labor & delivery

KelseyFoster1991 · May 2014

Tell me about your labor and delivery with your child! How big an impact did it play in your decision to be one & done?

eyenigh · May 2014

I ended up with a planned c-section so labor doesn't come into play but, as far as that c-section went, it was fantastic. I always only wanted one child but the terrible part that would make me never do it again was my pregnancy itself. I found out that I was pregnant at 5 weeks along and by the 6th week, I was vomiting 10 times a day (more during the first trimester) and throughout the night. This went on for 7+ months, tapering down to around 10 times only during the day until about 8.5 months and that was when I could finally gain a little weight. I ended up in the hospital three different times because I was constantly dehydrated. Luckily I have a very flexible office job that let me lie down regularly because all the vomiting made me constantly weak and lightheaded. I also developed terrible eczema all over my body (I already had it but it EXPLODED during pregnancy) and I never stopped itching. Within days of delivering my son, it completely cleared up. Overall, I was miserable and my son is so enough for me anyway. I'd never want to go through pregnancy again.

Chapter79 · May 2014

A semi part.

I had an emergency c/s because of IUGR - placenta was no longer bringing blood to her, she stopped growing. She was only 4 pounds at 35 weeks. So it played a part, I had a crap unhealthy pregnancy.

Jerzee17 · May 2014

I had an awesome pregnancy, labor and delivery even though of complications. While pregnant I threw up all the time, at 24 weeks I broke my leg, I was told I was having a "girl" just to find out at 32 weeks I was really having a "boy." I was diagnosed with cholestasis and it was so bad I had to be induced to risk not having a stillborn at 38 weeks. The pitocin made my son's heart rate drop a lot and the epidural made me so sick I threw up until I fell asleep because I was so exhausted from it. When I woke up it was time to push but because the epidural made me not be able to feel anything below the waist, I couldn't push. My SO other made me laugh when he was talking about the Dr. Who said we were having a girl by saying "how could he not see the penis, it takes up the whole sonogram! " I started laughing so hard I literally laughed my son out in the matter of minutes. I have a very loud, distinctive laugh (think hyena on crack) and that was the first thing my son heard lmao. He was born without any complications or problems. So while I had a crazy pregnancy, it had no part in making me decide OAD. I loved being pregnant, I loved the way I looked, I only gained 28 lbs. And I dropped the weight so quick after my son was born people joked I was like those celebrities that lose the weight 5 minutes after birth. The only thing is that if I did become pregnant again that I would have like a 98% chance of getting cholestasis again and that is scary. To be high risk and have ultrasounds twice a week to make sure the baby is alive and well is too much to deal with.

JackoftheBox · May 2014

I was induced after being diagnosed for pre-e. After 22 hours of labor I had an emergency c-section due to LO's heart rate dropping. I'm not going to pretty it up.... It was the worst experience of my life. I hadn't had an epidural until about 30 mins before the c-section so I was feeling a lot of pain. The room smelled horrible they wouldn't let dh come in until after. This was definitely one of the reasons i was going to be OAD.

Helenahhandbasket · May 2014

Labor and delivery has nothing to do with me being OAD, personally, but I just wanted to give my sorries to the ladies that had horrible pregnancies and deliveries.

hopefulmom81 · May 2014

The pregnancy plus the L&D plays a pretty major part in my personal decision to be OAD.

I was induced at 39 weeks because my blood pressure started being wonky around 35 weeks. I also think my OB could tell I was hitting my mental limit (we had 2 losses before DD and the entire pregnancy was stressful with me just waiting to get the news that this baby had died too).

The details are a bit fuzzy, but I was induced at 7AM on May 8th. Not much happened until my water broke at like 6PM. Then, the contractions hit and I was basically in back labor feeling like someone was shoving a hot poker up my butt hole for about 6 hours. I tried as hard as I could to do it unmedicated, so it was seriously the worst experience of my life.

They came in to check my cervix, and in my head I was thinking, "I just went through transition, I am probably about 8cm" and the OB on duty said, "3cm maybe 4". I wanted to die. I felt like a failure, but I looked at DH and said, "I give up, I can't do this any more" and got an epidural. I asked about a C-Section, and they said that it wasn't necessary at that point. I seriously just wanted the baby out alive at that point, I didn't care how.

At about 3AM the nurses and an OB rushed in to the room, flipped me and threw an oxygen mask on me without telling us what was going on. Well, of course it was the baby's hear rate, so DH and I were glued to the heart rate monitor until 8AM.

At 8AM the OB checked me and I was still at 4cm. He said that we could wait, but it could be another 8 hours until I was fully dilated plus it would be hours of pushing potentially. We had a long discussion about a C-Section. I kept asking, "Will I die?" and, "Will the baby die". I was in an exhausted haze.

We were rolled into the OR at 10AM and Chelsea was out crying at 10:25AM.

Even typing this I am feeling anxious and am certain that I can't do it again. My blood pressure got worse after delivery, and my anxiety rendered me almost unable to leave the house. I got the BP under control and at about 6 months PP I started Zoloft and feel like myself again.

jellybean529 · May 2014

Mine was rough. Had some complications at the end of pregnancy (PIH/preeclampsia and low amniotic fluid) and wound up being induced. DD was born via C-section 24 hours later after she went into distress. My OB was a complete jackass during the entire process and I hated him for it, so even though recovery was a breeze, I was immediately like. NOPE. NOT DOING THAT AGAIN.

I'm finding myself longing for a "do-over" these days (especially with DD turning 6 next week, and her constantly asking me for a sibling...) but seeing as how I'm no longer with my H and not dating that's highly unlikely...

TittsMcGee · May 2014

I had a great pregnancy and my water broke when I was 38 weeks. I went to the hospital around 7am and was dilated around 4cm when I arrived. DS wasn't born until 11pm that evening. He was in the NICU for a week and had a home health care nurse come to see him twice a week for a month.

You really do forget all the pain of labor & delivery once your LO arrives. It was the postpartum period that was difficult for me. I would hate to have to go through that again and it was a really stressful time in our marriage. I had major PPD and cried almost every day.

TiffanyBerry · May 2014

L&D wasn't part of my reason for considering OAD. The crappy weeks months years of sleep deprivation have been a major part, though. I have a "difficult" sleeper.

The short version:

Early labor was long and really annoying (24hrs). I made my husband have sex with me to speed things up - and it did. Active labor was still long (12hrs), and DD was placed oddly causing me fairly intense pain in my back during contractions (but not back labor, thank goodness). I tried laboring in the tub, but I couldn't get comfortable. I was cold most of the time (which is unusual), and it was just unpleasant. I ended up giving birth on the birth stool with my husband seated behind me to help support me. She was around 8.5lbs, and I lost a lot of blood, but otherwise we were all fine.

It wasn't a fun/happy/pleasant experience. But all the bad bits you "forget" - the details of how bad it was fades out, and you don't remember it as strongly as you experienced it. (Eventually!)

Of course, it's *totally* different for everyone!

KS02CS08 · May 2014

I had an easy pregnancy but labor and delivery was another story. I was induced and my body never dilated on it's on without .pitocin I had to lay in the same position for 3 hrs since my dd heart rate would drop otherwise. My dd was born with her cord around her neck and need 75% oxygen when she was born. She had meconium aspiration so she had to spend a week in the NICU. I wasn't able to hold her until I was able to make it to the NICU. They gave her medicine in the NICU that can cause hearing lose so she has to get hearing test once a year until age 3 which is about $400 per test. She also had tongue tie so she wasn't able to breastfeed so I pumped for her for 5 1/2 mths. My dd also had to go to PT for a year and that runs about $1000 a week.

csspencer · May 2014

L&D for me was super easy, as was recovery. I pretty much decided on being OAD before I went into labor. I had a super stressful pregnancy, lost two pregnancies prior, so my anxiety level was super high.

bloverde · May 2014

My L&D wasn't awesome, but honestly it was my son's health that made me OAD. Pregnancy was ok, some gallbladder issues. But labor was 36 hours, 33 hours unmedicated. It was all back labor. The people who say you have no pain between contractions are either liars, or didn't have back labor. I stalled at 8cm and was started on pitocin. After an hour of that hellish drug, I begged for an epidural. Honestly, I would do it again, but I can't handle another baby or toddler like my son.

Myaflowers · May 2014

I told my medically OAD story in the thread from last week. I had an emergency c-section due to HELLP. The c-section itself was a piece of cake. I had back surgery in 2010, and the recovery from that was so much harder. Part of me has always been sad that I'll never get to experience labor and vaginal delivery, but from reading everyone's stories, it sounds like I was lucky to have an emergency c-section!

KS02CS08 · May 2014

Myaflowers said:
I told my medically OAD story in the thread from last week. I had an emergency c-section due to HELLP. The c-section itself was a piece of cake. I had back surgery in 2010, and the recovery from that was so much harder. Part of me has always been sad that I'll never get to experience labor and vaginal delivery, but from reading everyone's stories, it sounds like I was lucky to have an emergency c-section!

Having a baby vaginal isn't all its cracked up to be since most women tear or have to get cut

VegasGal1978 · May 2014

My labor had its difficult parts...major IV troubles, long induction that was slow to progress, pushing for hours, loss of more blood than expected, slow to recover vitals. I had my share of difficulties.

None of these things have impacted my decision to be one and done. If another child was right for us, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. We decided to put our love and finances into one child. Both DH and I are only children, so we understand how it works.

gwendarling · May 2014

l&d was pretty horrible - I started prodromal labor Friday am, checked in Saturday/Sunday night, labored for another 50 hours or so and then threw in the towel and went to the operating room for my c/s. by the time I was being prepped for surgery, I had been laboring for dayyyyssss, I was exhausted, and super drugged up. i remember feeling a million ants in my body as they were operating and I just needed them to finish ASAP, I couldnt handle it.

then, afterwards in the delivery room, I was too out of it to even bond with her. and all of this preceded the postpartum depression and anxiety.

but really, those are the reasons why I wanted another baby so much - because I felt like I could do it better the next time, now that I knew what to expect and what motherhood was.

in retrospect, my daughter and my journey was the best possible journey for us and I would not trade it for anything else. we have such a strong bond, and I really think it's because of our journey together. THAT'S what makes me one and done, really.

meo34 · May 2014

Myaflowers said:

I told my medically OAD story in the thread from last week. I had an emergency c-section due to HELLP. The c-section itself was a piece of cake. I had back surgery in 2010, and the recovery from that was so much harder. Part of me has always been sad that I'll never get to experience labor and vaginal delivery, but from reading everyone's stories, it sounds like I was lucky to have an emergency c-section!

Me too right to a tee, we are birth exprience twins @Myaflowers, lol. Also agree on the vaginal birth. Even in the fog of drugs and HELLP when they said C-Section I felt I could get my head there mentally in terms of what would be involved as opposed to a vaginal birth. Aside from that yes delivery was the key factor in OAD.

PB102012 · May 2014

L&D didn't impact my decision to be OAD. DH and I had really bad struggles during the newborn stage and his words took their toll on me (he has since done a complete 180). No also didn't enjoy the newborn stage, and feel for financial reasons we are OAD.

kristennd · May 2014

It didn't make a difference for us. I was on bed rest for the last 90 days or so due to ridiculous blood pressure but that was more inconvenient than miserable. I wasn't in pain or anything. Induced at 38 weeks when it officially turned to pre-e (protein appeared). I did end up with an epidural but the total process was 23 hours and I avoided a c-section, so I feel I got off pretty easy compared to many.

The big frustration was being strapped to the bed the entire time. Again, because of the blood pressure. I was at immediate risk of a stroke. LO was fine. So no walking around, no using the balance ball, no using the jacuzzi tub, etc. Hence giving up and getting the epi. Also, the blood pressure cuff they used every 15 minutes was actually more painful than the contractions. That's what I couldn't deal with.

Divallyn · May 2014

I had a relatively easy pregnancy. 1st tri was horrible but 2nd and 3rd were easy peasy. Labour and delivery were good too. I had to worlds most amazing doula so I think that played a big role. But I laboured for 10 hours and I actually enjoyed the birthing process. I can truly say it was the most beautiful moment of my life. So none of this affected our decision to be one and done. It was the PPD and post natal insomnia that has contributed to be OAD.

coastalmaine · May 2014

Yes. Unexplained preterm labor at 29 weeks...DS born at 2 lbs 14 oz...2 month nicu stay. I really don't want to go through that again!

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