First birth stories

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How was your first birth? How did you go into labour?

I was 13 days late. I'd had two unsuccessful sweeps and was booked in for an induction on the 14th day but when I woke up the day before my waters had broke.
We went to the hospital just to get checked but contractions hadn't started yet and I expected to be sent home. They checked the babies heart rate and it was a bit fast so I had to stay in.
Contractions finally started while I paced around the hospital and eventually I retreated to my room where they put me back on a fetal heart rate monitor. They decided things should be sped up even though it'd only been a few hours so put me on a drip.
I had paracetamol and gas and air up until it was nearly time to push when I then had a shot of diamorphine. All of a sudden the babies heart rate plunged and the room was suddenly full of people. They whipped the end of the bed off and had my feet in stirrups. They used the suction thing to help get the baby out quickly.
Dd was healthy and lovely and weighed 8lbs 11oz. They'd given me an episiotomy so I had to wait in the stirrups while they stitched me up. My waters broke at 10 in the morning and dd was born at 10:56 pm.
Looking back I feel that they rushed things unnecessarily and there was no need for it. I'd definitely request less interference next time if there were no complications.

First contraction at 40+4 followed by an awful 5 day painful latent phase. DD was finally born at 41+2. Currently 21 weeks with DD2 and very much hoping for a shorter labour!

Oh, and first contraction happened naturally, but waters never broke so a MW broke my waters on 42+2 and DD arrived around 8 hours later. If they hadn't have broken my waters I think I would still be in latent labour now, it just wasn't happening.

*Waters we're broken at 41+2.

I had contractions for two nights consecutively! They would start at about 1am and stop around 5am. Never more frequently than every 7 minutes but too sore to sleep.

On the third night same story but a bit longer. I had a sweep after the third night. Midwife said I was fully effaced and almost 2cm dilated. She said I would go either that day or the next (my due date). Sweep was at 9am by 11am the contractions started and didn't stop. I was at home with the TENS machine and paracetamol until about 10pm.
Went to hospital where my water broke around 1130pm and I was about 3cm dilated when I arrived. I got some codeine after they said they would admit me. Due to borderline blood pressure I had to be monitored for an hour before they would let me go to the MLU. Laboured in the pool with G&A. Eventually it was getting too much for me so I asked for pethidine. However while the midwife was sorting it out my contractions changed! All the sudden I felt like pushing, so my DP called the midwife back; sure enough I was fully dilated. It was probably around 3 am at this point. So I didn't bother with the pethidine.
DD was moving a lot and likely back to back for most of the pushing. The midwife had me pushing in loads of positions due to this. I also stopped the G&A while pushing as the drunk feeling made me tired. Towards the end she turned and was born at 5:02am. So 6.5 hours of active labour!! I had a graze in the perineum that didn't require stitches. However I also had a small tear at the front. It bled a bit and I had to get a doctor to stitch me up (in the delivery room). The tear apparently was on the clitoral hood!!! Didn't know that could happen... But it explained the blood. Only took a few stitches.

Anyways DD is a month old today and everything feels fine.

I woke up at 6am with contractions at 39+4 they were about 3-4 minutes apart and 40-60 seconds long. But not too painful so I knew I didn't need to call anyone despite how close they were. After a few baths and lots of pacing about I went into labour ward at 10pm. I wasn't in loads of pain, but was struggling to drink or hold anything down.

I was only 2cm but fully effaced and sent home after a sweep being told I would be back in within a couple hours. My waters went 12am I went to hospital around 2am still 2cm on arrival. But they gave me a drip for my dehydration which was amazing. Anyway two hours later I was pushing, she got a bit stuck as my bladder was full, but they whipped her out with vontouesse and all was good. She was born at 5.37am weighing 7lbs 1oz. The latent phase was confusing as I didn't think contractions could be so close so fast. But I can't complain as my active labour was nice and short.

39 weeks exactly. The day before, I'd been for a long walk, came home exhausted, fell asleep on the sofa for 2 hours, and when I went to the loo after I'd woken up I realised that I'd lost the mucus plug.

During the night, I had mild, irregular contractions (felt like a combination of trapped wind and period pains) which were eventually coming regularly every half hour.

Pottered around for the day, meeting friends for lunch and doing some last minute pre-baby shopping, with contractions still coming every half hour, but starting to feel a bit more intense.

I went for a nap at around 4pm and in the dark and quiet the contractions started speeding up - by 5.30 I was cooking dinner with contractions coming every 5 minutes (I used them to time the rice). I called the midwives at that point as I was planning a home birth.

We watched TV for a while, but by 7pm the contractions were regular and strong enough for me to focus on the labour. The midwife arrived at around 8.30, and I was fully dilated at that point.

I think the arrival of the midwives slowed everything down, because I didn't really get a strong urge to push, and pushing took nearly 2 hours, which was tiring.

DC1 was born a bit after 10pm. The placenta took another hour.

DD1 is now 6.5mo and a complete delight

Due 17th November last year. Rode my horse on 11th, wrenched pelvis when he spooked. Didn't fall, I hasten to add! Felt a bit odd after, kind of achy in the 'V' of pelvic ligaments. Mucking out morning of 12th, mild cramps but no discernible pattern. Shopping with DPs army of female relatives pm of 12th, cramps coming every 40 minutes or so, enough to make me pause while walking but so far apart didn't think much of it.

Went to bed at 8 as so tired. By 10 unable to sleep through contractions, went and rocked on birth ball. Tried breathing techniques but was shite at it. Played catch with a tennis ball while rocking on birth ball, which required enough concentration/coordination to be a brilliant distraction! Rang hospital twice between 11 and about 2:30 - contractions about 7 minutes apart, coping with pain ok with ball/TENS machine. Told not to come yet as first baby, would be ages yet blah blah blah on both calls. Rang at 3:00 to say pain ok now but going to need help managing it soon, on my way in as nearly an hour to hospital. Cautioned that they would likely turn me away, first babies etc.

Arrived at hospital at 4:10. DD born at 4:35, luckily with one arm over head which is the only thing that slowed the process enough so that she wasn't born in DPs brand spanking new, custom built van!

Moral of the story - listen to your own instinct about when to make the trip to hospital! And book a home birth next time just in case.

I'd tried every old wives tale in the book to get things going, had 2 unsuccessful sweeps at 40 weeks and 40+6, I was 11 days overdue when he arrived and had been booked in for induction on the day I had him. I'd been having contractions for 3 days, they were frequent but short, all the pain was in my back, I was finding it really difficult to cope. There'd been a lot of leaking for some time and I hadn't realised it was actually my waters trickling. We'd gone to the hospital on the Saturday and been sent home after an internal revealed they was nothing happening to my cervix, the same on Sunday, I was no more than a fingertip dilated.

I was finally admitted on Monday because they examined me and realised that my waters were in fact leaking but were also so thick with meconium, it was like chocolate sauce coming away from me. I was immediately strapped up to a monitor and given an epidural which was utter bliss after the pain. They broke my waters properly.

I had my boy just after midnight on Tuesday, he was back to back, had his hand over his head and the cord was around his neck twice. He was 9lb 2.5oz and I had to have an episiotomy and emergency ventouse to get him out as his heart rate was decelerating. He was in distress. They'd turned the epidural off, I wasn't allowed any gas and air, they wanted to get him out quickly but I was so tired I couldn't push. Eventually he was born and whisked away to be examined because of the meconium. His head was so swollen and cut from the suction, I cried looking at him. I was put into stirrups and stitched up.

It was very traumatic. I feel that they left me too long and could have intervened much sooner. Being my first I had no idea what was going on, the experience was totally different and much better with subsequent dc.

39+6, 1am got up with a dodgy tummy and realised my waters were dripping on the bathroom floor. Got to maternity unit and was 4cm.

Laboured with gas and air for a few hours then got into birthing pool until about 5am. I didn't like the pool, I just felt wet but still in pain. Started involuntarily pushing in the pool but felt frustrated so got out.

Examined and was fully dilated. Then I looked down and asked 'is that meconium?' Cue me being wheeled down from midwife unit to the doctor part (can't think of word!).

Pushed for a couple of hours but then couldn't handle it any more (looking back I am so cross with myself for pushing on the bed and not trying different positions) so I asked for help. They said DS was nearly here but I just couldn't do it any more so they used ventouse. Quite distressing when it kept popping off his head but he was born at 7.40am. Still irrationally annoyed that I didn't do it 'myself' which I know is ridiculous.

Contractions started dead on 40 weeks around 9 am. I was shopping in Tesco. They became regular quite quickly. I paced around the garden for a few hours with TENS on. Around 6pm I had what felt like a big contraction and lost my mucus plug. Went to hospital. Tried to send me home as only 1cm but I refused as felt something wasn't right Contractions were very very painful. Turned out later he was back to back. Laboured with TENS til about 9pm by which time I was 4cm. Asked for epidural got epidural. Then ds became very distressed. Lots of decels and red emergency button pushing. Up in stirrups in all sorts of ways/angles. Blood taken from Dss head showed drop in oxygen. Still only 4cm. Hooked up to syntocinon. Epidural fell out as being moved around so much. Eventually at 3 am they decided on an EMCS which was actually the best and calmest bit! DS born perfectly healthy but was back to back chin up and cord tight round neck twice. He was fine but it took me quite a few weeks to recover. Looking back I wish I hadn't had an epidural as it all seems to have gone downhill after that but I don't think he would ever have come on his own. Just wish had had the c section sooner!

Had a shoe at 38+6, then at 39 weeks an irrational desire to deep clean the kitchen. Mild contractions from about 6pm that night about 10mins apart. Stopped about 10pm.
Contractions restarted about 5 am at 39+1, still mild, 10 mins apart. Labour ward said to get on with my day. Contractions all day, got in bath about 4pm and they started getting stronger. Got to hospital about 5pm by which time they had ramped up considerably and about 3 mins apart. Was examined and 4 cm dilated so allowed in the pool. My waters went just as I got in. Had to get out to push as it just wasn't happening in the water, and he was born at 10pm.
So quite a long build up but a fairly quick active labour.

Induced at exactly 38 weeks, had increased blood pressure so was in for daily monitoring for a week then waters went & no labour so went in for induction 24hrs after waters went.
Went in at 9am - Pessary did nothing - did lots of walking - at 3pm went to delivery - 7 pm put on drip, but stayed active (even though on constant heart rate monitor) was just on gas & air - midnight - still only 3cm in agony as baby now back to back so opted for epidural (3 attempts & a stressful time) then all was calm until 4am so we got some sleep...! 4am I woke OH & said I am ready to push 20 minutes later of persuading him to disturb the MW! At 4.30am MW came in & baby was literally just there - 30 minutes pushing & baby born at 5am.

Pretty good labour, then in for 4 days as baby would not feed & super sleepy/lazy!

Number 2 - another induction for OC/Liver levels etc- Pessary worked - 2 hours of walking/moving then waters broken & then in 40 minutes went from 5 to 10cm & was ready to push & 11 minutes pushing!

I was 40+5.

I had called my Midwife as I was out shopping at 39+4 and felt a trickle of water and thought i'd wet myself or waters had went but she said they hadn't after a checkover.

Had an unsuccessful sweep at 40+1.

At 40+5 I started getting contractions at 7pm, I called the hospital at 10pm and was told to come up as they were strong and steady every 3 minutes.
When I got there i was 2cm dilated and baby was monitored as I kept throwing up but contractions weren't getting any closer so I was sent home at 12.30am, the monitor went off a few times whilst I was there but I was assured it was just baby moving away so his heart rate couldn't be detected.

Contractions kept going through the night and at 6am they started to speed up a bit so went back up to hospital and was monitored again, midwife said i was only 3cm dilated and when she attemped to break my waters very little came out so she assumed that when i had called my waters had indeed partially broken. She was concerned about the monitor graph from the night before so went to speak to a Consultant, she was out the door 30 seconds and the alarm went again as DS' heart rate dropped. The Consultant ran in and did a quick check then demanded I was prepped for surgery now.

A lot of haziness, poking and prodding later I was in theatre having a section, DS was being strangled with every contraction as the cord was round his neck 3 times hence the heart drop. He was blue but with a few minutes of suction he was fine thankfully.

Complaints were made against the midwife from the night before who had failed to do a proper examination and failed to notify a consultant about the alarm despite it going off 7 times in tge 2 hours i was there according to my notes.

It wasn't the nice quiet water birth I had planned but DS is here and is a healthy 9 year old now so job done :)

I woke up at 3.30 with dodgy tum. Only 37 weeks to put it down to enormous dinner thr night before. Went back to bed but couldnt sleep. Had the first proper contraction about 4.45. Woke dh up, asked him to put the tens on me. Waters suddenly broke all over the bed bu meconium in the so called hospital and they said come straight in. Tummy still dodgy, so went back to toilet before leaving. 5am realise i can feel the head. Panic and tell oh. He calls hospital , midwife tells him to phone an a?? .
He calls ambulance at 5.20. They keep him on phone, he can see head. Paramedics arrive 5.30, ds born 5.32 after 2 pushes. Apgar score of 10, and no stitches for me. I do think i have mild.bladder prolapse now though as a result of speedy arrival.

Waters broke at home at 9pm when 39 +3

Contractions started soon after (minutes). 3-5 mins apart within the hour. Called the hosp. They said to come in as waters were gone but was likely to be sent home. Hosp at 10.30, seen at 11pm. 2cm dilated. Wanted to send me home. But I needed the loo (to empty bowels). Was on loo in examination suite for about half an hour. Afterwards midwife said I should go home. I was begging not to. She said "have a bath and come back Weds morning" (it was Mon night). I left under protest about 12 midnight. Home 12.30. Ran a bath. Got in. Threw myself out. Rolled around on floor. Thought I needed the loo again. Realised I was ready to push. Called the hosp again. Went back in. Guess arrived about 1ish. Lying on the floor in reception "spontaneous pushing" and shouting blue murder. DS born by 2. Placenta, shower, feed and home by 6am.

I didn't go into labour at all. Had a bleed at 35 weeks due to low lying placenta and had an emcs. Bit weird with my second pregnancy as I need to read up on labour signs again as I've never done it!

38 weeks. Backache all day. At midnight it's unbearable and coming in waves of 5 mins. By 6am waves of 3mins and go in. Sit in bath, gas and air, sit in birthing pool. Nothing helps, agony. At midday I'm 4cm, at 6pm I'm 5cm. Decide on transfer to hospital for epidural. Bliss. Need a drip but they can't find vein. Blood everywhere. At 11pm start pushing. Takes an hour. Born with help of ventouse and episiotomy at midnight.
24 hours of hell. He was back-to-back throughout.

12 days over, had a sweep at 40+8 then contractions started next day. They were erratic but getting stronger over the next 48 hours, was measured at 5cm on Friday morning, 2 days after contractions started. Was 7cm by Friday evening but still without regular contractions so they took me to hospital Friday night and broke my waters. Things seriously kicked off about 3 hours later, went straight into transition then pushing. Pushed for just under 2 hours, baby born naturally, I had no stitches, grade 1tear and some grazing only. Was looooooooong even for a first labour but absolutely fine apart from last 10mins which are awful but you survive!

Body was too exhausted to manage a a natural third stage so had the injection in the end. Also had to be briefly catheterised as had drunk so much water due to gas and air and length of time pushing and urinary tract muscles gone into shock with the final bit of pushing so although I was BURSTING I couldn't pee which was weird.

Was fine though, hard work but I felt great afterwards and apart from the dreaded ring if fire, the pain was managable - I used TENS and gas and air. Hoping to manage without the G&A this time as I think I will be more confident about what happens and how my body can cope.
To be honest, I loved it and can't wait to do it again. Don't talk to me about the 9monthsnthat come first though, I hate hate hate being pregnant, hormones all over the place, really depressed, am counting the days already and am only 17weeks.

Got awoken about half 4 in the morning at 39+6 by what felt like something had grazed a bone in my hip?! Laid still for a while to see if anything else happened but nothing. Woke up to my alarm at 8 as normal with mild backache but still not sure it was labour. Hubby went to work as normal.

By 10 am realised it was labour so hubby came home and we settled down planning on staying home as long as possible. Come 1pm I was struggling so called hospital and they said to come in(assume they weren't busy). Got to hospital about 2 where I was examined And I was around 2cm dilated. Pain was getting a lot and I had terrible nausea so begged for some pain relief but was persuaded to hold off because could flow things down. Laid in bed rocking in virtual silence for next few hours, poor husband was ignored.

Midwife then said a bath might help so had s bath but contractions intensified. When I got out I had a very bloody show which seemed to panic people and I was examined again and was around 6cm. Again more pain relief asked for and then I was sick. (So much for anti sickness drugs). Midwife went off to get diamorphine but then I was examined again as I felt like I needed to push and I was 9cm so was whizzed off to labour ward.

Finally given gas and air but then told to start pushing and no gas and air allowed for that! Had to have my waters broken and a catheter inserted as my bladder was full. 2.5 of pushing later, doctor had been fetched as they were considering forceps and first I was given an episiotomy. As soon as I had this DS popped out! Born at 10.55pm.

Tbh i thought I had a good pain threshold but turns out I'm a wimp! The contractions were the worst, the pushing the best as it felt worthwhile.

However I would do it again, you really do forget the pain!

13 days overdue. Started getting labour pains the day I was due to be induced, they kept me in as I was overdue. Went into hospital about 8pm with mild pains, by 1am I was in agony but was only 1cm dilated. Asked for an epidural which took forever, had epidural, checked babies heart rate which was low, emergency button pressed, room filled with people, had my waters broken, still
Only 2cm dilated, baby was back to back and the pain was unbelievable. Eventually had a emcs, epidural didn't have time to kick in so had a spinal tap. C section was over and done with in about 10 mins (2 mins from "knife to skin" until baby was born. Took about an hour to sew me back up. Was elated but a bit out of it and nauseous. Sounds awful when I write it down but you quickly forget and it can't have been that bad if I'm doing it all again!!

Induced at 39+5 due to some concern about change in movement. Waters broke themselves after the 3rd pessary the following lunchtime. Really intense contractions almost immediately but was on a monitor so couldn't move about. Also had no gas & air for first 3 hours as not on labour ward yet. By the time I got down there around 5 I was screaming for a epidural. After that it was bliss! At midnight was fully dilated. Pushed for an hour then they got the forceps out. DD arrived on her due date at 7lb8 and absolutely beautiful I lost a fair amount of blood & they were slightly concerned about infection as my BP dropped & temp rose. IV antibiotics & a blood transfusion sorted me out & was home 2 days later. She's now 4 months old & I'd do it again in a shot!