Stories of birth

I haven't written it down, but I should do, as all 3 have a good story, I have told them their birth stories though, just the interesting bits.

My first was 6wks prem. after I flew back from South Africa where we lived then, to be my sister's maid of honour, only to be told I was too fat to walk down the aisle [not said in those words of course]. My D was in an incubator for 2 weeks, I stayed in hospital for 1 week. About 19 hours from start to finish and born at 12.02pm weighing 4Ibs 11ozs. My pains started after I had spent all day walking round looking for a house to buy whilst I was back in UK, my H was still in S. Africa and had booked a flight for the birth, which he missed of course. No one could get in contact with him in S. Africa as in 1980s, to let him know he had a baby girl. We had sort of chosen a name, but after seeing my newborn baby with a wrist band saying Baby D our surname, I named her, only for my H to arrive and say NO! we chose S, so it was changed to that which my AD has said she's thankful of.

My second, we were back living in the UK then, was 2 weeks prem. and I remember driving to the hospital with a full moon right ahead of us. He took 2 hours from start to finish and he was born at 3.34am weighing 6Ib 5ozs.

My third was born in The Netherlands where we were living then. I delivered her myself at home in the bathroom, with my H jumping up and down in the doorway not knowing what to do. She was born within 15mins of my waters breaking. My H phoned the midwife after I'd jumped out of bed, the midwife [called Vogelsong, meaning birdsong] asked if I was in pain, the reply was 'no', so she said called back when the pains start, which of course they did the minute the phone was put down. The midwife took 30mins or more to arrive after baby was born, I was told to stay where I was on the toilet [yes really!] When she arrived, I was told to stay put whilst she saw to the baby. I was then helped to bed and had stitches without any anaesthetic! which was as painful as given birth. She was born at about 2am and weighed 6lbs.

Well, I now have my record, thank you very much

I agree with NotSpaghetti's last post. The process of birth and women's experience of it really hasn't changed!
The original book series of "Call the midwife" is full of birth stories for anyone interested. Also, there are sites online where women have posted their birth stories - some of the American "natural" birth ones are weird. I read one where the mother gave birth alone, under a tree in the garden- her choice!

Like Bluebelle, my first birth was very unusual and traumatic. I would be lying if I said I have forgotten it.

If I hadn't attended ante natal classes with the NCT I think I would have been in a much worse state. Fortunately the elderly lady teaching us was a retired midwife so the possibility of this particular procedure was mentioned to us. I was the only "lucky" one in the class to experience it. It was a terrible experience but it saved my daughter's life.

I told my children the “funny” bits like the lady in the bed opposite who had a 10lb 4oz boy with so little trouble, whilst some of us struggled with our 6-8lb babies.
Or the rule about no coloured underwear on the ward, even when we were out of bed doing the morning touch your toes exercise routine with nurse Trunchbull!
Or the fact that, in the space of 2 years, the rule went from an obligatory stay of 10 days to How quickly can we send you home? idea.
My best memory is gas and air! Oh the delight of gas and air! “Take the mask away from your face in between contractions!”
No chance!

I did help with an academic paper on the ethics of childbirth. I was the only person in the cohort who had had both a recent home birth and a hospital birth in Scotland and my df knew the professor I don't remember ever seeing the finished work. The baby is now in his mid 40s.

I found talking about my experiences with a lovely group of mums cathartic

Grammaretto I bet it's still in the archive.

Mollygo yes!

One of the reasons I insisted on a home birth for #3 was because if I had still been in England they would have insisted on it whereas just 4 years later in Scotland, I was told home births were too dangerous and not recommended.
Rules to suit the staff not the mothers

Grammaretto I get what you say. I probably didn’t put my point over correctly. My meaning was that I had not experienced natural child birth. No doubt some will say ‘lucky you’.

No I don’t talk or ever have about the actual birth, it was naturally painful but they never needed to know that just how pleased we were to have them.