What does it feel like to give birth?

January

Lucuma wrote: »

Increased risk of tears really?
Hadn't heard that one.
I knew epidurals lead to increased risk of forceps, ventouse & c-sections that plus the catheter is why I didn't want one.
As for tears/episiotomy no need to fear this from my experience. I didn't have epidural, needed an episiotomy but they numbed it first I didn't feel a thing or the stitches. It was sore once the local anaesthetic wore off but you're sore down there anyway. .. and it heals.
Alternative to stitches could be your baby being born not breathing like what happened to my bosses wife..as she refused to let them cut her. After I heard that story my fear of stitches vanished instantly. Rather me go through a bit of discomfort for a few weeks while stitches heal than have to watch my baby be resuscitated on birth!

She would have just torn and needed stitches anyway? They don't perform episiotomies to quicken labour, they perform them to control the tearing of the perineum to lessen the risk of damage to the anal sphincter muscle. Baby most likely would have been born not breathing if she had had the episiotomy.

irishgirl19

I was told the episiotomy was to quicken labour as the baby wouldn't/couldn't come out and was getting tired

ShaShaBear

irishgirl19 wrote: »

I was told the episiotomy was to quicken labour as the baby wouldn't/couldn't come out and was getting tired

Jeez, is that what they are telling people?

Just asked my sister, she said it was to lessen the chances of a catastrophic tear. I've never had to get one, tore naturally on my first and didn't tear on my second so I don't really know.

irishgirl19

ShaShaBear wrote:

Jeez, is that what they are telling people?

Yep and when I was pushing I was told ' I had two more pushes before the doctors came in to make a decision'.
I was pushing for 50 minutes which seemed ages but I've read of people pushing much longer and not needing intervention?
I had wrote down on my file that I didn't want an episiotomy, I still get pissed off about it sometimes

Leogirl

I had epidural+ needed ventousse+ episiotomy. Honestly the stitches didn't bother me anymore than the rest of down there. It does hurt afterwards anyway I'm assuming?? :-)

January

irishgirl19 wrote: »

I was told the episiotomy was to quicken labour as the baby wouldn't/couldn't come out and was getting tired

Jesus Christ. This makes me so angry. How is anybody supposed to make informed decisions when they are being lied to like that.

Lucuma

Irishgirl if episiotomies are performed to prevent a bad tear, and you put in your birth plan you don't want one, does that mean you would prefer a bad tear like a 3rd degree tear to an episiotomy (which is eq to 2nd deg tear) then? I don't really understand having it in your birth plan not to do it if it's something that's done to prevent something worse from happening?

irishgirl19

Yeah I just kind of went with it without asking questions because I was nervous and exhausted.
Its healed fine now though. The stitches came apart about a week after the birth. The gp put the ****s up me telling me ill probably have to get an op in 6 months to get it cut and restitched but I seen a gynae who said it would be fine and heal itself naturally albeit a bit longer,which it did

bp

I had a bad tear with my 1st, an epsinoptiny (thingy!) would have been better. My second barely tore

January

Natural tears are said to heal easier and there's less risk of infection than with an episiotomy.

IvyTheTerrible

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Jeez, is that what they are telling people?

Just asked my sister, she said it was to lessen the chances of a catastrophic tear. I've never had to get one, tore naturally on my first and didn't tear on my second so I don't really know.

I had an episiotomy and a small tear and that's what I was told too, that basically if you let the perineum tear itself, it can have worse consequences than if they control where the cut happens (and I know I would have torn more if I hadn't had the intervention cos my son's head was massive - he's not four and he wears a hat for an eight year old!)

ShaShaBear

Lucuma wrote: »

Irishgirl if episiotomies are performed to prevent a bad tear, and you put in your birth plan you don't want one, does that mean you would prefer a bad tear like a 3rd degree tear to an episiotomy (which is eq to 2nd deg tear) then? I don't really understand having it in your birth plan not to do it if it's something that's done to prevent something worse from happening?

As far as I was made aware from my own research, there isn't nearly enough evidence to suggest it prevents anything worse happening. No one can know for sure that you might not have torn as badly or even at all before they perform the episiotomy. You could very well be left with a cut and stitches that are totally unnecessary!
My first weighed less and had a smaller head than my second, yet I tore with my first and not with my second. My natural tear with my first only needed 5 stitches, 2 internal and 3 external. Had they cut me, I would have needed more stitches!

borderlinemeath

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Jeez, is that what they are telling people?

Just asked my sister, she said it was to lessen the chances of a catastrophic tear. I've never had to get one, tore naturally on my first and didn't tear on my second so I don't really know.

I was in a very similar position, my baby wouldn't come out, I had been pushing for a what seemed like hours, and even from the start the midwives could see babys head but she just wouldn't budge. I was exhausted and midwives were getting concerned as heart rate started to change - whether it increased or decreased I'll never remember. At that point I said do whatever was needed, just get baby out. Only difference between myself and Irishgirl was I didn't have an epidural and different hospitals I think.

I'm sure it's not just for one black and white scenario, perhaps to avoid a catastrophic tear, or to help with delivery if there's no progress and trouble is imminent.

Ms2011

They took the gas and air off me just before I started pushing so pushed completely drug free, it only took 3 mins to push her out, I got an episiotomy bit still wound up with a third degree tear which needed repair in theatre & physio to put right. My baby was 7 lbs 5oz so not massive by an stretch of the imagination.
I think the biggest factor in bad tears is coached pushing.

ShaShaBear

Ms2011 wrote: »

They took the gas and air off me just before I started pushing so pushed completely drug free, it only took 3 mins to push her out, I got an episiotomy bit still wound up with a third degree tear which needed repair in theatre & physio to put right. My baby was 7 lbs 5oz so not massive by an stretch of the imagination.
I think the biggest factor in bad tears is coached pushing.

Definitely the other big difference between both my labours. Had my second in the MLU and the only time any midwife even spoke to me during pushing was when one said "This next push is the last one, you're almost there!". They were much stricter on the consultant ward with my first. I was on a trace and they tried to force me to get three pushes per contraction because "we can see how long its lasting here, you have time for another push!".

Dolbert

Is there ever a case for coached pushing? I was adamant that I wouldn't let it happen, but his heart rate was dropping with each contraction and I was told in no uncertain terms that he had to come out asap. Naturally I went with it as there wasn't much time to argue but I do wonder about how necessary it was.

Lashes28

Does anyone else clench downstairs at the thoughts of episotomy,tears,stitches???
Jees I hope next baby has a small head.

January

Lashes28 wrote: »

Does anyone else clench downstairs at the thoughts of episotomy,tears,stitches???
Jees I hope next baby has a small head.

Not anymore. I'd prefer a tear and stitches over this..

cyning

Dolbert wrote: »

Is there ever a case for coached pushing? I was adamant that I wouldn't let it happen, but his heart rate was dropping with each contraction and I was told in no uncertain terms that he had to come out asap. Naturally I went with it as there wasn't much time to argue but I do wonder about how necessary it was.

With my second I was told we needed baby out: her heart rate was dropping and cord was wrapped around her neck. But they hadn't called a doc (although they knew he was across the way) and she was perfect so I just don't know. My body was pushing anyway!

I do know that the midwives got a senior doc to do my stitches on my second as I was so terrified as I needed a huge amount of physio after my first. I went from 2-10cm while they put in the epidural. Then everything stopped: the midwife after my second told me it was probably the reason I probably needed so much physio as she sat in my birth canal for so long after as the dilation happened so quickly? I had a machine and everything for the physio that I had to insert for 30 minutes twice a day for 4 months while doing my pelvic floor exercises. No fun and not something that is ever really talked about. I had a second degree tear on both births. I was fine after the second but i was so particular about my pelvic floor exercises the whole way through.

dekey

Lashes28 wrote: »

Does anyone else clench downstairs at the thoughts of episotomy,tears,stitches???
Jees I hope next baby has a small head.

I had a baby whose head circumference was off the scale to the point we were kept in longer so a SHO, Reg and consultant could all check her over as her length and weight were all mid range in comparison. They were concerned about fluid on the brain and we had follow up appointments to monitor. Thankfully it was nothing. Yet I had no tearing at all even though she was my first. I genuinely put it down to going without the epidural and being in control of pushing through the contractions and feeling my body's limits. So a big baby doesn't mean anything

javagal

I had an amazing first pregnancy after a few bleeds at the start but my Labour was another story.
Everything that could of went wrong did in my opinion!
My baby was back to back, so when my waters broke, the pain never let up. I went to 10cm in 4 hours and had an epidural, she got stuck on the way out and the epi hadn't been topped up so had an episotomy with no pain relief and she was vacuumed out. She had a huge head and was 10lb- she had to be seen to by doctor before she cried.
The cord from the placenta snapped and the consultant tried to remove it using her hand, causing me to go into shock, stop breathing and haemorrhage severely, ended up in theatre getting placenta removed-cannot explain the vaginal pain i had for weeks.
When I woke up in icu, I had 4 transfusions,baby came to visit Me and stopped breathing for a few seconds..we spent 5 days in hospital (it all ended up in the hiqa investigation in the end)

But!!!
12 weeks to go until our little man makes his entrance and am I one bit afraid?

Nope! Bring it on! I can do anything!

pwurple

Lashes28 wrote: »

Does anyone else clench downstairs at the thoughts of episotomy,tears,stitches???
Jees I hope next baby has a small head.

Both my babies had small heads (5th percentile). I didn't tear on the heads. Their broad shoulders caught me. 2nd and 3rd degree tears for me.

Insist on them calling a surgeon to repair you instead of a midwife or obs/gyn after a big tear. It makes the WORLD of difference to recovery to get the stitches done by an expert. I cannot understate it. I was in bits after first baby, got infections, had to have stitches redone, had difficulty with all normal functions, recovery took months and i was still not right.. There is a lot going on in that area! Good as new after second baby, with a specialist doing the stitches.

Lashes28

Oh I know it's not all got to do with heads etc .Just saying my legs are crossed reading the stories!!
My first epidural,8lb 5,tore stitches and infection
My second, gas and air,7lb 13,nothing.
Here's hoping the third will come as easy

Diamond Doll

My baby was in distress throughout the labour, he'd the scalp monitor on from early in the labour, his heartbeat was dropping dangerously with every contraction.

I wasn't asked about an episiotomy, I was told it was happening. I would have agreed though, absolutely, anything to get him out safely. Scary thing was feeling the scalpel down there and they hadn't realised the epidural hadn't kicked in. :eek: But they were able to give me a local anaesthetic that worked immediately.

I went into the process wanting a natural birth, and would have preferred to tear rather than be cut, but actually the cut healed so well and so quickly that I'd probably go for it again. Nothing to be scared of.

For any expectant mothers though ... DO make sure the area is fully anaesthetised before you feel the cold sharp scalpel on it. It's not pleasant! :eek:

Ms2011

Diamond Doll wrote: »

For any expectant mothers though ... DO make sure the area is fully anaesthetised before you feel the cold sharp scalpel on it. It's not pleasant! :eek:

Had my episiotomy with absolutely no drugs & didn't feel a thing, can only presume adrenaline had kicked in & masked any pain.

irishgirl19

Diamond Doll wrote:

For any expectant mothers though ... DO make sure the area is fully anaesthetised before you feel the cold sharp scalpel on it. It's not pleasant!

Shivers!

Diamond Doll

Ms2011 wrote: »

Had my episiotomy with absolutely no drugs & didn't feel a thing, can only presume adrenaline had kicked in & masked any pain.

Well I only had the epidural at 10cm. And the actual birth only lasted around ten minutes. So what happened was she showed me the scalpel, then held it down there, then said, "You can't feel that can you? Can I go ahead and cut?"

The epidural hadn't yet kicked in, and the head was half-way down, so I was like, "YES I can feel it, it's really cold, please don't cut me down there with that!" She was all shocked and injected me down there with a local anaesthetic immediately. And all was grand. Got stitched up, dunno how many stitches. But all healed physically very well!

mirrorwall14

I had nothing for an episiotomy, similar story-baby in distress with head monitor on and needed to be out fast. Didn't give a flying f*ck at that stage. Got the local anaesthetic for the stitches tho

Diamond Doll

Yeah I guess I was a bit of a weakling, to even need anything.

I dunno I just freaked out feeling the scalpel. Most mums wouldn't have cared!

mirrorwall14

If I had time to think Dolbert I might have, but my 2nd/3rd stage lasted like 12 minutes...