Positive birth stories

[Peaplant20]

I keep reading so many scary stories about childbirth, can we have a thread on positive birth stories and recovery? They must be the majority, right? expecting my first baby in July and getting nervous! I’m going to do the positive birth company online course aswell x

A positive birth is one where the mother feels empowered, is included in the decision making and is free from fear.

I would highly recommend this course... its £25 and on line. www.optimalbirth.co.uk/index.php?option=com_eventbooking&view=category&layout=table&id=8

As a doula, I recommend to my clients, if their labours are long or extremely painful, or someone starts looking at their watch, that they consider where the baby might be and what they can do with their bodies, to help. (Side lying release, forward leaning inversion, lift and tuck, making more space in the mid section of the pelvis using side lunges, opening the pelvic outlet.)

Sometimes babies are in a tricky position and this can made labour long and painful, knowing this and knowing that there are things that you can try, helps. It also helps to know that if you have tried these things and it has still not helped, that labour should not be extremely and unbearably painful and that there is help available if this is the case. (Epidural, C Section).

Also, if you think you might have an epidural or a C section, it is useful to know what the likely impacts are, what to do to make it the best possibly experience and to have a conversation with your midwife and birth partner so that they can help ensure you have the best possible experience. Women who are supported in childbirth and not left to labour alone or have decisions imposed upon them are more likely to report positive feelings about their births, regardless of the path their birth takes.

Good luck with your upcoming baby, get plenty of sleep now ha! Totally agree everyone seems to want to terrify you before labour! I had my first last year and it was amazing.

Woke up early hours of the morning at 41+1 with light pains, I was scheduled for an induction that day and OH had joked he would come out himself then. I’d lost my plug a couple of days earlier. Got up, showered and decided to style my hair too and see how it went.
Stayed at home just breathing through it and eating Haribo, pains weren’t going away but getting stronger. Also sending emails to my incompetent solicitor for our house sale!

Went into hospital for about 2pm and they weren’t sure whether I was 8 or 5 but established regardless. Waters and bloody show went in hospital, I was set for water birth but he decided to poo so that was a no. I was initially petrified at the idea of having to give birth on a hospital bed but it 100% wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined and I didn’t really care at the time!
My body was doing what it needed to do itself I found. The midwife told me not to push as I wasn’t ready but my body was just doing it; lo and behold I was dilated.
20 minutes of pushing and he was out, spurred on by the threat of a suction cup that thankfully wasn’t needed. 11 hours in total from me waking up, no pain relief, very small blood loss and a small 2nd degree tear to be stitched. I don’t remember feeling any pain from the tear, just sheer determination they weren’t cutting me.
It’s not the most pleasant of things and because it went so well first time, I’m now scared to have another (!) but if you’re calm and just approach it as it happens, I’m sure you will do amazingly.

Would definitely rather give birth again than the aftermath of feeling like everything was going to fall out every time I stood up or the first post birth toilet of both varieties!!