What does it feel like to give birth?

mirrorwall14

Rinsing effect is a waaaaaay more polite way of putting it than I could have come up with. Abrasions and tears or in my case cut and stitches sting like a mfkr. Water is soothing after that....

Whispered

Suddenly glad I was sectioned. :pac:

endacl

Whispered wrote: »

Suddenly glad I was sectioned. :pac:

Mental Health Act, or caesarean?!?

Toots

Oryx wrote: »

Eh... rinsing effect.

They say the pain of labour fades, but the pain of the first post-partum wee... never

Do what I did - hobble to the bathroom before the epidural had fully worn off! Didn't feel a thing for the first wee! Couldn't really feel my legs either though, so make sure you've got someone to haul you off the can when you're done!

Worst thing for me was the fear of the first no 2. Three days post partum and nothing. They wanted me to go before going home so they gave me suppositories to make me go. I still get cold sweats thinking about that!

IvyTheTerrible

Toots wrote: »

Do what I did - hobble to the bathroom before the epidural had fully worn off! Didn't feel a thing for the first wee! Couldn't really feel my legs either though, so make sure you've got someone to haul you off the can when you're done!

Worst thing for me was the fear of the first no 2. Three days post partum and nothing. They wanted me to go before going home so they gave me suppositories to make me go. I still get cold sweats thinking about that!

Ah, in the clinic where I gave birth they make you buzz for someone to go the toilet with you for the first time just in case!

angeldelight

Whispered wrote: »

Suddenly glad I was sectioned. :pac:

My thoughts exactly! I was super lucky though, had practically no pain after the section and was off painkillers before leaving the hospital. Knowing I have a choice next time due to previous section I know which way I'm leaning!

tickingclock

Whispered wrote: »

Suddenly glad I was sectioned. :pac:

Agree with you!!!

Leogirl

I was so sick with strep b during labour+ had temp of almost 39° that i drank litres of water, vomited, more water, vomited etc for hours. Resulting in needing to pee about 30 mins post delivery+ I didn't feel a thing. The dreaded #2 was terrifying - I expected agony, it was nowhere near as bad as I expected. Still hurt+ I was literally shaking with fear going in.

Poor op, I wonder did he expect quite so much info. :-)

Neyite

You can still get the poo fear with a section -probably on a much smaller scale though!) The thought of straining on the loo with abdomen stitches brought me out in a cold sweat. Luckily whatever drug cocktail they gave me also gave me very loose bowels so no straining necessary.

smarty_mcfly

Leogirl wrote: »

Ah thank you. I'm well recovered from the birth. I honestly feel+ look like I never had a baby :-) I'm halfway through my chemo+ baby is thriving. Guess it's going well even if its a pretty c*ap situation.

wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery Leogirl!

Lucuma

pooch90 wrote: »

Hang on, what's this now???

You need to keep the stitches clean. A few drops of tea tree oil in the water in the squirty bottle works wonders in this regard. I had a friend who had to be readmitted to hospital with infected stitches - not nice!

Oryx

This thread should come with a warning, Do Not Read If Expecting First Child

IvyTheTerrible

Oryx wrote: »

This thread should come with a warning, Do Not Read If Expecting First Child

Oh I think it's helpful (once it's not exaggerated horror stories!)!
I wish I had known more about what happens after the birth, it would have made my life easier if I had been able to prepare.
Buying the right pads that don't irritate stitches.
Eating to prevent constipation in advance of the birth.
Having lansinoh on hand to help with soreness in breastfeeding straight away.
Knowing about how much you bleed (and for how many weeks after the birth).
Just simple things like that would have helped the first month be a bit easier.

Lucuma

Toots wrote: »

Do what I did - hobble to the bathroom before the epidural had fully worn off! Didn't feel a thing for the first wee! Couldn't really feel my legs either though, so make sure you've got someone to haul you off the can when you're done!

Worst thing for me was the fear of the first no 2. Three days post partum and nothing. They wanted me to go before going home so they gave me suppositories to make me go. I still get cold sweats thinking about that!

That sounds dangerous!

I didn't have an epidural but the midwives still made me do my first 3 wees into these cardboard bowl thingys?! Is that just a CUMH thing?! It was very difficult to co-ordinate! I was cursing those bloody things

Diamond Doll

I had stitches but didn't experience any of the stinging or discomfort that a lot of people seem to. As for the first bowel movement afterwards, the fear of it was terrible, but it was actually fine.

Digs

Diamond Doll wrote: »

I had stitches but didn't experience any of the stinging or discomfort that a lot of people seem to. As for the first bowel movement afterwards, the fear of it was terrible, but it was actually fine.

Yeah the psychological fear for me was much worse than the experience. I was actually grand!

LegacyUser

Haha!Great thread (as I face into baby number 2!) I was so paranoid about keeping stitches clean AND the bowel movement thing.It was actually fine but it didn't happen til about four days afterwards (gas and air seized everything up, it happens!!!), and I drank so much water and orange juice it was ok (TMI!!!).I didn't have an epidural or anything but I didn't have any problems with the first pee...

Odd Lucuma, I was treated for strep b during labour and was fine.Baba and I were kept in for five days afterwards as her temp rose slightly, so she was treated with antibiotics.
Rotunda make you pee in a jug too once afterwards.(why??....)
The bleeding thing got me actually.They kept asking what the blood was like and I kept saying it was fine (sure it had been so long since I'd seen that, I couldn't remember!!)I had a small haemorrage the following week though and had to go back in-some tissue was left insode.Not the biggest of deals but after I had a d&c to get sorted and saw the bleeding then I realised that I had been totally wrong about what I thought it should look like!!

Are you getting a good picture of what birth is like OP?As a male friend of ours said after the birth of their first "I've a whole new level of respect for you women after that!"

Whispered

Neyite wrote: »

You can still get the poo fear with a section -probably on a much smaller scale though!) The thought of straining on the loo with abdomen stitches brought me out in a cold sweat. Luckily whatever drug cocktail they gave me also gave me very loose bowels so no straining necessary.

Oh absolutely. No stitches so peeing was no problem but I lied to the doctor who was signing me out and said I had had a bm because I really wanted to be home with my husband and my dogs and my bed. I had lost a lot of blood during the section so I was on tablets for that too. Which is probably why my baby was 6 days old before my first bm.
Honestly, it was worse than labour, worse than anything I've ever experienced. The fear and the pain. I thought my stitches would burst. I'll never forget it. I totally wasn't expecting it at all. I wish I had known so I could have taken something.

angeldelight

Oh that sounds horrific! I didn't have any issues thankfully, I asked to be prescribed lactulose and because it was only on chart as required nurses didn't offer it but I asked for it regularly and was fine, not even too nervous!

Toots

I asked could I get another epidural for the poo......

Ms2011

Had a section first time & a natural birth 8 months ago.
I didn't actually find labour too bad & managed quite well with just gas & air but for the recovery afterwards give me a section everytime, dear God why did no one warn me how bad the recovery from a vaginal birth could be :eek:
Had a 3rd degree tear which needed to be repaired in theatre, lost 1.2litres of blood, turned blue & passed out in recovery (hubby thought I was dying!!!) & I wasn't completely pain free for 3 months after the birth.
Compared to the section where I found the first 5 days the most painful but was more or less back to normal after a week or two.

Crazy thing is it wouldn't put me off doing it again, birth must be the only thing that can be that uncomfortable but your brain conveniently forgets just enough that you'll do it all over again

mirrorwall14

I'm 10.5 months post labour and tbh I'm still a little freaked about going again. Not the baby part-that I love. My labour was just so fast I didn't have time to get to grips with it at all and I couldn't have painkillers/epidural because his heart rate was poor and there wasn't time for the epi. Everyone always says first labour is slow. Mine wasn't! They moved me to labour at <1cm because of the heart rate and to give me gas and air as contractions were so fast. Recorded labour total time 1hr 12 minutes..... From <1 to baby in arms!

Dolbert

Just adding for any mothers-to-be reading this that some first time births can be fine too! I was induced at 39 weeks and the labour lasted 5.5 hours from first contraction to finish. I was advised to get an epidural asap due to potential issues with general anaesthetic in case it went to c-section. It was all very intense but manageable with the pain relief and recovery was straightforward. 10/10 would birth again

pwurple

Lucuma wrote: »

That sounds dangerous!

I didn't have an epidural but the midwives still made me do my first 3 wees into these cardboard bowl thingys?! Is that just a CUMH thing?! It was very difficult to co-ordinate! I was cursing those bloody things

Cardboard bowl things are to measure the volume. They want to see at least 500 ml through the bladder before they are happy everything is working.

Dolbert

pwurple wrote: »

Cardboard bowl things are to measure the volume. They want to see at least 500 ml through the bladder before they are happy everything is working.

I remember being really impressed at how much my bladder held after birth vs before :pac:

Neyite

Dolbert wrote: »

I remember being really impressed at how much my bladder held after birth vs before :pac:

I remember the first wee went on forever.

I had an induced labour then an EMCS. It actually was a lovely birth even though it was far from the hypnobirthing-doing-crosswords-inbetween-contractions type of labour.

If you offered me a choice right now between dental pain or post EMCS, I'd choose EMCS.

January

pwurple wrote: »

Cardboard bowl things are to measure the volume. They want to see at least 500 ml through the bladder before they are happy everything is working.

Never had that on either of my natural births... I had catheters on both of my c sections, I nearly had to have the catheter reinserted on the last one because I didn't pee for 24 hours after I had it taken out.

Toots

Neyite wrote: »

I remember the first wee went on forever.
.

I remember wondering would it ever end!

*knock knock* Mrs Toots, everything OK in there?
Yup, still peeing..
(A while later)
*knock knock* Mrs Toots ..
I'm grand! Although on a related note this cardboard hat you gave me to pee in is overflowing, should I be concerned? :pac:

supersiren

Kind of wished this thread was here before I had my little girl. It's bein 8 weeks and one day since I gave birth and thankfully can say that it was a great experience. Contractions started at 12.25 am and she arrived at 9.48 am so wasn't too long. Contractions hurt like hell just no time in between to even catch a breath..got epidural (can't really understand why anyone wouldn't)😱 I was 8 cm gone when I got it so barely made it but what a difference it made..a complete calmness took over and myself and himself could really enjoy the experience! Pushed for maybe half an hour and did tear so needed stitches but can honestly say I never knew that I had either..no stinging/pain. Now on a whole other story I did get piles..oh holy sweet mother of Jesus do those bad boys hurt!! The worst thing by far about the whole pregnancy and birth!! As for the first pee that was as normal and the first poo was grand too..I did nearly cry with relief that I actually did a poo myself having being constipated for the last three months!! TMI!!! Bottom is still a little sore now if I sit for too long or in a certain position!! Hope this doesn't scare anybody..I'm ready to so it all over again so it hasn't scared me!!!

Leogirl

swooshty wrote:

Odd Lucuma, I was treated for strep b during labour and was fine.Baba and I were kept in for five days afterwards as her temp rose slightly, so she was treated with antibiotics. Rotunda make you pee in a jug too once afterwards.(why??....) The bleeding thing got me actually.They kept asking what the blood was like and I kept saying it was fine (sure it had been so long since I'd seen that, I couldn't remember!!)I had a small haemorrage the following week though and had to go back in-some tissue was left insode.Not the biggest of deals but after I had a d&c to get sorted and saw the bleeding then I realised that I had been totally wrong about what I thought it should look like!!

In my case the strep b was everywhere they said+ she came out burning the poor mite. She was on antibiotics for a week, me for 2 weeks. They were being extra careful so I'd be ok to start chemo asap. Funny thing was, I asked my gp to test for it at 37 weeks + they said they dont test for strep here unless you've had it before.