spin-off: tell us something fantastic about your birth experience

[poetesss]

spinning off my other thread, where I was talking about how upset I get when I hear about women being bamboozled into horrible births...

...I want to read about some awesome mama-power in childbirth! Please, share something moving, encouraging, or otherwise positive about your own childbirth (or someone else's). I just hope to have some positive things to think about to distract me, and I'm sure it will help expectant mamas, too!

[poetesss]

I'll start by mentioning that I always think about the moment when I caught my firstborn. I did it with my second as well, but with the first, it was a complete surprise, I had no idea I was pushing, but as soon as he crowned, it was completely and utterly natural for me to just reach down and pick him up. Hands down, BEST experience of my life. Gives me a smile every time I think about it.

[lifeguard]

When I held ds for the first time I cried & laughed & was overpowered by how wonderful he smelled. And I was relieved & felt strong & wonderful for having done it.

[*MamaJen*]

Oh, I had an awesome labor. It was calm, peaceful, empowering, and the discomfort was never that bad. I really treasure the memories of the childbirth. It was truly trans formative.

[Veritaserum]

My first natural birth (second baby) was a completely different experience from my first baby's birth (epidural). I used hypnosis and was completely comfortable throughout my entire labor. I imagined each contraction as a wave of energy and that I was closer to seeing my baby with each one. It made me smile! I spent most of my labor rocking in my rocking chair. In between contractions I read from one of my favorite novels. When a wave came, I'd put my book down and let my head flop down in order to completely relax. Once it was over I was back to rocking and reading.

In the meantime, my midwife was filling up the birth tub (next to my rocking chair). When it finally looked full enough to be comfortable, I put down my book and climbed in. I remember thinking it was nice to have a longer break between the waves. Right after that, I noticed the feeling of pressure as my baby descended into the birth canal. When she turned under my pubic arch I experienced a completely automatic pushing reflex. Four minutes later she was in my arms. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I had an amazingly comfortable birth and that wonderful post-birth high. I felt like I could do anything because I was an awesome, powerful birthing goddess.

You might enjoy reading the stories archived here.

[cileag]

I have a lovely picture of me in between pushes with a big smile on my face--someone had told a joke and we all laughed. It's incredible to me even now that I am 10 minutes from holding my daughter in that picture and smiling. And finding out she was a girl and announcing it and hearing a cheer go up---such beautiful moments.

[felix23]

Both my girls were c-section births, but they were still awsome births filled with mama-power!

My first dd was born at 29 weeks and weighed 1 lb 13 oz. I was really sick and don't remember much about the whole day, but I still can clearly remember her giving out the tiny, sqeaky like cry. And then the dr made sure that I got to touch and kiss her before she had to go to the NICU. Those memories still bring tears to my eyes.

With dd2, I was also having health issues, so I had another c-section at 37 weeks. She didn't cry right after birth, just looked around. When the dr held her up for me to see, our eyes met, and it was like she was saying "Hi Mom!"

[laohaire]

I remember the best part for me. I had been pushing for 6 hours (!) and finally decided consciously that I was just going to do it. I knew I would tear, but baby and I were tired and this needed to be done. The next contraction I started to push beyond the contraction and I felt the ring of fire and wimped out. I used the rest period between contractions to build up my courage. The next contraction, I did it, I pushed her head out (again, this was a conscious choice and extra effort on top of the natural contraction, and I tore as I did it).

Now, this was the best part for me: after I pushed DD's head out and I rested for the final contraction to push her body out, I felt her shoulders turn. That was the best part. It was that instant that I fell completely in love with her. I was overwhelmed at the feeling that she and I were doing it together; I could feel her humanity in that gesture. What I'm trying to express is that it wasn't (at least completely) MY body that turned her, I could feel her doing that movement herself. I tried to express it to everyone there (DH, midwife, assistant, my mom) but they kind of just laughed and didn't know what it meant for me. It didn't matter, I was head over heels. I pushed DD out in the next contraction.

I think DH was also having his own experience at the same time, though. He vividly remembers when I pushed DD's head out and her eyes were blinking up at him (I was on hands and knees in a birthing pool). He was also struck that DD was already a complete human, not - I don't know, not a blank slate, I guess. She was already herself, young of course, but a conscious human being.

[AnnaNova]

my favorite part about the labor was how unexpectedly wonderful it was. i had my baby in the hospital (for various reasons), and was concerned about how the whole experience will turn out.
but it was ver beautiful and intimate, the lights were off, everyone was very quiete (except for me), i walked, danced, cuddled with my husband and so on...
and then my favorite part about actualy delivery is how alert my son was when he (finally) came out... when the nurse put him on my chest, he had his eyes closed, and i held him and said "you are finally here!" and he just opened his eyes and looked at me very inquisitively as if saying "oh, there you are, i was wondering what you were gonna look like" ... and then my husband said something, and our son turned his head and looked at him "oh, you are here too, father!".

[Peony]

DD1 and DD2 were wonderful, calm, peaceful labors. While there was certainly pain, it was tolerable and I relaxed during contractions, no joke cracking for me, but I was at peace. The moment that DD1 was born is still so vivid in my mind, I had done it, I had a baby. I remember this overwhelming feeling of community, that woman had done this for thousands of years and now I was one. I caught DD2, that feeling is just amazing. Both times I had that birth high that is just the best feeling in the world. I won't go into DS's labor/birth since it is isn't what you are looking for. He was a homebirth, a UC even, but just a very intense, highly painful experience that I'm still coming to terms with. The birth high is the best, and I honestly feel cheated since I didn't get it with DS. I want to experience it again!

[Bassgirl]

I had to transfer from a planned HB but the doctor on call was wonderful and worked with my midwife so that I still got my VBAC. :-)

[GoldmanBaby09]

It seemed like it was taking FOREVER to push out my son during my homebirth. But when I got to the point where you could see his head in between pushing and contractions, I wanted a mirror so I could see. My mw's apprentice held my make-up mirror so I could watch my baby move closer and closer each time. It was so motivational to see that wet, wrinkly head and know I was so close to getting to hold him. And once he was finally out, that amazing rush of euphoria and getting to meet your child for the first time is the most wonderfully intense thing ever!

[laughingfox]

My favorite (other than meeting my baby, of course) was the point at which the contractions got too painful for me to try to fight or distract myself anymore. I just had to accept them, and then everything was fine.
It was very zen. Yes, there was still pain, and lots of it, but I wasn't letting it bother me anymore. I stopped screaming and clenching, and I just closed my eyes and hummed.

My doula actually thought my labor had slowed and lessened considerably, (and I was met with insults when I told her I was ready to push).. until I raised my hips up out of the water to show her that my daughter was crowning.
The doctor (homebirthing MD) barely made it to my house in time, my daughter's head was already almost out.

Well, or maybe my favorite was her emergence.. I had my hands down over her head as it came, and I felt her every feature as she was finally born into my hands. That was phenomenal, too.

The first midwife/doctor's assistant who came out was a pain to deal with, and my doula seemed more interested in her experience than mine (in addition to not listening to me about anything, she also made it clear that she didn't like my taste in music, and she kept taking out my CDs and replacing them with hers ), but none of that could change the magic and power that was going through my body. It was the best day ever (so far ).

[FiberLover]

When I reached down in the water and picked her up for the first time. And held her in my arms. The whole labor was hard work, there was pain, but I did it naturally and feel empowered, still, by the fact that I did it. But nothing, nothing, compares to seeing her for the first time.

[kitkat5505]

With my second birth I had an all-natural vbac, and although the last few hours of labor were awful the moment I was able to push my baby out and he was put on my chest was the most amazing feeling ever, and I just kept saying "Oh my gosh! I did it!"

With my last birth, although it didn't end as I wanted it and the labor was 2 days, I was so happy with how peaceful I was able to labor up until pushing. I was able to breathe and relax, even during transition. I was so proud of myself for how well I could handle labor (though I also credit my midwife and her awesome soft tub for helping lol).

[Sudonk]

My births were all magical from start to finish. One thing that stands out in my mind from my first birth was the feeling I had in the final moments of pushing. I was using hypnosis, so I was totally comfortable, peaceful and aware of every little sound and sensation. The room was darkened and everyone was being calm and respectful. As I felt the baby move down and begin to emerge, the atmosphere in the room felt charged with this knowledge that something sacred was happening. It felt like the entire universe paused and held it's breath for that moment. Then I felt his skin brush mine for the first time, and as his whole body slipped quickly the rest of the way out there was a rush of energy, like the universe went back to expanding as normal.

Also, I remember clearly the look on our son's face when he emerged. His cord was very short, so I held him under his arms and let him sit on my belly as my husband and I talked to him and the cord pulsed. As soon as he heard our voices, his little brow wrinkled in concentration as he peered from his daddy's face to mine and he just so clearly KNEW us and was as fascinated to see us as we were to see him. There were 5 other people in the room, and he didn't have any interest in anyone else.

[buckeye_bebe]

I had a hospital birth. I found two things fantastic, which are independent of the setting. First, the severe pain in transition completely vanished when the urge to push came. No pain, just work. So I had a completely pain-free, drug-free, incision-free birth. Second fantastic thing was how fast it went. I was at the hospital about an hour. The cheap corn-syrup laden apple juice I inhaled was also fantastic, but I think that was just from the sheer exhaustion.

[Halfasianmomma]

Two awesome things about my (induced) hospital birth,

1) When after 18 hours of labor my super wonderful doctor came into my darkened room and slow danced through a contraction with me, while whispering in my ear "You're so strong". Even though it was 8 hours after her shift had ended, she'd stayed to see me through the birth.

2) When DD came out, they put her right on my belly and she immediately started crawling her way up towards my breast. My doula gently lifted her up and DD latched right on and breathed this sigh of relief, almost like she was saying "That's the stuff!".

[Engineering_Mama]

I had an amazing pain free labor. The only time it hurt was when she crowned. We never timed a contraction because I honestly couldn't have told you when they started or peaked. I spent the entire day at work in early labor and didn't even realize it until late that night in the bath tub when I noticed that the strange sensations I'd been having all day were coming at regular intervals. My entire pregnancy I'd focused on accepting the pain if it was painful, but embracing the possibility that labor wouldn't be painful. Amazing when that belief became reality.