Is my vagina an oddity? (Might be TMI?)

[Miny20]

My baby was born very very quickly. I went from 3CM to crowning in about 25 minutes. I only got checked because I felt A LOT of pressure in my butt area and thought I was ready. I managed to jump on the bed on hands and knees and push once and she came out. It was very very fast. I couldn't control the pushing--it was completely involuntary, and I bet she would have fallen out on the floor if I didn't throw myself onto the bed.

I have no 'damage'. I didn't feel uncomfortable going to the bathroom at all after birth. It didn't hurt to sit. I don't even have TENDERNESS.

Is this so odd? Every birth story I read says that moms have to take sitz baths at the least or worse--have stitches. This would my second birth and I did have one stitch on my cervix last time. So, I know it's something people experience--and I did have the discomfort last time. But this time.. none at all. It didn't even hurt to go poo!

Tell me your experience!

[attachedmamaof3]

Not unusual to me!!

I've had 3 kids, two were precipitous births (one a UC) and have never torn. Not once. Not much tenderness or other vaginal/perineal issues at all. Apparently had a slight "scuffmark" with my first, but I think that's because I ended up in the stranded beetle position at the end. *sigh*

The only thing that ached on me were my thighs and back (back labor for all 3!) that herbal bath felt delish'!

[2bluefish]

Not unusual for me either. I didn't have any stretched feeling at all after #2. They put a cold pack on me right after I delivered and that felt good. I had bought a donut and cold packs remembering being tender with #1. But with #2 I didn't need any of it. I didn't even bother with the peri bottle. It's awesome; isn't it? (Pushed #2 out in 10 minutes too - I was afraid going in of a fast and furious pushing stage. But now I have to say I preferred it to the slow easing out I did with #1.)

[NaomiMcC]

OMG...that's awesome!!! I can only pray that mine will be like that...you're so LUCKY!!!

[mittendrin]

Nope, sounds like my bottom last time My labor wasn't as fast but I went from 0 to pushing in 6 hrs, and it took me 3 pushes and he came fast. I had a couple of skidmarks according to the mw but never felt a thing. The nurse kept wanting to give me icepacks but I declined, I hate those soggy things, urgh and besides I wasn't swollen or anything.
With my first I tore a bit pushing him out on my back, the second I was on my side, maybe that has something to do with it?

[Miny20]

Originally Posted by mittendrin

With my first I tore a bit pushing him out on my back, the second I was on my side, maybe that has something to do with it?

I think that's it.. I was on my hand and knees, so it might be a positional thing. I pushed on my back with our first.

[HeatherB]

First, congrats! That's totally awesome! I think you may have beaten me for cm/minute! I went from 6cm when my water broke (in the birth pool) to holding the baby in 18 minutes! I also had completely involuntary pushing, which was pretty awesome once I figured out how to let it happen and not worry about how fast it was going. I didn't tear, which I think has a lot to do with not adding to the pushing, so it was very gentle. Perhaps the water helped, too? I felt burning but not as much as with my 2nd birth. So I had some stinging when urinating after from a "skin split" as my MW called it - not anything to stitch, just let heal, but it went up rather than to the perineum, so just was a problem with going to the bathroom. It was all much much better than my last birth, but I did still have tenderness in the whole area. So I wonder if faster is actually better? Or if there are some other factors?

[HeatherB]

Originally Posted by Miny20

I think that's it.. I was on my hand and knees, so it might be a positional thing. I pushed on my back with our first.

I'm guessing position is a big factor, too! I was on my back with my first HB and had some bad 2nd degree tearing. This one was hands/knees and then I turned and sat somehow as he came out, for no perineal tearing at all! (Just the one skid mark/skin split/whatever.)

[Apryl Srissa]

My labors are the same (so far from 2 to done in 30, 20 and 15 minutes) and I also recover really quickly. And those were all on my back too

This time I'm planning on not being on my back, between that and her not being posterior like her brothers, I expect to have a great recover though.

I think that we hear all the painful stories and expect it, but it really is possible to have less discomfort and easier recoveries.

[Steady101]

Originally Posted by Miny20

My baby was born very very quickly. I went from 3CM to crowning in about 25 minutes. I only got checked because I felt A LOT of pressure in my butt area and thought I was ready. I managed to jump on the bed on hands and knees and push once and she came out. It was very very fast. I couldn't control the pushing--it was completely involuntary, and I bet she would have fallen out on the floor if I didn't throw myself onto the bed.

I have no 'damage'. I didn't feel uncomfortable going to the bathroom at all after birth. It didn't hurt to sit. I don't even have TENDERNESS.

Is this so odd? Every birth story I read says that moms have to take sitz baths at the least or worse--have stitches. This would my second birth and I did have one stitch on my cervix last time. So, I know it's something people experience--and I did have the discomfort last time. But this time.. none at all. It didn't even hurt to go poo!

Tell me your experience!

While my first birth wasn't quite as short as yours, I felt great after and was completely fine down there.

[gottaknit]

This was my first vaginal birth, so maybe that makes a difference... But I have a 2nd degree tear from point A to point B, IYKWIM. My midwife didn't stitch it; her thoughts on stitches are that the perineum area is meant to heal quickly and thoroughly without them, at least with a shallow tear. I'm still sore 15 days after birth. Not "in pain", but plenty sore, definitely. I'm trying to keep my legs together, but it's difficult getting in and out of bed like a mermaid.

Still bleeding, too. How long does this bleeding last?!?

[Miny20]

Originally Posted by gottaknit

Still bleeding, too. How long does this bleeding last?!?

With my first daughter the bleeding was on an off for over 6 weeks! With this one, I'm 9 days PP and it's starting to dwindle to a little squirt of light pink every time the baby nurses. I'm hoping it's over soon, because I HATE pads!

[HeatherB]

For me, bleeding lessened dramatically this time by 2 weeks, though at 4 weeks it's still intermittent. You'll have some kind of flow, whether blood or other fluids, for about 6 weeks, on average.

As for pads, cloth is the best!! I have hated this part of being postpartum with my other two, but the cloth pads are wonderful!

[Brisen]

With my first, I went from barely 1 cm to giving birth in 5 hours. My other births have been not too long, but not incredibly fast either, and they have varied (things like when my water breaks -- during pushing with two births, an hour before the birth with one, and hours before any contractions started with one). I had stitches with my first birth (pushed on my back for about 15 mins) and I had one stitch which my mw debated just leaving with my second birth (pushed lying down on my side). No stitches with my third and fourth births, which were both on hands and knees. Even with my births where I had stitches, I didn't have a lot of discomfort after, but the third and fourth were definitely the most comfortable. I didn't feel swollen or uncomfortable. My hemrrhoids, on the other hand...

I have to say, I think on hands and knees is the best way to give birth! I would recommend it to anyone. Definitely the most comfortable way for me so far.

[Miny20]

Originally Posted by HeatherB

As for pads, cloth is the best!! I have hated this part of being postpartum with my other two, but the cloth pads are wonderful!

I made a bunch of cloth pads.. but they're way too bulky for me for some reason--and I got a rash. While my baby is in cloth--I gave up on it for me and am using Always for now. I wish I could use my cups!

[Miny20]

Originally Posted by Brisen

I have to say, I think on hands and knees is the best way to give birth! I would recommend it to anyone. Definitely the most comfortable way for me so far.

The nurse tried to get me to flip over on me back... and I had had visions of birthing on my hands and knees and I was VERY VERBAL about telling her I wasn't flipping over.

Of course, once the baby was out and we were waiting for the cord to stop pulsing... we had no idea what to do about getting me flipped over, so I sat there on hands and knees and missed the first 8 minutes of my baby's life. I wouldn't change it, though--because I did get what I wanted in terms of birth position, cord pulsing until it stopped, and the baby not getting suctioned as she came out. Besides, my husband was there to witness it all... along with everyone else who got to look at my backside as the OB and every one else came flying into the room to try to 'rescue' the situation. The doctor who was present at the birth was the on call PEDIATRICIAN! Ha!