Any advice for the first timers?

[Dovekie]

Put down your ideals and do push for them if that's what you really want. I was deternined to birth in a pool and it was definitely the best thing for me - as soon as I got in, I felt sooo much better, even fell asleep for a bit haha!
Forceps are generally only used when they really have to be, for the safety of the baby. Trust the midwives!
Things can happen that mean you need to go off plan, but it's worth noting down your best case scenario so they're aware of it
Good luck!

Yes, that's what I've done, thanks. It's less of a list of things that must happen, but more of a list of preferences. Apart from the obvious bits about must having skin to skin, etc. It'll be better for the midwife to have a good idea about my intentions from the start, plus they might designate a midwife more suitable for me (someone who'll not bother me!).

 

[Emily0505]

That's exactly what I've done and my mindset is that it's birth preferences not a plan.

I know what I'd like to happen in regards to her birth but as long as she gets here safe and sound, how it happens is how it happens.

XX

 

[SoGentleNWild]

If you have a high pain tolerance, if you think baby is on their way - don't let a nurse tell you it's too early, you aren't showing signs of transition, etc... particularly if you are on gas and air due to low O2 saturation dips.

I believed the nurse. Until DH was the one to catch DS about 3 minutes later.

With DD, midwife checked me, I was at 6 *yawn* took a cat nap and woke up feeling she was on her way. Midwife came in and barely caught DD.

It's not that I don't notice labor or that it's comfortable. But I've had much worse pain (I severed my quad tendon, took out all the ligaments and shattered the patella in soccer.) and I keep waiting for it to equal that and well, here's baby.

 

[Rose83]

Bit late to this discussion but a couple of things from my experiences:

First baby ended up forceps delivery in theatre after an 18 hour back to back labour that started with grade 3 meconium in my waters (poop). Had an episiotomy too. Also had gas and air, diamorphine, epidural and a spinal block (in prep for c section if forceps didn't work). What I learnt from this was that I went in with the right idea - I.e no plan at all. I had no idea what I would feel like and didn't think I could plan for something I had no idea about and I would just go with whatever I felt I needed at the time. I also beforehand thought forceps would be my worst nightmare but I never felt them, my little girl got a mark on her face which went after two days and didn't affect her at all so they weren't scary and I wouldn't worry if I needed them again. Also learnt that no one gives you a medal for doing it without drugs so if you want them have them! I breast fed both babies and epidural didn't make them sleepier or less willing to feed which is something people worry about.

Second baby: induction, not scary but is a bit more intense than normal natural birth I think, feels like the contractions happen all on top of one another very quickly once they start but I would never turn an induction down. I second the person who said trust your instincts, I'd been examined at 6pm and nothing was happening then in the half hour between 7.30 and 8 I was full on contracting every 45 seconds and told the midwife she needed to look at me and she was all 'no nothing will be any different, you can't have changed that much' but I forced her, I was 5cm and they literally threw me in a wheelchair down to the labour suite because they thought I was going to deliver really quickly (in the end was another 4 hours) but I wanted my epidural and said they better get it in fast lol!

For me none of the drugs made me feel high or anything - the only time I was a bit 'out of it' was because I was exhausted from hours of labour.

The thing I worry about with this baby is my waters breaking naturally in the middle of the night and not being able to get to the hospital in time for an epidural because I have two other children to get up and to their aunt before I can get in to the hospital! X

 

[Eryinera]

After my recent labour..... if you need the drip take the epidural. My contractions were irregular and even without drip they either went from0-100 in 2 secs flat or went 0-10 and I got too high too quick. Epidual now seems like a much better option if contractions are being an arse!