Birth Stories... possible TW's

m6agua · December 2019

Here is a place for us to share our birth stories (any and all) with as much or as little detail as you want.

Be warned that this post may have some triggering stories. Also note that everyone is different and every birth is different. One persons experience has no bearing on your own.

If you really like reading or listening to birth stories I highly recommend The Birth Hour podcast.

m6agua · December 2019

I'll start. Overall my birth was fairly short for a FTM and there were really no complications. I had her the night before my scheduled induction (due to diet controlled GD). *TW* I do think my previous loss/miscarriage at home contributed to my labor going by fairly quick. Almost like my body knew what to do already. *end TW*

DD - 39 weeks 4 days, 9:40 pm, 7 lbs 2 oz, 19.5 inches long

I had started dilating at about 35 weeks (fingertip). It slowly progressed and by my 39 week appointment I was a 3. She did a membrane sweep and then I was at 4 cm dilated. That was a Thursday. Then on Saturday I had a lot of tightening but no pain, which I think were braxton hicks. Same thing Sunday morning. Then I took a nap and woke up at 2pm to contractions. I timed them and they were about 45 sec-1 min long and 3 min apart. Texted DH to come home from work right away. We got everything together, brought the dog to boarding and headed to the hospital. The car ride was only about 15 minutes through town but it was awful, all of the bumps and pot holes sucked.

We got there around 4pm, I was 5 or 6cm, and I was GBS+ so I had to get the antibiotics. I tried the laughing gas, but didn't like that. I labored in the tub, and also had nubain (loved this). I was getting up off the ball at the end of the bed when my water broke (all over the nurses shoes). I immediately felt the need to push. They made me get into bed right away, and in the process my IV came out and they had to stick me again so I could get the rest of the antibiotics. I was only 9 so I had to fight the urge to push for about 15 minutes. Then pushing time came, I pushed for only 10 minutes. Once her head came out she just slid right out. She took a little to cry then they placed her on me but took her back right away because she kept holding her breath. They worked on her on the side while I delivered the placenta, which just came out on its own easily. Then I got to hold her/skin to skin etc. She arrived at 9:40 pm. I did have a second degree tear at the bottom of my vagina towards the taint and it bothered me for a long time after birth, like a year later it would be bothersome once in a while, particularly during sex at certain angles.

For my next birth experience I am hoping for something similar. I would like to stay home longer, but I am worried about the car ride being further along and if I need antibiotics again I would need to go in sooner. I will not do the gas this time because it just wasn't my thing. I would love to labor in the tub again or even the shower. The biggest difference is I want to try it without the Nubain, but will get it again if needed. However I really want to avoid the second dose so close to delivery. I felt like I was really out of it when she came out and I think it effected the initial bonding. So I would probably asked to be checked before any Nubain doses.

ETA: I think I will try not to push as hard and fast as I did with DD to, hopefully to avoid tearing. I think me just wanting to get her out and only pushing for 10 minutes caused my tear.

ruby696 · December 2019

DS: 39+6, 7lbs, 11oz

My water broke Halloween night. We went to the hospital and discovered there were traces of meconium in the water, so I only had 24 hrs to deliver if I wanted to avoid a c-section. He was also sunny-side up. I was given Cytotec since I wasn't really having contractions. That did nothing. Then they gave me Pitocin, which got things moving, but the contractions were terrible, so I had an epidural. That stalled labor. Long story short, I labored for 25 hours with horrific back labor and then pushed for 2 hours, but DS couldn't fit through my pubic bone. I had a c-section 27 hours after I was admitted. Recovery was pretty easy and I was walking the halls within hours.

Oh, and turns out my sac had only partially ruptured, so they also had to break my water.

DD: 40+4, 7lbs, 6oz

I woke up having contractions at 6:15. We made it to the hospital by 8:45 (longest 5 minute drive of my life). I was 6 cm dilated and the contractions were brought, so I opted for an epidural. Stalled labor. One of the nurses started telling me I would probably need another c-section (b*tch - it had only been like 4 hrs since I was admitted), so I just closed my eyes and kept imagining my body doing what it was supposed to do. They checked me a couple hours later and I was at a 10. I pushed for about 20 minutes and DD popped right out. Like literally. The doctor wasn't expecting her head to come out that fast and so her head wasn't supported at all when she first emerged. She was a successful VBAC after 9 hrs of labor. I did need two stitches, but that was NBD.

For the twins, I *think* I want another VBAC, but I'm nervous about meconium since my babies seem to poop during labor. I already told my doctor that I absolutely don't want to schedule a c-section or induction unless it's medically necessary. I like the surprise.

*PSA - for some people (like me) epidurals can stall your labor. That means more intervention, which can also stall labor. I really want to avoid it this time if I can. We'll see.

mokay19 · December 2019

I am obsessed with The Birth Hour. So many various stories on there!

I went into labor and delivery with zero expectations. I basically said "I'll try to not use pain meds, but if I need them then I'll use them." I knew that I was delivering at the hospital on base so I didn't have to worry about looking around or anything.

I went to my 38 week appointment on 37+4 because Fridays worked better for my work schedule. Since I had been feeling like there was a bowling ball between my legs for about a week at this point, I requested to be checked at that appointment. I was 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced so she stripped my membranes in the office. The midwife said "get ready to have a baby this weekend!" And, of course, I was super naive and thought "lol, okay whatever, I still have more time..."

On Saturday at 38+5, we went to a friend's house an hour away to pick up a truck load of mulch. As DH loaded the bed, I walked around the neighborhood since it was nice outside (late July in the PNW). We drove back home and spread the mulch that afternoon. I had some tightening and such but nothing really painful and definitely no consistent so I brushed it off as a result of the yard work. DH threw a surprise shower that night with the neighbors so I went to bed full and exhausted!

I woke up that Sunday morning at 2:45 am to my water breaking in bed (thank goodness for a waterproof mattress cover). As I sat on the toilet to let some water out, the contractions CAME FAST. We got in the truck and headed to the hospital about 30 minutes away. We accidentally parked at the wrong door since it was after hours and I walked to a couple different doors to check if they were open. The contractions were tough to walk through, but I managed. Then we decided we had to drive to the other side of the building so we went back to the truck. As we started driving, we saw some nurses leave the building and we wanted to double check that we were going to the right door (this time) so we pulled over and asked them. My contractions were too strong to talk through and they could tell so they scanned us into the building there.

Got to L&D some time around 4am (maybe... it's all a blur). They very slowly (I remember it being like the sloth at the DMV on Zootopia) checked me in to triage and said they'd "come check if my water actually broke." They tried to hook me up to see if I was actually contracting but I couldn't sit down and the monitors kept sliding off my belly. The doctor came in to see if it was my water and without even swabbing she goes "yup, you're already past 6 cm so let's get you in a room."

I got to the room and had them put an IV in (it was standard protocol and I didn't mind). I had them draw blood in case I wanted an epidural. At 4:45 am, I told the nurse I felt like I was going to poop. She checked me and I was at 9.5 cm. She yelled into the hallway to get a tray and a doctor so that I could push. When they got there, I did a couple bad/unhelpful pushes. Once I figured it out, DD came out in about 3-4 pushes at 5:06 am at 7 lbs 3 oz and 19.5" long. She was born before the results from the blood test even came back to let them know if I could have an epidural or not haha.

I don't really remember delivering the placenta since I was holding her and she was screaming, but I just remember a little tug and a noticeable release. I lost a decent amount of blood so I had like 4 warming blankets on me and DD while they stitched up my second degree tear. I had a tear near my urethra which was super painful to pee for the first week or so but fine after that. I allowed a resident to stitch me up and he was AWFUL that I always say that was more painful than labor haha.

shamrocandroll · December 2019

I usually try to give people a warning before I tell my birth story. I'm still struggling with some PTSD from it, and I'm talking to a therapist about that. Ultimately I know each birth is different, and I will get through it one way or another. That helps to chill me out some (for now).

DS: 40+6, 8lbs, 10.5oz

I went in the day before my due date at 39+6 and I was already at 4cm when they checked me. She swept my membranes, and then pretty much said "We'll see you soon!" ...I then proceeded to walk around (angrily) at 4cm for the next 5 days.

I started having contractions around dinner time at 40+4. I was timing them, but they were very irregular. Sometimes they were really long and close together, and then sometimes they'd be further apart, so I didn't really know how to interpret them as far as when to go in. I called and they said to come in for a check. So we went to the hospital (only about 15 mins away) and I was still at 4cm. So they told me I could either walk around the hospital to try to get things moving or go home to try to get some rest. They advised me to take some Benadryl to try to get some sleep, so I went home and tried that. MH slept in the guest room so one of us could be well rested (eyeroll) and I proceeded to get about 90 minutes of sleep total for the night. The next morning, I was getting stronger contractions, although they were still pretty irregular. I went back in and they checked me again, and I was at 6cm and got admitted.

I was unsure about whether I wanted to get an epidural, and my originaly goal was to make it to 6cm and decide then. When I was first admitted, it felt manageable, so I kept at it with no meds and a labor ball. I don't know how long I labored like that, but I think it was at least a couple of hours, and when the nurse came in to see how I was doing a while later, she said my expression had totally changed and I was not handling the pain as well. They checked me again and I was still at 6cm. I think I had gotten myself into a pain-fear cycle and stalled out my labor. So at that point, I asked for an epidural. In my case, the pain-fear cycle is what stalled my labor, and the epidural relaxed me enough to get things going again. I got the lower end of the recommended range and could still move my legs and support some of my own weight with the epi. I took a little bit of a nap with the peanut ball between my legs and alternating sides, and the rest of my progression went pretty fast. So overall, my labor was relatively smooth.

Then it came time to push around 8pm or so. They had me do some "practice pushes" and said the baby might be sunny side up. I pushed some more, and after about 2 hours of that they told me the baby was definitely sunny side up and diagonal, and was stuck and not really coming down the birth canal. At that point my epidural had pretty much stopped working because it's not really meant to be as effective that far down. We talked about upping it, but I decided to try to power through at the lower level. Then we reached a point where they told me I had 3 options: continue trying to push on my own, as long as the baby didn't become distressed, or try vacuum assisted delivery, or a c-section. I didn't think I had much strength left for pushing for an unknown amount of time on about 2 hours of sleep in the last 24 hours, and I wanted to avoid a c-section, so we opted for the vacuum. They used it to assist while I pushed for about 6 repetitions, and still no baby. That part was a really weird, scary sensation. They will only try it so many times because they don't want to risk injury by doing much more than that. I decided to try and keep pushing on my own and summoned every last ounce of strength I possibly could to push as hard as I could. He was finally born at 1:10 AM the day before our scheduled induction. We were team green, but both convinced we were having a girl, and I think I even referred to him as "she" before MH remembered he was supposed to announce the sex (he had ONE job, hahaha). They had to take him to get sucked out because I had mecomium in my water, so we didn't get to do delayed cord clamping, but we did get skin-to-skin contact pretty quickly after he was born. I was sleep deprived, delirious, and in a lot of pain, so I don't remember a whole lot about that moment, which makes me a little bit sad.

I had some 3rd+ degree tearing and needed some major stitching up. MH went to sleep at that point and I secretly still hate him a little bit for it, but I get that one of us needed to get some rest. I lost just under what would be considered a critical amount of blood. He ended up having a lot of nursing trouble and some minor torticolis, which I think he vacuum delivery contributed to. I also wish I had asked the nurses to take him for a little bit so I could get some rest because I ended up being so severely sleep deprived while we were there.

I'm hoping for a much smoother delivery this time! I joke that if this baby doesn't also have a huge head, he's just going to fall right out because DS cleared such a wide path.

rachelg777 · December 2019

I love birth stories!

DS: 8 lbs, 15 oz. 41+1

I was induced at 41 weeks. I wanted so badly to go into labor naturally but what finally made me decide to get induced was 1. My OB gave me the choice but at that time I was in a single OB practice (I loved it!) and my OB happened to be getting married that weekend and I really trusted him and wanted him to deliver me and 2. I wanted this kid to GTFO. Anyway! So I received my first dose of cytotec at 11PM at 41 weeks. I should also mention I was like none progressed - 0 cm dilated. For those unfamiliar cytotec is usually just a cervical ripener to make the cervix more favorable. Anyway it did the trick for me to induce contractions. The other thing that isn't fun about cytotec is that you have to lie flat on your back for two hours after receiving it so it can absorb (it was vaginal). So overnight I was contracting every 2 minutes lying on my back with back labor - after receiving 2 doses of cytotec. At 8 AM I was 3 cm.

My OB broke my water at that point and yeah those contractions got real. I got an epidural at 10:30 and was 10 cm by 11:30. I pushed for an hour and 10 minutes, apparently I have a small pelvis and had a large baby. By 40 minutes of pushing my son was having a lot of deceleration's (like heart rate dropping to the 30's) - the team was pretty worried and I guess started readying to bring me for a c-section ( MH told me this later on) but started first with the vacuum. Finally with vacuum assistance and an episiotomy he was born healthy at 1:25 PM on 41+1 ! The anesthesiologist who placed my epidural apparently places them super high so women can feel pushing. I'm not sure if I should thank him or not.

When my placenta came out I remember telling my OB, "Oh my god that felt soooo good." I had to have some pitocin after delivery for bleeding and had to have my catheter replaced because of the swelling. I could not pee, after 2 in and out caths I was like please just leave a foley in overnight I'm over this!

I would love to go into labor naturally this time as long as everything is still looking good.

bananapanda · December 2019

I was induced at 39 weeks due to possible cholestasis and slightly high blood pressure. I went in the evening of 39+0 to start with cervidil. They gave me that and some sleeping pills so I could get a good night's rest. I woke up the next day and they told me to order a light breakfast and take a shower if I wanted. They started pitocin and then the OB came and broke my water around lunch. Honestly it's kind of a blur after that. I remember having horrible back pain but I wasn't sure what was going on I just remember yelling at MH to rub my back HARDER! He asked if I was ready for any kind of pain medication (I also went in thinking eh we'll see how this goes) but then I decided sure so they gave me something (I want to say fentanyl?) That mostly just made me feel really out of it and then wore off quickly so I decided to go ahead with the epidural. It wasn't that bad. I think I remember the burning sensation of the liquid or whatever being worse than the actual shot.

They must've turned that sucker up full throttle because my legs were numb after that. The nurses would come in and arrange my legs with the peanut ball and I would drift in and out until they rotated me again. I really wasn't that aware of what was going on around me and/or the nurses didn't want me to be aware of things that were happening. According to witnesses (MH and mom) one of the nurses took her watch off and went about elbow deep in me to try to turn DD because she was sunny side up. I just remember some very gentle pulling but had no idea what she was doing since I was mostly asleep. I guess it was successful though?

It was probably around 10pm they told me to start "practice pushes" so I pushed for awhile. I threw up a few times which was fun and I had to have oxygen also because I felt like I was dying. They had told me they wouldn't let me push for too long or I might need a c-section and my OB was insisting baby was going to be huge and my pelvis was "weird" so I was nervous of that the whole time. I pushed and pushed until I thought I was going to die from exhaustion. Finally I actually felt the overwhelming need to push and when DD slid out I felt immediate relief. They laid her on my chest and I put my hand on her butt and I remember thinking "this is NOT a huge baby" lol. She was born 7lb 0oz at 12:03 am after 1.5-2 hrs of pushing. My mom tried to take a picture and they quickly said something like "no not yet we have to make sure she's ok" and then took her away which gave us all a freaking heart attack. I guess no pics are allowed until they do vitals but that wasn't really clear so they had us thinking something was wrong for a second, but all was good!

I think something was going on at one point either with her heart rate and/or my blood pressure and there was some concern but they didn't give me any details so I wouldn't worry just what MH and mom caught while I was half out of it. I did have some tearing that needed stitched but I have no idea how bad it was. Again - they didn't tell me anything (this seems abnormal...now I'm curious).

Overall I'd say the pushing was the worst part for me just because it was so exhausting. I'm hoping this baby comes out a little quicker after DD paved the way for her haha

thepretzelchick · December 2019

DS: 9lbs 15oz 40+6
I needed that kid out something awful after almost a month of stop-and-start contractions, and my OB scheduled my induction for the night of 40+5. We watched the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics while they started the first of 2 round of Cytotec. My water broke at 5am, then they started pitocin at 6:30. I made it an hour before needing an epidural. I stalled at 5cm and his head had started swelling, so into the OR we went. He was born at 5:30pm while "Don't Stop Believin" played.

The real drama started after he was born. He had tracheomalacia. His tracheal cartilage was still soft, so his trachea would collapse when he breathed and sometimes when he ate. He sounded like a donkey while sleeping, which is hilarious now but was terrifying at the time. We got released from the hospital to go to the children's hospital at Vanderbilt to see the ENT. He had a procedure to confirm diagnosis and we stayed overnight. I had the joy of the first post c-section bowel movement on a tiny toilet meant for children. Good times. The boy child and his trachea are fine now.

DD: 7lbs 5oz 39+1
She was born just under 17 months after DS, so it was pretty set that I'd have a RCS and I had no issue with that. Pristine vagina, y'all

I had to go on partial bedrest around 36 weeks because her head was making my cervix bulge and I couldn't walk, but she was still so small that OB wanted her to stay in longer. The whole morning she was born was totally chill. We got checked in at the hospital and I was the only L&D patient that day, so we shot the breeze with the nurse for awhile, who recognized me from 2 weeks earlier when I'd been in for a UTI. Fun fact: if you get a UTI on Christmas Eve and your GP and OB offices are both closed, urgent care won't treat you because you're 37 weeks and having Braxton Hicks and pain from the goddamn UTI you already know you have, so they send you to the ER, which automatically sends you to L&D because, again, 37 weeks, and then L&D keeps you for a few hours of monitoring because, you guessed it! 37 weeks...just to tell you that you have a UTI and are not in labour. No shit, Sherlock! So the nurse and I had a great laugh over that.

OB came in at 10:30 and said cheerfully, "You've done this before, and this time you don't have to recover from labour AND surgery!" I love this man. We went back, I got deliciously numb, and she was born during Bon Jovi's "Livin On A Prayer." Little did I know that'd be the theme for raising the kid. She was tiny and perfect and looked like a potato, like all newborns do. I was so thirsty in recovery that I chugged water and Sprite, which all came back up later into my gown. 0/10, would not recommend. After that, recovery was a breeze. Percocet is manna from heaven. I also made sure to take a stool softener so as to avoid the Vanderbilt Poop Trauma of 2012.

mamaj1220 · December 2019

DS 40 weeks, 6.15 lbs, 19 1/2 inches.

So my story really starts at 28 weeks when I went into preterm labor, and had to have the magnesium drip to stop labor, I was told if I made it to 34 they would be impressed. So I was on bed rest and still having contractions 3 minutes apart for almost an hour at a time. (This will come into play later).

Fast forward to 39 +6 weeks and feeling super bad back labor, L and D kept me overnight where I sat in the birthing tub and rolled on the yoga ball, then sent me to my OB first thing in the morning because the on call OB wasn't sure if he should induce me. Well I get my OB do a non-stress test and then an US. US shows low fluid so he says "well you are basically six weeks overdue from when I expected you to deliver so I am happy with 40 weeks" back to L&D I go where they start pitocin (I was already 3 cm and my cervix was soft and ready to go). I was on the highest dose of pitocin for 3 hours and while contractions were measurable and I was up to about 6 cm, the OB asked if he could break my water since I was not in any pain from the pitocin and he assumed it was because I was used to contractions at this point. So I say yes and he also lets me know that my epidural is next on the list so it is perfect timing. Once my water broke, the contractions started to hit and I felt them so pitocin was turned off. The only part of my labor I was unhappy with was the anesthesiologist, he was a jerk. He came in to do the epidural and missed with the novacain the first time and yelled at me because I was having contractions and thus holding my breath, my wonderful nurse (seriously the nurses rock, I would have delivered quite happily with just them) yelled back at him and said if you would have it right the first time we would be done. Anyways, I get the epidural and have no tolerance for pain meds what so ever, so I was numb from the neck down and also high as a kite. the next couple of hours went by and I was fine, but then at about 9 pm I looked at my mom and told her she needed to go get a nurse because I needed to push, she went and the nurse came running in (mind you I was an 8 about 15 minutes before) and my body just starting taking over. They called the OB but he was in delivering another baby so my nurse had other nurses get the room ready and she coached me through, the doctor finally came in and two pushes later DS was here. We did skin to skin for about five minutes and then my arms were so numb I was worried I was going to drop him so they took him to clean him up while the placenta was delivered and I was stitched. In total I pushed for 30 minutes which they said was fast for a FTM, but he tore me badly and I was honestly being stitched for longer than I pushed.

So a few things I learned for me, the pitocin was not a bad as people told me. Stitches in your vaginal area suck (I tore a couple a week later turning out the horses). Labor nurses are rock stars. Epidurals make me funny. But all of it was worth it

This time I am hoping to go into labor naturally but I am also not worried if I need to induced again, also they remodeled the birthing center at the hospital and I get my own tub(before there was only one so you could only be in it for short times)! I will more than likely do an epidural again because I think if there is a way to have less pain and enjoy the experience I am all about it.

soprano19 · December 2019

DD was born at 39+5. I'd been having irregular contractions all week, but around 5 PM on Saturday they started getting more regular. I timed them for an hour and called L&D for advice. The nurse asked my pain level and I said about a 3, and she said to wait it out at home, so I showered and went to bed. Contractions woke me up around midnight, so I read a book and paced the house for another few hours and kept timing. I felt like I had to use the bathroom about every 15 minutes, and I started seeing pieces of my mucus plug. Finally at 3:30 I couldn't deal anymore, so I woke up H and we drove the 45 minutes down our winding mountain road to the hospital.

We checked in through the ER (since it was after hours) at about 4:30 AM, and they let me stay since I was a 4. I told the nurse that I wanted an epidural but didn't need it right then, which was the first of two mistakes that I will not make this time around. I was GBS positive, so I had an IV anyway, so she gave me fentanyl through that. It worked for about 45 minutes, during which time my water also broke during a contraction (weirdest sensation ever). I think my water breaking jump started things, because when the fentanyl wore off, I had back labor and was pretty miserable for another hour or so before the anesthesiologist came in. I mentioned this in Randoms, but I had been super nervous about getting an epidural because I'm not great with needles, but in the moment when I needed it, all I felt was relieved. It worked pretty quickly, though it didn't take completely on my right side, so I still felt some things.

After the epidural I was able to take a nap, which was nice. By 9 AM I was a 10, but DD wasn't quite far down enough yet, so they let me continue laboring for a while. I started pushing around 10 AM, but I made the mistake of listening to whoever it was that told me to hold my breath while I pushed, which even at the time seemed counterintuitive to everything I've ever learned and practiced as a singer, doing yoga, etc. This time around I will listen to my gut in this particular area. Anyway, I think partially because of holding my breath, DD's heart rate dropped every time I pushed, so they gave me an oxygen mask. Finally the OB on call came in at 11:15, took one look at the situation, and told me I had three options: they could use the vacuum, or they could do an emergency C-section because of her heart rate dropping, or if I worked hard enough on the next push, I might be able to get her out. Just knowing that was a possibility was all the motivation I needed, so I did one SUPER hard push and she came out. Like others have said, it was immediate relief. Placenta delivery was a breeze in comparison, partially because I was focused on my new baby.

DD was 6lbs 6oz and 19.5 inches long. It ended up being about 18 hours of labor start to finish, which wasn't bad at all. The only thing was that the epidural had started wearing off by the time she actually came out, so I was in more pain during actual delivery than I expected or particularly wanted to be. That's the one other thing I would prefer to change this time.

jrouge12 · December 2019

Loving all the stories! You guys are awesome!

@m6agua 10 minutes of pushing! You go girl!

@shamrocandroll Wow! That is quite labor story! You're incredible for powering through and continuing pushing. I hope this labor is easier for you.

@bananapanda Omg. Elbow?! I'd want to be out of it.

@thepretzelchick I wouldn't have been able to hold my sarcasm with that whole UTI fun.

@mamaj1220 Labor nurses are rockstars! That's impressive you made it to 40 after they said you'd go sooner.

jrouge12 · December 2019

DD was born at 42 weeks, 7lbs 6oz and 19.5in

I guess my story starts around 39 weeks when I started having these blurry vision episodes. They sent me for bloodwork and said everything was fine. At 40.5 weeks I was at a check up and my blood pressure was a little up so the midwife said she had to go to L&D and that I should follow for some extra checks. Hours later around midnight I was sent home with a bedrest order to stop work immediately. Not because anything was really wrong but because my midwife was in disbelief I was insisting on working. I really do thank her now for that. I'd never have listened to any one else.

So I sat for 10 days, went for a non-stress test, ultrasound, more bloodwork, and various checkups. My OB prefers to let women go into labor naturally which I'm cool with. Finally the afternoon I was 41+6 I felt my first contractions. I didn't tell anyone and slept well through the night. Woke up early the next morning and started the contraction counter. By 8am they were 3-5 minutes apart. I called the OB though because DD was very quiet that morning. She sent me to L&D. There I was told my contractions were 3 minutes apart but I was only 1 cm. So I was given the choice to stay or go. They wanted me back in a few hours because they tell women to come in when the contractions are 3 minutes apart. I stayed. Ate popsicles and jello all day. Around 4pm I'd progressed to 7cm and finally got the epidural. Shortly after getting it DD's heart rate went way down and in like 10 seconds I was flat on my back surrounded by 10 nurses and had an oxygen mask shoved on my face. It was really scary because with all of those people no one said a word to me or DH about what was happening. Once she stabilized I was told. Laboring with the epidural was nice. Until around 9pm when it wore off on half my body. I much preferred the half of me laboring medicated. The anesthesiologist came back and boosted it which helped. I dozed until around 1am when the nurse came in and said my contractions were now 10 minutes apart but over a minute long and each time I had one DD's heart rate went down so they were starting pitocin. By then the epidural was only half effective again, I really didn't enjoy the pitocin contractions. I started pushing around 5am. It was such a blur. DH can't handle medical things so he faced the wall and patted my shoulder while nurses held my legs and coached.

My midwife came in and asked when my water broke (she could see DD's hair) and I said it didn't. So I'm guessing DD plugged up the hole. I had a good rythm pushing and kept telling the nurses that a contraction was coming before the machine. After an hour and a half of pushing DD was born. They did skin to skin and DD immediately pooped on me. I don't even remember the placental delivery. I needed some stitches (they ulcerated later on and had to be cauterized but that's another story). Recovery in the hospital was tough and I barely slept for 3 days.

shamrocandroll · December 2019

@thepretzelchick Nice touch asking in their birth songs! DS was born to "For the Longest Time" which the nurses all had a good laugh over after the 4 hour pushathon. 😂

lajoliedreamer · December 2019

(This got really long, kudos to anyone that gets through it!)

DD: 36w0d, 6lb 2.4oz, 18.5”

Around 34 weeks I started experiencing some wetness. I wasn’t sure if it was an amniotic leak or peeing myself so I called the nurse line. They told me to lay down for 20 minutes then stand up. If I felt it gush, it was likely to be amniotic and I should go to the ER right away to have it tested. I did that and didn’t have a gush so figured I was leaking pee and kept living my life, but with pads in my underwear.

At 2 AM on the Wednesday I hit 36 weeks, I woke up with serious back pain. I’d already experienced some horrible sciatica so assumed it was more of that. After tossing and turning and being uncomfortable I got up and took a shower. It didn’t help the pain at all, but I was responsible for opening the building and covering the front desk that morning at work so pulled myself together. I arrived at work to open by 8 and one of my coworkers took one look at me and told me I was having a baby today. I denied it because I was four weeks early. Another coworker sent me home at 8:30 because she could see how much pain I was in. I drove home (5 minutes) and tried to rest. When that didn’t work I started texting my doula for advice. She confirmed that it sounded suspiciously like labor and she started making arrangements to come to me. I texted H and told him to come home because I was beginning to think we might want to go to the hospital just to have me checked out, still in total denial that it was real labor. As it was all in my back, there wasn’t really any way to time the contractions.

At this point I was spending most of my time straddling the toilet backwards because it’s the only thing that gave relief. My mucus plug came out in that time. H came home and got my yoga ball to rest on in the bedroom. My doula arrived by 11 and helped me with positions and breathing. I was feeling a desperate urge to push, but my doula taught me breathing to redirect that so I didn’t hurt myself. Around noon she suggested we go to the hospital. H threw together a hospital bag since we hadn’t done that yet, I put on clothes, and we got in our cars.

I felt something when I sat in the car, but thought I’d sh*t myself (which I’d already done once...). Hospital was 5 minutes away, I insisted that I not be dropped off and walked across the parking lot. Finally got checked in at 12:30 and in the preliminary room where they check heartbeat and dilation before moving you to a delivery room. The nurse started setting up the heartrate monitor for baby and I asked that she check me first. She tried to blow me off, but I insisted and low-and-behold, baby was crowning! Everything kicked into high gear as she unlocked the bed and quickly wheeled me to a delivery room, radioing for nurses/the dr on the way. DD was born at 12:51 pm and immediately did skin-to-skin. My placenta did not release easily so they eventually gave me pitocin to help it along.

DD thankfully had no issues common to preterm births other than being very sleepy when eating which made nursing a challenge. I left the hospital after 48 hours feeling exhausted as H had to go home overnight to get the house ready since we weren’t expecting her yet.

drkoyya · December 2019

Thank you all for sharing! Reading these definitely make me wince and mumble wtf several times but it’s so good to hear your past experiences. Keep them coming.

chewie5990 · December 2019

DS - born at 41 weeks
7lbs 1oz

I will give an example of a very boring birth story in which nothing happens. My OB asked if I wanted an induction on the Friday after my Wednesday due date or if I wanted to wait the weekend until Monday. My family was in town to hopefully be there for the birth (first grandbaby) and I was feeling a lot of pressure as it was getting closer to Christmas to just get this baby out - so I decided to go with Friday (still regret not waiting until Monday..maybe something would have happened..).

The office told me to get to the hospital around 7pm, so I went for one last meal and headed to the hospital..everyone in San Antonio decided to have babies that evening, so I didn't end up actually getting to a room until after midnight which honestly really sucked. I almost went home a few times, but the office people would so - "oh you're next - probably 15 more minutes" and then another active labor patient would arrive (don't get me wrong - I 100% believe active labor patients should be admitted immediately and understand why I had to wait - it was just really boring sitting around for 4 hours in the tiny waiting room). They immediately start pumping me with all the things and DH and I spend the night watching tv and not sleeping due to being hooked up to shit and hourly nurse checks. Morning comes and absolutely nothing has happened - I'm literally zero% dilated, showing no contracts, or any other signs of labor. They pump more chemicals and we spend another entire day/night with no progress. I ask if I can just go home and forget the whole thing - OB laughs and says no. Sunday morning comes along and my OB manually breaks my water around 3am as a last ditch effort to try and get things going. Nothing happens. OB finally decides around 8am that its c-section time and by 8:45 DS is in my arms!

I did have a textbook easy peasy c-section - awesome anesthesiologist - the spinal didn't even hurt at all! DH was in the room the entire time. From the first cut to baby being born was seriously 15 minutes tops. I was also able to get immediate skin to skin for about 10 minutes while they sewed me back up and then after a quick baby check DS was with me the rest of the time so we were able begin bonding/attempting to nurse pretty much the same as if he born vaginally. I also had a very easy recovery and was feeling great within a week. The biggest drawback to the c-section was the extended hospital stay - especially after already having been in the hospital for 2 days prior, so I was in the hospital for 5 nights/6 days total.

While I'm hoping for a VBAC this time around, my current OB thinks I only have about a 40% chance for a successful VBAC..so I'm preparing for another c-section. Unfortunately "failure to progress" for the first birth means I will most likely not progress for the next one. She also won't induce for a VBAC - so if I don't go into labor naturally by 42 weeks, she will go straight to a c-section.

rox7777 · December 2019

I’m going to try to minimize mine because I’m a lazy typer.

DS1 born at 38 weeks. 6lbs13oz.

Let me start of by saying I went into pre term labor early in the third trimester. I received a magnesium shot around 28 weeks after going in for weekly fluids and monitoring for about 3 weeks. After the shot I was still required to go in weekly for NST and IV fluids. I went into labor at 38 weeks and spent the first day and a half labor in the tub due to horrific back labor. I ended up getting a Percocet after 24 hours of early labor due to extreme pain. Military hospitals don’t admit until 5cm and I was 4 so they sent me home to continue laboring. At 5cm I was admitted and given IV morphine because I was throwing up and screaming in misery. Finally at 7cm they got me an epidural and I rested for about 3.5 hours. I was so out of it that I barely remember them breaking my water. MH said I was barely conscious at that point. They woke me up at 10cm and begged me to push. It took 3 pushes and he was born sunny side up about 15 minutes later. I ended up with a first degree tear and had to be wrapped in warming blankets for hours due to a bad reaction to the epi.

DS2 born at 36+2. 7lbs1oz.

I insisted for weeks that something was wrong when I was pregnant with DS2. I had a lot of light spotting and horrific pain if we tried to DTD. My OB insisted that nothing was wrong and eventually we ended up moving states at 23 weeks and I switched to a new OB. At 30 weeks my doctor thought I might have low fluids and sent me for a high risk US. Instead of low fluids they found out I had placenta previa and I was immediately placed on bed rest. I told them DS2 wouldn’t make it to 39 weeks for my scheduled CS because DS1 was born early, but they ignored me. At 36 weeks I woke up to heavy bleeding and bled through two towels on the way to the hospital. I was rolled in for an emergency CS right away. DS2 was born 1.5 hours after I started bleeding and I again ended up with a bad reaction to my spinal that required hours of warming towels and me puking for about an hour. DS2 was sent to the NICU due to breathing issues they associated with him being so big. He was considered a premie so we spent two extra days in the hospital because he failed the required car seat test twice.

I’m trying for a VBAC this time, but my OB is prepared for me to go early this time and I have until 39 weeks or I go for a repeat CS.

cmhme · December 2019

From another FTM, thanks for sharing. Knowledge is power.

rox7777 · December 2019

@chewie5990 I wonder why the standards for VBACs are so varied. My OB won’t induce, but she also won’t let me go past 39 weeks. If I make it to week 39 I go in for a scheduled CS. They have it scheduled ahead of time just in case I don’t go into labor on my own.

ruby696 · December 2019

@rox7777 That's interesting. I went to 40+5 before starting labor naturally with my VBAC. My doctor wasn't concerned at all.

rox7777 · December 2019

@ruby696 She says she’s cautious because I’ve had two early babies and that could be due to any number of reasons that leaves her hesitant to go past 39. She also believes the risks for CS go up once you get to the 39 week mark. Basically, better to be safe than sorry.

Shes also convinced I make big babies and that’s why I labor early, because my body “can’t handle it”. I wouldn’t say her office is the most forward thinking, but I’m glad she also didn’t push me to have another CS right off the bat.

ruby696 · December 2019

@rox7777 Well at least she's letting you try. Hopefully it works out!

rox7777 · December 2019

@ruby696 Thank you! I’m hopeful. I did go into labor with both boys on my own so my concern is more so with having a premie versus having another CS. And honestly I’m okay with either. I think that’s benefit of having experienced both, I know what to expect either way.

laurasauruss · December 2019

DD was born at 39+6, 6lb3oz, 19.5cm

I’d had some period like pains in the couple of weeks leading up but they’d come randomly at night and then gone away after a while. I had a normal day at work and made plans to visit my friends’ new baby at the end of the week.

That night around 10pm I started feeling the same period like pains that kept coming and going but I chalked it up to false labor. I suddenly felt very alert and energetic so I stayed up watching HTGAWM and eating sandwiches. At 1am I felt a little pop of liquid and figured it must’ve been my water. Called the hospital and they told me to time contractions and come in if they get close, or come in at 8am, whichever came first.

The next few hours there was a lot of pooping and peeing and I lost my mucus plug. I tried to go to bed around 4am but couldn’t get comfortable. Around 5 my partner wakes up and I tell him what’s been going on. He of course panics and starts packing up the car. We ate breakfast and by 7 the pain was pretty uncomfortable and I didn’t want to be home anymore. I suddenly got sick and threw up before getting in the car, and we got to the hospital at 8.

They checked me and I was only 2cm which was pretty disappointing. The midwife told me to go on a walk so I obliged and when we got back I was 3cm and they set us up in a room. There was a lot of waiting, massaging, walking, and squatting, and warm compresses and at 10:30 I was like “biiiiiiiiish give me an epidural”. At 11:30 I got the epidural (I was 4cm) and all was great with the world. I tried to nap but the epi didn’t take in my right hip so I couldn’t fully fall asleep but it was so much better than before. Maybe around 2:30/3 I got a top up and was checked and was 10cm. Now it was just waiting for baby to come down!

So more squatting, birthing stool, ball bouncing and at 4:30 I got pitocin to help her come down. At 5 I felt the urge to push and she was born at 5:28! Her head came out and I made David take a picture (then promptly sobbed because she had hair). She started crying and I could feel her both kicking me from the inside and the vibrations from her crying and it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced.

When they pulled her out they put her on my chest and I can’t even explain the kind of feeling (what all moms say!). It was the best day of my life and I can’t wait to do it again!

chewie5990 · December 2019

@rox7777 - I definitely believe it varies quite a bit from doctor to doctor or practice to practice. My OB actually had this computer program that she plugged in a bunch of "stats" and it gave the result "40% chance of VBAC" it was kinda interesting! Since the only reason I had a c-section was "failure to progress" she said she was comfortable to plan on waiting up until 42 weeks - I didn't have any high blood pressure, DS was still on the average size even a week overdue, and there was no distress to baby - so she doesn't feel any need to plan an earlier delivery date. Obviously all of this may change depending on how things turn on but I'm still trying to be cautiously hopeful for a VBAC this time around.

pirateduck · December 2019

Thank you ladies for all sharing! I have been glued to this thread. I don't know what to expect, and everyone's stories are soooo different, it sounds like I will never quite know what to expect.

shamrocandroll · December 2019

@pirateduck Seriously though. None of us ST+ moms know what to expect either, even though we've been through it before. Each one is just sooooo different!

pirateduck · December 2019

I don't doubt that @shamrocandroll !

ruby696 · December 2019

@pirateduck The only similarity I had between my two labors was that medication slows things down and I start vomiting when I get to a 9. Super fun. 😆 But I didn't know those were "things" for me until after my 2nd. I assume I'll be puking this time, but everything else will be a surprise.

rox7777 · December 2019

@ruby696 Saaaaame exact thing for me. I puke and the epidural really made pushing hard for me because it numbed all the way up to my neck and down to my toes. I couldn’t feel crap. My spinal had a similar effect. I know to expect full numbness and the shakes post labor regardless of which way it goes. Other than that, who freaking knows other than my uterus.

lisush · December 2019

Curious if those of you who vomited during/after labor also experienced vomiting during pregnancy? I'm wondering if some people are just more prone to it generally or if it's a total crap shoot.

pirateduck · December 2019

@lisush I would think all the meds your body isn’t used to combined with the extreme mental and physical strain is enough to make anyone vomit, unfortunately.

ruby696 · December 2019

@lisush I didn't vomit at all with DS and DD. It's just part of transition for me. Labor, vomit/transition, push. I will say, it was worse with DS, but I'm guessing because back labor was worse in general. 🤷‍♀️

mokay19 · December 2019

@lisush vomiting during transition is actually pretty common when I listen to a lot of birth stories. Even with unmedicated births people vomit during that time. Your body is doing a LOT so I think it’s panic mode 😂

m6agua · December 2019

@lisush I only had minor nausea in pregnancy and no vomiting. During labor I vomited when I first got to the hospital (~5cm) and that was it. I wasn’t on any meds yet. I did not vomit in transition.

rox7777 · December 2019

I’ve also heard that women either puke or poop before and during labor in order to purge their bodies. I have a fairly low tolerance for medication in general, so that likely has something to do for me.

jhysmath · December 2019

I also love the Birth hour! If you want to hear stories it's great to throw on during driving or have Alexa play it while cooking. That's what I did when I was pregnant with DD.

My birth story sucks and I'm sad about that. I had diet controlled GD with DD and was told I could not go past 41 weeks but that they'd likely induce me around 40 weeks. I worked so hard to stay diet controlled because I was told if I needed medication to control it I would have to switch to the OBs and would likely deliver earlier. In my head I had already pushed off the thoughts of delivering on time or early because 3 of my colleagues had gone almost 2 weeks over within the last year before being induced. When I went for a sizing scan around 34 weeks we found out the DD was breech. I tried all the things to get her to flip, saw a chiropractor to try and when I couldn't get her to flip I scheduled an ECV. The OBs couldn't get her to flip so I ended up with a scheduled C-Section and that broke my heart. I cried to my midwives this was not what I wanted at all and this will likely change the events of every other birth I have going forward. I decided if I had to schedule a C-Section it would be on my terms and on the date I wanted. I gave the OB the date and she said we usually like to wait until 39 weeks and that date I gave them was 38w6d based on their calculations, I said based on my tracking of ovulation that is actually 39 week exactly and if I have to have one I want that date 5/22 my birthday is 1/22 and my husbands is 2/11 and we were married on 7/22 so I wanted that 22. After crying to my midwife she said she would be the assist in delivery and make sure she was there with me which I loved so much even if I didn't recognize her until she pulled down her mask and said see it's me, she has white hair down to her butt which was pulled into the cap and with all the OR room clothing I didn't recognize her. I talked to the OB before surgery and was able to get them to allow the cord to stop pulsing before cutting, and DD came to my chest right after the pediatrician made sure she was breathing ok. They latched her on to me while they finished closing me up and DD never left my chest until MH asked about 2 hours later if he could hold her. When they wheeled me to the room they did not take her off my chest and they didn't take her off of me when they moved me from one bed to the other. The respected my wishes to not have her weighed or measured until I was ready and in terms of c-sections I'm sure mine was great.

What I am really sad about was it didn't feel like a birth. I have no idea what a contraction feels like. I don't know what it's like to feel your water break. I don't know what it's like to push and use all of your being to bring a child into the world. I don't know what it's like to want to give birth because you've been waiting so long, I felt like I could have been pregnant for another month and not cared at all. I really wish I had asked about a clear drape so I could see her be born but I didn't because MH can't handle surgery he can barely handle seeing a needle and I wanted him there with us. Now this time around I want to try for a VBAC but I'm afraid I'll make it to my due date and not have any signs of labor again so I'll end up with a C-Section. My hospital will not do any inductions for a VBAC you have to go into labor on your own. I will likely have GD again so I won't be allowed to go past my due date. With my luck this baby will decide to be breech too and I won't even have a VBAC option available to me. I just really want to know what it feels like to be in labor and to give birth ( I know probably no one else wants that if they've been through it).

ruby696 · December 2019

@jhysmath I totally get you. There's something about the surprise of going into labor and going through the process, that just feels important. I've already told my OB that i do not want to schedule a c-section with the twins unless it's medically necessary, even though there is nothing fun about being in labor. I really hope you have the birth you want this time.

shamrocandroll · December 2019

@lisush @pirateduck I actually think it's just part of transition. That last part of going from 9 to 10cm is the hardest part of the whole labor, and lots of women vomit and shake regardless of whether or not they choose medication.

mamaj1220 · December 2019

@jhysmath I am with you, being induced I would like to go naturally this time to see the difference.

allywat · December 2019

First birth. Have regular appointment at 32+5 which included an ultra sound to check fluid levels. We go tot he ultrasound all is good within normal range, send me for a urine sample; every time I stand up and think I’m done peeing I have the sensation of wetting myself. Took me a minute to realize what was happening; I came out and told the nurse and she sent me to an exam room where I pretty much began leaking (more like gushing) all over the floor. The doctor came in and was literally slipping all over the floor. Keep in mind I’m 32weeks, pretty shocking. Luckily the office is connected to the hospital; so they just wheeled me down. Got steroid shots for baby’s lungs, talked to the neonatologist, started magnesium which was horrible and made me so hot and made me vomit. Contractions started and I dilated pretty quickly. From 2-10 within a couple hours. I did get an epidural which I loved but effected my ability to push significantly. Baby was in the birth canal for a while. I pushed for close to three hours. The ordeal started at 3 pm with my water breaking and my son Milo was born at 11:39 pm. 4lb 12 oz; he spent 4 weeks in the NICU.

Second birth. The day I turned 32 weeks was somewhat triggering as it was the week I had my first son. I had gone to the hospital with preterm contractions at 29 weeks and given the steroid shots again for baby’s lungs and some medication to help stop the contractions. The medicine had been helpful in stopping the contractions until that morning I turned 32 weeks. It was a really unbelievable feeling of “here we go again”; packed up went to the hospital where they confirm I’m in active labor and 3 cm. Fast forward maybe an hour to getting my epidural. The minute the anesthesiologists left the room blood started gushing out of my nose. Still super confused why this happend. Next thing I know there is about 15 people in the room as the nurse called a code and they are working to move me to a transport bed. I’m still super confused what is happening but I start putting it together it is not good. Short story even shorter I am being rushed into an emergency c section due to baby not having a heartbeat. Thank gosh I had just had the epidural. It was a super traumatic experience but thankfully that baby is my now 2 1/2 year old Jonah. I had placenta abruption. Jonah spent 6 weeks in the NICU.

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