Anyone had a straightforward 1st vaginal birth?

[JRTfan]

So I'm 35 weeks now with my 1st baby I'm 40 and it's IVF. Will be hoping to go in to labour naturally but may be induced if go beyond 40 weeks. I am not scared as such of vaginal birth or being in pain but I don't know a single person lately that's had a non traumatic birth experience! They've all ended either in an emergency C section or an instrumental delivery with haemorrhage and tears.
I know a couple of people that have had planned c section and none have had a bad experience and recovery been fine..I'm just hoping for some positive vaginal 1st birth stories if they are out there. It's been a 12 year journey to get here and obviously all I want is a happy healthy baby but I'd prefer not to be ripped in half in the process!

About a third of women according to stats!

i had a natural birth at home and I was 40.

I had a straightforward (but long) waterbirth with my first. I think that for most people it's fairly straightforward, if not particularly pleasant. You just don't hear so much about the boring ones, because there's not so much to say!

My 1st was out within 6hrs!…. Waters went at 11:30am contractions started at 2pm, son was born at 5pm.

A breeze!! 😅

Yes but no one talks at length about their straightforward births as they are not that interesting as story telling goes so you mainly hear about the ones with added drama.

Yes, my waters broke at 4am in bed. My eldest (adopted) was only 2 so by the time my husband took him to his grannies and got back I wanted to start pushing. I got to the hospital pretty much fully dilated and had her before 9am. I had gas and air. She had a big head so I had a second degree tear. The worst part about the whole experience was being stitched up. Found that worse than labour. I healed well and quickly, though.

Me! Very easy and relaxed first birth at home. No issues.

I was induced as under consultant led care and monitored throughout but the birth was easy compared to the pregnancy. I used GS and air until I had to push and then they took it off me and I gave birth with no pain killers, it feels like having a very large bowel movement and the head crowning is incredibly stingy. I walked home 14 hours later, although I regret that but and the normal 4 minute journey took almost 20mins I was however 23, not sure Id want to be doing that now Im closer to 40.

I had an induction which took 5 days to get going (I’m in Switzerland and they are very stingy with the drugs!) but they kept me in the maternity ward under observation for that time. Once my waters broke they gave me oxytocin and DS was out in a very uncomplicated 4 hours.

I had asked for an epidural up front but things moved so quickly in the end it wasn’t possible, but I really didn’t need it and I’m glad I didn’t have it in the end.

Congratulations firstly. I know a lot of people who had a straight forward vaginal birth. My oldest DD, home water birth first and only,no complications. Youngest DD was a tiny size O, barely 7st. No sutures,very short labour. Baby DGD was 2 months prem, so 5lb. Following year DGS 7.5 same,2 years ago DGD 7.5lb, 3 hour labour start to Finnish,no sutures nothing. I had her at 41, easiest pregnancy, I did tear. My first was left lateral breach, I am tiny,so it was a c section.

It feels bad form to talk about your short straightforward birth in front of other mums and mums to be - no-one who had a rough time wants to hear, and you don't like to raise expectations amongst those who don't yet really know what they are in for!

I'm only a few years younger than you, and my baby was out in 1.5h. I did have to have an episiotomy, and that was after I'd already torn. So it wasn't like she just slipped out. I only had time (and only really wanted) gas and air. Agree that being stitched up is the worst bit.

Yes, quick Labour no stitches.

Even if things aren't exactly straightforward it doesn't always have to be traumatic - I ended up with an instrumental delivery for DC1 following an induction/epidural but look back on it all as a really positive experience.

Personally, no. My first ended in an emergency C section BUT I have several friends who pushed their first babies out naturally with no problems at all.

Both of my babies were induced. Once the labour kicked in it took less than an hour both times to give birth with a little bit of gas and air to help. No stitches and in the shower after the birth both times quite quickly and feeling fresh again.
I adored giving birth and would do it again.

I did. 6 hours bit of gas and air and a tens.
A lot of it is luck but in case it helps I did lots of walking and bouncing on a ball thing and gave birth on all fours.and Hypno breathing.
I also had done lots of exercises to get them in the optimum position for a few weeks before.

I did, it was long but straightforward, I had gas and air. No cuts or tearing.
My sister and all 3 SILs all had straightforward first births too.

Yep, very fast and straightforward. I had some stitches, but that is pretty minor
and I didn’t find them in any way traumatic.

(I had stitches with all 3 straightforward vaginal births, a side effect of them being fast and a worthwhile trade IMO)

Yep. Very straightforward and quick. I went on to have my next 2 at home because it was so straightforward.

It almost sounds like showing off to talk about straight forward pregnancies. I have had two and only two births. My DH says I was clearly made to birth haha. We are not having anymore due to age and the early stages not always going that well half the time.
First started at 3:30am and I laboured at home (went in at 7am to be sent home) and then turned up at 4:30pm for my waters to break in the maternity ward toilet. Baby arrived 1hr 30mins later with a minor stitches needed. Second (as predicted by 1st midwives) came VERY quickly. Woke at 2:30am to waters breaking, pain started around 4am and by 7am baby had arrived. Again minor stitches required. It does happen but just not talked about much.

I've only got one, but he was a straightforward very quick 3 hrs and 20 mins. People only talk about it when there's something to say. Mines quite boring really (other than how quick he was) so not many people would know about it.

I had a straight forward vaginal birth. I had plans for only gas and air and doing it in a water bath but couldn't handle the contractions so had an epidural. I didn't have any tearing due to perennial massage that i was doing before the birth. My DD heart rate did drop and they were going to take me in for a emergency c-section but they could feel her head and asked me to push. After 9 minutes of pushing she was out. She is my first and only child and this was in October 2020 during covid.

I had three textbook vaginally births, OP. First one was 45 mins in total! No drugs or intervention for any of them, in and out of hospital within hours. It's far more common than you think!

Waters broke at midnight, walked around at home with a Tens machine for a few hours, uncomfortable but not in terrible pain. At about 5 am rang the birth centre, they advised coming in in a few hours based on how I sounded. Ignored them and went in sooner, was at 10 cm when I arrived there (the 20 min car journey was the worst part) so no time for the planned birthing pool.
Pushing took a lot longer than I expected, not like on tv where women push twice and baby is born! Probably an hour or so. 7lb baby born at 7am, no stitches. No drugs, I think they offered gas and air but it messed with my yoga breathing I'd been practicing so I didn't like it. Also had dd2, 9lb2, at home, no drugs, 5 hours start to finish.

I think a huge amount is down to luck.

Yes mine was straightforward and quite quick. No induction. No epidural and back home later that day. I know I was lucky but it’s definitely not unheard of.