Share your Birth Stories!

[nhockaday]

Most doctors and midwives don't even do them anymore. My midwife said none of them do it at the office I go to, and it's a big office! The good thing about midwives is that they use mineral oil and stretch you the whole time you are pushing. I didn't tear at all because of that. However, I felt and saw the aftermath of all the stretching for a couple of days, but it was far better than tearing and having to get stitches. Ask your doctor if he/she does them. It was one of the first questions on my list!

[Maddy]

Dr Grantly Dick-Read's teaching that fear causes pain.

I did the HypnoBirthing course. They teach you about Dr Dick-Read's Fear-Tension-Pain Cycle. That is, fear causes tension and tension causes pain. So if you don't feel fear, you don't feel pain.

Here's my take on it. I had an open mind about the "pain" and I was expecting to feel my "surges" (which is how they describe contractions in HypnoBirthing) the way the book described them. Instead of feeling "waves" or "surges," I felt a strong, very uncomfortable pinching that was extremely localized (very deep down). That took me by surprise.

I agree that tension causes pain, but not that my tension was caused by fear. The tension was actually the contractions themselves - in much the same way as if I were getting a very painful massage. Can you make your muscles relax while that is going on? Personally, my muscles tense up involuntarily.

The bathtub was my savior though. The hot water meant I could actually relax my muscles right at the peak of a contraction.

Unfortunately, because the baby's heart was racing, the midwife made me come out of the bath, believing the temperature of the water was causing it. And then, because I found it impossible to relax on dry land, I had an epidural (at 5cm dilated).

Although I had been aiming for a natural birth, I found the epidural fantastic. My anesthetist was very skillful. I could walk around and also feel the urge to urinate. I could feel my contractions as strong period pains. I could sleep.

I cannot even imagine being able to sleep without the epidural (I couldn't even sit or lie still - except in the bath). So if you ask me, a big advantage to getting an epidural is that it allows you to rest during the hours when you are dilating.

I dilated to 8cm. Then, my doctor advised an emergency cesarean because of tachycardia - the baby's heart rate was too high. She also hadn't descended. I was disappointed not to be able to put my Epi-No training into practice, but when my daughter turned out to weigh 9lb 8oz, I was relieved to have had a cesarean!

The cesarean was not the least traumatic. The recovery was a breeze. The scar doesn't show. Even though it wasn't the way I dreamed it, my birthing experience was still magical. I started sobbing as soon as I heard my baby's first cry. And she scored 9 on the Apgar, and 10 two minutes later.

[Nikita]

Tearing isnt all bad. If my friend's experience is repeatable, I'd LIKE to tear.  She tore 3 ways, and took like 100 stitches.  They Stitched her up so tightly her husband couldnt get near her for 8 months, but after that he was very happy!!! (I havent been tearing ,and I'm disappointed!)

[nadia0801]

Hi Nadia

I have some advice for you on how to dramatically reduce your risk of needing an episiotomy. Use the Epi-No childbirth trainer. Make sure you get the Delphine Plus model, which is both for exercising your pelvic floor muscles and stretching your perineum. The stretching only begins from three weeks before your due date, so you have time.

From what I have read, massaging the perineum is far less effective than Epi-No. I think it's terrible that so many women have episiotomies - and so few obstetricians and midwives tell their patients about Epi-No.

I used it successfully, reaching the stated target just in time for my baby's birth. I felt so empowered because I had an idea of what the pushing stage would feel like. You feel the burn that so many women describe, and you teach yourself to relax instead of clenching up when that happens.

However, I ended up with an emergency cesarean, so that's where my story ends.

Good luck Nadia!

Maddy

Thanks! =) This is quite a find! It's very expensive though and only distributed in Australia and Singapore? It's not even available on Amazon..I'll try and look for a distributor here (the Philippines)..hope it's available!

[nadia0801]

Most doctors and midwives don't even do them anymore. My midwife said none of them do it at the office I go to, and it's a big office! The good thing about midwives is that they use mineral oil and stretch you the whole time you are pushing. I didn't tear at all because of that. However, I felt and saw the aftermath of all the stretching for a couple of days, but it was far better than tearing and having to get stitches. Ask your doctor if he/she does them. It was one of the first questions on my list!

Hi! You mentioned the "aftermath of all the stretching"..what are they? Loose muscles, soreness? Thanks!

[nhockaday]

Ha Ha. The biggest thing, and I'm not trying to be too graphic here, is the swollenness. It looked like I had a male part!  It went away after a couple of days though. They gave me ice packs that fit in my underwear. Also, it was very painful for a couple of days, which I suppose it would be for anyone who had a vaginal delivery. I couldn't really sit on my bottom. I had to sit on a doughnut or lie on the bed with most of my weight on my tailbone. But after a couple of days, everything goes back to normal 

[nadia0801]

O my, glad you cleared that one up so I won't be shocked when I see mine THAT swollen! hahaha! =)

[Fileneviana]

I had a relatively birth, well if Ceserian is considered giving birth as well that is.  I am still confused on this subject
My pregnancy was relatively easy.  I went to Lamaze and all wanting to give birth in a natural way.  I was going to my check ups every month, but in my 8 month I went to a private clinic to check if I can see the face of my son.  There they told me that the baby will most probably be a big one.  I shrug it off cuz I knew that if there was anything out of the ordinary they would have told me at the check ups.
So four more weeks went by and I went to meet with the doctor.  The minute he saw me at the door, he said that he would have to perform a Ceserian.  I did have a huge belly and with my size 5'2" (157sm) it seemed even bigger :P  The next day they performed the operation with full anastesia and I woke up feeling as if after a good night sleep - all happy and excited.   One of the nurses noticed that I am coming back to my senses asked me: "Do you know what a second grader you gave birth to?  (he is so big that) You can just hand him the backpack and he can be off to school"
Ny DS weighted 4 250kg (9350lbs) and was 51sm tall

The minute I looked at him I knew that he was the love of my life

[Maddy]

Nadia, if you're still looking for a yoga DVD, I would recommend the one I used: Simple Yoga For Pregnancy. Personally, I was an ex-yoga practitioner and skeptical that I would be able to do any yoga once I was in the third trimester. But the exercises are nice and easy, and they include birthing positions.

Fileneviana, I know exactly what you mean! I am 5'4'' and with a big baby inside me (4.33kg) looked absolutely ginormous!

I was worried my baby was really big, especially as everyone kept commenting on my size and asking if I was having twins. My doctor said he didn't think the baby was unusually large and I could try for a vaginal birth. When the baby was born (by emergency cesarean) he was shocked at her size though!

[carpe_diem]

My DD has three children - she is 5ft 4in (162.56cm) 

baby 1 was 4.280kg (9lb 7oz) - normal birth with tearing and stitches.  He is adult now and 6ft4in  (193.04) large build
baby 2 was 3.714kg (8lb 3oz) -  normal birth with tearing and stitches.  She is 18yrs now 5ft 5in    (165cm) slim build
baby 3 was 4.678kg (10lb 5oz)    - normal assisted birth (her shoulder got stuck) with tearing & stitches She is 16yrs now - 5ft 5in (165cm) medium build.
My DD has some noticeable stretch marks now 

DD recommends drinking rasberry leaf tea for the last week or so of preg to help prepare the muscles for labour - she used it before the last birth and reckons it made a big difference to labour. She drank this on advice of a midwife and herbalist. I should think it advisable to ask advice before doing the same 

I was lucky with my three - I had normal births except for the last DS (who was induced 3 weeks early) Short labours for each and no tears or stitches for any of them. I was not sore afterwards for more than a few hours discomfort - and up and about the same day.  I also had almost pain free labour for the first two babies - that meant that until the final push I was not able to feel the contractions - more like low back ache - and for the youngest DS - once the induction got under way labour only lasted about 2 hours total.

[nhockaday]

Yes, I drank raspberry leaf tea too and used primrose oil. Both of these are supposed to tone and soften your cervix.

[laidalays]

My birth was a relatively easy one, well at that moment I thought I wasn't able to give birth to my baby because I was so much in pain and felt as dying but now I see things in a different way , above all, after hearing other birth experiences. The worst thing I remember was that the midwife din't give any epidural because as she told me my birth was going to be a fast one since at first I dilated quite fast, however dilatation was later quite slow and I felt I was suffering so much. My husband was there with me and he suffered too watching me. For my next baby I will be given the epidural, of course, no matter what the midwife says. Why do we have to suffer at births today when there is so much medical progress. The only good thing of the moment was to take my baby on top of me and feel his body so smooth and warm.

[nadia0801]

My DD has three children - she is 5ft 4in (162.56cm) 

baby 1 was 4.280kg (9lb 7oz) - normal birth with tearing and stitches.  He is adult now and 6ft4in  (193.04) large build
baby 2 was 3.714kg (8lb 3oz) -  normal birth with tearing and stitches.  She is 18yrs now 5ft 5in    (165cm) slim build
baby 3 was 4.678kg (10lb 5oz)    - normal assisted birth (her shoulder got stuck) with tearing & stitches She is 16yrs now - 5ft 5in (165cm) medium build.
My DD has some noticeable stretch marks now 

DD recommends drinking rasberry leaf tea for the last week or so of preg to help prepare the muscles for labour - she used it before the last birth and reckons it made a big difference to labour. She drank this on advice of a midwife and herbalist. I should think it advisable to ask advice before doing the same 

I was lucky with my three - I had normal births except for the last DS (who was induced 3 weeks early) Short labours for each and no tears or stitches for any of them. I was not sore afterwards for more than a few hours discomfort - and up and about the same day.  I also had almost pain free labour for the first two babies - that meant that until the final push I was not able to feel the contractions - more like low back ache - and for the youngest DS - once the induction got under way labour only lasted about 2 hours total.

Thanks for the suggestion carpe_diem! I will purchase raspberry tea leaf as early as now =) My sister-in-law is having a scheduled c-section and I sort-of envy her because she won't experience the pains of labor! ! But I believe a normal delivery is still best. =)

[Jake]

Thanks for your advice....!!!!!     [/color]

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