Mums' stories

hi, i didn't go through as much trauma as u guys but feel cheated in a way at not giving birth naturally. I was 2 days overdue when i went into labour and thought it was ibs! nothing happened until 7 days later when it finally got started. I coped with the pain by using a tens machine, breathing and plenty of tea and being at home with just the midwife was what i planned. I was wrong! After 17 hours the midwife discovered the baby was breech and i needed an emergency c section, our local hospital is 40 miles away! I needed proper pain relief by now. The hospital staff were brill by it didn't help that my biggest fear was having a c section. I felt totally disorienated and didn't hold my baby for 5 hours, found the pain unbearable worse than labour. I felt i missed out on the first things like changing him, picking him up and having that privacy with him and my partner. Being home wasn't that much easier it took me 5 weeks to get about normally and i still have trouble sometimes now. My baby is now 3 months and im finally catching up and getting things sorted in my head! Be prepared for the unexpected i wasn't.

thanks for ur story, its made me feel better about things. have been put off a little but its still all fresh in my mind, only 12 weeks ago but i know id do it all again if i had to for my little boy! thanks again x

Hi, I didn't have as bad a time as you but there are some similarities..
at 36 weeks I had increasing signs of pre eclampsia and was sent in to hospital for fetal monitoring by the midwife. I had to stay in for 24 hr monitoring and it was decided I needed to be induced to deliver the baby as the only way to reverse the pre eclampsia. on day 1 I had a sweep, day 2 - two prostaglandins, day 3 a third prostaglandin - by this stage I was already extremely uncomfortable and tired as i was on the ward and getting no sleep. Day 4 I had my waters broken and the drip, my boy was finally deliverd by fonteusse and I had an episotomy. When the epidural wore off I was in agony and literally could not sit down for over a week, 9 weeks later I am stil uncomfortable! Those first few weeks were incredibly painful and I was in hospital a total of 10 days which upset me alot. Unlike you've found - most others on the ward hadn't had a very good birth and I found I had alot of support and care which has helped me get over the trauma. Some of friends that had a difficult first birth went on to have wonderful second births. You're not alone and I hope you've not been put off x