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next labour what would you do different?

i was just wondering if any of you ladies would do anything different for your next birth? i.e pain relief ect?
i had to have a spinal with my first cause they preped me for a c section (had him naturally in the end)
With my second i had a totally natural labour and found it so much better. what would you change? x x
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Replies

  • would you not like a natural birth?
  • I'm the same as zoey. Its not that i dont want a natural birth its just that my family have a history of not going into labour so will prob not go naturally. I am not allowed another induction so a planned section is really the only way.

    [Modified by: Nicx & Lucas on November 07, 2008 10:38 PM]

  • next time i'm thinking of asking for an elective c-section as i have a prolapsed bladder and don't want to risk it getting worse or anything else prolapsing! dreading my next pregnancy because of the prolapse but i really want another child. would have liked 3 kids but i don't think my pelvic floor can take it! Plus i really want my prolapse repaired which can't be done till i've finished my family x

    http://newtickers.bump-and-beyond.com/23/2327/232730.png

  • i WOULDNT have a chinese takeaway a couple hours before delivery,lol
    one min im having food next evie is coming out so fast the mw looked like a goal keeper.
    had both babes at home so was nice to throw takeaway up in my own loo!! lol. xx
  • Umm.. I'd pack my bag at 7 months and not 8 hours before I went into labour! Well it was kinda packed in that some things were in the floor in the bedroom next to the bag but I thought one evening i'd better get on with it even though the midwife appt that morning she said I'd be late, (how wrong was she!) but only a few hours later I was having contractions! Good job we live close to hospital so hubby couldn ip home for stuff.

    The only thing in labour i'd try and do differently was stay mobile if possible but I couldn't really when having Cole - was happier sat bolt upright and staying still. Next labour I'll ahve to go straight in and be monitored for my blood pressure and probably won't have a choice but to have another epidural as its likely my bp will be as bad but theres not a lot I can do about that. No home birth for me! boo.
  • I'd go to term

    I'd have a hospital bag packed from 28 weeks

    I'd carry my notes EVERYWHERE from 28 weeks

    I'd carry a spare pair of knickers, spare trousers and some pads from 28 weeks!

    :lol:

    other than that - nothing!
  • We don't plan to have another baby but if it happened i would love a C section! I know you'll all disagree but I'd rather have stiches on my stomach than down there. I know either way its painful at some point but a c section for me please. image
  • I'm not sure i'd change too much. I would have liked to have been less out of it. Not from any drugs or anything but It runs in the family to sort of shut down part way through and not resurface til you need to push. It meant that i was totally not in control n i don't like that.

    I don't think i'd pack so much crap in my labour bag. All the "just in case" things were in there but me being really hungry, etc. never happened.

    I'd also insist before hand for loads of photos to be taken all the way through (as gross as it is, i can't remember my birth and would like to have some pics of the usual "this is mummy reading a mag... this is mummy waddling to the toilet... this is mummy getting examined" business. Guess i'm weird!). And have LOADS of photos taken just as the baby is put on me. And have a camera with a flash! Harry's first pic is just blackness! image

    xxx
  • Emilia is one and I am 27 weeks pregnant again. Obviously because it is now going to happen I have been thinking about it a lot.

    I am hoping to have a homebirth this time, no hospital at all. I will refuse induction this time even past 42 weeks and prefer to be monitored daily and have a scan to check placental flow - i will only be induced if it shows my placenta is starting to deteriorate. I have taken advice and decided on this because I had a reaction to the pessary last time which put my baby into distress. She was born naturally with only G & A but i had the emergency bell pulled and ten people standing there ready for an assisted birth (forceps).

    Because of the issues with her heartrate I was encouraged to push hard whilst lying flat on my back legs in stirrups, just in case assistance was required, and it is felt this was probably the cause for my third degree tear. Luckily my baby was fine but at one point her heartrate was scarily low for over two minutes.

    So this time I am hoping to:

    1. Avoid induction as I feel it was the cause of most of the issues (unfortunately I think it is for a lot of people).
    2. Avoid hospital as i feel they are too quick to intervene when it may not always be necessary. And i know I will feel more comfortable and relaxed at home, as will my husband who found last time highly traumatic and thought he was losing us both - I was actually asking if he was ok whilst in labour.
    3. Avoid pushing and allow my contractions to do the work
    4. Not be flat on my back strapped to a monitor.
    5. Get the physiological third stage i wanted last time but was encouraged not too after everything that had gone on.
    6. hopefully it will last a bit longer (very weird I know). I was only in labour 1hr 40mins and because of the reaction was hit with strong contractions one after the other straight away and it is all a bit of a blur. I was in a bit of shock when my baby was placed on my tummy.

    I have done a lot of research and spoken to a few midwives (NHS and independent). I am determined in my choices and I am hopeful that things will be better this time.
  • I would take loads of pics too. dont have any before Soph was born and only few with bumpimage we didnt have a camera before.
  • With my first I had an ELSCS (Em sec) and it was chaos, esp after 34 hours of labour. I dont remember much of it, and had to have a concoction of dugs to control my BP, which had been fine all the way through up until the labour, so couldnt hold Ollie for a few hours because of uncontrollable shaking.

    This time I've already planned an elective, and all we have to do now is decide the date i want it on.
    This means my hubby will get to be there at the birth rather than sat out in the waiting room alone, and i will be more in control of everything, and able to hold my baby not long after. I've aready had one section, and an op previously so they can use the same scar for a third time and it wont mean any more than one scar. (I also like the fact that i dont have to do PFE)

    the only thing that might go wrong this time is hubby - he's not much good with blood and faints at the sight of it! :lol: but we have warned the MWs and they said they can have a chair ready for him.

    xxx
  • This time i would make damn sure my birth partner had their mobile with them the day i went into labour(lol)would of also liked the dad to be there...next time i plan to be with someone worth having a child with....I guess those are the only two things i would change..only had gas n air but ended up being cut quite badly and found that and the recovery worse than the labour so i would like to not have that happen again if poss but i will always if poss opt for a natural birth!
  • Hi,

    I'm hoping for a shorter labour- it was 37 hours with my son.

    I'd also like a homebirth- I had to transfer in after 30-odd hours before as he was stuck, and I was prepped for a c-section, but they managed to get him out in theatre with ventouse and forceps.

    I won't be trying a birth pool this time- I didn't like it, I preferred standing up, but got stuck in it for hours as I couldn't say anything! I'll stick with my TENS machine xx

    30+3
  • Keep my legs crossed 9 months earlier!!
  • Hi ladies!
    My next labour is going to be approx. the 23rd April. I would really like my body to give me definate signals that I am actually in labour! I managed to go 5cm without feeling anything except a bit of a headache! I would still opt for the gas and air as I found it amazing! However, I know not to be worried about a spinal or epidural, as I had to have one to repair the damage Josh did on his rushed arrival! I was so worried, and really need not have been.
    Tina x
  • I'd take up the offer of an homebirth because i did it without anything with my last so i may as well go through it all in the comfort of my own home.

    Lisa xxx
  • both my labours have been fab tbh.My last labour(6mths ago)lasted only 1hr 50mins and i only had gas and air the last 15 mins! I went from 5cm dilated to holding grace in my arms in only 20mins,she weighed 8lb12oz(10 days early!!)and i had no stitches so i think i had a fab labour really.The only thing id do next time is try for a home birth and would love to be in a birthing pool.
  • I'm not having any more but if I was...

    I would mention the fact that I was having contractions to oh a bit sooner, for the first hour they were so mild I didn't bother telling him!
    I would have a home birth, my labour was only 2 1/2 hours in total and I nearly ended up delivering in the car stuck in a traffic jam! I was only at the birth centre for 12 mins before Barney turned up.
    I would still like to try a water birth, I was all set for one last time but due to his speedy arival there wasn't time to fill the pool, if I did it again the pool would be ready at the first twinge lol

    Apart from that I wouldn't change anything, I had a horrible experience with Millie but with Barney it was really, really good. I was back home within 5 hours of setting off for the birth centre.
    xx
  • Not having any more!!!!!!!!!

    1st was induced as waters broke without contractions, had gas & air, epidural, episiostomy. Painful, long but not too bad in comparison.

    2nd was natural with gas and air only and absolutely horrible. I asked for epidural but the anaesthatist was in theatre and by the time he came out it was too late. Only took 4hrs but I hated it.

    Far preferred 1st time round. In fact 2nd baby was 9 days late and from due date I was begging to be induced. I never wanted to go it without drugs (entonox doesn't count as it really does f.a. but gives you something to bite down on!) - I won't let the dentist take a filling out without painkillers, it seems ridiculous to let them take a baby out without! If men gave birth you can guarantee there'd be no such thing as "natural"! Before having a natural birth I thought I might have 3 or 4 kids but there's no way I want to go through that again.

    I know there's a lot of women want natural, drug free births but i liked the epidural!

    The only thing I had with #1 that i refused with #2 was student stitching. 20hr labour and the worst part of it was being used as a pin cushion while cross stich was demonstated to students on my bits!! Takes ages to demonstrate - if they ask to use you say no!

    Good God, that was a rant - birth traumatises me! But my kids are great!:lol:
  • I wouldn't go into labour prematurely lol. I went at 34+4 weeks so I didn't have much time to prepare for this labour. Bag or nothing was packed. Oops. I had to throw things in a bag on the way out the door. The only thing I would change though is having my bag packed as it was all a bit of a rush and I didn't even have half of the stuff bought. My SIL had to bring me down things like Sanitary towels, breast pads etc. It was funny though when I think bag but I will def be more organised next time in case I have another premature baby.
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