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!

Brainworm,it ain't called "labour" for nothing 🤣🤣

Agree with this… just because it’s quick doesn’t mean it’s easy!… Stitches ouch!!

My first attempt at vaginal birth was horrific and ended up in emergency c section and my son almost dead. Planned c secs thereafter = bliss.

Yes. My first Dd was a vaginal birth. Did have an episiotomy that I didn’t want obviously and I’m not sure if it could have been avoided but stitched and healed fine. Second DD also vaginal birth, minor tear, no stitches. DDs now 23 and 20.I was 29 & 32 at the time .

From the OP: "I'm just hoping for some positive vaginal 1st birth stories if they are out there" 🙃

I was induced, the only complications I had were the epidurals not working on me, I was numbed to my thighs but could feel everything else. I had to have 1 stitch, I didn't lose a lot of blood. Was discharged the next evening 😊 good luck OP!

Yes! 3 healthy babies vaginally in midwife centre 2 as water births. Aged 36 with first baby a bit overweight all three pregnancies. No pain relief - tried gas an air with one but didn’t get in with it - except the birthing pool. I don’t feel smug or lucky but would have liked to hear this isn’t unusual as I was pretty nervous during my first pregnancy.

I was almost 41 so like you was concerned I may have to be induced. Luckily contractions started naturally the day before my due date. My labour was straightforward and a positive experience overall - described as 'textbook' by my midwife. Used Tens machine, gas and air, birth pool, and hypnobreathing. Had second degree tear - but I had no idea til they told me as surprisingly it caused me no pain. In fact, I had no discomfort at all once baby was born. I realise that was lucky - I kept being offered pain killers later that day and never had any reason to take them. No problem going to toilet, sitting down, walking, bending or anything else - felt completely normal other than totally knackered!!

Should also say no interventions, stitches required and babies latched and fed well from the start (again no smugness - but drove myself balmy with paranoia in the first year).

I was induced due to preeclampsia with my first and I'd still say I had a straightforward birth - 12 hrs (almost to the minute!) from waters breaking to baby being born, had an epidural but needed no instrumental intervention. Small tear which was stitched but nothing more dramatic than that. All fine.

My friend did hypno birthing and said it was magical.

(6 others managed it with a certain amount of tearing, forceps etc, and I was emergency c section chick).

It depends what you mean by 'straightforward' really. I had a look at the numbers and went for c section personally (lovely and pain free for me).

They are quite sobering, but equally everyone has a different experience and you may get lucky. Most of the mums I know who had tricky births went on to have more children. Most didn't seem to regret going for a vaginal birth Most that had horrendous first births had a much better second birth, which is something potentially to bear in mind. Then again, I know quite a few women who chose planned sections and they've all shared my positive experience. I'm a total wimp though and couldn't cope with the idea of pain, so vaginal wasn't for me personally.

if you want to try for a vaginal birth you could always have a low threshold for moving to a section.

The stats (as best I could find them)
For first births

• It's 1/3rd emergency section, 1/3rd instrumental vaginal and 1/3rd all other vaginal births (note that doesn't mean straightforward)

-You've got about a 90% chance of tearing or being cut if you have a vaginal birth. Not all will need stitching or surgical repair though (about 70% do). I know one friend who was in the lucky 10% that have none.

• You've got about a 6% chance of a 3rd or 4th degree tear. I know three friends in that unlucky 6%. All 3 of those counted as 'straightforward' vaginal births' because they weren't instrumental, even though they were anything but.

Yes. My ds also slept well. I didn't talk about that either, you don't brag when people might be struggling.

Being fit and healthy alone doesn’t help you. You need to prepare for the birth: do pregnancy yoga, breathing exercises, a birthing class where you learn the right positions or whatever else floats your boat. Of course you can do it, the baby is going to come out somehow. But you can make it a better experience if you prepare for it.

my SIL is incredibly fit (runs half marathons, cycles or swims most days etc) and had two very long and difficult births.

Not entirely natural but very straightforward - My first was an an induction at 42 weeks. The pessary worked so no need for the drip. Gas and air pain relief. I needed a vontouse delivery so had an episiotomy, but that was sewn up very neatly and healed well. No haemorrhage, no tearing, all very positive and empowering. Second baby was an entirely straightforward water birth.

Thank again all for the input it's really useful to hear real stories.
@SuuzeeeQ by being fit and healthy I just meant I don't have any prior conditions or anything that would suggest any complications. My sister is a very fit horse rider and really struggled after an emergency C section so I know it's not necessarily a given.

I have my eyes wide open when it comes to what can happen and when I say straightforward I guess I mean no emcs, massive tears, haemorrhages etc..I was getting to the point where I was considering an elective C section as every story I had heard either ended in Emcs or long term/severe complications for the mum. However all of these births resulted in a healthy baby which is all I want but I also want to be able to enjoy my 1st weeks with my baby.

I had a very quick and straightforward due date birth with my first.

painful as it was so quick, and a 2nd degree tear that required quite a lot of stitches, but you can’t actually feel yourself tearing, and as long as you keep on top of good hygiene and aftercare of stitches you heal v quickly

good luck!

11:30pm water broke
Went to hospital around 2:30am, very few contractions but I was feeling the need to push by then...
Gave birth around 3:37am, no pain relief as too far along. Slight tear but only a few stitches needed.
Home by lunchtime same day 😁

I think I had a silent labour in hindsight. I was in no way ready as this happened at 37 weeks and first borns never come early right?! 😂

Midwives said if I had more children, I should prepare to have them at home as it was so fast but I never tested that theory as I stuck with 1...

@JRTfan I’ve heard horse riders often struggle because of the tightness and stiffness of muscles which is a result of horse riding.

got a good story for you, my friend gave birth to her first baby few months ago.
she woke up at night at 0100am and her waters had gone in the sleep. She sat at home for some hours, at 0400 decided to go to hospital, hospital turned her down, because she was just 4cm. 0430 came back home and that was when she started having intensive contractions. She laboured home by herself till 1030 Am, so for 6 hours. Then at 1030 went to hospital, she was already 9cm, so they had her go straight to the birthing table and 40 minutes later the baby was already out. No complications, no interventions, no pain relief apart from gas and air in her 40 minutes at the hospital. Had Just vaginal bruising.

I asked her about the 6 hours at home she said for 6 hours it’s not that hard to manage.

I don’t know how can it get any easier than hers, I can only hope I get away with something similar.

if anyone wonders she wasn’t fit or physically active, never went to the gym in her life and is now struggling to attend gym with me to loose the baby weight.

My first was long and I had an episiotomy but it healed perfectly. No trauma.

Niggly back pain when I went to bed, awake and pacing round the house in the early hours with contractions. Waters ended up breaking in the bath at home, arrived at hospital fully dilated so no time for pain relief and baby was born less than an hour later. As PP has said, worst part was the car journey! Very intense but manageable.

Waters went about 7:30pm and contractions started immediately. We went straight to the hospital as there was meconium in the waters and I was 6cm when they checked. I pushed for over an hour then had an episiotomy and she was born at 12:45 so it was quick and I healed well.

I did everything "wrong" in labour as well. Because of the meconium they insisted on continuous monitoring (I'm not in the UK so NHS might be different on this) and her heart rate would drop if I stood or moved so I was lying in bed the whole time, she was back to back, I got an epidural eventually. But despite all that it went easily and quickly.

My placenta got stuck but that's just bad luck.

Mine was long and ended in episiotomy but it was straightforward. I know lots of women who had straightforward home births. Try not to worry. Good luck!

@xur amazing I love stories like this!
Saw my friend last night her baby is a week old. Waters broke, went in and got to 8cm pretty quick started pushing, baby stuck and in distress, attempted forceps, very quick Emcs where they cut his back going in, resucitation and 2 days in SCBU. Obviously traumatic but I took away the positive that the staff were amazing and both mum and baby are now recovering well. My poor DH needed a bit of reassurance tho after hearing the story!

Yes. All three vaginal births and perfectly straightforward but I deliberately avoided interventions such as induction/ epidural etc as that increases the chance. Also had them at home which helps.