Come on ladies... need some good labour stories

[Lizzy86]

Ok so Im freaking out and not because of the unknown but the thought of the pain.

This is my first pregnancy and I really want to think positively about labour, but Im struggling

Id love to read your labour stories and experiences. From start to finish. Please share as much detail as you can, positive stories please.

Sorry I don't have a labour story as this is my first too - but I'm very interested in any replies as I too am scared silly thinking about birth!!

My first was a lovely calm waterbirth. DS arrived 2 and a bit hours after we got to hospital. I had two mws with me at all times. I will never forget the elation I felt when I first saw him.
Every contraction brings you closer to seeing your baby. Good luckxx

Let's ignore my first and talk about my second!
Had a sweep at 39+5 (convinced consultant as my haemorrhoids were so excruciating), walked to salon for pedicure, came home and cleaned skirting boards. Friend over for lunch and started feeling twinges. Carried on as normal, early evening felt like things were happening - started timing at 5pm ish. 11pm got in bath and called hospital as they were 7-8 mins apart. Midwife said if I was happy where I was then stay there until 4-5 mins apart. 1am they were 4 mins apart but absolutely manageable. Called hospital and told to go in. Very quiet delivery ward, dimmed lights, two midwives to myself the whole time. Examined and was 5-6cm dilated. Got in the bath (not birthing pool) and had gas and air - which was fantastic. After an hour or so they were more painful so moved to bed, still just G&A and didn't feel like I needed anything more. Wanted to push so asked MW to break my waters which she did. 30-40 mins of pushing - after going through horrible 'transition' when you feel like you can't cope and you get very scared for a few mins - baby born at 4.38am. Amazing experience.

Every labour is different so I won't bore you with my stories, which both have positive and negative things about them.
What I will say to you though is:

1. Go with what your body is telling you, even though it is your first trust what your body is telling you, if you need to push, push (I was only contacting every 6-7 minutes when I was 9cm dilated with my DS). Also don't be afraid to ask to be examined if you think something has changed. (I went from 6cm to having my DD in 40 minutes)
2. During transition you will feel like it is never going to end and that you can't possibly do it. This is a very normal feeling and you WILL make it through.
3. Linked to that is that it is a finite thing. Yes the pain can be bad but it doesn't last forever. Your baby does appear at the end of it all. Your mental approach is key. That was one of the main differences between my two labours. Try your hardest to think positive and focus on the fact that it will end and you will meet your baby. Oh and don't be a hero!! What I mean by that is take whatever pain killer you feel you need, no one cares whether you give birth with no pain relief or every form of it. It ultimately does not matter at all. All the best with your pregnancy and birth

I'm currently 37 weeks with no. 2 and if I could have the same birth I did first time round I would be very grateful. All I'd heard were horror stories so I'd prepared myself for going two weeks over, a 72 hour labour resulting a an EMCS. What I actually got was a lovely steak dinner with friends a week before my due date when it all kicked off. Nice and full went for a lie down and woke up an hour later feeling a bit funny and only being comfortable if sitting on the toilet. After about 30 mins contractions came on properly so we got in the car and headed to the MLU where I hit the gas and air and tried to relax as much as possible. Completely agree with banana, listen to what your body is telling you. After about two hours I told the midwife I felt like I was ready to push. Got on my knees and she guided me through, half an hour later (and still with the gas and air firmly attached to my face) I was cuddling DS. Couple of stitches and a hot shower later I was sent up to the ward for a kip.

Please, please let this one be the same! Good luck!

The Hackney Doula has a whole pile of positive stories on her website.

First took my by surprise arriving at 39+6. Was totally prepared to go overdue. Was fast for a first labour. 6 hrs start to finish.

Was not offered pain relief but no one realised how far on I was when I got to the hospital. It was painful but stopped hurting when I needed to push.

Dc2 was 3.5 hrs at 40+0. This time asked for gas and air as soon as I got to the hospital which helped.

Hope all goes well.

My first - I won't bore you with all the details but I had a long labour (31hrs) all manageable. I stayed really focused during the contractions no special techniques as such just calm and focused. After 27 hours (all that time I felt in control, calm, manageable pain levels) I had an epidural, at the end 30 mins of pushing (no tearing) DS was born. I look back on my labour with so many amazing emotions achievement, empowerment, overwhelming love it all sounds very hippy but it wasn't just achievable and manageable. My mantra beforehand was nature doesn't give you more then you can handle. Best of luck :)

I went into labour at 9.30am at 36 weeks on the dot on the 7/7/09 had very little pain (what pain i did have was all in my back) my husband come home and got me to the hospital for 13.15 where they put me on the monitor and had a look and said I was 5cm dilated. They gave me a shot of meptid at 13.30 and I fell asleep. I woke up at 1700 and told the midwife I wanted to push, at 17.06 I gave birth to our 6lb 6oz daughter. I'm 17 weeks 5 days with baby #2 and really hope my labour will be the same!! X

Il post my last birth as that was the best one. Was long started sunday night with period type pains in my lower stomach and back, by monday was having contractions but every night (even though they were regular and painful) they would stop about 11pm and re start again at 5am in the morning it carried on all week this way, I was also loosing bits of my bloody show every day too at this point. By friday still no baby but it wasnt too bad as I was managing to get some sleep still at night, but I started to bleed runny blood not show type blood so went to hospital to get checked out, contractions where every 4 mins. He said cervix was dilating and thinning but still a tad high, he said you will have a baby by tommorow....i went home, pains got even worse carried on till 1am and then stopped again they then woke me up at 5am again, so I had a walk to my mums to try get baby in a good position as I assumed it was that why it was taking so long, at lunch time I went back into hospital, still not dilated much more but now waters were bulging out of my cervix abit. So I was kept in, I used a tens machiene, again that night I managed some sleep, woke at 5am again this time pressure was massive and I knew that day was the day I rung mum to tell her the babys coming today before id even been checked. Midwife come in, checked me and said yep you are ready for labour suite now your waters are really bulging out...was bouncing on my ball with tens on when 2 lovely ladies come to collect me, they said have we got the right room? U are in labour arnt you so yes. Down on labour I carried on with tens maciene, they rechecked me 4hours later and id only progressed to 7cm but she said im suprised you have progressed at all ( I was still laughing and having conversations didnt look in pain) so I had my waters broke at 12.15pm at 1.40pm I felt a very big pressure and then began to push my ds was born at 1.56pm all fine no problems. The labour was slow yes but i saw it as a good thing in a way it helped me control the pain better and I carried on at home for 6 days doing my own things

I'd been reading all the hypnotherapy stuff and was really into the idea of a water birth etc. ended up with an induction, forceps delivery, episiotomy...pretty much everything I was dreading. BUT on balance the whole experience was fine, in fact I kind of enjoyed most of it. I won't lie, it was painful but it was more like an incredibly intense gym work out rather than 'bad' pain.

I was disappointed I didn't manage without more interventions - but if it was like running a marathon (and actually it kind of was), then I was pushed across the start line and dragged over the finish line, but the 26miles in between I ran myself.

I actually quite want to do it again.

I found the pain difficult to deal with, the TENS & gas & air options weren't working, and I wasn't far enough on for an epidural. So I could only have pethidine. It worked for me -the time passed really quickly (& nicely, in a spaced out way) and the spaced out feeling, but not the pain killing part, had worn off by the time labour really got going, so I could experience what was going on.

The hour leading up, and the birth itself, was a beautiful experience - it all went really well, very relaxed with a very kind & calm midwife, and BabyBearleigh was born as the sun came up on Midsummer day.

I was induced at 12 days overdue. Had a pessary for 24 hours & when I was examined I was 2cm. They couldn't break my waters then as delivery was closed & there were 2 ladies ahead of me waiting to go down. Walked DP out to the car at the end of visiting. Walked the long way back & had 2 massive contractions. Got to the ward & went to the loo & my waters had broken. Contractions were then 3 minutes apart lasting a minute & all the pain was in my back. Only pain relief they could give on that ward was paracetamol so got through it with breathing & walking. After 4 hours I was examined again and was at 5cm so went to delivery. Gas and air was brilliant, really took the edge off the pain. After another 4 hours I was at 7.5cm & had pethedine as they wanted me to be able to push so didn't want to give an epidural. Managed to get 2 hours sleep only stirring briefly for each contraction. At next examination I hadn't progressed and as my contractions were now irregular I was given an epidural & syncoticin drip. After another 4 hours was examined again & was 9cm but contractions still irregular. Decision was then taken for a c-section to be done as I had an infection & they were worried about the baby having it too. 30 minutes later my 9lb9oz little man was born. Wasn't the intervention free, gas & air, mobile labour id been planning but it was a good experience. I was well cared for & the midwives were great. It did hurt but it was manageable. The pain only lasts seconds & you know it will ease off as quickly as it came on. It is a pain with purpose & once baby arrives it's gone. Two days after giving birth I couldn't remember the pain of the contractions & was already discussions when we would have the next one!
Don't worry about the pain, listen to your body & the midwives & take pain relief as you need it. I was always anti pethedine but it was a life saver when I needed to rest. Good luck!

I have been very fortunate so far as all of my labours have been short :) I think because of that they have been very intense but manageable.

My first started at 2.15 am with my waters breaking, contractions started coming every 4 minutes immediately. Got into hospital at 4 am but there were no beds so wasn't examined until 5.15. Told I was only 2cm dilated but the pain was very intense by this point so was given pethadine at 5.30am (one thing I said I didn't want!). By 6.30am I started pushing and she was born at 6.58am! Amazing experience! It was very painful but probably only for 2 hours.

My second labour gave me slightly more warning. I had a couple of pains around 2pm then nothing for a few hours. I then had a show at 5.30 ish and pains started coming regularly at about 7pm. They weren't particularly strong or painful. I got into the bath at 8pm and the contractions started coming every 5 minutes. When I got out the pains seemed to slow down to every 10/15 minutes so I thought it was a false alarm. At about 10.30 pm I told my husband to go on to bed because it could be all night! I went to the loo thinking I needed a poo and suddenly realised I needed to push!! Que panic! We got to the hospital at 10.55 and she was born at 11.10pm. No time for any pain relief but only in real pain for about an hour.

My third baby was another quick labour but I had Braxton hicks for several days before the real thing. I started getting little pains every 10 minutes from about 6pm. They weren't strong at all and I thought it might just be Braxton hicks again. By 9pm the pains were a little stronger and coming every 6 minutes or so. I had a bath and again the pains slowed down. As I was having a home birth I called the midwife just after 10pm who told me that it was probably just a practice as third babies often mess around! She stayed on the phone and talked to me through contractions and said that by the sound of me (because I could talk easily through it) it was probably nothing. She told me to take some paracetemol and go to bed (10.30). By 11.30 the pain was so intense and contractions were coming every minute, I admit I was screaming and crying! My husband called her back and she arrived at 12.15am. No time for pain relief again and baby was born at 12.29am! My husband opened the door to the second midwife with our baby in his arms!

I think the third labour was the most painful but perhaps because it was technically the quickest and because my waters didn't break until the last push, so it was kind of bulging! But I was only real pain for just over an hour so it was manageable. At the time I swore I would NEVER do it again, but I'm now pregnant with number 4 so it can't be that bad!

Every labour is different and every woman is different. I would say as others have before me, go with what your body tells you and try not to focus on the idea of pain. And if you want pain relief, have it! (As long as you have time!!)

Good luck x

My first baby arrived 9 days early.

Waters broke at 5am, went to the hospital, in labour but not established, sent home, stayed at home til 1pm ish baths & paracetomol took the edge off but was starting to get quite painful by then.
Pitched up at hospital, midwife checked me, told me I wasn't in enough labour to be in hospital, was barely dilated and to go home again, wasn't happy as was in quite a lot of pain by then but reluctantly agreed to go (still only had paracetomol at this point) made it down to the floor below, then decided, sod this, I'm not going home, got wheeled back up to midwife unit by head midwife.
Was rechecked by the idiot midwife and baby was sat there ready to be born! ha, that showed her

DS was born at 4.03pm, absolutely no pain relief except 4 paracetomol and no stitches needed.
Was amazing! Worth every bit of pain and it's true, once they hand you your baby you forget it all instantly :)

Ignore the horror stories, people like to dwell on them (especially a couple of crazy people in work who seemed determined to scare the living daylights out of me) & I was petrified as well. DC1 was born at 41+4 in about 5-6 hours from first twinge to arriving. It was painful, can't lie about that bit, but manageable for most of the 5 hours. I got an epidural towards the end that leaked so didn't work properly but took the edge off.

Lots of people have straightforward births, try not to assume you won't (almost impossible, I know but try!) The straightforward births are a lot more boring so you don't hear as much about them! Good luck!