Pregnancy and Parenting Society Mark II

A friend of mine has just had a baby and I found out today why she ended up having a c-section rather than s home birth, which is what she wanted. She went into labour on the money and was still in labour on Friday.

Gulp.

That last post was me damn anon function.

Callie is nearly 6 weeks old!!!!

I guess yours was still a pretty long labour too! If you don't mind me asking, how did you find it? I mean, was most of that inactive labour, did you manage to sleep at all during it? Not really sure how people cope during labours like that..!

I'll never skip on an opportunity to tell the birth story

Induced Tuesday morning, had a show straight away and started getting mild cramps. Walked around hospital all day, returning for blood pressure checks every four hours (that was why they'd induced me in the first place), by the evening I was 1-2cm dilated. Managed to sleep that night, spent the next day having really strong contractios, hobbling around the hospital and stopping to groan every five or six minutes I was dilated enough to have my waters broken but there was no room on labour ward so I had to spend the Wednesday night with strong contractions, dilating but my waters not breaking so I didn't sleep very much at all on the Wednesday night. I had my phone, some books, some uni work etc so I put my reading light on and just occupied myself. Also went for a warm shower.

Finally on Thursday afternoon there was room to move me, I was 3cm dilated, waters broken and there was what they thought was meconium so straight onto the drip and it was being ramped up every half an hour. After the marathon induction, I was checked at half 11 at night, fully dilated and ready to push, and she was out at quarter to so I had a really long induction, but my 'active' labour was down on my notes as 2hrs 49minutes, and pushing was 9minutes

I didn't think I'd cope with a long inactive labour with the contractions etc, but when it came to it... it just happens. Focus on getting to meet your baby, accept pain relief - because I built up the paracetamol from the Tuesday when the contractions started, in active labour I got to about 7cm on paracetamol alone.

Ah, that sounds alright really - tbh, it's the pushing more than anything which scares me. I'm pretty good at dealing with pain as long as I know what it is - the bit that will scare me is the baby-coming-out-pain, because, you know, tearing and stuff. Internal things won't bother me so much. (I say that now...)

The early stages, especially for a first baby, can be sloooow. But on the upside, some women don't even realize they are - it's just painless shows or gradually cervix 'ripening' etc.

Once you're 'active' (~4cm dilated) things should pick up and the sort of progress Doctors like is a cm an hour so fully in ~6 hours from that - perhaps an hour for passive descent then up to any hour or so for pushing - so not that long.


Mine was waters breaking 10pm Friday evening. Started being aware of contractions about 3am Saturday morning. Stayed home till about 5pm Saturday evening (but if your waters break first you should call Labour Ward/get checked out & listen to the plan doctors give you - I chose to ignore that part & stay home at my own risk... ) then was 5cm on arrival to hospital.
Fully 6 hours or so later.
An hour for passive descent + 2 hours of pushing on the Birth Unit (gas&air + pool) but no baby.
So round to Labour Ward for trial of instrumental in theatre - subsequently turned out even though they'd shifted from ROT to LOT position at the start of labour they were an undiagnosed OP - so 'back to back' or looking upwards - which is trickier to come out, so it took a catheter to deflate my mahoosive bladder that baby was blocking outward flow from & a so lot of manoevering!
Born 3am Sunday morning.


Feeling a bit overthinking/paranoia about TTC #2 & how this would influence the birth plan...


I found contraction pain pretty manageable & was a bit disappointed that the pushing got nowhere... Although was spared the crowing sensation by a spinal anaesthetic in the end in case the instrumental failed & they needed to convert to an emergency C-section.

But I think at least when you're pushing the end is in sight? Listen to the Midwife and breathe/pant when they say to stop pushing etc.


I found 'Effective Birth Preparation' by Maggie Howell to be pretty good - my birth partner read it too & he was brilliant.

Hey guys my names Vicki and I'm a mummy to an 11 month old called Evelyn it's so nice to see there is a pregnancy and parenting board on TSR. I'm going to uclan uni in september studying social work with foundation year while Evelyn attends nursery! I'm so scared but excited

I had a good but tiring labour, contractions started on the Monday at night after I had my sweep they never really got longer or that much stronger, I went to hospital on the wednesday afternoon but midwives wouldn't check me and said I wasn't in labour as I didn't seem in enough pain, I went back home pains were much worse I started needing the toilet after every contraction, rang hospital ward again they told me to get in the bath and some paracetmol, I ignored them went into the triage room as I was bending over the bed had the most painful contraction, my water broke, midwife examined me said "you're 10cm dialated!!" Pushed for 30 mins and Evie was born in the triage room 20 mins later no pain relief, the most painful part for me was the ring of fire when her head crowned but it was fine I'd do it all over again. It wasn't really that painful I was just tired as I'd had no sleep from the monday to the thursday NO SLEEP at all because I couldn't sleep through the contractions. silly me, after she was born I spent all night holding and staring at her while she slept even though I was exhausted, not a good idea when those night feeds start full force! I really want another baby but juggling uni, a toddler and a newborn is just impossible Really jealous of the pregnant ladies on here feeling broody!

Thinking of names is *so* hard.

The only one we've settled on is Harriet, if it's a girl. But now I'm having second thoughts.

Also, it's going to be interesting when we get asked if we want to know the sex... I do, but she doesn't...

Thinking of names is *so* hard.

The only one we've settled on is Harriet, if it's a girl. But now I'm having second thoughts.

Also, it's going to be interesting when we get asked if we want to know the sex... I do, but she doesn't...

Thinking of names is *so* hard.

The only one we've settled on is Harriet, if it's a girl. But now I'm having second thoughts.

Also, it's going to be interesting when we get asked if we want to know the sex... I do, but she doesn't...

Thinking of names is *so* hard.

The only one we've settled on is Harriet, if it's a girl. But now I'm having second thoughts.

Also, it's going to be interesting when we get asked if we want to know the sex... I do, but she doesn't...