Do you remember?

Yes - which was why I left ten years between my two DCs! The first one was horrific and lasted for two days. I can even remember exactly what I was wearing when I went into labour.

Yes, childbirth I remember very well, both of them. I remember wanting a gun, so I could end it all. I remember them rushing my DH out of the room, and I got a bit scared then, but was too beyond it all to really care. I remember the room suddenly filling with doctors and nurses, and then nothing. The next thing I knew was hearing my firstborn crying.

But, what's odd is that although I remember all the details - and I was clearly in great pain, I can remember that - I don't remember how the pain actually felt. It's as if I'm remembering the fact of it, but not the sensation. I imagine that's what people really mean when they say you quickly forget.

janerowena - I took the opposite approach when I had a difficult first delivery. I got pregnant again quite quickly as I knew that if I thought about it for too long I would never do it again!

Since having my 3 children I have experienced some equally painful things, so the pain of labour does not stand out for me. I also used to suffer dreadful period pain month after month - I was incapacitated for days and would faint - so the labour pains did not seem particularly worse than that.

It was a great day when my womb was incinerated!

Those were the 2 best days of my life. Happy days. Sorry to hear others don't have such happy memories.

Well yes, it was painful of course, but I was expecting that!

Thankfully, I had very short labours so can't really complain - the worst part for me was the epiostomy and subsequent sewing-up...

I too wanted a gun to end it all. The horrible midwives told me I was making more noise than anyone else on the ward.

When a few months later my doctor looked at my notes and said 'you must have been in pain as your son was born face to pubes, his spine was pressing against your spine' at last I felt vindicated.

I had no more children, just couldn't face it.

I agree Anna about the stitching up - that was excrutiating and embarrassing! I had berry short labours - the longest was 7 hours and DD3's claim to fame was that she was 'nearly born in an ambliance!' - but I don't remember the pain, just the exhilaration and satisfaction. Maybe that's why we had 5 children!

With my second child I had a horrible midwife too, NanKate. She looked very young - I was only 23 but she looked younger. She told me very sternly to stop making so much noise. I asked her if she'd ever given birth and she admitted that no, she didn't have children. So I gave her 'the look', and she shut up. (My second child, you see - I was an old hand by now and didn't put up with such bossiness )

I had 3 straight forward labours and births. I can remember every second of each and I certainly know it was painful but I can't recall the actual pain. Still think it was worth every ache ,pain and contraction.

I don't think 'noise' was allowed in the hospital I gave birth in!

one normal delivery
2x c section
first delivery painful ...nurses apologised after examination realising I was fully dilated and ready to go after saying I would be ages as it was my first....no drugs ..no time

I remember well, there was only 11 months 2 weeks between my births, the second one was a three hour labour and he weighed 9lbs6oz, no stitches!
Then my (now) ex had the snip! should have been his neck!

kitty you do make me laugh - berry labours? Are you stuck in traffic again?

I had my babies quickly and easily and I remember saying to the doc "I thought it would be much worse than this" and his reply was a dry "If only all my patients said that".

However, I've had kidney stones and when I asked the doctor afterwards how he had known what was wrong with me, he said "When you came writhing and crawling into the room on all fours, whimpering".

I remember most of both births, though some details get mixed up.

In antenatal classes, I'd been told me that if I listened to the midwife and just panted when told, and didn't push yet, I might get away with no episiostomy. Actually it worked - I was probably just lucky. However, I did have a graze, which was really painful afterwards.

I am surprised I actually had a second child, I was totally traumatised having my first in hospital. The midwife was awful, she ignored my questions and shouted at me and she gave me no encouragement at all. DH was sitting out in the corridor.
I had my second baby at home and went 27.5 hours in labour before giving birth to 9 pounder, it was a much calmer birth but DH was still absent, he sat downstairs with his mother.

I found the whole experience quite traumatic and resolved to have no more children. The birth of my son seven years later was a happy accident. Although it was equally painful, I recovered much more quickly due to much better after care in a small cottage hospital. I also made a lot more noise the second time round and I think that helped. I would like to say, as some women do, that it was a wonderful experience but it wasnt - it was horrible and memorable for all the wrong reasons.

I think that most mothers remember details of the birth but the memory of pain somehow becomes detached. We know how bad it was but don't really remember the sensations.

In my case DS 1 was induced at 2 weeks overdue. My waters were broken about 6am and then I lay in a bed all day. I was having painless contractions and so was ideal for the students in the hospital to examine. I was fine with that. As a teacher I know that everyone has to learn somehow and I learned too! I had one pain at about 6pm and they gave me 'something'. After that I was out of it until the final stage and when I woke up I thought, 'Get it out of me. I can't stand this pain for hours!' believing it to be the first stage of labour. DS was born a few minutes later and I must admit I have always felt guilty about thinking that.

DS2 was born in the Admissions Room of the hospital despite ringing the hospital at the first pain and setting off straight away. He was 12 days overdue. I then had to wait hours till my GP came to do the stitches.

With DS3 I had been to the Doctor with DS1 who had chest infection. I asked him to examine me and he said I was in labour (10 days overdue this time). I went home, sorted washing, ironed, cleaned, cooked a meal and recognising the first discomfort went to the hospital. I asked to go straight to the delivery room (after the previous speedy birth) which was accepted but the midwife was a bit 'sniffy' and said I wasn't ready. She started to leave the room but before she got to the door the final stage began and he was born 10 minutes later. Eloethan you would have been proud of the noise I made!

seacliff I had a 'graze' with DS3 which was much more painful than stitches!

5 children, 1 miscarriage and can remember every detail! Pregnancy was terrible - severely sick for the whole time!

Births easy,no drugs, no interventions, no stiches. My first labour was the longest 4 hours, my third labour was the shortest, 30 minutes!
I loved having babies!

I have two DC but have never been in labour. I was in hospital for two-three wks prior to having each of my children as they were monitoring me.
My first was over due and induced, with pesseries and having my waters broken, baby was happy where she was and labour just didn't happen so I had c-section.
Second baby's heart started dipping so rushed off for c-section at 32 wks. I was in pain as soon as I woke after the first (had GA) but that was soon sorted. The second I felt fantastic due to the residual effects of the epidural.
So no horror stories to tell thank heavens.

Three kids. Births straightforward if painful. I remember the results more than the process, and the results were fabulous. Of three miscarriages, one had more emotional impact than the others for some reason. I bought myself a Caithness glass paperweight as a mark of my accepting I wasn't going to have another child. And then I had Minibags .

I had three normal deliveries - all boys weighing in at about 8lbs. I sometimes think of the labours with a mixture of wonderment and fear. I also had a miscarriage at 14 weeks which was very traumatic but I had my third son about a year later with no complications.

I still cry when I watch "One Born Every Minute."

for all mums.

I remember all 3 births with great clarity but I had very easy ones and immediately after I wanted to do it again! ( I don't think many people feel like that)

Indinana it looks as if you and I both had very negative experiences when giving birth. I then had post natal depression and the first couple of years were a struggle bringing up my son. Fortunately my DH got me through it.

There is a happy ending though as I am now very close to my DS and now I have two small GSs 4+ and 2+ and I have all the fun and happiness that I should have had 41 years ago.

Hope it has worked out for you too.

I had my first in a British Military Hospital in the Far East, and what a horrendous experience that was! I was twenty, knew next to nothing about giving birth and was left in a labour ward with one other mother howling in pain and being totally ignored. Fathers were not encouraged to attend. I was terrified, the labour was long and the delivery difficult. The nursing staff were bloody awful, frankly. My second was born in an American military hospital and could not have been more different. It was like a large hotel with very attentive staff and very good food! They didn't go in much for natural childbirth or pain and epidurals were the order of the day so I delivered my nine pound daughter with very little discomfort and the whole experience was a joy.