Labor Stories: What's yours?

Well, this is labour from a dad's point. My wife and I had a false labour a week before my son was born. My wife was having contractions, and so we went to the hospital, where she was met by one of the nurses. She did an examination and said yes, it was time. So we were in there all night, pushing on and off because the nurse said to, and it wasn't until 5 the next morning that our doctor came in, and did an examination himself, only to tell us that she wasn't ready. My wife was physically drained, and mentally we were both numb. To go through what was more or less the same as a normal birth, and then not have our son out was just emotionally hard to deal with. He was born a week later, after another long labour (10 hours) at 3:45 in the morning. My wife was great, using only gas, and me. I'm sure my fingers are about an inch shorter after the back scratches all through, lol! I didn't have to go through the physical pain, but I think that both partners suffer the emotional highs and lows of labour!

#1- Labor lasted just under 11 hours. I was over medicated so I don't remember much. I fell asleep in between pushing even because I was so out of it. She was my smallest baby at 6 lbs 6oz but perfectly healthy and only 3 days over due. #2- I was 5 days over due. My labor lasted 8 hours. I napped during it but was awake and unmedicated for the last two hours. I pushed for 20 minutes. He was a healthy 7lbs 5oz. #3- I was 1 week early. Labor lasted 7 1/2 hours. I was sitting up in bed talking right up until the last 1/2 hour. The nurse checked on me at 10:00pm exactly and told me I'd probably deliver in about a 1/2 hour. She started to leave but my doctor popped in to check on me too. Right at that moment I felt like pushing and my second daughter was born at 10:05 with only one push. She was 6lbs 8oz. #4- This was my only difficult one. I had had non productive contractions for over a week. I was due on the 8th and late in the evening on the 6th more contractions started. These felt a little different so we left for the hospital after a few hours. At 6:00am on the 7th the nurses insisted that I was not having contractions and would probably be sent home. My doctor arrived at 8:00am and decided to break my water and start pitocin. She believed that I would deliver quite quickly after that and so refused medication. My son was not born for another 5 hours of horrible contractions. I spent most of those 5 hours crying and being sick to my stomach from the pain. He also turned at the last moment and got his head stuck in my hip and had to be pulled out with the vacuum after 20 minutes of excruciating pushing. He was 8lbs 4 oz. I was bruised internally and had a longer than normal recovery. #5- Yes, I was brave enough to have more even after my experience with #4! I ended up being 10 days over due. I was scheduled to be induced at 10:00am Tesday morning but went into labor on my own Monday afternoon. I delivered my 8lb 8oz son with just 3 pushes (one for his head, two for his chest because he was born so chubby!) Labor was painful at times but one of my easier ones. #6- I promise, this is my last story! I labored quite comfortably at home for 17 hours. We stopped twice on the way to the hospital, once because I was thirsty and another time because I wanted a quick snack, so the trip there lasted another hour. It took a while to get settled in my room but I wasn't in much pain. I was talking to the nuses when I felt the need to push. My doctor wasn't ready yet and told me not to push. I tried but the baby had other plans. He came out with no assistance at 7lbs 5 oz....kind of neat my first son and my last son weighed exactly the same and were both born on a Monday and the 13th of the month. I never had an epidural with any of them. I never needed an episiotomy and I never tore either.

With my first I had a very good pregnancy. He ended up comming 5 days late by c-section. I went into labor and it was very quick and painfull. About 4 centimeters he turned and got stuck good! I had to be rushed for an emergancy c-section. All I remember is asking if it was a boy or girl and wanting to hear him cry. Then I slept for a few hours. I stayed in the hospital for 3 days with him. Then we went home. My second pregnancy went good as well. I scedualed a c-section becuse I didnt want the complications like I had last time. Everything went well and I got a Healthy boy. I only stayed in the hospital for 2 days this time. Congrats on the new baby and I hope all goes smoth and painless!!

I only have one child. Labor wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I had a pretty bad pregnancy (morning sickness all the way through, there were only about 6-7 weeks at the end of the second trimester and beginning of the third that I wasn't sick at least three times a day). I had mild contractions three days before the due date. When I called the doctor, he told me to go ahead and go to the hospital because he was planning on inducing me soon anyway since I couldn't keep anything down. I spent the night in mild labor, contractions about 4-6 minutes apart. My doctor broke my water at 5 am and induced me at a little after noon. I had some terrible medicine in the IV, but no epidural. My son started having irregular heartbeats around 230 and I wasn't allowed to move anymore. I was told that most likely my doctor would want to start prepping for a c-section as soon as he got there. Luckily, my son was born on the first contraction that the doctor was there for, at 4:05 pm. He had the cord wrapped around his neck twice, and there were two knots tied in it. The doctor said he had never seen anything like it. We were warned that he might have some slight developmental issues due to a lack of oxygen, but everything turned out fine. He even scored an almost perfect score on the Apgar. He's almost 2 now, and hasn't had any problems.

When i was having a labor it was the most painful experience i had with my daughter. When i had my son i never experience such thing. I never felt any pain at all. The only pain i had is when i was recovering from my CS operation. But my second time with my daughter, that was really painful i really cant sleep and take note i was laboring for a week. That whole week before i had my next CS i was twisting and turning and i feel like that i was cursed and take all the pain. After that, i still have the same pain after i gave birth and recovering. Even Painkillers cannot do anything to help.

I cheated pain with my pregnancy.. i had no sickness, nothing i didnt even know i was prego till i was almost 5 months. i had a schedualed c section because i had gestational diabetees, one morning i woke up went to go take a bath when i got up from the water blood ran down my leg..(2 days before planned c section) i got there and they said my placenta was leaking so they took me into have an emergency c section, they poked me 4 times fopr the spidural but i think the dr did it wrong because it fel like a screw drive in my back being turned so they knocked me out... i got to the hospital at like 9:30 am and she was born at 10:47 am...no pain afterward eccept getting up for the first time and walking around.. im scared to have another one because i am not ganna be familiar with it since i had no contractions nothing with my first:( it will be like having my first child.. if i have regular symptoms of a pregnancy and contractions and all.