Birth stories good/bad!

Petra - posted on 02/19/2011

Kat, I am so sorry about your 1st experience!!!! I heard so many "too big babies" crap....why do these people aren't butchers instead or something////

Petra - posted on 02/19/2011

Sorry Leslie for idiotic doctors, my OB/GYN wanted to strip my membranes too and she called it "natural induction" but I didn't allow her to do that. I went to labor day after she wanted to "schedule" it but anyway in the end I am grateful to her because she "let" me deliver twins vaginally with no epidural, only "broke" my water and no IV, I am so grateful

Hirono - posted on 01/07/2011

For my first pregnancy I was planning to have a natural birth, but when I was in the triage area at the hospital the baby's heart monitor slipped off of me and the doctors rushed in thinking there was something wrong with the baby. They went on to crowding me and kept saying "trauma in the triage," then they popped my placenta and started to shove internal hear monitors in me. When this happened I got soo stressed that my contractions started to come very fast and very strong. I kept telling the nurse that I didn't want pain medication, but she told me that I might have to get a c-section so I might as well get it. I was only 19 and didn't know too much. So I got the epidural. I didn't feel any pain afterwards, and I didn't feel anything when I was pushing. It was easy, but I felt kinda cheated. But in the end my son was healthy and I was glad that everything was okay.

Kat - posted on 01/06/2011

Asher, our HBAC born on his due date!
Ok, so Friday before my due date I was having pretty steady contractions all day long, but they never kicked over into real labor. I managed to go about my business, take a walk, enjoy the sunshine with Tate and generally feel like I was going to be pregnant forever! Saturday morning, I took two little boys to the science center and went out for pizza and beer that night (like half a Falls City, don't freak out). Sunday, due date, woke up and thought "No way, not today...oh well, tardy baby" and went about my day. Drew headed out to the gym around noon, and when he came back I was sitting in the chair in the front room feeling fine, reading a book. I took one look at my husband and was literally propelled onto the floor under the chair by a wicked horrible contraction! I'm thinking, Holy Shit! What the hell was that? Where did that freight train go that just hit me? I hadn't had a single contraction in 2 days!

We hopped into the shower, and another one hit; I smashed my forehead into the wall and stayed like that motionless and silent for a good two minutes. Drew looked at me and said "I better get that new battery in my car [it died that morning, of course] just in case". About four minutes later, another one hit and I think it was then that I realized that I was in labor, for reals this time, and that these contractions were not that far apart. Drew got the contraction timer out, and we started timing them at 5 minutes apart and lasting more than a minute; in retrospect, I should have called my doula and midwife then, but I'm thinking I have hours and hours to go.

I sent the men to the store for a car battery, and proceeded to hit the bathroom like, 4 times. I'm still thinking, this is probably a false alarm again, don't get your hopes up...they get back and I park T in front of the TV, and Drew is running in and out of the house, asking me all kinds of car-battery related questions...while I'm draped over the birth ball incoherently moaning every couple minutes. At 4:30 I managed to very politely pant out "Forget the fucking battery, sweetheart", and, realizing I could not both be in labor and field questions about Bakugan Battle Gear, sent Tate to his Dad's for the night.

Drew and I started doing laps around the house, stopping every few minutes for me to lean my head into something and holler. At 5:30 I asked Drew to call the troops and tell them to head over after they finished dinner to be polite, figuring they may be there all night. I spent the next hour in Downward Dog on the bed hollering and crying involuntarily; at 6:30 I look up and see sweet Aundria laying on the bed with me. I think I said something like "Can I please get in the tub now?", which was the best decision ever. we lit some candles and I parked myself in there for the long haul. The only way I could cope with the contractions was to yell really deeply during them, which must have gotten pretty loud for everyone.

Now, b/c I have some pregnant lady friends out there right now, I'm just going to gloss over this last part, but needless to say I was not in there very long when I realized all that pressure meant that I could push which was really scary. I had to just say "screw it" and quit holding back and do it...I got up on my hands and knees and I gave it two or three good ones before I delivered his head. I reached back and touched him! I was a little nervous because he was underwater, but Juliet told me babies don't breathe until they hit oxygen. It took another minute to get a contraction and I delivered the rest of him. Julie swished him up between my legs and handed him to me. Amazing, indescribable! It was 7:52, less than an hour and a half since the midwives arrived. I think the first thing I said was "well, that wasn't too bad"! The whole time they pretty much just let me do my thing by myself, i think Juliet was knitting!

After that we just hung in the tub for a while bonding. He went right for the boobs, so he started nursing right away. I was so happy and relaxed that it took a while to deliver the placenta, but as soon as they let the water out of the tub I started to get some contractions again and it came right out. They wrapped it all up and we went to hang in the bed with daddy for about an hour while they cleaned up everything (!). After that Drew cut the cord, and they did the newborn exam and we saw how much he weighed (8 lbs. 3 oz!) which I guessed almost dead on :) We were so tired by then we couldn't even think about naming him, so we all just went to sleep!

So that was it, less than 6 hours start to finish PRAISE BE TO G-D because I don't know how i could have done it any longer! There was never a point where I thought "forget this, take me to the hospital give me drugs", I just sort of DID IT and got it done. I still can't believe it happened. I highly recommend homebirth, we had him just the way we wanted, in the tub lit only by candle light. It was quiet (well, they were), nobody bothered us. A really beautiful experience.

Franny - posted on 01/05/2011

I had a natural birth at home - i labored for 20 hours (that is, the part of labor with active, regular contractions) but i spent part of it in a nice warm tub. i had a great supportive birth team made of of my midwife and her assistant, my best friend (who is a doula, lucky me!) my husband (who got the bradley birth coach cert) and two friends. it was hard and of course there was pain but i never considered doing it any other way. in the end, i felt so happy that everything was the way i wanted it, all of my choices were respected, and my birth was the most important thing happening for everyone in the room - no one was in a hurry to move on to the next pregnant lady, or finish their shift and get home in time to watch survivor. everyone who was there was waiting for this baby, and they were probably more excited than me when she finally appeared (i was just so relieved she was out that was the only thing i felt at first - relief!) she was born at 8:30 pm, and after we were all cleaned up and the weighing done, etc., i ate a nice simple meal and laid in bed with my husband and baby. woke up to sunlight streaming in our bedroom window, and my daughter woke and began to breastfeed. i can't even imagine what it would have been like to have her taken from me by strangers and kept in another room - or even in another bed in my room - i wanted that skin-to-skin contact as much as she did. people always tell me i am "brave" for having a homebirth but the truth is i was terrified of going to the hospital!!

Kandice - posted on 01/04/2011

Ok, so I have to preface this with "Please don't hate me." LOL

I have had two VERY easy & quick labors.



Madyson: We were due late July, so when I started having contractions around 10 am on July 7 we thought it was only Braxton Hicks. Our midwife had checked me out two days prior. All day, I drank water, took showers, and tried to rest. BUT, babes have their own schedules. By 7:00 pm, we were at the birth center. I walked in, no midwife, she was on her way. Nurse checked on progress, I was 10cm & at a +2 station. Hubby went outside to call his parents nurse asked if I felt like pushing. I said "sure, why not." After one push, she told me to stop & asked if I wanted my hubby in the room. Of course I did, so she ran out to get him. They both cam back & Madyson came out with the next two pushes! I had a tiny rip (only 2 stitches) which the nurse said could have been prevented if I had waited one more push. Oh well. She was healthy, I was fine. :)



Kamrynn was even more fun! Our midwives KNEW that I had quick labor. It was LITERALLY in red sharpie on my file, LOL. She was due the first week of June, so I was ready for her by Mother's day, just in case. Well, I dilated to 3cm & stayed there for 3 weeks (uuuuuuuggggggghhh) until the 22nd of May. That morning, I knew I would have a baby that day. I jokingly said, "she'll be here by 5." We took a trip to the birth center. I was 4 cm.



Midwife asks if I want membranes swept. Never had it done, so I said "sure, why not." Now, I know why not. It is NOT fun. Hubby & I went for a walk around the local mall with inlaws & our girls (step daughter 6yrs & bio 4yrs) to see f I can move things along a little. 2 hours later, no progress. We decide to go home & wait. I took a shower, slept, and when I woke up a little before 5, I knew it was too late to go to the BC. I stood up, my water broke & I started walking down the hall to the bathroom. I hoped I could at least get in the bathtub. Nope.



As soon a s I got in the bathroom I felt her slide out. No pushing necessary, thanks gravity! My husband is a police officer & was on the phone with EMS. His jaw fell open (like in a cartoon) & he forgot how to talk. In retrospect, I wish we had a video camera up! I sat down on the toilet (of all places) wrapped her up against my chest & started to clean her up. By the time EMS got there (10 minutes later) I had cleaned out her mouth nose, and ears; tied off her cord; and delivered the placenta.



We live in a small area, so I knew ALL the EMS & Fire responders. YAY! I'm sure my hubby enjoyed all his co-workers seeing me naked, HAHAHA. I really had to laugh because I was still in disbelief. Before heading to the hospital, I took a shower. The female EMS responder could not believe that I was as functional as I was. I simply said "I wasn't shot, I gave birth." I breastfed her on the way to the hospital & we got a full hallway of applause at the hospital when we came in.



The only thing I would change is going to the hospital. They were unaware of everything I wanted (or didn't) and gave me pitocin in the IV that was supposed to be FLUIDS to rehydrate me only. I asked the nurse why it was burning & she told me what it was. I politely asked her to remove it before I had to. :) (btw, she was born at 5:12, LOL)



Both girls were healthy & I plan on having a PLANNED home birth next time. ;)

Michelle - posted on 12/06/2010

I had a difficult labour first time round, I had contractions from tuesday until friday, when they started to get really strong. I was sent home then straight away told to go back in at 5 in the morning, at 1 o clock I was still in labour and I had been given pethidine by then and told to relax and only to push when I had contractions, which was stressful and confusing, My contractions had stopped and she still wasnt born, It was really scary I thought whats going to happen now, They had told me they were going to start my contractions again by induce the labour with a drip, Thank you, then Eventually had to cut me because I still couldnt pass her, I really did have the ump about this, not because I dint want it because its what I asked for in the first place because I could feel that she was too big and they didnt listen to me, they told me it was against the policy. Then when I looked at my notes after the birth I see they had to lie about the stages of labour because of the time period, they said I went in at nine when I went in at five and said I started my 2nd stage at 11 when it was at 9. I couldnt beleive it. I will always make sure I will get what I want from now on.

Laura - posted on 12/03/2010

she is now* 18 months =)

Laura - posted on 12/03/2010

wow you two sound very unlucky with ur medical professionals!
Im one of the lucky ones. i had my first and only baby at 20 years old, she is not 18 months. my birth plan was simple - to have a nice short and natural waterbirth (well the short labor part wasnt planned, just hoped for haha) and i got exactly that. i went into labor at about 11.30pm and it was pretty much active labor right from the get go. for the next four hours i sipped lemonade and jumped in and out of the shower, and was coping ok. then it suddenly got nasty and the midwife came over. she did and internal and i was already 8cm dialated, i was stoked!! we got to the birthing centre and i had one suck of the gas but it made me feel so sick so i didnt have any more. i jumped in the water where my waters broke, and after 25 minutes of intense pushing (i HATED the pushing part) my beautiful Heidi Grace was born, weighing 7lb 14 at 5.36am (so the whole thing was 6 hours), i basically had the best labor anyone could ask for, but i still found it excruciating and i have so much respect for women who labor for like 24 hours!

Kat - posted on 11/27/2010

Ugh, Leslie! I'm glad you at least got part of the birth you wanted, but your OB should be stripped of her license. My first birth was so dissatisfying, I made the decision then and there to homebirth any more kids I would have.

I was only 19, healthy, and had a very routine, easy pregnancy. We planned all along to do it naturally at a hospital (haha) .We just guesstimated our due date, and it changed several times, b/c this baby wasnt planned. at about 36 weeks, my doctor ordered a second ultrasound and found that the baby was frank breech and that he was "too big". He told me to schedule a c-section, because if I went into labor it could kill me and the baby...well, what choice did I have? I went in for a c-section two weeks later (which was still 2-3 weeks before my EDD) and lo and behold, my "9+ lb "baby was not only head down, but also only 6 lbs. and 18 in long!!!!! His lungs were so underdeveloped that he had to be in the NICU for 5 days in an incubator, while they wouldn't let me breastfeed him.

Since then, I have found out my OB has the HIGHEST c-section rate in our state, which already has one of the highest rates in the country. Lesson learned: take control of your birth! Now I'm 36 weeks with #2, and we plan a beautiful homebirth with two midwives and a doula!

Leslie Anne - posted on 11/08/2010

I had a really different birth than I was expecting. My doctor stripped my membranes a week before I was due without asking me first or even telling me what she was doing. That sent me into a crampy painful bleeding mess. I told my doctor that I did not want her present at my birth and she told me she hadn't planned to be there anyways. My waters sprung a leak but I did not want to go to the hospital and get induced so I stayed home and my doula did some acupressure and made me raspberry leaf tea. My labour lasted three full days. I was in "active"labour for the last 24 hours, which we spent at the hospital. The "amazing birthing tubs" that I was promised turned out to be smaller than the average bathtub, but I told everyone that I did not want to be offered any pain medication and they were pretty respectful so it went well. I aggreed to my waters being broken to speed things up. I delivered a perfect baby girl totally naturally at the hospital. The next day my doctor called me at the hospital to ask me how long I had lasted before taking an epidural, and after telling her that I hadn't taken one, she scolded me for not going to the hospital sooner and told me that I had put my baby's life at risk by not inducing sooner.