How was your birth experience?

Question

What are you glad you did?
What do you wish you didn't do?

I have had 3 children but are just curious to hear other womens experiences!

My 1st and 3rd were caesarians due to health issues (grade 4 placenta praevia and placental haemmorage.) I would have loved to have completely changed the 3rd birth (haemmorage) obviously. I had to have an emergancy caesar so wasn't awake. It saddens me to know I missed the birth of my 3rd child. It was a very scary, nervous time - certainly not the birth experience I had in mind. But they were both out of my control and there was nothing I could have changed even if I wanted to. I actually enjoyed by 1st sons birth, an elective caesarian. Planned, smooth and quick!
Middle child was a natural birth. Wouldn't change a thing! Fantastic experience!!! Maybe pack my bags quicker, I went into labor at 38 weeks and 3 days. Sooner than I thought I would, so ended up packing it in between contractions. Whoops!!
Other than that I have no regrets and no 'wish I had of's."
Thanks for all the great replys. Its really interesting reading about other womens births!!

Answer 1

we could be here all night if I went thru each pregnancy and labor ;> lol... I had six.. almost all had some horror, oddity... oh boy..... anyway... how about I just pick two.. second.. and last...

my daughter ten years ago... glad I had my mom there too...she turned out to be a better coach than my husband.. my daughter was back labor... wish I did not listen to the drs/midwives and had not been induced, "pit-ed" and given an epidural... it was second of five times that would happen... without the chance for natural... wish they would have given me a chance... anyway...

my last one.. a yr ago... glad I moved to a different state two months before I was due! gave me a chance to have a dr that would listen to me... VERY GLAD I was allowed to go into labor on my own... sigh... glad, glad, glad! glad I did not get the epidural... very glad I did have the stadol/femeral mix shot... it took the edge off long enough for me to gather my wits for the rest of the labor... not so glad (wish) that I did not force the dr to stay in the room... every labor of mine I take forever to get to seven try like almost a month of go up to two down to one.. up three down to zero... sigh but then I go from seven to ten and crowning in minutes literally.. they always said it was because of the epidural... now I know otherwise! this was no different...and wouldnt you know it.... it is always when the dr is going to rest or eat that I have to turn to the nurse who just barely said she is only seven we have time and say "it's time to push" ha! lol.. murphy's law strikes again! I am so glad I had the experience to know to not push when that urge struck and no dr, or nurse... only a scared husband was left in the room...... the baby came out on his own almost..... he was crowning when nurse ran to get the dr... and I had to keep from pushing?! lol.. not so glad that when I did get to push? he shot out hard enough to pop vessels in his eyes :( and yucky funny? literally shot dr. had to catch him! the build up of not pushing... lol.. everything else that comes out? well.. let's just say the big room, people and hallway looked like some exploded on them... ? lol.. I think I am glad I can look back and laugh at all that it was right out of a comdey on tv... lol...
I do not think there is anything I wish I had not done during this last labor honestly... wow... did not realize I felt that way.. thank you! :)
I guess I gave minor highlights huh... ;)
hope it is good anyway?!
and thank you again... we do not reflect on those two questions often enough... we probably should so as to change things next time... :)

added:
1st, 2nd were pre-ecplamsia, preterm.... 3rd was gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, 4th was perterm, 5th hemorraged after he was born 6th nothing ill...
note: I where it was preterm for each of the pregnancies.... the drs stopped it... for the first I stayed on the bedrest and shot up 70lbs in one to two weeks... by the second I had been toldby dr that my body did not progress or dilate...I stayed in latent non-progressive labor due to the meds given first time to stop the labors progress...and I believed them for the next three pregnancies... did not realize till number six? my body just goes nice and slow (one month) of the prelabor and latent labor.... some might call it false? but.. naw.. ... so I walked around the 2-5th thinking I was a failure of a woman... lol.. silly me... 2nd I had back labor, cramping... and bled the whole ten months spotting..and at the end again shot fifty pounds in a week! . frustration! third similiar.... fourth, second marraige... preterm, used to that by then...lol... no other problems! watched every little thing I ate though.... turned me so paranoid? fifth... my little christmas baby.... I had started to dilate with him... but the drs felt it was too slow... induced and after he was born? I would not have thought much but the nurse kept pushing.... and filling buckets.... and I got dizzy... I remember that the nurse said this might sting... and I saw her shove two huge needles into my leg... lol.. I yelled "OWW" s he looked horrified at herself till she remembered I had an epidural and was laughing pretty hard... lol... my last little guy.... I wrote about above... and except for taking the pain he must have felt in his eyes away? it was a dream labor? cause this dr. recognized my body's unusual contractions? as latent and left me be.. took three weeks of tiresome, cramping but not hurting contractions that got closer and closer while I was up and about (one minute apart) but would slow to forty five apart at rest.. sigh... then day after thanksgiving called him up... could not stand from the pain... it was time...
another note: what I would not change? is having my angels.. I was told that I could never have any babies... and if I got pregnant to abort because labor would kill me.. a dr told me that at 15yr old.... I am so glad he was wrong.. or that the heavens above decided these children should have me for mommy anyway... come to think of it? looking at that? and remembering? bring the bad, stupidity, hemorraging... all of it.. I wouldn't change it if it meant I would not have my family.... I would endure and do it over and over for them.... :)
sorry... got mushy.... it was thinking back to how I cried and thought I had to put the dream of a family away as a teen.. and coming to terms and accepting it... and then having all those crontraceptive babies? lol... five of them are yes... :)
thank you again for your question and allowing me to share this.... brought a huge smile to me.. ok.. tears too.. but mostly smiles! and the other answers? wow....

Answer 2

Had painless contractions 20 minutes apart for about 18 hours, then they were about 5 minutes apart and gradually got more and more painful in the the next 10. Watched a fireworks display and then headed to the hospital. Was put on oxytocin, and after having it increased the second time, decided the pain was pointless and got the epidural (I think i could have done without). Couldn't feel anything all the way up my stomach to about where my armpits were, and ended up sleeping at least an hour before i was told it was time to be checked again, and I was dilated all the way and ready to push. Just let my body take over, felt totally calm and jsut concentrated on the fact that my baby was going to be there soon, and he was out in no time(less than an hour at least)!

Answer 3

i was induced both times with my babies the first was on her due date the second was 2 weeks early due to size 9lb at 38 weeks.
first labor broke my water at 6 started pitocin immediatly my babies heart rate was tachicardic so was scared then they over stimulates my uterus with oxytocin i was having contractions of the scale every 40 seconds for 90 seconds yay and this was only at 4 centermeters about 245pm.
i asked for epidural got it it weared off after 15 minuts how poxy to late for a top up as i dialated the full ten from 4 to 10 in half an hour then pushed 3 times and my 8lb 9oz baby girl was born with no pain meds oh yeah she was born at 323 pm so pretty quik labour for a first.
well my second was born less then a year later same story got induced water broken was having contractions on my own but after a while was put on pitocin around 10 ish i think was 4 centermeters at 230 then bam it happend again dialated the next 6 centermeters in half an hour no pain meds what so ever this time my daughter was born at 244pm 8lb14.5oz there is my long birth stories hope you likes it how bout you how was your birth experience.
oh yeah and i will add dam it hurt i now have a healthy 19 month old and 7 month old and am thinking of another how far apart in age are your kids.

Answer 4

I started having random light contractions (but definitely not the fake ones) the day before I gave birth. I was restless as all heck and ended up having dinner and wandering around at Walmart with my mother...and then the big ones hit. Not frequent at all but insanely painful. We were 30-45 minutes from my house or the hospital so my mom almost panicked. Went home and when they didn't speed up any just took an Ambien and went to bed. Woke up at 5-6 am in agony and went to the hospital. After that it gets fuzzy. Had the epidural and then surprisingly enough took a nap. Epidural started wearing off in places right around when I started pushing. By the end I could feel just about everything. There was tearing and they couldn't seem to stop the bleeding even though it was minor. My daughter never even cried...just looked around at everything with the biggest blue eyes taking every little detail in. Seemed like they were still working on me for hours after she was actually delivered. And I of course have to have the embarrassing habit of singing nursery rhymes when I'm in pain. I think the midwife and nurses thought I'd gone absolutely mad when I broke into "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" during the stitches. She was delivered around dinner on Father's Day of 06. Because it was Father's day her father managed to forgive me for not holding out for his dad's birthday the next week (I was already 3 days overdue) : )

One thing I would've changed was to worry less before hand. She's my first child and I've got a horrible fear of needles and hospitals and the works and usually have panic attacks or hyperventilate. I was worried I would panic and something would go wrong. But then when I was in labor it just all seemed to happen. I wasn't scared at all just did what I needed to do. Had a wonderful nurse who was the right mixture of sympathetic and forceful. I also wouldn't have let one of the midwives scare me so badly with her breech birth and cesarean predictions. I don't really think anything is really definite when you're talking about pregnancy...because obviously my daughter turned correctly in time.

Answer 5

I have also had three children, and all three were c-sections. My first child was an emergency c-section...and I went through 19 agonizing hours of labor before they decided to do the surgery. My second two children were scheduled c-sections, and I am still glad that I got to schedule them...I got to pick their birthdays (they called me and gave me a list of dates I could pick from,) and I was totally ready for the baby to come home because I knew exactly when the baby was coming, with my second two babies, that is.
My only (little) bummer about the births was that I could not hold the babies directly after they were born. Each time I was given a little glimpse, then the nurses took the baby out of the operating room and then after the doc finished closing me up, I was taken to the recovery room and the nurses would bring the baby to me then. I would have liked to watch my babies first baths. My husband each time went with the nurses and watched while they cleaned the baby...and then came with the baby to the recovery room to meet me. So with each of them, Dad got to hold them first!
Funny thing that is, about some dads. They LOVE the glory of being at the hospital...all masculine and proud...but where is that energy at 2 am three months later when the baby has decided it's time to get up and play for an hour? Hmmm.

Answer 6

I'm glad I didn't go for a home birth, which I had been thinking about because a girlfriend of mine had such a good experience.
I had to be induced because I was overdue, and after 10 hours of labour, my baby's heartrate went dangerously low and I had to have an emergency c-section - they got me in that operating room in 20 min.! The cord was wrapped around his neck twice, but all was well.
The "wish" would have been to have had a planned c-section so I could have had an epidural instead of a general, so I could have been awake. I didn't see my baby for an hour and a half, but he was in the very capable hands of my husband during that time - so that was special, too. The hospital staff was awesome to give him all the time he wanted with our baby.

Answer 7

I had pre-eclampsia, so I needed to give birth early.

They tried to induce labor for 3 days. I never dilated.
They gave me a cesarean.

They gave me citracal.....for acid reflux? I hate that stuff.
I was terrified of the epidural injection, but it worked, and my legs felt like tree trunks.

I didn't feel anything, until everyone started pushing on my abdomen. The pressure on my diaphragm caused a referred pain to my shoulder...kind of felt like that brain freeze when you drink something really cold. I became more and more nauseous until I threw up.

My husband was sitting next to me, and really paying more attention to everything going on in the operating room than me.
I heard my daughter cry....I thought I was hearing a woman's beautiful singing....it was my daughter! It made me cry...it was so beautiful, that sound. I will never forget it.

I knew she was healthy and knew she would be a good weight already, so I wasn't worried about her health. She was my first baby, so I had no idea what to do with her. She is now a year old, and I feel like I have known her my whole life.

My lungs were partially collapsed....from the pregnancy or the cesarean (docs pushing on abdomen)...I don't think I will never know.
I contracted an e-coli infection in my blood as well, and was treated for that during the weeks after I came home.

About 12 weeks after the birth, my weakened lungs got pneumonia.

Answer 8

Birth experience was great! Had no labor, no pain other than the prick from the spinal and then nothing from the neck down. (Had a c-section) was over in only a couple of minutes and then off to recovery. I wish I would have had it done on a weekday instead of a weekend. They understaffed the hospital because it was a weekend and so when they took my babies away, they forgot to return them for HOURS. Very irritating.

Answer 9

Horrible. That is why i only had 2... Never wanted to experince that again. What more can i say?Glad that i had 2 as in me I was the only child. and I said if i got preg..this child would not grow up being the only one. 2 was enough.. for me.

Answer 10

my last birth 8 months ago was wonderful. twins, in a tent while camping. my girl was born quickly and easily into my lovers hands, then we laid together just watching her until her brother was born 12 hrs later

Answer 11

My First birthexperince was when i was born, then i never born again so that was my only birth experience,

What are you glad you did?
Ans : I kicked the Docter and slapped the girl.

What do you wish you didn't do?
Ans :I shouldnt have came here atall , i do not belong here, God call me back to heaven, Satan u stay out of my way....... :-L