Pregnancy Forums

Posted: 24 March 2006 at 9:17pm | IP Logged

Hi Greedy, I can remember quite a bit leading up to your labour and also what you told me not long after.  I guess I remember yours so clearly because we were in similar positions at the time both expecting babies that were extended breach.

Of course I wasn't there when it all happened for you but this is what i remember from what you told me and from guessing what might have happened.

I had a precipitive labour with Fran fortunately she was head first.  When she was born she was blue as she shot out so fast she was also very cold (I went from undialted to fully dilated within 20mins).  They had to run her up the corridor and resucitate her and warm her up.  Now with Ellie she was coming feet first and I remember you telling me the mw could see her foot hanging out.  With just her foot hanging out she would have got stuck and it would have been dangerous for you and her.  I am guessing they had to give you a ga because there was no time for an epidural, they take at least 20mins to administer and you needed her out in less time than that.  They probably didn't want to tell you at the time (although I personally think that is wrong) so as not to scare you to what could have happened.

You are well within your rights to ask for your medical records to see why the decisions were made.  In a way it is better that you ask in the cold light of day it shows that you are making a logical clear decision. 

Posted: 24 March 2006 at 9:40pm | IP Logged

i can remember every second of my labour until i started the gas & air after 15 hours

Im guessing that part of the reason most of our labours r a blur is cause ur brain shuts down but i also think drugs play a part in it. Saying that i started gas & air after 15 hours cause the pain had crossed my threshold but although its blurry i remember the main bits & sadly the bit thats most blurry 2 me is after Ryan was actually born

I think it is worth while asking 2 hav ur notes explained 2 u, i know i hav quite a few questions id like 2 ask my mw about future pgs due 2 the birth i had with Ryan

Posted: 24 March 2006 at 10:54pm | IP Logged

I felt exactly the same after having Ethan, I asked dp loads of questions cos I couldn't remember bits or understand what had happened when and why? I had a third degree tear with Ethan and was taken to surgery not long after he was born, I never had it explained to me fully - the bit they did explain I was shattered and pretty much out of it so didn;t take it in.

With regards to my notes, when I was pg with Ellie and went to the hospital for scans and saw my consultant, they had the notes from my previous pregnancy in my file.

Posted: 25 March 2006 at 10:47am | IP Logged

I remember all 3 of my births quite clearly which isn't bad considering it's 17yrs today since I gave birth to Hayley.

I had Pethidine with both Hayley and Fran.  I don't think it is the drugs that cloud your memory so much as how you deal with pain and also how much you understand what is going on around you.  Mw's and doctors tend to forget that we don't all speak medicalese.  Everyones circumstances are different and each mw or doctor will make different decisions too.  I think if anyone is unsure of or unhappy with their birth experience or just can't remember it very well no matter how long ago should get thier notes to read.  It's such a huge event in our lives and one to be remembered.  There is research into post traumatic birth disorder too, some women are so traumatised by their birth experience that they never do it again.  I think this is medical negligence as no matter how scarey a birth was if the woman is told afterwards and can understand what happened this helps you deal with your emotions and experience.

There that's my two pennith worth  will get off my soap box now sorry lol

Posted: 13 July 2006 at 3:18pm | IP Logged

I remember mine quite clearly as well... even remember DH asking me at the most painful stage whether I really want more children after this one.  He was a bit gutted because I think he thought I was going to say no way but of course I didn't I said yes because I knew he was trying to catch me out even then. LOL.

I ended up with a C-section as well and very nearly GA because I was having problems breathing but managed to avoid that one. I remember asking how my baby was and no one answering me as I had heard her cry once and not again (turned out she had been taken straight to Special baby care due to risk of infection. DH tells everyone that I nearly died but I'm not actually convinced that's the case, I remember things too clearly for that to be the case. Plus I think they had everything under control and think I would have been fine.

I think the only thing that would really scare me about giving birth next time is if I end up having to be induced again, it was so painful that I ended up with an epidural, which I really didn't want but had no break between my contractions and also when they put the block in for the C-section it went too high, hence the breathing problems. If it looks like things are going the same way next time will opt of C-section before the epidural if they will allow it.  Not sure what German hospitals are like as we are trying at the moment for #2.

My MW advised me to photocopy the whole of my white book and sheets attached to it before I gave it back to them. Probably only because we move around a lot so it prevents any delay in people finding out information about my birth.

If you want to ask the questions then def ask them. It may help you to decide what kind of decisions you wish to make for your birth next time whether you would still try for natural or opt for a c-section. 

Posted: 13 July 2006 at 4:04pm | IP Logged

First of all I don't think you are weird at all, if I was in your position I would be doing the exact same thing.

I can remember all my labour...i was induced..had every drug they could offer me, which only took the edge off the pain. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is a great sence of achivement.

I had a brith plan on which I stated I wanted every single procudure explained to me or my dh, no matter how small.

plus I had an excellent Doctor I would recommend him to any one, he told me afterwords he was sure i would have to be sectioned because my bump was so big. any other doctor would have just sectioned me.

Also I don't mean to be snobby but I went private, the public sector in Ireland is not the best.