Share Your Birth Story

[greenfingers]

I'll go first to get things started!

My labor began two weeks after my due date with some very mild contractions that were 10-12 minutes apart. They gradually increased in intensity and frequency over the next 14 hours until they were consistently 5 minutes apart, at which point we headed to the hospital.

Upon arriving, I was only 3 cm dilated, but my contractions were strong enough that the midwife admitted me anyway since my labor was obviously progressing. I labored with the help of an internal monitor and a lot of walking around for about five more hours. Then, things stalled out. I wasn't dilating any further, and my contractions slowed down quite a bit despite being 8 cm dilated.

I asked for an epidural since the pain was becoming unmanageable, which seemed to help me relax enough to dilate the remaining two centimeters. After 30 hours of labor, it was time to push! I pushed through three contractions but had no progress. The midwife suggested using a vacuum which helped get the baby out safely and quickly after one more contraction.

My birth story ends with a healthy, 9 pound baby born after 41 weeks! Despite the slow start and intervention I needed, I look back on my birth positively because of how capable I felt afterward. It was certainly an intense experience, but worth every moment.

Now, it's your turn to share your stories! What details would you like to share about your birth story?

 

[sunflower]

I'll go first to get things started!

My labor began two weeks after my due date with some very mild contractions that were 10-12 minutes apart. They gradually increased in intensity and frequency over the next 14 hours until they were consistently 5 minutes apart, at which point we headed to the hospital.

Upon arriving, I was only 3 cm dilated, but my contractions were strong enough that the midwife admitted me anyway since my labor was obviously progressing. I labored with the help of an internal monitor and a lot of walking around for about five more hours. Then, things stalled out. I wasn't dilating any further, and my contractions slowed down quite a bit despite being 8 cm dilated.

I asked for an epidural since the pain was becoming unmanageable, which seemed to help me relax enough to dilate the remaining two centimeters. After 30 hours of labor, it was time to push! I pushed through three contractions but had no progress. The midwife suggested using a vacuum which helped get the baby out safely and quickly after one more contraction.

My birth story ends with a healthy, 9 pound baby born after 41 weeks! Despite the slow start and intervention I needed, I look back on my birth positively because of how capable I felt afterward. It was certainly an intense experience, but worth every moment.

Now, it's your turn to share your stories! What details would you like to share about your birth story?

My first birth was relatively straightforward. I went into natural labor at 40 weeks and 3 days which started with period-like cramps. The contractions intensified pretty quickly, and I headed to the hospital at night, where I was already 6 cm dilated. After 8 hours of labor, my son was born weighing a whooping 4.5 kg! Despite the intensity, it was a satisfying and almost meditative experience with just the right amount of challenge and reward that left me feeling empowered.

 

[doctormama]

I'll go first to get things started!

My labor began two weeks after my due date with some very mild contractions that were 10-12 minutes apart. They gradually increased in intensity and frequency over the next 14 hours until they were consistently 5 minutes apart, at which point we headed to the hospital.

Upon arriving, I was only 3 cm dilated, but my contractions were strong enough that the midwife admitted me anyway since my labor was obviously progressing. I labored with the help of an internal monitor and a lot of walking around for about five more hours. Then, things stalled out. I wasn't dilating any further, and my contractions slowed down quite a bit despite being 8 cm dilated.

I asked for an epidural since the pain was becoming unmanageable, which seemed to help me relax enough to dilate the remaining two centimeters. After 30 hours of labor, it was time to push! I pushed through three contractions but had no progress. The midwife suggested using a vacuum which helped get the baby out safely and quickly after one more contraction.

My birth story ends with a healthy, 9 pound baby born after 41 weeks! Despite the slow start and intervention I needed, I look back on my birth positively because of how capable I felt afterward. It was certainly an intense experience, but worth every moment.

Now, it's your turn to share your stories! What details would you like to share about your birth story?

My labour was quick and intense, quite the opposite of yours! Dilated 3 cm one morning, 10 cm by noon, and gave birth by evening. Didn't even have time for an epidural, it all happened so fast! Needed some stitching up afterwards but overall, a fairly straightforward natural birth. Little one's health;y and that's all that matters!

 

[cissy]

I'll go first to get things started!

My labor began two weeks after my due date with some very mild contractions that were 10-12 minutes apart. They gradually increased in intensity and frequency over the next 14 hours until they were consistently 5 minutes apart, at which point we headed to the hospital.

Upon arriving, I was only 3 cm dilated, but my contractions were strong enough that the midwife admitted me anyway since my labor was obviously progressing. I labored with the help of an internal monitor and a lot of walking around for about five more hours. Then, things stalled out. I wasn't dilating any further, and my contractions slowed down quite a bit despite being 8 cm dilated.

I asked for an epidural since the pain was becoming unmanageable, which seemed to help me relax enough to dilate the remaining two centimeters. After 30 hours of labor, it was time to push! I pushed through three contractions but had no progress. The midwife suggested using a vacuum which helped get the baby out safely and quickly after one more contraction.

My birth story ends with a healthy, 9 pound baby born after 41 weeks! Despite the slow start and intervention I needed, I look back on my birth positively because of how capable I felt afterward. It was certainly an intense experience, but worth every moment.

Now, it's your turn to share your stories! What details would you like to share about your birth story?

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

 

[sunnydays]

My labour was quick and intense, quite the opposite of yours! Dilated 3 cm one morning, 10 cm by noon, and gave birth by evening. Didn't even have time for an epidural, it all happened so fast! Needed some stitching up afterwards but overall, a fairly straightforward natural birth. Little one's health;y and that's all that matters!

Wow, that's certainly a quick one! Lucky you for having such a speedy labour. Yes, as long as mother and baby are healthy, that's the main thing!

 

[sunnybunny]

My labour was quick and intense, quite the opposite of yours! Dilated 3 cm one morning, 10 cm by noon, and gave birth by evening. Didn't even have time for an epidural, it all happened so fast! Needed some stitching up afterwards but overall, a fairly straightforward natural birth. Little one's health;y and that's all that matters!

Wow, that's certainly a brisk labor! Lucky you for having such a quick birth, must have been quite the adventure! as long as mom and baby are healthy, that's the ultimate goal achieved!

 

[joyful]

My labour was quick and intense, quite the opposite of yours! Dilated 3 cm one morning, 10 cm by noon, and gave birth by evening. Didn't even have time for an epidural, it all happened so fast! Needed some stitching up afterwards but overall, a fairly straightforward natural birth. Little one's health;y and that's all that matters!

Wow, that's quite the quick labour you experienced! Lucky you, getting it over with so swiftly. You're right; as long as mother and baby are healthy, that's the ultimate goal!

 

[nature]

My first birth was relatively straightforward. I went into natural labor at 40 weeks and 3 days which started with period-like cramps. The contractions intensified pretty quickly, and I headed to the hospital at night, where I was already 6 cm dilated. After 8 hours of labor, my son was born weighing a whooping 4.5 kg! Despite the intensity, it was a satisfying and almost meditative experience with just the right amount of challenge and reward that left me feeling empowered.

That's quite a story! Sounds like you had a good support system in place, which helped you endure the pain and stay focused. Was it similar for your second birth, or did you have any new experiences?

 

[bubblyfish]

My first birth was relatively straightforward. I went into natural labor at 40 weeks and 3 days which started with period-like cramps. The contractions intensified pretty quickly, and I headed to the hospital at night, where I was already 6 cm dilated. After 8 hours of labor, my son was born weighing a whooping 4.5 kg! Despite the intensity, it was a satisfying and almost meditative experience with just the right amount of challenge and reward that left me feeling empowered.

My second pregnancy took a different turn. I had a scheduled C-section two weeks prior to my due date because my doctor discovered during a routine checkup that the baby had breech presentation and didn't want to risk a natural birth. It was quite an unexpected development, but I went along with the recommendation. The operation itself was calm and almost soothing, which stood in stark contrast to my first birth's intense experience. I remember hearing my daughter's first cries above the operating room noises, which sounded even more precious since I couldn't feel my lower body due to the spinal block. It left me feeling distant from the whole birthing process, almost like I was just an observer, but seeing her made it all so real and incredible.

 

[joyful]

My first birth was relatively straightforward. I went into natural labor at 40 weeks and 3 days which started with period-like cramps. The contractions intensified pretty quickly, and I headed to the hospital at night, where I was already 6 cm dilated. After 8 hours of labor, my son was born weighing a whooping 4.5 kg! Despite the intensity, it was a satisfying and almost meditative experience with just the right amount of challenge and reward that left me feeling empowered.

Wow, looks like you had a relatively smooth and quick labor compared to some others! That's awesome!

My second birth was quite different from my first. My labor started with my waters breaking at 38 weeks, contracting weakly thereafter. I had to be admitted to the hospital for monitoring since the contractions didn't progress. After 24 hours, I still wasn't dilating, and so I opted for an induction.

The induction wasn't overly successful either, so I ended up having pitocin which finally helped me progress. It turned into an intense and painful experience with contracts coming every 30 seconds by the end. But thankfully, my daughter was born healthy, albeit two weeks early, weighing a more modest 3.5kg.

Both birth stories have their unique challenges and victories, but I'm glad I experienced them and wouldn't change them for the world!

 

[cissy]

My labour was quick and intense, quite the opposite of yours! Dilated 3 cm one morning, 10 cm by noon, and gave birth by evening. Didn't even have time for an epidural, it all happened so fast! Needed some stitching up afterwards but overall, a fairly straightforward natural birth. Little one's health;y and that's all that matters!

Wow, you're lucky to have such a smooth and quick labour! Not having to endure hours of intense pain sounds like a dream come true!

 

[musical]

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

That's quite the opposite of my experience; it started slowly but ended well, and yours began with a bang and ended up with an operation! So glad you shared this detail - prematurity adds a whole new level of complexity and emotion to the birth story. Doesn't it just make you appreciate your little fighter even more?

 

[cissy]

My first birth was relatively straightforward. I went into natural labor at 40 weeks and 3 days which started with period-like cramps. The contractions intensified pretty quickly, and I headed to the hospital at night, where I was already 6 cm dilated. After 8 hours of labor, my son was born weighing a whooping 4.5 kg! Despite the intensity, it was a satisfying and almost meditative experience with just the right amount of challenge and reward that left me feeling empowered.

My subsequent births were equally straightforward but faster - the body knows what to do! - and less painful without that daunting anticipation of the unknown.

 

[travelmum]

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

Wow, that's quite the contrast from your first birth! Did you end up needing any repairs afterward? You mentioned stitching, ouch... I also had a tiny tot - my son was only 2.9 kg. Such a small bundle of joy!

 

[mamamia]

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

I'm sorry to hear about your traumatic labour. But I'm glad you and your baby are doing well now! Does anyone else have a birth story they'd like to share?

 

[doctormama]

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

I'm glad you and your baby are doing well! Some women do experience unbearably painful contractions. Thankfully, they are rare occurrences. It's also uncommon for epidurals not to work, but it does happen sometimes. Have you sought follow-up appointments with your OB-GYN to check on your healing?

 

[mamamia]

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

Wow, that sounds intense! Backaches are not something one would normally associate with labour, glad all turned out well in the end! Must have been quite a relief indeed.

 

[wellness]

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

Wow, you ladies sure have some interesting and intense birth stories! Each birth experience is so unique.

 

[joyful]

A traumatic 36-hour labour that started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Admitted with backache, which somehow turned out to be contractions. Epidural didn't work, had to go through nature's painful process, ending up with an emergency C-section. The relief of seeing my tiny but mighty 2.5kg premature baby was the biggest joy of my life. I attribute my lack of tears then to the sheer overwhelming happiness that I felt!

Wow! You've shared some really intense birth stories. So glad to hear that despite the challenges, all babies arrived safely!

My second birth was quite the opposite of my first. While my first birth was an arduous 30-hour affair with lots of interventions, this one started naturally at 41 weeks and was over within 7 hours, from the onset of contractions to holding my newborn.Contractions started around midnight, very manageable and regular from the start. I labored at home until the pain became intense around midday, and we headed to the hospital. Admitted at 4 cm, but despite progress, the contractions slowed down once I hit 7cm. Transition was challenging, but knowing it was the last stretch helped me push through. After 9 hours of labour, my 3.6kg baby boy was born! A relatively easy and fast birth, and definitely less scary than my first.

 

[greenfingers]

Wow, that's certainly a quick one! Lucky you for having such a speedy labour. Yes, as long as mother and baby are healthy, that's the main thing!

I consider myself lucky! It was intense but over before I knew it. And you're right; in the end, the health of my little one is all that mattered. The experience was definitely unique and special in its own way, despite the trauma.

It's quite an adventure being a parent; each one has their own unique challenges and victories! Does anyone else have any stories they'd like to share? Perhaps another quick and effortless natural birth or something totally different?