Who will be/was there during labour?

[Newmummytobe79]

Just wondering what happened when you went into labour? Was it just you and DH? Did your mum or sister help out/be there to support DH? Or did you have a friend and DH with you?

Also ? I?m petrified of the everyone bombarding the hospital as soon as baby arrives ? are they allowed to do this or do you have time for you and DH to get to know baby before visitors arrive?

Thanks!

Really interesting thread. I am thinking about only having dh and midwife at birth and have told my parents that we want time to bond with the baby and get into a routine so no visitors for the first week. Hopefully they will visit and stay for a bit once dh goes back to work. My parents are quite active so can help practically but mil is infirm and so I hope wouldn't visit too soon as I will have enough on my plate without having to look after her.

I had 12 people at the ELCS. The anaesthetist (a woman) was amazing and really helped, unlike DH, who practically fainted and has asked to be excused from this time round.

As for visitors, my parents and several sisters turned up within minutes, how they got there so fast I dont know, I was still on high dependency with the catheter in! I was so shell-shocked from suddenly being a mum and having a baby in my life Lord Lucan could have ridden in on Shergar with the entire population of China behind them and it wouldnt have made any difference.

Had plenty of time to be on my own with baby over next few months!

DH was with me the whole 44 hours! (with the exception of 4 hrs when they had me on epidural and told him to go home and catch 40 winks - DS was a stubborn bugger who wasn't budging )

I was in the antenatal ward for a long time surround by some lovely midwives during the day and some unbelievably rude, uncaring, unsympathetic, awful night midwives.

Once I went to labour ward, I had a night midwife who was fine if a little detached, and a student midwife who didn't do much but was very sweet. And during the day there were a couple more midwives, I think, but by this stage is was all largely a blur!

Then had obstetrician for delivery and post-delivery surgery. And two more nurses for post-op care.

Oh yes, sorry, about visitors - we totally called the shots about who came and when. Because it was quite drawn out and traumatic (for me, DH AND DS), we asked for my folks and sister to wait until we'd had a good night's sleep and a full day making sure we were ok before visiting in hospital.