What do they not tell you about labour...

[BabyB19]

17 weeks to go until I meet my little one, with antenatal classes cancelled until the end of never Im trying to prepare myself as much as possible for labour, does anyone want to share their experience with me? Anything I need to expect that I may not have been told...? ❤️

With my first baby I was induced but with my second my waters broke a week before my due date. I heard a pop while I was lying in bed and then suddenly there was wetness everywhere, I stood up and soaked a rug, it just kept coming and coming. I think contractions started about three hours afterwards and she was born about five hours afterwards. But from stories I’ve heard second babies are quicker? I was relieved I was at home as no pad would have held in all the fluid that came out when they broke.

I was early. Waters didn't break till quite late on though, I was already at hospital (DD was born about an hour later) and I sneezed and as I already had my trousers off it just gushed all over the floor . DH was quite amused, I was mortified. Midwife not at all bothered by it (they've seen it ALL before).

Wish I could have another straight forward birth like I did with DD, but I'm consultant-led this time (twins, but with only one placenta between them and it's anterior and low down as well) and likely to be c-section.

My waters didn't break but rather trickled after going to the loo but this was before my contractions started so they booked me in for an induction the day after but by the time I got to the hospital for my induction I was already 4cm so didn't bother. Gutted I missed out on a whoooosh of water 😆

My waters broke at 34 weeks and DD was born 8 hours later. I had a very straightforward pregnancy before this and they have no idea why it happened

Pressed send too quick... I was 39+4

Mine broke at 40+2 (first baby) sitting on the sofa at home. It felt like Niagara Falls fell out and it just kept coming every time I moved. I had no idea labour was imminent and was still in the fed up 'I'm going to be pregnant forever' sulk. Was pushing 2.5 hours after my waters broke (just made it to the hospital).. my baby was born and I was eating my toast within 4 hours. It was very intense and I had no time for pain relief but was overall a very positive experience in the MLU x

Keep them coming ladies I feel like it makes me more and more prepared! I'm kind of glad to be working from home as id be mortified if they went like niagra falls in the office 🤣 im hoping to have mine go and a couple of hours later have a baby in my arms which I thought was highly unlikely to happen but maybe not judging from these responses! ❤️

With dd I had no signs had a sweep at 41w didn't get anything else then at 41+2 contractions started gradually god more intense and closer and then I laid in bed and my waters popped. Managed to scoot off the bed but the floor could not be saved🤣 contractions then just progressed ended up with an episiotomy and ventouse because her head was turned and heart rate started to drop

My advice I'll be giving to myself next time I am in this position will be not to listen to the midwife when they are telling you to push. I tried for ages and gave up because they said that I was "10cm or thereabouts". It really put me off and I was asking for a c-section/ any kind of pain relief (I had none!), I even shouted that I no longer even wanted the baby anymore! Haha, so I stopped pushing for about 45 minutes. Then my body felt the urge to push and my DD was out in three pushes! So, in short, my advice is to listen to your body and only do what is comfortable for you

@BabyB19 I expected a long labour so to be less than 3.5h start to finish was a shock. Was 2h to get to 10cm, 1h15 pushing (9lb 2 baby, awkward position) and a few mins for the placenta. Despite being big and awkward he made a very calm arrival with no assistance.

Not sure if pp have said but listen to your body. I was pushing involuntarily for a good 10 minutes before I realised what was happening! My midwife was fab and let me just do what I felt my body was telling me to do x

My waters broke and then I got the shits... maybe it was just nerves, but the midwife did mention this before, saying that your body may well ‘empty itself’ before labour kicks in properly (supposedly this stops you pooing during labour and also then you don’t need poo until a few days after birth) but I wasn’t expecting it to empty itself to quite such a great and urgent extent 😆

how many of you went early/late and was it spontaneous labour or did you get induced.

2 weeks early. Waters broke at 2 in the morning, DS arrived 5 hours later. They tell you that your first labour takes ages so I wasn’t expecting that!

that shit after labour. oh my christ. its like giving birth again, but the same sense of achievement. !

Not labour but shortly after when I had stitches in I sneezed / coughed and OMG the pain down below was unbearable, even worse than the first poo. Was not expecting that

I went 4 days over, contractions started in the morning but waters didn't break until they examined me in the evening and I was 4cm. Baby born 45 mins later with 7 whole minutes of pushing. Hoping/praying second baby will come at the same speed!

My daughter was born 13 days after her due date. I went in to labour in the evening and didn't actually realise. Felt like really mild period pains. Went to hosp to get induced and was already 3cm dilated.
Things I didn't realise:

• that some women throw up a lot during labour (me). Gas and air made me vomit a lot
• epidurals fail! It only worked on one side of my body which meant I felt everuthing still.
• the blood loss after is crazy. Big black knickers and pads are your friends
• the after pains aren't nice. I took cocodomol and it worked a treat though

My daughter is 13 months now and amazing. Labour was hard and I pushed for about 2.5 hours but it was fine. No poop or much tearing either.
Best of luck lovely

Haven't read the rest of the thread so sure I'll be repeating some of what others would say but as a relatively new mum, here are my contributions:

• Your body will "empty" itself in the day or so before labour. TMI but expect to "go" a lot of times - like 7+! In hindsight this is definitely a sign

• Your waters don't necessarily go early on in labour like you see on TV etc. Don't think that because they haven't gone you must be quite early on in labour - I made that mistake and arrived at hospital 10cm dilated and ready to push! My waters went (naturally) just before I started pushing

• Night sweats! I had no idea I'd be waking up drenched for several nights afterwards

• Post-birth contractions. Didn't even know they were a thing!

• TMI again but when going to the toilet soon afterwards it will feel like wee just "falls" out of you. And that when you've got to go, you've got to go! But this improves quite quickly. The first poo is terrifying too but you've just got to go for it!

• Vomiting during labour is normal and often happens in the "transition" phase (when your body is getting ready to start pushing)

• Similarly, shaking like crazy during labour is normal. Happened to me a bit before the transition phase but passed quickly - due to adrenaline rush

• Contractions are NOT always regular, even right up to giving birth. Midwives will tell you that you need to come into hospital when your contractions are, say, 90 secs in length and REGULAR (i.e. 3 mins apart), but mine never got regular until I was actually pushing. Listen to your body - you will know when your baby is nearly ready to be born

• Labour is the most painful, yes, but also the most incredible, wonderful, empowering, emotional, mind-blowing thing you'll ever do

• Recovering from an episiotomy is worse than recovering from bad tearing, in my experience anyway. But even so, by 8 weeks it got a good bit easier and by 9 months on, my body felt completely like it did before I got pregnant

Best of luck!

I wanted to pee a couple of hours after the birth, I sat on the toilet and it shot out all over the floor, I thought fucking hell I'm going to have to use the gents toilet in future.

Everything when back to normal after a couple of days.

Good luck

Spontaneous labour at 39+2. My waters didn’t go until near the end at the hospital. Waters went and I immediately wanted to push.

Make sure your birth partner can advocate for you.

If you categorically do not want something to happen to you, make sure he/she knows this and can communicate that.

Things happened to me in the labour that were played down by staff or not communicated at all and I wish the people who I had with me knew that I needed to not be kept in the dark. I'm good in a crisis, I'm not good when I'm lied to.

Breastfeeding is hard. Specifically the first two weeks. People will tell you "if it hurts you're doing it wrong". Bollocks. It hurts because there's something sucking on your nipples all the time and they get sore.

I remember sitting and silently crying for the first minute or two of each feed. If you can, let your nipples air dry. Use lasinoh cream (my number one buy).

If you can get through the first couple of weeks of feeding it becomes a breeze (mostly, apart from occasional mastitis or blocked milk ducts...but y'know). I managed to feed until she was 2.5 and in hindsight I'm glad I did, but fuck me those first few weeks were brutal.

-that everything does take a long while to settle and recover. I felt swollen and strange in the vulva area for months afterwards but am fine now

Yes! My daughter was born in July and that winter it snowed, I remember being shocked that I could feel the ache where my stitches had been when I was very cold.

I had a lot of stitches and ended up with an infection about a week PP. Pants, massive maternity pads, bleeding and giving birth in a heatwave made not ideal healing conditions.

I put towels down in bed and slept with no underwear on, my stitches seemed to heal much quicker when they were getting fresh air every night.

That every labour is different. Some are actually remarkably easy., and some are enjoyable too.

Stayed on my feet for all three births and highly recommend

Hypnobirth with third was a game changer for pain relief

Stitches are the worst - accept all pain relief

Post birth anal suppositories for pain are like a gift from god for post Birth uterus contractions - I was mortified when midwife popped one in but my word they are lifesavers

I found the time post birth and did the first few days a really romantic lovely time with my partner and new baby so treasure it, I avoided visitors for a week

Some midwives are lovely - some I found to be pretty unpleasant, you can ask for someone else if you and your midwife don’t ‘click’ and it can make a big diff to your experience