39 weeks and love to hear a painless birth story

[MyLivelyAquaBeaker]

I’m 39 weeks pregnant and the cramps / Braxton hicks have been driving me mad today! I’ve actually had Braxtons since about 12 weeks so I’m feeling like this baby might just fall out!

I felt the need to share the two both stories linked to my family.

My partner’s step mum is a body builder type and she told me her second baby came out in one big contraction in the kitchen. She flushed the placenta down the loo, put the baby in his cot upstairs and carried on with her day 😂

My partner’s mum has had 5 babies and she said her only symptom of labour was a ‘slight headache’.

I’m totally baffled hearing these stories so close to home as my first labour was very quick and intense - extremely painful…I screamed the whole way through.

Second labour was okay! My partner drove me to the hospital and I watched the sunset while using my tens machine. Got to hospital, pushed for 10 mins and baby arrived. Felt a bit surreal as some students were watching me give birth as part of a tour and were all clapping at the end of the bed as the baby came out. I was high on gas and air and it felt odd!

I’m really hoping baby number 3 is a slight headache or one painless contraction!!

I always say labour is the right word, it’s hard work. Two vaginal births, went in at lunchtime both times, gas and air, babies arrived by 5 and 6pm respectively.

For me it was much more of a mentally challenging experience than a physical.
I laboured quite quickly 2 to 10cm in just over 2h at home with 2 paracetamol.
The pushing stage I found a harder not from pain although it was not pain free - manageable with gas and air but the pushing to what you thought was enough and it not quite being and then having to dig deep do it again a minute later. It felt very much like trying to coax a car out of stuck mud/snow. Her shoulder got slightly stuck but did free itself before intervention were required.

I'm pregnant again and nervous about whether it will the same again or if I've used my luck up. This pregnancy has got a few more complications compared to hers so I'm likely to need an induction. He's already putting me through my paces. I have been having contractions for the last 2-3 weeks, since 33 weeks, but they are from an "irritable uterus" rather than labour! Delightful!

I’ve just heard about shoulders getting stuck after watching a ‘one born every minute’ episode and it really spooked me! Never knew it was a thing. Must’ve been very scary for you.

To be honest I didn't know until I was handed my baby as a group of dr's and midwives ran into the room. The midwife kept really calm and hadn't told me she had just pulled the emergency button because the shoulder was stuck!

I had braxton hicks a lot towards the end of my second pregnancy. I had a very quick, relatively painless unplanned home delivery. 2 hours from waters break to delivery

My first was slow and v painful, second came out after two big pushes, third came out after one big push and was the biggest of them all at 9lbs 11!! I think mindset has so much to do with it- I enjoyed and embraced my 3rd labour knowing it was my last

Elective C-section. No pains during pregnancy, no labour and easy recovery. I’d recommend it to anyone!

In hindsight I wish I’d gone for this! I’m 39 weeks + 2 days and the Braxton hicks are out of control! Couldn’t walk for 5 mins earlier as the tightening was back to back and affecting my walking! Very odd.

My second labour was great. Spontaneous onset, went into hospital at 3am, he arrived at 7am. Just gas and air, no tears or stitches at all. Up, showered and home after lunch.

I found labour empowering. The fact that a woman’s body can do that is mind blowing.
I had 4 natural births without pain relief, apart from gas and air with DC2. Two hours or less each. It was painful, can’t lie, but would do it again in a heartbeat. (But I’m too old now).

That placenta must have blocked the toilet.

😂😂

I’m wondering what the woman used to cut the cord. I’m always enthralled by the stories of women that give birth like this. One push then back on with getting tea ready. Oh how I wish that was my experience or anything remotely similar.

Another one here with a very quick unplanned home delivery. I was awake from around midnight on and off with period type pains. Waters broke at 6.30 and he was born at 7am. Can't say it was painless but certainly quick!

I’ve had 4 babies. The first I had epidural etc only worked down one side was horrendous.

3rd I was induced and laboured overnight in a bit of discomfort it was really hot (July) so I had a fan so that took my mind off things. Midwife came in in the morning and I was like I think my water just broke. Baby was born an hour later only thing was stinging when he crowned.
3 was born in triage super fast / he was the only non induction. Plug went in morning, waters trickled allllll day I was contracting away quietly and going for big walks round the grounds, then bounced on this ball and boom midwife wanted to check me I sat down stood up and said right it’s coming now. Wasn’t painful, had the paracetamol they brought me afterwards.

No 4 they called a failed induction, you’re not in labour you’re not in labour, I was, and the lady in next bed was getting extra pillows, heat packs, pain killers for something and they were like go to sleep. I got an anti sickness injection and some paracetamol at 11pm then all of a sudden I was soaking wet with a head between my legs, lady in next bed buzzed the midwives and he was born at midnight with the lady still in the next bed. Also no real pain. Partner missed that birth though we only lived round the corner too, I was offered to go home that evening, quite glad I didn’t.

my sister also had super speedy deliveries, youngest was almost born in the car outside the hospital.

DD was 7 hour labour with no pain relief and DS was 2 hours although I hadn’t been feeling well all morning. My mother said I was born in the wheelchair while they were taking her to the delivery room and she had my younger sister on her own. My grandmother gave birth to five children and was up the next day cooking and cleaning and caring for the family. Let’s have fewer scare stories.

Plllllease don't watch one born every minute it's not the frame of mind that you want. Both my births were average length, hard work but manageable on gas and air. If you expect it to be bad then it is much more likely to be so!

Honestly labour & childbirth is painful. But it’s pain with a purpose which I honestly find makes it so much more manageable. I had my first in hospital but didn’t like the gas and air and had my second at home, again no gas and air but used water as pain relief.

so much of it is in frame of mind. One born every minute is so not the right thing to watch. If you do want to watch something it’s worth seeing if you can find any episodes of Yorkshire Midwives on Call. It used to be on bbc iplayer but if it’s not there you might find some on YouTube? It follows a home birthing team in Yorkshire which I watched during my second pregnancy. They spoke about labour and childbirth so positively and it really helped me prepare whilst hearing positive birth stories.

the build up is so much worse but as another poster said I found it such an empowering experience! Good luck!