Birth Stories! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Apache · 02-06-2005, 04:31 PM

So I'm due in 6 weeks with my first child and even though I'm soooo excited to finally be starting my family (been married for a little over 5 years) I'm scared to death about the delivery. Everyday I'm watching baby story, birth stories, birth day ect... any shows like that, that have to do with having a baby. In my opinion there is no way to prepare myself because every delivery is different.
I have always said I would get the epidural but after becoming pregnant I done some research and now I'm scared to get it but scared not to as well. Of course this is something I will discuss with my doctor when I go back in a couple weeks, for now I was just wanting to hear some birth stories. It's ok if it sounds scary

I don't think anyone can scare me more than I have scared myself.

Every since I've been pregnant I have loved hearing about other peoples experiences. So please share with me!!!!!!!!!

sexymama · 02-06-2005, 04:46 PM

Apache I am quickly approaching the birth of number four. I will not bore you with the details of every birth. But I will say this: my sisters had terrible births. One was in labor 36 hours, the other had 2 C-sections (at the time of my first birth.) I was positive I would be in labor for hours! Also, I HATE IVs. My doctor said, "if you are not in enough pain to put up with an IV, you don't need and epidural." She was right!

I gave birth to my first son in 6 hours flat. I called for an epidural (and feel no shame in that!) But by the time the doc. got there to give it to me, I could push so why bother! The next two births were 3 hours and one hour ten minutes. Each was unique.

My best advice to you is exercise as much as you possibly can. Relax. And do what feels right for you at the moment! Also, remember you are in control in the delivery room -- don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do!

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

Feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat more about this new phase in your life! I love to share!

Charlatan · 02-06-2005, 04:52 PM

My wife had an epidural for both babies... My wife is a very tought woman. She can deal with pain, but after 26 hours in labour (not hard labour but labour nonetheless) she was exhausted and opted for the epidural... It was great for her, she could relax and nod off between contractions. The cool thing was the epidural, which was on an auto drip, ran out just in time for the baby to come. She was able to walk from the labour room to the delivery room and when it came time to push was able to feel enough to push well.

The second baby was a little different. My wife had gotten to the point where she wanted the epidural and asked for it. Unfortunatley it was in the middle of the night and the anethesiologist that was on duty was in the OR and couldn't come right away. A couple hours later when he did get there, they got the needle in and gave her an inital small shot and said they would return in 20o minutes to hook up the pump... At this point it looked like it was going to be another 4 hours or so of labour (according to the doctor)... By the time they returned to start the pump, 20 minutes later, she was just getting ready to push... I'm convinced that with the little shot she recieved, she relaxed and the baby was ready to come...

Both babies, absolutely healthy and cute.

Ella · 02-06-2005, 11:29 PM

We decided to have our first baby in a birth centre, run by midwives. The labour was six hours all up, just a bit of gas and a shot of peth and she was out. We were home the next night. Too easy.

For the next one, I booked into a private hospital and had to be induced early because of my blood pressure. After about 8 hours of steady contractions, my doctor broke my waters and the contractions came faster and they were more painful. My husband (ex) and I were hoping things would be over by that time, as our older girl was at daycare (she was five) and needed to be picked up, as it was near 6pm. I didn't want her to see me in pain, plus by that stage I had decided I was over the pain, so I had an epidural. It was the best decision I had made for a long time. My baby came out a couple of hours later and was perfect (just like her sister).

I'm really glad I've done one with the epidural and one without - just for the contrast. But sexymama is dead right when she says don't let anyone pressure you into anything. You will make a decision based on how you feel at the time and you ride with it.

And despite all that pain, the minute you hold your babe in your arms the first time, all the pain is forgotten. You may have heard that before, but you can be guaranteed it is the truth.

Good luck!

freeload · 02-07-2005, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexymama

Also, remember you are in control in the delivery room -- don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do!

This is the one thing my wife regrets from her first birht - she was unexperienced, and just acceptet what the nurses said/told her to do - not what felt natural.

Her second time was much better. She listened to her body, not the nurses - and did everything her way. When she asked for some pain medication she scared the nurse - because when she came back (didn't take long) our boy was on his way out. No medication at all - but when the head was out she calmly asked for a glass of water, drank it, and gave the final push! (Like it was an everyday thing for her)

Visit the hospital in advance, get to know how they can assist you during labour/birth. Make a "wish-list" of how you want your delivery and bring it with you to the hospital. Your body is made for this, your body knows what you need, only you can listen to your body - you are in charge!!

Have a nice birh!

Daoust · 02-07-2005, 04:44 AM

My wife opted to go with a midwife and she totally loved it. No disrespect to nurses (my mom is an OB nurse) but sometimes they are run so hard that they just make the whole birthing process very mechanincal and unemotional. The midwife was able to help us through the whole process, and was very caring and very supportive. Even in labour, she was very calm and very knowledgeable. Since you're about to deliver soon I dont' think you've taken the midwife option, but if you have another child, I strongly endorse them.

My wife's water broke at 3 a.m. and she delivered by 6:30 a.m. First child. I don't think she knows how easy she had it. lol. It's a good thing too, because if you have a midwife, they don't use anesthetics or any drugs. They're all about being natural and all that stuff. So if my wife had complications, and she needed drugs, the midwife is officially out of her job. She has to back off and let a doctor take over. Like I say, my wife's delivery was complication free, and I don't imagine you'll have it that good, but there's always hope!

f6twister · 02-07-2005, 06:56 AM

As a labor & delivery nurse, my wife had no question as to getting the epidural. Her thinking: The epidural was invented for a reason! Why suffer through the pain when there is something out there to help? She was induced at 6:30 a.m., got the epidural at 3:30 p.m. and our son was born at 9:51 p.m.

My advice (yes, from a male), don't wait too long to ask for a refill on your epidural. My wife's wore off and she waited too long before asking for more. She was fully dilated so they wouldn't give her more. They were afraid that she wouldn't push well enough to get him out. So, the epidural got her up to the delivery point but she faced the pain through the toughest part. I couldn't have been that bad though. She is ready for another kid!

If you want to ask some questions or get some info, send me an e-mail or PM. I'll give you her e-mail address.

flamingpeach · 02-08-2005, 05:38 PM

Here's a cut and paste of my birth story:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ME!

I'd been having light cramping since Thursday morning, nothing that I paid any attention to. Sunday night they seemed a little more regular, but still just a dull pain. I had a bath around 8pm to see if they would subside, or if they'd keep going. They stuck around obviously… J
At 1:30 or so, Jeff and I decided to go to bed, and my contractions got a little more intense. At 2:25 I started to time them to see what was going on. At this time I still figured after I fell asleep they'd go away. I was able to time them myself until about 3:30 and then Jeff took over. I had to vocalize through them at this point. At 4:30, we stopped timing them and I got up to make a post and clean the kitchen. I figured if this was it, I wanted the kitchen to be clean when my doula arrived. We took the dog for a walk, and then I sent Jeff back to bed. While he was sleeping I tried to sleep between contractions (impossible!) and then ended up taking a bath. My labor was all in my back, down my right leg, and in my hips. There was no comfortable position for me. The bath was nice and spaced the contractions out some. At this point they had been coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting 45 seconds to a minute. At 7:30 I woke Jeff up because I didn't feel I could get through them alone anymore and we had some things to take care of. He called our Doula and gave the midwife a heads up about what was going on. (Unfortunately our Doula was MIA until about 10). Traci (my midwife) asked if we wanted to come into the Birth Center and I wasn't sure. I had no idea how far along I was, and didn't want to end up in there to early. Since I didn't seem to have a latent phase of labor, I thought that’s what I was doing. We ended up deciding to head into the birth center at about 9:30.
Contractions in the car were terrible, and would not leave my hips or right leg. I had no idea the pain would be there and was kind of shocked by it all. At 9:40 we arrived at the birth center. Our room was set up with candles and was really cozy. Everything was as I had pictured it. They checked me and I was at 6-7cm with a bulging bag of water and +2 station. I got straight into the tub and labored there for about an hour getting out to pee and have a few contractions on the floor and bed. I only ended up having contractions on the bed because I was getting checked again. After only an hour and a half at the birth center I was 9cm, and the baby was +3. I had a couple intense contractions on the bed, and then promptly threw up which is probably what got me to 10. I used the toilet again and got back in the tub at noon.
As soon as I entered the tub my body took over and started pushing. I was scared and wanted with all my might just to stop it. There's nothing like it. It was the most intense, radical moment of my life. I pushed twice and my water broke, and then 8 more times and he was out. My baby boy had arrived!
They laid him on my chest and he sputtered and gurgled for a few seconds until he started to breathe regularly on his own. He pinked up pretty quickly. After about 15 minutes his cord stopped pulsing and Jeff cut it. I handed him over to Jeff and got out to deliver the placenta on a birth stool. I had no urge to push, so that part was a little weird, but easy compared to what I had just done.
I had a small second degree tear that only needed one figure 8 stitch.
He has a perfect latch and nurses wonderfully. My baby boy is here, intervention free, alert and complete.

7pounds, 2.5 ounces, 20 inches
born peacefully under water at 12:19pm December 13, 2004

He's eight weeks old now, and has never left his momma's side.

Redlemon · 02-08-2005, 05:53 PM

Here's my cut-n-paste, from my time on the TFP hotseat:

Quote:

OK, the worst day of my life was about a week long, and it started the day before my son was born.

My wife and I (I'll call her Hotdish from now on, just to make it easier to read. That's the name I used to sign her up at TFP, but she doesn't have time for this kind of stuff) had been to all of the birthing classes, and read all sorts of books, and were "fully prepared" for the birth. We even had written one of those birth plans, where you tell the doctor and nurses what your wishes are. Hotdish wanted a natural birth, no drugs, and we had a doula to help out in the hospital as well.

Her water broke at around dinnertime, and we went to the hospital with our prepacked bags. Things went normally for the first, oh I'd say 16 hours. However, she didn't dilate beyond 8 centimeters. So, we went to some inducement drugs (I don't recall what it was, but the pill that you place on the cervix). That didn't do it, but it made the contractions so bad that she felt that her back was going to break. So, the epidural went in to reduce the pain. This still wasn't enough, and our son's head (he has a huge head, just like his dad) was going forehead first, so it wouldn't fit through. So, the C section.

They do a bunch of tests on your child at the hospital. On the first round, our son failed the hearing test. This led to all sorts of worry, until they tested him again a day later and he was fine.

Hotdish doesn't handle strong painkillers well. The painkillers started to make her paranoid as the week went on. Also, our son couldn't get a good "latch" to breastfeed (perhaps the painkillers, also I've heard that C-sections can affect breastfeeding), so he lost more that 10% of his birthweight in the first week, so we had to go for further testing.

I'm horrible on little sleep, and usually one of us can be the "strong one" when the other isn't feeling well, but there's only so much you can do. We should have reached out for more family help earlier, but we were too exhausted to think about it.

There is no worse feeling I know than seeing the woman you love in pain, and knowing that there is nothing you can do to help her. The post-pregnancy hormones have blurred the details of this event for her, but I remember all of it.

What did I learn from this week? The definition of a "successful birth" is one where your child and your wife are healthy after it is all done. They were and are healthy, and that's all I can ask for. However, it was still a horrible week.

Good luck, hope it all goes well!

raeanna74 · 02-08-2005, 06:30 PM

Well Mine was not the PERFECT birth in the least. My daughter is now 4. I had prelabor pains for an entire week prior to her birth. I was 2 weeks late. My water finally broke at 2:00am at which time we headed for the hospital. I walked, I rocked, I sat in the whirlpool in my room (nice facility) and I labored until around 10:00am when they began to give me pitocin (sp?) to speed up the labor. I had not dialated more than 1 cm in the time between 2am and 10am (3cm before 2:00am so total of 4cm). After a couple more hours I had not progressed one bit so they discussed starting an epidural and giving me more pitocin. With the epidural they were able to increase the pitocin more and more until according to the machine I was having constant contractions. They let me got that way for a few hours. Finally late in the afternoon they discussed with me the possibility of an emergency c-section. My mother had to have 2 c-sections (2 kids) and my grandma's babies were large as well as she when she was born. I half expected this outcome though I'd hoped otherwise. After having labored for more than 18 hours I was desperate to be done with it - and HUNGRY. So they prepped me, increase the meds in the epidural which numbed me from my breasts down, and headed off to surgery at 10pm. Hubby was able to be with during surgery and I was awake an not drowsy or feeling really drugged. After the got the baby out and wiped her down they wrapped her and handed her to me and I got to hold her with one arm against my chest for a while. Then they took her back, finished stiching me up and hubby headed off to the nursery with our babe. I had 1 hour in recovery and they brought her to me and helped me nurse her as I was still unable to move much.

The biggest thing I would change about all this is - I was determined to push the time as long as I could in hopes of having a baby naturally. The c-section and healing afterwards were actually fairly easy. I went to the grocery store only 3 days after the surgery and was doing pretty well. I was most sore in my muscles around my stomach, abs, and back because I had been having contractions for soooooo long. What with the prelabor and 1st stage labor for a week before, then 20 hours of labor before finally being done with it, well my body was overworked and sore. If I had it to do again I would go a few hours. When the pitocin did not progress things at all after a couple hours I would have gone for surgery immediately.

My daughter was 8.6 lbs and 21" long. I'm narrow through the hips so the combination was enough to make it impossible for her to move into the canal let alone press on my cervix to increase the dialation.

Even with a c-section it wasn't a bad experience. Even with the long labor it wasn't terrible. My biggest complaint was that I got thirsty - the morphine did that. I would have insisted on some moist swabs since my mouth got so dry I could hardly talk - that made me mad at the time. It wasn't a big deal though.

The birth experience can mess with your emotions for a while. No matter what - just do what your instincts tell you doing the experience. Afterwards - don't try to second guess yourself. Just tell yourself you did your best and your body did the rest. It's is always a good idea to gather the support that you want around here during the experience. I had my mother and husband. They took turns staying with me. It was a good thing I had them both since it was so long. They were my advocates when I wasn't as with it or struggling with a contraction. Don't be afraid to speak up. Don't feel bad if you do speak up and it ends up sounding harsh. The nurses and Dr's that work in that section of the hospital have heard it all.

I wish you the best and hope things goes smoothly for you and the baby.

p.s. Don't want "The Astronauts Wife" right now - it gave me such nightmares when I watched it in my 3 trimester. I'm not normally creeped out by stuff but that one - Yikes.

ngdawg · 02-08-2005, 07:52 PM

after 10 years of surgeries and fertility treatments, I became pregnant with twins in June, 1991. At the beginning of my 2nd trimester, I began bleeding-son had placenta previa-so I was on complete bedrest for 12 weeks or so. After 8 weeks of being mobile again, I started preterm labor and again, placenta previa-back to bed I went for what was supposed to be 4 weeks with meds to stop contractions.
I ended up not only going full-term, but induced that 40th week. Pitocin I.V. was started on-of all days-Friday the 13th! But nothing happened, so the next day, the doctor broke my water. THEN the fun really began!
Labor was intense and I asked for the epidural, but was told it was too soon-had to be over 5cm. But the nurse took a peak and ran out-I was 7cm in just a couple hours. I got the shot, then a resident said it was time for the fontal monitor and reached in and said to the nurse 'I'm not getting a pulse'. Nice, eh?(of course, I panicked) He instructed her to get the mobile sonogram while he kept his hand where it was. (didn't even buy me coffee first). The sonogram revealed that he had been holding my son's scrotum! We knew he had been breach, but my daughter had been head-down and effaced at 38 weeks, so we all assumed she'd be first out. She had other ideas, went back up and left my son to be pushed ass-first.
My doctor was called in and I was now an emergency. Husband, who had just gone home to call everyone, being told it would be a few hours, was now being called back after 45 minutes.
When the doctor entered my room, he was laughing and shaking his head. In his sweet Fillipino accent he says, 'Twins, 40 weeks, not common, but good. Twins, 40 weeks, induced, very rare. Twins, 40 weeks, induced, now c-section?? I think this is first for me'.(He was near retirement!)
They forgot my husband out in the hall-had to ask where is he-I felt the first cut, so more epidural went in. I was numb as in no pain, but could feel my poor son being pushed, pulled and moved since I had pushed the kid down into the birth canal and now he had to go back up. When I mentioned that I was feeling nauseous, the anesthegeologist(sp) massaged my temples. I passed out from exhaustion and missed my daughter's birth entirely-last thing I remember is seeing my stringbean of a son and saying, 'how'd something so long come out of me?' The nurse holding my daughter slipped on the water, landed on her knee but held the baby up in the air (I was told this by my spouse), looking like she'd caught a football in the endzone.
Four hours later I was introduced to these perfect beings, wished them Happy Birthday and passed out again.
I nursed the boy in the hospital, but my daughter had 'immature gag reflex' and didn't nurse til she was 11 days old. Don't believe that 'nipple confusion' crap. Babies can and will both nurse and take bottles.
Also, I found this out 3 months after my experience: should you find yourself in the position of needing a C-section, ask(or have someone ask for you) for a Plastic Surgeon to do the stitching. My doctor stated he hated doing C's and I can see why-my abdomen is a freaking mess from it.
It is true, the pain goes away and you can't describe it afterwards. It is the hardest, most rewarding thing you can do, though. Be your own advocate at all times. You will know what is best for you and the baby when you need to know-motherly instinct is very powerful.
One other thing we did-it wasn't really well received by family, but we felt it necessary-we did not allow anyone over the first week home. We wanted bonding time, rest time. It was wonderful. I highly recommend it.
Good luck, Congrats and Enjoy!

squirrelyburt · 02-08-2005, 08:48 PM

My wif had run late and had to be induced with both, epidurals with both. The first one worked, the second one didn't.

Funny part, during the birth of my first son, the Dr didn't mention epidurals, a nurse did after we got to the birthing center. I was interested, and saw she was in pain, so being the good husband, I read the pamphlet to her. After I was done, I asked ''do you want one?''

Her reply ''JUST GET IT!!!''

I walked to the nurses station and said ''Satan in room 6 would like her epidural now''. Not sure they all saw the humor that I did...

raeanna74 · 02-09-2005, 07:50 AM

ngdawg reminded me of one more thing.

My daughter had trouble nursing to begin with too because the morphine in my system was also in hers. She sucked on her bottom lip and needed some help getting it right. I didn't know she didn't have a proper latch to begin with and got sore. My hospital, Gunderson Lutheran in LaCross, Wi (my Dr had done their internship at Mayo

) offere lactation consultants and were excellent in assisting me in getting my daughter started breastfeeding. They cup fed her in the meantime to help boost her weight as she lost a whole lb before we'd left the hospital. If you plan to nurse and haven't before I really recommend a lactation consultant. It's worth it. Also get with La Leche League as they are very helpful and supportive.

I'm pro-breastfeeding and LOVED it as you can see but I'm pro-feeding-choice moreso. However you choose to feed your baby - Don't let anyone tell you you'r wrong. It's your choice, what works for you and if you are loving your baby there's nothing wrong with bottle feeding or breastfeeding.

Demeter · 02-09-2005, 05:37 PM

I refused an epidural with my first child because I was scared of a big needle being stuck in my spine. Every over-the-top-medical-horror-story went through my head. I was induced as my labor was progressing slow, but my water had been leaking. I went through 12 hours of hell, contractions 2-3 minutes apart (hard labor).
Knowing what I know now, I would have opted for the epidural. I would have enjoyed the experience more, and not been nearly so exhausted. ( I think the exhaustion is conductive to the feeling of pain. It can be handled better when one is refreshed enough to deal with it.)
My sister is a nurse and had an epidural. Seeing how she breezed through her 48 hour labor better off than I did with 12 hours sold me on it right then & there.

canuckguy · 02-09-2005, 08:24 PM

here is mine....
Wife started to have some contractions around 2 in the morning, nothing will make you bolt out of bed faster than a pregnant woman tell you "its time". So i started to time them and they were all over the place, so it was going to be awhile, I tried to go back to sleep, ya right, just tossing and turning. In the morning my wife was up cleaning the house ( a tell tale sign of a child coming soon) but the contractions were still far apart and not on any rythm.
We called the hostipal to let them know and they informed us to come in if they get more regular and atleast a certain length of time apart. So I head to work as I am going stir crazy and need to do something. I called home like every 20 minutes to check on her and help steady my nerves. When I called home around noon, my wife was more strained while talking during a contraction, I took this as a sign to come home! She tried to go back to sleep for a bit, but around 4pm they became more rythmic and off to the hostipal we went. The birth itself was very easy (for me atleast), she started to push around 7pm, and my little girl was born just after 8pm. No meds, nothing. The missus had called for an epidural but by the time the doctor was there to give it to her, she said eff it and wanted to just push. We were eating Wendys at 11pm that night watching our little girl sleep in our room at the hostipal.
That was 10 months ago, now the little rascal is almost walking on her own and is the ruler of the house!.

sorry if this does not make sense as i am on some heavy cold meds. and a drink or two. sorry.

Grasshopper Green · 02-11-2005, 06:34 PM

I felt my first labor pain at 4:30 in the morning when hubby woke up to go to work. I told him I had a feeling that it was going to be "the day". My contractions were irregular until I went to my last scheduled OBGYN appt. that day. The midwife did something that got them going on a regular basis, and I was back at the hospital two hours later at 4:30. I was finally admitted at 7:30 pm ( I had to be 5 cm before they would admit me), at which time they gave me Stadol to "relax" me. I woke up at 10:30; it pretty much just knocked me out, although my mom said I still moaned from the pain. At that point I got an epidural; it completely paralyzed me from the waist down (that is NOT supposed to happen, I am sensitive to medication). I was fully dialated by midnight, and the nurse said we just had to wait until my sons head dropped so I could start pushing. So we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, at 3 am, they told me to start pushing anyway. So I pushed. And pushed. And pushed some more. The epidural was hindering my progress because I couldn't feel the contractions at all and wasn't pushing effectively, so after it was all gone they didn't refill it. Finally, at 6:34 am, my son was born. I was so exhausted that I barely remember the actual birth and what directly preceded it; apparently his heart rate had plummeted and they were on the verge of giving me an emergency C-section seconds before his head popped through. Mine was referred to as the "epic labor" by the labor and delivery staff the rest of the day, and I certainly felt it!! I actually didn't get to see my son until nearly 12 hours after he was born because they had to stabilize his temperature and heart rate, but all the pain and exhaustion were worth it, he was perfect and healthy.

If I were to have another baby, I don't know if I could get another epidural because of what happened with my son, but they aren't as bad as they seem. Sticking a big needle in your back DOES seem kind of scary, but the staff is trained in this and I didn't even feel it. My story isn't that great, I had a pretty difficult birth, but you asked for stories, and that was mine!

Apache · 02-12-2005, 07:10 PM

[QUOTE= My story isn't that great, I had a pretty difficult birth, but you asked for stories, and that was mine![/QUOTE]

Yes I did ask for stories and thank you for sharing it with me. THanks to everyone for sharing.

02-06-2005, 04:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
Apache Insane	Birth Stories! So I'm due in 6 weeks with my first child and even though I'm soooo excited to finally be starting my family (been married for a little over 5 years) I'm scared to death about the delivery. Everyday I'm watching baby story, birth stories, birth day ect... any shows like that, that have to do with having a baby. In my opinion there is no way to prepare myself because every delivery is different. I have always said I would get the epidural but after becoming pregnant I done some research and now I'm scared to get it but scared not to as well. Of course this is something I will discuss with my doctor when I go back in a couple weeks, for now I was just wanting to hear some birth stories. It's ok if it sounds scary I don't think anyone can scare me more than I have scared myself. Every since I've been pregnant I have loved hearing about other peoples experiences. So please share with me!!!!!!!!!

02-06-2005, 04:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
sexymama My own person -- his by choice Location: Lebell's arms	Apache I am quickly approaching the birth of number four. I will not bore you with the details of every birth. But I will say this: my sisters had terrible births. One was in labor 36 hours, the other had 2 C-sections (at the time of my first birth.) I was positive I would be in labor for hours! Also, I HATE IVs. My doctor said, "if you are not in enough pain to put up with an IV, you don't need and epidural." She was right! I gave birth to my first son in 6 hours flat. I called for an epidural (and feel no shame in that!) But by the time the doc. got there to give it to me, I could push so why bother! The next two births were 3 hours and one hour ten minutes. Each was unique. My best advice to you is exercise as much as you possibly can. Relax. And do what feels right for you at the moment! Also, remember you are in control in the delivery room -- don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do! Good luck and let us know how it turns out! Feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat more about this new phase in your life! I love to share! __________________ If you can go deeply into lovemaking, the ego disappears. That is the beauty of lovemaking, that it is another source of a glimpse of god It's not about being perfect; it's about developing some skill at managing imperfection.

02-06-2005, 04:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	My wife had an epidural for both babies... My wife is a very tought woman. She can deal with pain, but after 26 hours in labour (not hard labour but labour nonetheless) she was exhausted and opted for the epidural... It was great for her, she could relax and nod off between contractions. The cool thing was the epidural, which was on an auto drip, ran out just in time for the baby to come. She was able to walk from the labour room to the delivery room and when it came time to push was able to feel enough to push well. The second baby was a little different. My wife had gotten to the point where she wanted the epidural and asked for it. Unfortunatley it was in the middle of the night and the anethesiologist that was on duty was in the OR and couldn't come right away. A couple hours later when he did get there, they got the needle in and gave her an inital small shot and said they would return in 20o minutes to hook up the pump... At this point it looked like it was going to be another 4 hours or so of labour (according to the doctor)... By the time they returned to start the pump, 20 minutes later, she was just getting ready to push... I'm convinced that with the little shot she recieved, she relaxed and the baby was ready to come... Both babies, absolutely healthy and cute. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-06-2005, 11:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ella Ella Bo Bella Location: Australia	We decided to have our first baby in a birth centre, run by midwives. The labour was six hours all up, just a bit of gas and a shot of peth and she was out. We were home the next night. Too easy. For the next one, I booked into a private hospital and had to be induced early because of my blood pressure. After about 8 hours of steady contractions, my doctor broke my waters and the contractions came faster and they were more painful. My husband (ex) and I were hoping things would be over by that time, as our older girl was at daycare (she was five) and needed to be picked up, as it was near 6pm. I didn't want her to see me in pain, plus by that stage I had decided I was over the pain, so I had an epidural. It was the best decision I had made for a long time. My baby came out a couple of hours later and was perfect (just like her sister). I'm really glad I've done one with the epidural and one without - just for the contrast. But sexymama is dead right when she says don't let anyone pressure you into anything. You will make a decision based on how you feel at the time and you ride with it. And despite all that pain, the minute you hold your babe in your arms the first time, all the pain is forgotten. You may have heard that before, but you can be guaranteed it is the truth. Good luck! __________________ "Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure."

02-07-2005, 04:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
Daoust "I'm sorry. What was the question?" Location: Paradise Regained	My wife opted to go with a midwife and she totally loved it. No disrespect to nurses (my mom is an OB nurse) but sometimes they are run so hard that they just make the whole birthing process very mechanincal and unemotional. The midwife was able to help us through the whole process, and was very caring and very supportive. Even in labour, she was very calm and very knowledgeable. Since you're about to deliver soon I dont' think you've taken the midwife option, but if you have another child, I strongly endorse them. My wife's water broke at 3 a.m. and she delivered by 6:30 a.m. First child. I don't think she knows how easy she had it. lol. It's a good thing too, because if you have a midwife, they don't use anesthetics or any drugs. They're all about being natural and all that stuff. So if my wife had complications, and she needed drugs, the midwife is officially out of her job. She has to back off and let a doctor take over. Like I say, my wife's delivery was complication free, and I don't imagine you'll have it that good, but there's always hope! __________________ I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys

02-07-2005, 06:56 AM	#7 (permalink)
f6twister Addict	As a labor & delivery nurse, my wife had no question as to getting the epidural. Her thinking: The epidural was invented for a reason! Why suffer through the pain when there is something out there to help? She was induced at 6:30 a.m., got the epidural at 3:30 p.m. and our son was born at 9:51 p.m. My advice (yes, from a male), don't wait too long to ask for a refill on your epidural. My wife's wore off and she waited too long before asking for more. She was fully dilated so they wouldn't give her more. They were afraid that she wouldn't push well enough to get him out. So, the epidural got her up to the delivery point but she faced the pain through the toughest part. I couldn't have been that bad though. She is ready for another kid! If you want to ask some questions or get some info, send me an e-mail or PM. I'll give you her e-mail address. __________________ A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin

02-08-2005, 06:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	Well Mine was not the PERFECT birth in the least. My daughter is now 4. I had prelabor pains for an entire week prior to her birth. I was 2 weeks late. My water finally broke at 2:00am at which time we headed for the hospital. I walked, I rocked, I sat in the whirlpool in my room (nice facility) and I labored until around 10:00am when they began to give me pitocin (sp?) to speed up the labor. I had not dialated more than 1 cm in the time between 2am and 10am (3cm before 2:00am so total of 4cm). After a couple more hours I had not progressed one bit so they discussed starting an epidural and giving me more pitocin. With the epidural they were able to increase the pitocin more and more until according to the machine I was having constant contractions. They let me got that way for a few hours. Finally late in the afternoon they discussed with me the possibility of an emergency c-section. My mother had to have 2 c-sections (2 kids) and my grandma's babies were large as well as she when she was born. I half expected this outcome though I'd hoped otherwise. After having labored for more than 18 hours I was desperate to be done with it - and HUNGRY. So they prepped me, increase the meds in the epidural which numbed me from my breasts down, and headed off to surgery at 10pm. Hubby was able to be with during surgery and I was awake an not drowsy or feeling really drugged. After the got the baby out and wiped her down they wrapped her and handed her to me and I got to hold her with one arm against my chest for a while. Then they took her back, finished stiching me up and hubby headed off to the nursery with our babe. I had 1 hour in recovery and they brought her to me and helped me nurse her as I was still unable to move much. The biggest thing I would change about all this is - I was determined to push the time as long as I could in hopes of having a baby naturally. The c-section and healing afterwards were actually fairly easy. I went to the grocery store only 3 days after the surgery and was doing pretty well. I was most sore in my muscles around my stomach, abs, and back because I had been having contractions for soooooo long. What with the prelabor and 1st stage labor for a week before, then 20 hours of labor before finally being done with it, well my body was overworked and sore. If I had it to do again I would go a few hours. When the pitocin did not progress things at all after a couple hours I would have gone for surgery immediately. My daughter was 8.6 lbs and 21" long. I'm narrow through the hips so the combination was enough to make it impossible for her to move into the canal let alone press on my cervix to increase the dialation. Even with a c-section it wasn't a bad experience. Even with the long labor it wasn't terrible. My biggest complaint was that I got thirsty - the morphine did that. I would have insisted on some moist swabs since my mouth got so dry I could hardly talk - that made me mad at the time. It wasn't a big deal though. The birth experience can mess with your emotions for a while. No matter what - just do what your instincts tell you doing the experience. Afterwards - don't try to second guess yourself. Just tell yourself you did your best and your body did the rest. It's is always a good idea to gather the support that you want around here during the experience. I had my mother and husband. They took turns staying with me. It was a good thing I had them both since it was so long. They were my advocates when I wasn't as with it or struggling with a contraction. Don't be afraid to speak up. Don't feel bad if you do speak up and it ends up sounding harsh. The nurses and Dr's that work in that section of the hospital have heard it all. I wish you the best and hope things goes smoothly for you and the baby. p.s. Don't want "The Astronauts Wife" right now - it gave me such nightmares when I watched it in my 3 trimester. I'm not normally creeped out by stuff but that one - Yikes. __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

02-08-2005, 07:52 PM	#11 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	after 10 years of surgeries and fertility treatments, I became pregnant with twins in June, 1991. At the beginning of my 2nd trimester, I began bleeding-son had placenta previa-so I was on complete bedrest for 12 weeks or so. After 8 weeks of being mobile again, I started preterm labor and again, placenta previa-back to bed I went for what was supposed to be 4 weeks with meds to stop contractions. I ended up not only going full-term, but induced that 40th week. Pitocin I.V. was started on-of all days-Friday the 13th! But nothing happened, so the next day, the doctor broke my water. THEN the fun really began! Labor was intense and I asked for the epidural, but was told it was too soon-had to be over 5cm. But the nurse took a peak and ran out-I was 7cm in just a couple hours. I got the shot, then a resident said it was time for the fontal monitor and reached in and said to the nurse 'I'm not getting a pulse'. Nice, eh?(of course, I panicked) He instructed her to get the mobile sonogram while he kept his hand where it was. (didn't even buy me coffee first). The sonogram revealed that he had been holding my son's scrotum! We knew he had been breach, but my daughter had been head-down and effaced at 38 weeks, so we all assumed she'd be first out. She had other ideas, went back up and left my son to be pushed ass-first. My doctor was called in and I was now an emergency. Husband, who had just gone home to call everyone, being told it would be a few hours, was now being called back after 45 minutes. When the doctor entered my room, he was laughing and shaking his head. In his sweet Fillipino accent he says, 'Twins, 40 weeks, not common, but good. Twins, 40 weeks, induced, very rare. Twins, 40 weeks, induced, now c-section?? I think this is first for me'.(He was near retirement!) They forgot my husband out in the hall-had to ask where is he-I felt the first cut, so more epidural went in. I was numb as in no pain, but could feel my poor son being pushed, pulled and moved since I had pushed the kid down into the birth canal and now he had to go back up. When I mentioned that I was feeling nauseous, the anesthegeologist(sp) massaged my temples. I passed out from exhaustion and missed my daughter's birth entirely-last thing I remember is seeing my stringbean of a son and saying, 'how'd something so long come out of me?' The nurse holding my daughter slipped on the water, landed on her knee but held the baby up in the air (I was told this by my spouse), looking like she'd caught a football in the endzone. Four hours later I was introduced to these perfect beings, wished them Happy Birthday and passed out again. I nursed the boy in the hospital, but my daughter had 'immature gag reflex' and didn't nurse til she was 11 days old. Don't believe that 'nipple confusion' crap. Babies can and will both nurse and take bottles. Also, I found this out 3 months after my experience: should you find yourself in the position of needing a C-section, ask(or have someone ask for you) for a Plastic Surgeon to do the stitching. My doctor stated he hated doing C's and I can see why-my abdomen is a freaking mess from it. It is true, the pain goes away and you can't describe it afterwards. It is the hardest, most rewarding thing you can do, though. Be your own advocate at all times. You will know what is best for you and the baby when you need to know-motherly instinct is very powerful. One other thing we did-it wasn't really well received by family, but we felt it necessary-we did not allow anyone over the first week home. We wanted bonding time, rest time. It was wonderful. I highly recommend it. Good luck, Congrats and Enjoy!

02-08-2005, 08:48 PM	#12 (permalink)
squirrelyburt Crazy Location: Central Wisconsin	My wif had run late and had to be induced with both, epidurals with both. The first one worked, the second one didn't. Funny part, during the birth of my first son, the Dr didn't mention epidurals, a nurse did after we got to the birthing center. I was interested, and saw she was in pain, so being the good husband, I read the pamphlet to her. After I was done, I asked ''do you want one?'' Her reply ''JUST GET IT!!!'' I walked to the nurses station and said ''Satan in room 6 would like her epidural now''. Not sure they all saw the humor that I did... __________________ If you've ever felt there was a reason to be afraid of the dark, you were right.

02-09-2005, 07:50 AM	#13 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	ngdawg reminded me of one more thing. My daughter had trouble nursing to begin with too because the morphine in my system was also in hers. She sucked on her bottom lip and needed some help getting it right. I didn't know she didn't have a proper latch to begin with and got sore. My hospital, Gunderson Lutheran in LaCross, Wi (my Dr had done their internship at Mayo ) offere lactation consultants and were excellent in assisting me in getting my daughter started breastfeeding. They cup fed her in the meantime to help boost her weight as she lost a whole lb before we'd left the hospital. If you plan to nurse and haven't before I really recommend a lactation consultant. It's worth it. Also get with La Leche League as they are very helpful and supportive. I'm pro-breastfeeding and LOVED it as you can see but I'm pro-feeding-choice moreso. However you choose to feed your baby - Don't let anyone tell you you'r wrong. It's your choice, what works for you and if you are loving your baby there's nothing wrong with bottle feeding or breastfeeding. __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

02-09-2005, 05:37 PM	#14 (permalink)
Demeter Psycho	I refused an epidural with my first child because I was scared of a big needle being stuck in my spine. Every over-the-top-medical-horror-story went through my head. I was induced as my labor was progressing slow, but my water had been leaking. I went through 12 hours of hell, contractions 2-3 minutes apart (hard labor). Knowing what I know now, I would have opted for the epidural. I would have enjoyed the experience more, and not been nearly so exhausted. ( I think the exhaustion is conductive to the feeling of pain. It can be handled better when one is refreshed enough to deal with it.) My sister is a nurse and had an epidural. Seeing how she breezed through her 48 hour labor better off than I did with 12 hours sold me on it right then & there.

02-09-2005, 08:24 PM	#15 (permalink)
canuckguy I read your emails. Location: earth	here is mine.... Wife started to have some contractions around 2 in the morning, nothing will make you bolt out of bed faster than a pregnant woman tell you "its time". So i started to time them and they were all over the place, so it was going to be awhile, I tried to go back to sleep, ya right, just tossing and turning. In the morning my wife was up cleaning the house ( a tell tale sign of a child coming soon) but the contractions were still far apart and not on any rythm. We called the hostipal to let them know and they informed us to come in if they get more regular and atleast a certain length of time apart. So I head to work as I am going stir crazy and need to do something. I called home like every 20 minutes to check on her and help steady my nerves. When I called home around noon, my wife was more strained while talking during a contraction, I took this as a sign to come home! She tried to go back to sleep for a bit, but around 4pm they became more rythmic and off to the hostipal we went. The birth itself was very easy (for me atleast), she started to push around 7pm, and my little girl was born just after 8pm. No meds, nothing. The missus had called for an epidural but by the time the doctor was there to give it to her, she said eff it and wanted to just push. We were eating Wendys at 11pm that night watching our little girl sleep in our room at the hostipal. That was 10 months ago, now the little rascal is almost walking on her own and is the ruler of the house!. sorry if this does not make sense as i am on some heavy cold meds. and a drink or two. sorry.

02-11-2005, 06:34 PM	#16 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	I felt my first labor pain at 4:30 in the morning when hubby woke up to go to work. I told him I had a feeling that it was going to be "the day". My contractions were irregular until I went to my last scheduled OBGYN appt. that day. The midwife did something that got them going on a regular basis, and I was back at the hospital two hours later at 4:30. I was finally admitted at 7:30 pm ( I had to be 5 cm before they would admit me), at which time they gave me Stadol to "relax" me. I woke up at 10:30; it pretty much just knocked me out, although my mom said I still moaned from the pain. At that point I got an epidural; it completely paralyzed me from the waist down (that is NOT supposed to happen, I am sensitive to medication). I was fully dialated by midnight, and the nurse said we just had to wait until my sons head dropped so I could start pushing. So we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, at 3 am, they told me to start pushing anyway. So I pushed. And pushed. And pushed some more. The epidural was hindering my progress because I couldn't feel the contractions at all and wasn't pushing effectively, so after it was all gone they didn't refill it. Finally, at 6:34 am, my son was born. I was so exhausted that I barely remember the actual birth and what directly preceded it; apparently his heart rate had plummeted and they were on the verge of giving me an emergency C-section seconds before his head popped through. Mine was referred to as the "epic labor" by the labor and delivery staff the rest of the day, and I certainly felt it!! I actually didn't get to see my son until nearly 12 hours after he was born because they had to stabilize his temperature and heart rate, but all the pain and exhaustion were worth it, he was perfect and healthy. If I were to have another baby, I don't know if I could get another epidural because of what happened with my son, but they aren't as bad as they seem. Sticking a big needle in your back DOES seem kind of scary, but the staff is trained in this and I didn't even feel it. My story isn't that great, I had a pretty difficult birth, but you asked for stories, and that was mine!

02-12-2005, 07:10 PM	#17 (permalink)
Apache Insane	[QUOTE= My story isn't that great, I had a pretty difficult birth, but you asked for stories, and that was mine![/QUOTE] Yes I did ask for stories and thank you for sharing it with me. THanks to everyone for sharing.