What position did you give birth in and did you tear etc..

[PlantHasABabyBean]

Hi

Title basically sums it up. I was very active during my first labour until they broke my waters and put me on a sytocin(sp?) drip, my contractions were one on top of other and I just didn't get back up off the bed, ended up having emergency c-section.

Pregnant with DC2 and want to try for a VBAC, want to be mobile again and hopefully want to give birth either squating or on my knees leaning on headboard.

Just looking for others experiences what position you gave birth in and was it quick? Did you tear etc?

Thanks

I don't have a single stretch mark and as above, I tore both times despite a very active birth and delivery. Plant; is it bad that I don't really know what a second degree tear involves. I didn't feel a thing at the time, had stitches afterwards and both times the midwife said it was a second degree tear but I didn't ask further. Healed quickly both times and never really gave me any grief.

Going by this thread so far, I think I am going to try to be as uright/active as possible whilst labouring then lay down to actually push. Althought hey say it is harder to push baby out this way why can't someone give me a crystal ball??

#1 laying on back semi-propped up as had epidural. It was 35 mins second stage which is quick in circumstances. Tiny tear.

#2 laying on back as there was no time to move from having initial VE! Two easy pushes and she popped out. No tears. (This is what happens when your sister takes hours to get a cab to come and look after #1 and you only just arrive at hospital in nick of time!).

#3 kneeling on bed. learning on head of bed. Quite quick and it is all a bit of a blur as labour was 1.5 hours and bloody painful! No tears.

It may be that I have a flange like a bucket.

No strech marks. They are genetic by the way! If your mum did not get them you are probably ok.

The VBAC was great.
I had a doula and somehow managed to reach hospital at the transition. Not planned and not recommended - but it meant they couldn't time my first stage and I was mobile throughout the first stage.
The pushing was supposed to be 1hr max. The mw was on my side and helped me loads. She really wanted me to succeed as I had done so well till then. The doula and dh helped me hold myself in whatever position I wanted so I could concentrate on pushing. We were just in the 1 hr. They were starting muttering about forceps towards the end but we got there in time!! Took me quite sometime to get efficient at pushing. I hadn't had it the first time round so didn't know how to deal with it.

I have lots of stretch marks.

Laying down to push will be harder work!

There is a school of thought that says that the way to avoid trauma is to not have coached pushing (the MW or partner shouting 'push' and holding breath). If you can manage to push when you have the urge and breath through it then it will be more gentle.

Also birthing in water is supposed to help.

Ingrid I got them last time but only on the tops of my thighs (did put on about 3 stone), havn't got any 'extra' ones yet buit still only 20 weeks. My mum didn't get any, but my dad has them.

smile sounds lovely, I really hope that I achieve VBAC. Hope I get a midwife like yours who wants me to succeed too.

Really ingrid? I thought that you should listen to the midwife when she says to push and not to push?! Oh this childbirth is so confusing so really I should just listen to my body and only push when I feel I need to, but not push too much when head is crowning otherwise I could do damage.

On my hands and knees thrown over a bean bag and pillows - 2/3 degree tear and stacks of little grazes (more painful healing that the millions of stitches tbh!)- I knew I would tear, I am v. sensitive and no amount of massage and stretching was going to help

I didn't get even 1 stretch mark, so at least in my case, blows that theory out of the water!

Water is out of the question apparently has I had a c-section last time I am not allowed in the MLU. I have asked and asked but apparently delivery ward it is for me.....they have no birthing pools in the delivery ward!

i already had stretchmarks.. i only saw them after i delivered..I've had some on my side since puberty though.

DD - kneeling but upright, second degree tear (healed ok, didn't hurt particulalry though started stinging a few days later when feeling returned to that area)

DS - kneeling and upright, no tear.

both active births with no intervention.

If you have a careful midwife watching and telling you how to slow down and how much to push at the end, some people say that can help... Then some people say that following your body and just allowing it to do what it wants to is the trick. The problem with the former is that it is interfering with your body's natural urges, and as such may not help. The problem with the latter is that you can be tempted to shove baby out too quickly just to get it over and done with sooner - it can be difficult to relax and let it happen at a slower pace.

DS - EMCS
DD - VBAC, semi reclined and third degree tear. But, she was back to back and I pushed her out in just 4 minutes as the fetal heart monitor showed her heart rate dipping (but I could feel her moving so I think the monitor wasn't working properly). Anyway, she came out just fine and I had to be stitched up in theatre, but healed quickly and easily and had no pain or trouble with the tear.

Listen to the MW if she tells you not to push as you can get premature pushing urge. Also as baby crowns the MW will tell you to stop and pant to slow things down then gentle pushes to ease the head out to prevent tearing.

Coached pushing is not needed at all in most normal labours. Bit different with epidural as woman won't feel contractions. The trouble is that most MWs do coach which makes women push really hard and hold their breath reducing oxygen for them and the baby and causing more trauma to their nether regions. They also often tell them to stop making so much noise to concentrate on pushing when it normal for some women to make loads of noise.

It is possible in most normal births for the contractions and pushing with the urge to do the work. I have seen it on video (not experienced it personally!).

All the VBAC ones are giving me lots of hope and making me I think deep down as long as I don't have a repeat of last time with the EMCS then I will be looking like this--

I want to be as prepared as possible, but really hope I have a lovely midwife this time who is kind but firm with me.

country the sound of the heart rate dropping probably gave you that extra umph that you needed to get her out, I know it would me!

Had a lovely actIve VBAC even with CFM and then had episiotomy and ventouse as dd was distressed and I couldn't push her out quick enough. Doc said she thought I would have torn anyway - dd had huge head but was all fine. Those few stitches and general 'bruising' were much easier to recover from than the CS! Good luck

Smilehomebirth - You make a good point as I really like the idea of slow and gentle pushing but I have always felt a desperation to get the baby out ASAP as it is so bloody uncomfortable. No rest and be thankful for me!

So the most important time to listen to the midwife is when the head is crowning, as they can guide you through it.

Standing up. 3rd degree tear! But it was because I didn't listen to the MW and pushed his body out too quickly, nowt to do with position.

On my knees leaning over a birth ball. No tear. No stretch marks either.

kat his body caused the tear?? Oh I have so much to learn...I thought the biggest part was the head and the body just slid out after?!

Lying on my back due to epi 2nd degree tear - when I stopped to pant and do the little pushes DD had otehr ideas and shot out like a bullet which is why I tore. I had no stretch marks I could see until 38 weeks.

1st birth on back forceps delivery epidural
2nd birth leaning forwards over birth ball, a tiny tear (i think?) that didn't need stitching

Hi -
My daughter was born - me straddled over a chair- no tearing just a slight laceration
Best advice i was given by my midwife was 'don't get on the bed and labour, its like pushing up hill'
Good luck

well yes, after the head you are supposed to pant a bit while the body turns or something, I didn't, just pushed and he shot out and caused a tear. But if it's any consolation, I didn't feel it at all, and also a tear heals better than a cut.