did you enjoy your labour?

**Olive** · April 30th, 2009, 02:18 PM

just wanting to know how many people actually enjoyed their labour!

leading up to my labour i was scared of having a quick labour and not getting to enjoy the build up of contractions,sounds wierd but i really wanted to have the gradual contraction build up, waters breaking transition etc... i wanted to experience proper labour! it was 17hrs from when i first woke with period pain and 8 min contracions to birth- around 4 hours of active labour, but i can look back and say in enjoyed it!!!

did you??

**The[cookie]Doctor** · April 30th, 2009, 02:19 PM

I loved labour. Until about 10 mins before i went to hospital i spent the day laughing, it was an amazing experience, and I honestly can't waiit to experience it again. Maybe a few hours shorter but otherwise it was awesome.

**LaDeeDa** · April 30th, 2009, 02:21 PM

*shudders* I didn't enjoy it at all ......

but that might be because i had such a horrible mismanaged birthing experience

**Lisa** · April 30th, 2009, 02:24 PM

I didn't enjoy my first labour at all... like Dee it was horribly mismanaged too.

I loved my labour with my DD and honestly felt like I could have done it all over again straight away. I also enjoyed my labour with DS2, although it wasn't exactly how I would have liked it (ARM due to cord around his throat) it was still a fun & beautiful labour.

**Olive** · April 30th, 2009, 02:25 PM

dee i know you had a terrible time hun

**~clover~** · April 30th, 2009, 02:30 PM

My first labour was ordinary. I was drugged up to the eye balls, OB trying to push for ceaser, I was young, niave & scared.
With DD2, it was amazing. I stayed at home for as long as I could. Headed off to hossy thinking I was nowhere near that far along, then worked my way through it naturally. It was amazing!
DS I think was too hard & fast. 5 hours from 1st twinge to end. Not too bad though.

**Willow** · April 30th, 2009, 02:24 PM

Looking back, my first labour yes, I did enjoy it (wouldn't have said so at the time probably!)

My second, the early stages were pretty good but the rest, no. I didn't enjoy it. It was very fast and intense (5 hours total) and very different from my first labour which was very slow and drawn out but much less intense and painful.

**beckoes** · April 30th, 2009, 09:19 PM

interesting to hear the different experiences, i was looking forward to labour and the thought of over coming the challenges and stuff. But after about three hours i paniced and the rest was horrible, i dont really remember much of it, i forgot all the stuff i decided i was going to do and didnt really have anyone guiding me, the midwifes just kinda sat there and DH was to worried to help. i was in the shower at one point and it started to go right again but for some reason someone told me to get out...and i just did, dont know why. Was thinking today about the next time and hoping i can be alittle more in control and enjoy it!!

**Sequoia** · May 1st, 2009, 04:58 PM

In retrospect, I did enjoy mine although I was induced, ARM and epi. 4 hours from go to whoa, intense and a lot of intervention (which I believe was warranted)....I can't wait for second time around!

**Nelle** · April 30th, 2009, 02:25 PM

Not at the time with my first, I wouldn't say enjoyed is the right word. I was satisfied with it, at peace and happy with how it was going, encouraged and excited at the thought of what the outcome would be...and a whole lot of other things.

But it hurt, and while it was a constructive, progress and hope filled pain...it was still pain.
I guess you could say I enjoyed and still enjoy the fact that I had the labour I did.

With my second, no way, UNTIL I realised it was time to push, and then I was so happy and cheerful and excited, and the pain disappeared when I pushed. So I enjoyed that part immensely.

Interesting question Jols!

**sunshine_sieben** · May 6th, 2009, 05:49 PM

I enjoyed it. I was so excited when I first went into labour. I welcomed every contraction. It did feel like a right of passage to me.
There are 3 moments I did not enjoy at all.
1) I hated feeling really sick and having to vomit when labour became really intense all of a sudden.
2) I hated having to drive to the hospital in borad daylight, feeling slightly out of it and feeling like I might have to vomit any second
3) I didn't like the crowning. It burnt so much and I just wanted to get it over and done with. Maybe I should have given myself a little more time and breathed the head out cause i ended up tearing a little.
I also didn't like being stitched up at the end. It hurt more than the crowning. Or maybe it just seemed that way as my hormones weren't helping me as much.

I loved being able to take my dog for a walk with my mum during early labour
I loved that I managed to get a little sleep during early labour while DH and I watched Ice Age
I loved managing at home for 10 hours
I loved being able to call my midwife and get advice during the day
I loved getting to the birth centre and being greeted by a very lovely midwife who looked after me until my midwife arrived.
I loved being cheered on and encouraged to "make some noise"
I loved that my midwife trusted in my body and didn't bother me with internal exams
I loved loved loved getting into the birth pool
I loved loved loved loved loved it when DD floated out and was placed into my arms.
I loved when the midwife who came to assist with the waterbirth (was the same midwife who looked after me in the beginning) came to me later on and thanked me for being allowed to be part of these special moments.
I loved being able to carry DD into my in-laws house so they could meet her - only 4 hours after she was born.
I loved having my mum stay with us and help with looking after a newborn.

It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about DD's birth. It was so perfect. Painful? No doubt. Awe inspiring? Definitely

Sasa

**jamakin** · May 6th, 2009, 08:25 PM

The Birth of my DS was definatley enjoyable, it was a speedy natural birth. scary and a bit painful but absolutly amazing!
It was like a comedy, late night shopping on thursday DH and i were in Borders bookstore him on one side me on the other, i was 39 weeks, when all of a sudden my waters broke in a huge gush!! it was so embarrasing! we ran out of there (proberbly more like a fast walk - in my state!) that was at 7:30pm i wasn't really having contractions so we went home and called the hospital, they told me to have a shower and come in, as i was getting ready i started to get pains like period pain, i didn't even realise that they were my contractions. it wasn't till we were driving to the hospital that they started getting a bit stronger and were now coming in waves - 2 mins apart!! i'm sure DH broke some road rules! They were so busy at the hospital that there were no rooms or labour suites available, i was put into a small consultation room to wait, no one thought i was in labour as i was still talking and smiling (i was excited knowing i was soon to meet our baby) i think they were almost going to send me home. but i insisted on an internal, lucky because i was 9cm dialated!!!! we were going to have this baby soon! that was pretty scary, everything definatley intensified, but i'm kinda glad i didnt have too much time to think about things, natural instincts took over and i just had to follow what my body was telling me to do.
My midwife was absolutley amazing, as was DH, he was very positive and encouraging the whole time.
After an hour of pushing DS was born!! (only 4 hours since my waters broke in borders) it was the most amazing experiance. i have never felt such love, words cant even describe. I was so lucky it was drug free and i had no tearing!! It was a quick labour, hard and painful at times but i would say it was definatley bareable and better than i could ever have imagined.. even enjoyable.
i just hope i'm that lucky next time!

Just realised this sounds like a birth story! - i never did get round to doing one - sorry its so long!

**Olive** · May 14th, 2009, 01:02 PM

wow jamakin!! awesome labour!! did you tell boarders that your waters had broken on there floors!??

**catherinemoses** · April 30th, 2009, 02:28 PM

Yes, I did enjoy it. I was surprised to find that I was in labour the day before my EDD and I was thinking that it was going to be a false alarm (I'd convinced myself all thru the pg that I would be overdue!!!)! It hurt (don't get me wrong it hurt a lot!!!) but it was a good pain...if I can call it that. Maybe it is that amnesia that you get after birth but I didn't think it was that bad! I found getting stitched up after my episiotomy to be much worse!

**Oorki Galoorki** · April 30th, 2009, 02:30 PM

first one definatley not but my second was the most incredible wonderful experience and virtually pain free to so thats even better..

**alioops** · April 30th, 2009, 02:44 PM

My 1st 2 I did!! If my Ob gets his way and continues to refuse a CS even though Orthopaedic physio says no way I can do a VB without damage then I doubt I would enjoy my 3rd, but if he does his job sometime in the next 4 weeks then I might enjoy the birth (I won't be labouring then though)