Can anything equal or beat the 'high' of childbirth?

[earlycomputers]

Having had 3 kids, I always feel kind of sad when it's all over - ie the birth. Whether the birth went well or not, having a baby is such amazing experience and I feel can be likened to the feeling people might get if they did some superhuman achievement (eg sail round the world/jump out of a plane etc etc). The feelings of happiness/adrenaline etc if the birth went well is also great. Everything, after having a baby, seems to pale into insignificance...

The question I have is - what can equal or beat the high of having a baby? What have others done that's rivalled this high? I would like some suggestions (only legal ones please and ones that dont involve jumping out of a plane as I dont like heights)!

I too had an amazing high, lasted weeks and weeks, no come down, just slowly dwindled. Actually the day after the birth I was thinking, I'd love to do that again. I put it down to a lousy pregnancy, I hated every minute of being pg and 2 years on I still have moments when I think how wonderful it is to not be pregnant anymore. I was definitly more excited about not being pregnant than being a mum. I felt an instant bond, but no rush of love. I did find the first few months of motherhood enjoyable, which I wasn't expecting, but the not being pregnant bit was fab. I think it also helped that I felt really in control throughout labour the rush from feeling her body slither out of me and that first cry was like nothing else on earth.
I've actually been thinking about doing something like distance running since as I was wondering if endurance exercise gives a similar rush. The only similar thing I have done was a 2 day coastal path hike nearly killed me, not the sort of thing I can do with dd. Had the massive bonus of not enduring 9 months of hell prior.

I didn't get any high - the emergency CS left me feeling drained and shocked. But it's really nice reading other people's experiences

Going into the fridge after a long day and realising that the bottle of white you have is a screw top thus you will be able to pour yourself a large one 2 minutes quicker

I've never done anything legal that came even close to the BOSH of adrenaline and general loved-up-ness that hit me after DS was born.

I leapt out of bed about an hour after the birth and harangued the midwife into letting me go for a shower; stripped my own bed of the sheets on which I'd laboured ; sat in the hospital entertaining my family that evening all of whom said I didn't look like I'd just given birth; and the next day dragged DS and DH out to go for a Very Important Excursion to Mothercare.

I was a little bit insane, looking back on it, and the come down 2 days later was sheer hell.

Like KitKat and Wonderstuff, being pg was a bag o shite but I'd give birth again tomorrow.

The high has not been replicated for me, it was fantastic, it was a long time ago now but i remember the feeling.

I didn't sleep for hours and had so much energy, i had a couple of stiches, the pain was managable, infact i've had more painful dentistry.

I did read those posts afterwards, kathy - how odd, I wonder why that is.

I was as high as a kite after the birth of dd for about 3 days and it was the most amazing feeling. It was a normal enough delivery, had epidural and then vacuum. With ds 1.5 years later I didn't get the high at all and had a natural birth with him but it was stressful due to complications. I felt guilty for ages afterwards that i didn't have the same ecstatic feelings after he was born even though we did bond well. I was just recovering from flu and had a bad chest infection when he was born so maybe I was too exhausted to be high!

I have never experienced a similar high I had with the one I had after DS2´s birth.

It was a super quick natural birth, it lasted about 20 minutes and out shot this big baby boy. DH almost missed it, as he had to park the car. I was put in a bed in a ward to rest, but I kept on thinking: "Why can´t I get up?! I feel SUPER STRONG! I could climb a mountain right now, HA! I could climb two mountains. Nurse, can I please get out of bed?!". I spent the whole night in the hospital bed thinking"YEAH! WOW! Gosh, I am not tired at all".

After about 24 hours on a high, I came crashing down and wept and slept and slept and wept.

Still, that birth moment created a wonderful instant bond with my DS, thinking that it was somehow an achievement we did together. (even though I know it was down to luck and having wide hips...)

If you are lucky enough to have this experience, I think you´d better cherish it as a one-off!

Blimey, the 'high' I got after being knocked unconscious and chopped open birth was akin to that experienced after having suffered multiple injuries in a motorway pile up. (I imagine, having happily never been through the latter.)

My 2 best 'high' days... my wedding day - just fabulous - and a day after I asked God to fill me with his spirit, when I knew God's reality closer than ever before.

DS1's birth left me relieved but shell shocked more than anything. Full hospital birth, epidural, forceps, 4 night stay.

I think that is why DS2's birth was so good in comparison. It was so much quicker that I didn't even get the chance to get to hospital and he just fell out at home. Big difference from 4 hours of pushing with DS1. No pain relief which was maybe why I could feel the natural high, I don't know. I did it all by myself except for the last contraction when the paramedics arrived. DH wasn't abole to help as he was trying to look after DS1 and keep him out of the way but checking on me to see if I really was in labour as I wasn't sure for a long time .

I will never forget standing in our very own shower 90 minutes DS2 was born, laughing like a loon because I was on such a high. It wore off gradually but I felt like superwoman for a good fortnight.

I have always wondered if there was a link between having a high and having 'baby blues'. I never had a high but I never got that low that people talk about either. Do you think if you have one you're more likely to get the other when the endorphins all go away?

it was v exciting to meet the DSs, but not at all the 'highest' moments in my life.

Getting a First for my degree, publishing my first papers, learning to surf. All heaps better than kids.

Never thought about it before, but I agree, the birth of my dc were the highest highs of my life. 2 very different births, ds 1 a lot of intervention, very long etc, ds2 shot out in 20 mins with no pain relief, but both were still incredible highs.

Kathy - I had the highs but no baby blues.

Me too - fantastic high and absolutely no baby blues whatsoever.

That blows that theory away then.
Good - I wouldn't like to think there was an inevitable come-down.
Come to think of it, I don't get a particular come-down after my cold-water induced endorphin high either.

No have to agree - no come down with the high with DS2. I had a baby blues with DS1 when I didn't get the high at all which doesn't seem fair!

I found the labour awful and I ended up having a c-section under general anaesthetic. When I first my little G in my arms though it was amazing. I would compare it to the feeling I have when I have had too much to drink and feel invincible - except no hangover and it is a high which lasts much longer.

I lovedit with all 3, immediately afterwards I wanted to do it all again! I wouldn't want to be pregnant again but it is a bit sad not to do the childbirth again.

No, nothing (yet) touches the post-birth high for me. An incredible feeling - that adrenalin/endorphin/oxytocin mix should be bottled!

Had astonishing high after birth of dc2 - nearly llbs, born at home after major last minute tussle caused by shoulder dystocia, and followed by arrival of two ambulances at the house, paramedics charging up my stairs, midwives resucitating baby on the bed.

It's his birthday today (he's six) and I've been reliving those feelings of total triumph and relief. It was the best (and hardest and most bizarre) night of my life.

I have had one non-childbirth experience of utter bliss and 'one-ness' with the universe, after dropping some acid when I was 19 and on holiday on Skye. I'd love to do it again, but at 43 am way too sensible and scared.

Really glad to hear so many of you had such a 'high' after giving birth. (And a bit too). I had no high at all. I have to say I remember back to the days just before and just after the labour as incredibly difficult & strange. Exciting, yes. But very hard in many ways- and no high to think of.

I do remember though feeling a kind of 'high' when our newborn boy was sleeping between us in bed & I kept looking at him & thinking how gorgeous he was, the most beautiful boy in the world (of course now that I look at those newborn pictures he seems squashed, red-faced & kind of weird looking to me!!!!)