How did you/do you feel about your birth experience(s)?

[Lori]

What feelings do you have about your birth experience(s)? Was it positive or negative? What kind of an impact, if any, did it have on you?

[Lori]

I definitely didn't find birth fun, but it was an overwhelming positive experience for me. I think I can use the word "empowering" to describe it and really mean it.

It just gave me such a sense of respect for myself and my body and what I'm capable of doing. I realize, of course, that women have babies every single day and always have, but just doing it myself and realizing that my body was capable--almost entirely on its own (I have to give Sean credit for providing the sperm ;))--of nurturing a cell into a baby, and then bringing that baby into the world, was awesome in the literal sense of the word.

And I do think that in many ways it did have a big impact on me. I feel like I have much more faith in my capabilities--particularly in my ability to endure physical hardship--than I did before I gave birth. It was certainly painful and scary at times, but I forgot about that part pretty quickly while the really empowering parts of it have stayed with me.

[Beka]

yep you pretty much summed it up for me too Lori, i've had 4 drug free births of varying labours (23hrs, 2.5hrs, 16.5hrs and 4.5 hours) and 4 fairly large babies (in size order- Jude 7lb 3, chase 8lb exactly, dyl 8lb 7 and loki 8lb 9oz) and they left me feeling pretty empowered as they were really positive experiences (if extreme pain can ever be LOL) i felt a huge sense of acheivement after my first as i'd anticipated needing a great deal of pain relief but didn't in the end, it has also left me feeling extremely close to david knowing he is the only person i wanted there and he supported me fantastically

[Desirae]

In the end I was thrilled as both times I foud myself with a beautiful healthy baby in my arms, but I was/am very sad with the births themselves.
I was induced with Aidan due to preeclampsia. I was ok with that and labored for about 24 hours. Unfortunately he wouldn't come down past -2 so I ended up having a C-section. I hadn't seen that coming a mile away. :( I had planned on a natural labor and delivery!
While I was pregnant with Colin, I looked into the info on VBACs vrs. a scheduled C-section. I talked to moms who had done both and still really wanted that natural birth. I talked to my Dr to see what she felt was the main reason for the first C-section. She wasn't positive but believed that it was due to my pelvis being to small more than his positioning or anything else involved. She told me that she would be willing to attempt a VBAC if I so chose though. After talking ot Sean, praying and thinking I decided to schedule the C-section however, if I were to go into labor naturally before that date I would attempt a VBAC. I felt it was the best way to leave it in God's hands for me. ;)
A week or so before he was born I went into the hospital for monitoring due to high BP and other signs of preeclampsia. I was contracting most of the night but the contrax weren't regular. :( I realized that night that I was never going ot have my natural birth. The location of the pain told me that he wouldn't move down either. The Dr came in the next morning and checked to see if the contrax had done anything and I rolled my eyes and told her I was sure they hadn't... I was right.
By the time the C-section date rolled around I was ok with it. I had come to terms and had moved on. PTL I did! When she started the C-section she saw that my uteran incision was already open! Had I tried for a VBAC Colin and/or I could have died.

I am still sad that I won't get a "normal" birth but realize that this is what's best for my babies and me.

[Erika]

I also felt utterly empowered by my birth experience. Yes, the 40 minutes of pushing was hell but having a first-time labour lasting only 9 hours is pretty damn good. And going from 4 cm to 10 cm in an hour without freaking out was pretty good. Ok so I nearly freaked out but once I got on the gas and air, I even started giggling through the very intense contractions.

Feeling her head crowning and the then the incredible feeling of lightness and then adrenalin will always be a highlight. But seeing her on my tummy and then cradling her on my chest was awe-inspiring. To think that I had carried and nutured her for 9 months and then pushed her into the world in a natural birth was incredible. And I have to say, James was amazing throughout and that has left me with such wonderful memories.

[Tamika]

I have mixed views on my birth experiences.

Kaylyn - my initial feeling is happiness - all turned out okay, I had her vaginally and we were both healthy - so ultimately, how can I NOT be happy about that? But, if I look back at how things happened, I feel some resentment. I resent that the health authority had such 'regulations' that didn't allow me to have input into how I wanted to bring my child into the world. I had to have her in the hospital - I had no choice if I wanted a health care provider present - it was that or an unassisted birth at home. I HAD to have my belly strapped and be on a bed for regular strips on a machine. I HAD to have a scalp clip put on according to 'hospital policy'. I couldn't move as I wanted and I could go on and on. I honestly believe that if I'd been allowed to labor in my own way as my body was naturally trying to do i would not have had the problems I did. I spent more time concentrating on fighting the natural inclinations of my body than i did on birthing my baby.

As for the boys??? Gosh - exhiliaration. That is the one word that comes to mind. Crazy as I am, and as painful as it was I LOVED labor. I had wonderful labors and births - and I would love to have another one - IF I could do that all over again! LOL LOL

[Sam]

Well they all got here safely and very quickly LOL

It was as good as birth gets ;) quick,easy,quickly healed and managed with just gas and air three times although if they were longer I may have not done so well.

[Shana]

With Kaleb and Rachel, it was very difficult and I wanted pain relief so BADLY and didn't get it. As many have said, the end product was a healthy gorgeous baby, so the feelings tend to fade with time (16 and 13 years now ;) ).

Kara's birth was as perfect as I could have hoped for. Short, easy and PAIN FREE -- and she was a gorgeous newborn, so the whole labor/birth/hospital experience was just wonderful for me :)

[Heather]

Well, for a long time, I was pretty traumatized by my first and second labors and deliveries. I didn't really allow my heart to heal from them(as corny as it sounds... but it's so very true). They were so far from the ideal births that I'd hoped for and I resented pretty much anyone I knew that had a Good birth experience with perfectly healthy babies after it was said and done. I know now, and I knew perfectly well then, that resenting every other mother in the world wasn't going to change how things were for me, but I just couldn't help but feel that way. I was very angry about it for a long time..and just had a hard time letting go of it. It was very hard for me to look at my two healthy boys and just be happy that they were ok after everything they went through. I was downright MAD that they had to go through ANY of it to begin with.. and I carried that with me for a long time. But there was no way to do any of it over and make it "right" and make them healthy, full term newborns. It was just something I had to learn to accept over time, I suppose. And now.. even though I know my experiences weren't great.. I'm past it at least. I do still find myself wishing from time to time that it had been different, but I'm more focused on my boys and the fact that they're healthy, active kids that could've had numerous problems, but DON'T. And I'm happy for that and extremely thankful.

My 3rd delivery happened just as I'd hoped it would. Drug free, pain free and FAST. Ok, so there was some pain. Alright, a lot of pain, but I was 8 cms when I got to the hospital and had only been contracting for about an hour and a half at that point. He was born just a little more than 2 hours after the first contraction. Although.. the drug free part I totally changed my mind about once labor started ;). That birth was a wonderful experience for me and I'm grateful to have that memory.

My 4th was nice and fast like I'd hoped for, and drug free... but I wanted drugs again and didn't get them. Until the end. and then they went and drugged me up with fentenol Right before I started pushing. Ummm.. hellllooooo! lol. Didn't they realize that I needed to know how to push? But Virg came a couple of weeks before I thought she would and I was just very unprepared and I didn't like going through that feeling again like I did with my first and second. I was.not.ready. And that was probably the worst part of the delivery business for me this last time. I just didn't feel ready. I wanted to go home and just wait a couple of more weeks and then I would've been just fine lol. But Miss Virginia came along anyway.. bruised face and all. Poor baby. Daddy called her Bruiser for the first couple of weeks lol.. awww.. my poor little girl(I should see if my mom scanned any of her pics of Virg in the hospital those first couple of days... it was actually scary to look at her sometimes because our first reactions.. gut reactions were always that something was wrong and she wasn't breathing. I woke her up a lot those first couple weeks ;).. just to be sure she was ok ;).