

Dc2 was also an emergency section and I was a bit worried that it would really hurt this time. It didn't, was discharged the following day. Went out for lunch the day after and then was dancing at Messy Church with my 3 year old. By week 2 was back doing the 3 mile roundtrip to preschool with the pram.

So, my huge headed babies don't seem to be able to navigate my flatter than optimal pelvis but I pretty much bounce back pain free from emergency sections. I didn't need pain relief with either of them (in fact I still have everything I was discharged with after dc2) and the only thing I had post theatre in hospital was cough medicine.

I was just very, very lucky it wasn't anything I done. Basically my body silently dilates so I don't feel a contraction until my waters go. With my first this was 5cm then my contractions had no break and I pushed after an hour and had her in ten. With my second it was 45 mins after waters went. With my third I woke in the night with my body bearing down. Waters never went until he was coming out so never felt any contractions.

I needed stitches after my first but didn't with my second or third. I'm pretty tall so think having a big pelvis helped too. I wasn't very tired in the first few days because I had quick labours so didn't usr alot of energy compared to someone in labour for hours and hours. It all went okay and I do realise I'm lucky.