What was your experience of childbirth ?

no painkillers or gas at all, for each of my three. First baby 8lb 2 and I am 4`11. Lots of tearing which affects me today. First midwife was in a hurry and I had no idea as I was 23. Then a 12 hour wait for a doctor to come and stitch me up

Thankfully you forget the bad stuff

The most interesting fact about my one pregnancy is that she was due on the 22nd of December and entered the world on the 4th of February.

Traumatic. Very long labour, 2 days. Also very painful because I had an incompetent uterus. Pushing for a long time, no result. Forceps delivery, followed by a big gush of hemorrhage. Episiotomy, followed by a lot of stitches, which tore at somepoint and went undetected. Vag still shows signs of the tearing almost 40 years later.

TBH, I think I had PTSD following the birth. Took a long timeto get over it emotionally. I'm glad I never had to do it again.

My DD was born in the maternity hospital at 8:30 in the evening. The midwives refused to go off duty at 8 pm as they had looked after me all day. She was born after an episiotomy and 3 pushes. My stitches were removed too early so I still have evidence of it.
DS was born in the same hospital. He became stuck in the birth canal with the cord around his neck. The midwife had to pull him out by his shoulder and whisk him away for resuscitation as he wasn't breathing.
He was completely blue. After 3 minutes of oxygen he was brought back to me very pale but breathing and warm. Nobody told me that his shoulder had been dislocated during his birth until 3 or 4 days later when one of the nurses happened to remark upon it.
It's a good job that I had a girl and a boy as, after that trauma I wasn't having another baby.

First born was 6 weeks early and I was at the cottage hospital having relaxation classes when things started happening. We were transferred to the main hospital where I gave birth and baby was put into an incubator. He was born on his dads 24th birthday at 4lbs 15ozs. They’ve always had a very close bond. I stayed in for 10 days and had to leave baby in the ICU . Very upsetting and traumatic. (1973)

Second birth was very quick and we were home in 2 days. One week late. (1975)

Third baby born on due date and we stayed in for 10 days. It was December and in a conservatory extension , freezing cold, so babies were taken away at night. I had lovely nights sleep and felt the benefit when I came home, with baby and two little boys waiting for us. (1978)

First one was traumatic. An induced birth, very painful, forceps delivery. Gas and air didn’t seem to help. Like GagaJo, I think I may have had PTSD. It took me several months to recover from the shock. The baby, who I had been told would be small (no scans then) was 9lbs 6oz.

I only had another one because I was desperate for a girl. I got another boy. I took that quite well, because I had an epidural for that labour and so was able to enjoy my new baby, who weighed a sensible 7lb 14oz.

I did quickly forgive my elder son for causing me such trouble, and there is no difference in my love for them.

I'm sad that there are so many traumatic stories here.

I have to say because of pre-natal classes I knew what to expect, and my first labour proceeded exactly as on the film we watched. I had a wonderful maternity nurse that had trained as a midwife in Scotland. At the time we didn't have licensed midwives here. No trauma for me, no major tears. My DH was with me, as was done at the time (the late 80's).

Same for second and third births. No drugs, no trauma. Second child's heartbeat dropped during contractions, so a new team of doctor and nurses arrived in time for birth to make sure he was fine (he was). That was scary, but handled so quickly and professionally.

My DH worked at the hospital as maintenance engineer during that time, so I always managed to get a bit of extra attention from staff. Although I did have to bring him and the doctor back from their chat regarding the surgery lighting to pay attention to me on the labour table!

I was determined to have DS at home. 1981 it was unusual but still midwives would do it.
1981.
Am so thankful for the NCT too, we both went, lots of prep and understanding, I was 30.

I did NOT want to go to hospital. I wanted to be near the familiar. There was lovely older midwife who came round lots of times to prep but she wasn't on duty that night and a young nervous woman came. My best friend, a mum, was there as well as DH.

At one point I heard the midwife go down to phone the hospital (only down the road or they might not have allowed it) so I thought I'd better get on with it. One last huge push and that was it 8 hours and after it was so peaceful when she went, just in my own bed. I couldn't sleep, the world upside down, excited, 3am, and a bit high on pethedine but so glad to be at home. In my own bed, DH sleeping, and a new person in the world next to me.

First baby overdue 10 days, slow labour - epidural (was welcome as lots of back pain) but given too near birth so couldn’t feel a thing! Midwife threatened me with scissors and forceps if I didn’t hurry up and push out baby myself. Quite nasty!! Managed to push baby out. Dr Darkoe came to stitch me up( very black African man). Told me i’d feel a small prick - husband replied….think she felt that 9months ago!!! We did laugh!!! Got taken to a maternity home for a week - taught how to feed and look after new baby. Baby in nursery at night so lots of rest. Nice food too. Other mums used to go off to the smoking room just off our ward- I resisted!
Second baby - overdue 3 days, lost a lot of blood that morning, so whisked off in an ambulance.
Midwife very impatient telling me it was my waters breaking & not blood only. Also told me not to “fuss like a first time mum”. Very upsetting.
Dr organised a. Scan (new tech then, not used as routine) showed placenta was across my cervix and had torn- hence blood loss. Rigged up to induce baby asap. Very, very quick dilation and birth. Baby delivered shocked- blue/ not breathing. Panic all round but thankfully they got her breathing. Sent home within 2 days. No more babies for me after that ! Second baby was very difficult. Cried a lot, hardly slept. I always blamed her traumatic birth.

Luckily both my children knew what to do and got on with it, no waiting around with either of them! I was, and still am, very grateful for the prenatal classes that meant we had a bit of a clue about what to do.

I remember cooking a roast dinner ready for my Mum when Child no 2 was on the way. (It was a Sunday after all!) She lived 100+ miles away and a friend drove her to us so she could look after Child no 1 while I was in hospital. OH ate his dinner with them and then drove me to the hospital!

By chance I had the same hospital midwife each time. I shouldn't think she remembered us, but we certainly remembered her.

I don’t have the inclination to write about my four experiences, although will comment on Floradora’s post about GPs. I had my second baby in 1979 in a midwife-led maternity unit in a remote area of Scotland.

If you needed a Caesarian section, your GP was called out to do it, with another GP to administer the GA! Luckily, I didn’t need a CS, though a friend did, when she went into labour at just six months. Her GP did the operation and the baby was rushed by ambulance the 142 miles to the nearest SCBU and, astonishingly, survived to grow up happy and healthy.

Like some of the other ladies on this thread,I decline to write about my two experiences of childbirth.Both too traumatic, the only clue is my first child and myself almost died during the birth, second one very scary as well.
I made sure there would be no more after the second one.

Apologies, but mine were both pretty ok. My daughter, 9lb, was a 3 hour labour, scheduled birthing chair, 24 hours in hospital, 1986. My son was a scheduled home birth, 7lb 6, 1991, 1 hour labour, he’d swallowed gunk as the placenta was detaching, so he was suctioned, he was fine but GP and ambulance called, 1991. We had the local midwives in attendance both times, gas and air, a couple of stitches.

Some traumatic stories here - mine included! Rather belies the belief that one forgets the pain of childbirth after the event as we all seem to remember very well - and in gory detail.

Nine pregnancies,three live births,two surviving babies ,my youngest was 11 weeks and 4 days early and I had been told not to try for anymore because of recurring pre eclampsia.He and I both came through it though I was unconsious for 3 days after his birth.He's 34 and has two beautiful daughters of his own
I had one good pregnancy ,she arrived on her due date after several bed rest stays in hospital a 10 hour labour and a couple of days under the lights for jaundice .
I found it very difficult though as she was born on the same date as my first live birth and at the exact same time of day ,sadly her sister had only lived 4 days

He's 34

5 easy births for me. I had gone to classes and practiced relaxation and breathing, but luck and genetics may have played a part. My mother had heard of “painless childbirth” (not completely true) and went to classes - unusual in 1951. My birth was quick and fairly easy, from what she told me and both my daughters (5 babies between them) had fast labours with no pain relief, apart from a bit of gas and air.

Sorry- I was writing at the same time as paddyann. My post looks rather insensitive coming after her tragic experiences.

What powerful stories. I had thought I was alone in having a hard first birth,
I was 21 and didn't know anyone with a baby. I was booked into the Cottage hospital run by a strict Matron and midwives - no doctors or men. "They end up under the table"

My waters broke at home about 10pm so DH ran out to a phone box and called the hospital. He drove me in and left me. I had to be shaved and have an enema.
No contractions but the following day I was a worry to the staff because the baby was showing signs of distress so at 3pm I was in an ambulance to the main hospital and DH somehow managed to be there. He was never sent away while I laboured for the next 14 hours and baby was born on the morning of the third day. The midwives were just going off duty and I didn't even get a cup of tea!
Still, he was alive and he never cried . He was looking about with wide open eyes. He's 52 now with two beautiful teenagers of his own.
My next 3 births were easier although not without incident. The home birth was by far the nicest.
I think you forget the pain but not the experience.

Farmor not insensitive at all ,its just how life is .My children are the most important part of my life and I have 5 fantastic beautiful ,bright and funny GC .Who could ask for more ?

I`m another who knew nothing (soon found out, lol!) First baby, 1963, my waters had gone, but not having been told otherwise I went into town on the bus. My pains started whilst in town, I went to a phone box and rang my friend at the GPO telephone exchange where I worked, the husband of one of the supervisors worked in the Post Office below and he took me home in his car, then took me to one of the 2 houses in the village that had a phone, to call an ambulance. 4 hours after my pains started, my daughter was born. I was in a room of only 3 beds, and the babies were removed at night and taken to the nursery. I went home after a week, should have been 10 days but they slipped up.
Baby number 2 1965, my pains started at 2.15am, hubby got his scooter out to go to the phone box and call the ambulance, whilst I dressed the 13 month old. When the ambulance arrived the driver said he could only take me as he had to go on somewhere else after, so hubby and daughter went back to bed. Daughter 2 was born at 3.30am. I should have been in hospital for 3 days, but picked up an infection and was in for 2 weeks.
Baby 3 1967, was meant to be born at home, seeing as we`d moved to a new house with inside toilet and hot water supply. But just over a week before she was due, it was decided that I need a blood transfusion before the birth, so had to go to hospital.(She`s now 55 and I still haven`t had the transfusion!) I went into labour at 6am on New Years Day, and she was born at 6.30am, and I went home after 3 days.
Baby 4 WAS born at home in 1969. My waters broke at 10am, pains started at just after 11am, I went to the shop round the corner, rang hubby at work first, then the midwife, he arrived just before she did, as he wanted to be at the birth.
Baby 5 was also born at home in 1971 My pains started in the middle of the Dave Allen show on TV, hubby went to call the midwife, and she arrived just in time. I never did see the end of that show! The following morning, hubby went to the chemists, took the other kids with him, and I was spotted by a neighbour standing at the sink washing nappies! She didn`t half tell me off!
Sorry that was such a narrative, lol.

But what a fascinating narrative Hellogirl1 Five babies! Wow!
I have so enjoyed reading all your childbirth accounts. No matter how many decades ago it was, the memories stay with most women.
Mine were all fairly straightforward, which was a huge relief as I am small. They were all born in hospital. I never considered a home birth as I wanted the reassurance of being in hospital with help on hand if needed.

Prefer not to think about it !!!!!

I had 2 born on England and 2 in Australia. No comparison. The experiences in England were totally dire. No doctors until after I had delivered and they didn’t believe me when I was ready to push. I gave birth to my second daughter during visiting time in the ward and they expressed shock and bundled me off to the labour ward. It was also filthy with cockroaches running around the ward and a man coming round with some sort of insect spray - in front of all the newborns in their cribs. Yuk. On top of that I had a retained placenta which they hadn’t checked. Six weeks later I was at death’s door. I told them about it in the public hospital here and they also said they hadn’t bothered to stitch me up properly and I should have sued them. No one sued in those days but these days I would have.

I did read years ago a comment that the bravest thing a woman can do is to have a second child. Reading some of these posts I think that I would agree