what was it like to give birth?

Question

1. what pills/medication did they give you?
2. how long were you there?
3. Did they cut you down there?
4. Did it really hurt?
5. How much was the hospital bill?
6. how long did it take for it to heal/ shrink back to normal?

Answer 1

December 1999

I had a planned C-section, daughter was breached, I was in the hospital for 3 days. Recovery was tough lots of pain. Free with insurance. Two months for total recovery.

July 2004

I had an epidural. I was in labor room for 20 and half hours. I had an episiotomy because his head was too big and then while pushing I ripped all the way down, very painful, not to mention 12 pounds! Free again with insurance. About a month! Good luck!

Answer 2

1) I have two daughters and in general giving birth was hard but once you see that little baby your brain forgets the worst part of it. :) Of course every deliver is different. A big part is what you have discussed with your obgyn. They don't generally give you any pills. Any medication would be given in a shot form or through the I.V. Those can vary too, from a local anesthetic, to the epidural. I just had a local but 2 of my other sisters had the epidural. With the local you feel a lot more pain, but with the epidural if the timing is wrong it can prolong the delivery and has the potential to have a c-section done. But that is worst case. Only you can make the choice.
2) My first daughter I was there for 2 days. But with my second, due to complications and her being moved to another hospital, I was out of the hospital after 6 hours after the delivery. You can expect to be in labor, as a rule of thumb in mine and my other 5 nieces births, anywhere from 12-36 hours.
3) As for the cutting, yes, it is called an episitotomy. It is supposed to relieve pressure and prevent tearing. As for me the "cutting" did help relieve the pressure but was also done too long and I had problems healing afterwards then it was even worse after my second.
4)Yes it hurt, I am not going to lie. But like I said, the baby changes that too.
5)well that depends if you have insurance. My first wasn't too bad but my second after all the additional surgeries and hospital transfer, I remember seeing one of the many bills for 25,000 Thank God I had insurance. There are a lot of people helping deliver a baby and they all want to get paid.
6)Again everyone is different, It depends on what you went through, a c-section takes a lot longer to heal. As for shrinking back to normal, after the baby is born you lose at least 10 lbs. could be more. The rest of the shrinking can take up to 6 weeks but you are never actually the same. unless you are one of those exercise nuts! I sure wish I was! It took me 2 years to get back to my pre-pregnacy weight, now a size 8, but I have streatch marks and a baby pouch left over that for me is really hard to get rid of.
Hope this helps,
If you are a teenager, do not be in a hurry to get pregnate, babies are a lot of work and a huge responsibility.

Answer 3

My first and only time so far-- it was a smooth ride, except for that horrible, HORRIBLE pain before the epidural.

1. I was induced because I was about a week late. They inserted some gel that started the induction (in the morning). Nothing really started happening until that night. At about 10pm I started feeling some slight contractions. Then, they broke my water, and started on an intravenous (I think that hurt more than the actual labor, cuz the stupid nurse couldn't find my vein). I think I was on Pitocin by then, to speed up my contractions.
After an hour or so I couldn't take the pain, and I had an epidural, even though I was only 3 cm dilated.

2. I was there 3 nights in total. I could have gone home the next day because I had no complications, but my doctor sensed that I was nervous and a newbie, so she "recommended" that I stay as long as I wanted-- it ended up being 2 more nights. I didn't complain. I liked having the nurses around 24/7 to help with diaper changes, and hospital food wasn't all that bad! Lol.

3. No, they didn't. They actually do not recommend having an episiotomy done. Research shows that cutting takes more time to heal than natural tears, because natural tearing breaks along natural lines in the skin. Unless it's an emergency, you can specify that you do not want to be cut!

4. YES. Damn right it did! It's undescribable. It's like a pain that takes over your entire body. After the epidural I was ok, though. I threw up once because of the epi, and my stomach got all itchy (side effects) and I couldn't feel or lift my legs, but it was worth it. I fell asleep for most of the night, and when I woke up I was fully dilated. My baby had almost been pushed down with all the contractions that I didn't even feel, so when the nurse came in to check on me she almost didn't have time to get the doctor to deliver! I only had to push about 3 times, and my baby was out!

5. Expensive. I live in Canada, so it's all covered, but if you live in USA or somewhere without medical, you should consider getting health coverage!! I found out what the actual bill was for my stay at the hospital, and it was $8800!

6. It takes about 6 weeks for the bleeding to stop. I only had minor tears. I think I just had 3 stitches, and those disappeared within one week. Pooping was REALLY hard afterwards though.

Answer 4

It was painful. She squeezed my hand really hard. Alright, I'll be serious.

I can't tell you what it was like, but she didn't have any medication. I took her in several hours before she delivered; they broke her water. Yes, they did cut her (epidural) but I understand that they're doing that less. Some feel it can be done away with. They sent her home with a sitz bath so she could soak the sutures regularly, and she didn't really complain about that. As far as the delivery itself, it was a lot of work for her. It wasn't as if she was a passive victim enduring pain inflicted on her (because I would have gotten an earful if it HAD been like that) but it was a tremendous amount of work. She had to be reminded to breathe. The doctor did it at first until I caught on and took over doing that. That's how wrapped up in pushing she was. The next morning, she asked why the back of her hand was all bruised. I said, "Don't you remember they were trying to give you a shot to make your uterus contract, and they stuck you a half dozen times before hitting the vein?" That's because of exhaustion, her blood pressure dropped that low. She was conscious, you could get small responses out of her, but she didn't remember anything that happened right after she delivered. But after a couple of hours' rest, she was normal again. Still needed a full night's sleep, though.

I can't say anything about the hospital bill because it was 24 years ago and insurance paid most of it. And as far as healing/shrinking back to normal, I was patient. The doctor said to wait six weeks. We were both pretty eager for it by then, but...well...there are ways to work around that in the meantime. On both sides of the bed.

Answer 5

With my first child, I went to the doctor for a regular checkup. Everyone had been telling me that if my water broke, I'd know it, but they apparently had never had an actual leak. I asked them to test it to make sure everything was okay, and I don't have any idea when my water broke, but I was told to go quickly to the hospital straight from the doctors office, and they induced me within the hour.

1. I was induced with both of my kids. Before giving me the oxytocin (I think I got that right), I was given a hydrating solution. All of that was done through an iv. Also, since contractions come quicker and more intensely when you're induced, I had an epidural both times.

2. With Cameron (my oldest), I was at the hospital for about nine hours before birth, and I stayed in the hospital for three days. With Colin, I was up there all night from about 11 pm to 6 am, dialated to 4 cm but not technically in labor, and was induced at 6. I had him at 1:45 and was in the hospital for two nights.

3. No. Episiotomes (I know I just killed the spelling there) are really rare these days. The nurses did a kind of massage technique, allowing it to stretch naturally. I had a very very very small tear (more like a scrape, I guess) with my first. No stitches were even needed.

4. With my first one, I waited as long as possible before getting an epidural. That hurt (I only remember my sister having called, and I couldn't talk at one point). I got an epidural immediately with the second one. While it's no walk in the park, I had two pretty easy deliveries, all things considered. There wasn't any screaming, any threats on my husband's life, anything like that.

5. I figure we'll have the hospital paid off before we have to start paying for Cameron's college. :-) But that was because my kind employer labeled me "terminated" instead of on leave, so my insurance went out the day before delivery. We found out about that little suprise later. My 3 year old is paid for.

6. I don't think I actually went back to pre-pregnancy "normal". I mean, when you stretch something that much, it's going to leave SOME physical changes. However, things got pretty close to normal a few weeks after birth.


I was lucky to get to have two fairly easy vaginal deliveries. The experiences of women who have c-sections, though, will be very different in a lot of respects.

Answer 6

its a rush of emotions. in the begining your happy its finally happining but scared to death. it is painfull if done drug free they dont call it labor for nothing. and when your baby is coming out its very tiring and exhausting. when they hand you your baby you just melt. as for 1-6 well i was enduced with all 4 of my other babys and will be again with my 5th and final baby in 3 weeks.
1. ive had demoral (when they used to give it)
statal (it makes you feel drunk and you feel like your spinning but with severe contractions doesnt even work.)
and a shot in my back that lasted an hour and a half ( i was dialated to 9 and i would recomend this only if your on a second or more pregnancy and with the same doc as they know how fast your body dialates)

2.vaginal deliveries are 1-2 days after normal delivery, c sections are 3-5 after normal. if theres any problems with yo or baby your stay will be longer.

3.ive been cut twice and tore once. i suggest cutting tearing hurts more and longer durring recovery.

4.yes it does hurt but the pain is very soon forgotton as soon as you hold your baby its like everything else is a fog and time stands still for those firt few moments.

5.depends on your medical coverage. some pay a portion some pay most. state medical covers all of it.

6.well within a week i believe your vaginal canal is still a little swollen but its to normal. healing depends on you. i highly recommend breast feeding (which hurts at first but the pain does go away) which helps shrink everything and it cuts your bleeding and healing time in half.

good luck.

Answer 7

i had a c-section 6 weeks premature after a difficult and painful pregnancy.
1. i received a spinal so i felt absolutely nothing but a prick in the back (please no jokes)
2. i spent 5 days total in the hopsital. my son stayed for two weeks.
3 c-section on the bikini line. not even a scar visible today. my last gynecologist had to ask how i had the baby.
4. i had an exceptionally painful pregnancy but the pain was unrelated to the delivery. i had no pain in relation to the birth until my baby was in his crib. the recovery was hard as i had a bad reaction to the spinal. my incision was constantly on fire with pain. that took a few weeks to subside.
5. my copay was $200 per hospital checkout. since my son and i were released separately the total was $400. a few months later i received a bill for neonatal care in the area of $29,000. my insurance covered the care and they were just trying to get me for the overage (they didn't). i was just shocked to see that amount. sure am glad i got my degree first.
6. i didn't have "relations" again for years so i can't speak for physically in the female area. i will say however that my mind, my body, and my heart were wonderful as soon as my son came home. after that, i didn't give another second of thought to healing.

today he's in 3rd grade and still an only child.

Answer 8

I wanted to give birth naturally, so I didn't receive any pain medication. (I will never do that again!) Next time I won't try to be that brave because I now realize that there is no reason for a woman to EVER be in that kind of pain!! I was in labor for 16 hours and I no didn't have to get 'cut down there'. I was afraid to look 'down there' because the doctor told me it would be extremely swollen but I was curious, so two days later I took a large hand held mirror and gave myself a peek! HUGE MISTAKE!! It looked like someone had beat it up!! I started crying because I thought it would never go back to being 'pretty'. I asked my older cousin the 'does it shrink back' question, and she told me to do a test....After six weeks insert a tampon and if in 10 minutes it doesn't slip out it has 'snapped back'. If it slips out you may have a problem.... (By the way, it is pretty again, and I passed the tampon test!!) Good luck to you!!! Don 't worry, everything will be o.k.......... P.S. I had fully covered insurance, but I think giving birth without insurance costs around $10-$20,000)

Answer 9

What was it like to give birth? Well I won't lie to you it hurts. But everyone's pain is different. My pain when the contractions started, I mean really started NOT Braxton Hicks, was like menstrual cramps that kept getting worse and more painful. I took me forever just to get four centimeter dilated. So I was up for 28 hrs. Just trying to get to four. They gave me morphine to help with the pain. I really wanted to have a natural childbirth, but after being awake for 28hrs and just then getting to four, I choose the epidural. Which felt GREAT! I was admitted into the hospital. I fell asleep for five hours and woke up 10cm dilated. I pushed for only 30mins and my beautiful, sleepy, daughter was born. I stayed in the hospital for three days before they allowed me to leave, but some hospitals let you leave earlier. I didn't have a hospital bill courtesy of the military and it only took a couple weeks for my stomach to go back to normal. But that was only because I got really sick with a Gallbladder stone and had to be hospitalized a week later and stuck on a liquid diet. Of course my labor and sickness after wards does not happen to everyone. My friend spent nearly three hours pushing. So...good luck.

Answer 10

Baby 1
Q1: Natural all the way, had 2-4 sucks of gas but made my spew, Water Birth so water was a great pain relief.
Q2: Labour 9 hours, 3 hours at home dilated to 6cm, 6 hours in hospital to dilate the remainding 4cm. After baby's birth went home 2 days later.
Q3: No I tore naturally been in the bath helped soften the skin, 2 degree tear.
Q4: Ofcourse it hurt but its a pain thats undesribable, Mine was like period pain just a little more intence, once baby is out you pretty much forget it. I found the labour and birth I never even asked for drugs, but when my milk came down I needed something to dull the pain in my breasts.
Q5: Free public hospital, in Australia.
Q6: 3 sweeks for stiches to heal, lots of salt baths helped. 2 years to get blood back to normal as I lost to much and didn't transfuse. It took maybe 2 months to lose baby weight but was all baby while pregnant. Could fit into pre-pregnancy clothes same week baby was born just had a jelly belly.

Baby 2
Q1: None, asked for pethadine but was to late ready to push, had gas while been stiched up.
Q2: went to hospital because my waters had broken, was in there for 20 mins before my labour started plus the 55 mins of labour. stayed for 2 days after the birth.
Q3:No once again let it tear natually 2-3 degree tear.
Q4: It hurt for the fact it was one contraction ontop of another, and I wanted a breather. the birth was quick and the tear was a small burning thats about all, after birth the stiches hurt more then labour and birth. needed drugs for that.
Q5: Free in an Australian public hospital.
Q6: Only 3 weeks for stiches to heal, and maybe a month or just over to be normal size again, breastfeeding helped getting back to normal.

Good Luck and I hope the infomations helps you in whatever you were hoping to get out of it. Thanks for you time.