Anyone else look back on their labour fondly/with good memories?

[hanfromman]

OK, so don't get me wrong - my labour hurt like hell! It was quite quick for a first baby - I went from 5cm to fully dilated in less than 4 hours! So it was very intense for that time and it did become unbearable, but luckily (as the MW will often tell you) at the time it became unbearable, that was when I was almost fully dilated!
I know I was lucky that it was quite quick, and it was very straightforward and complication free (although I did have an epiosiotomy), and not every woman is so lucky, but does anyone look back on their labour and have good/fond memories of it? At the time it was awful but now I see it as the most amazing experience of my life and totally worth it! And I'm not scared about doing it again
I just wanted to hear other people's positive experiences, and to reassure all you first time pregnant ladies that labour isn't always traumatic/a nightmare that you would never want to repeat again.

 

[chulie]

I think no matter how bad a persons labour was..any time you look at your child...their beautiful smiles and a constant reminder that no matter HOW bad....it wasn't that bad because they are here and worth it. Not only that...people do it again and again..so clearly it's not that bad.

I do have to say....forget the labour, the contractions, the 9 months of throwing up(for me)...literally...the second they pulled that slimy peanut up from underneath me....it was all worth it. During labor I would have said the pain was 10 out 10..but the second she was born..I'd probably say "meh..it wasn't that bad" Hahahaha

 

[happymummax]

I loved giving birth! At the time I thought I was dying though, I was begging for an epidural and c-section at 2cm lol! My labor was very fast and intense and I went through it with just gas and air (got to the hospital at 2cm screaming in agony so wasn't sent home ). My labor lasted 1hr40 mins with no break inbetween contractions and 9 minutes pushing, I stopped taking the g&a for pushing because I couldn't concentrate , there wasn't time to fill up the birthing pool so I laboured on all fours then pushed on my side I can't wait to do it all again, except I'm going to try a home birth xx

 

[Feronia]

I look back fondly at my birth! I didn't find it particularly painful, and I'm so thankful I got the birth I wanted (home waterbirth). She was born during my favourite Bach song, I got to pull her up to my chest myself, my husband cut the cord after I cuddled her for a while, he announced her name to everyone, and was the second person to cuddle and hold her. I think it was perfect and such an amazing experience -- I'll always remember it!

 

[lemongrass]

I do! I was induced and developed a cervical lip (way more painful than pushing! I was stuck at transition for 5 hours!) and I didn't use pain meds but the whole experience was amazing. It was really hard and very painful but it changed everything about me for the better. I had an awesome midwife and my husband was amazing so I was never scared and while i really wanted it to be done by the end, I also knew that I could do it... And I did!

 

[fides]

i have more positive memories of my birth (even though it hurt MUCH worse than i thought it would) than i do of my son's first few months. i feel quite fortunate that i was able to have the home water birth that i wanted, that i delivered him the day before 42 weeks and avoided induction, and that we didn't have to transfer. the following months were horrible for various reasons, so the positive birth experience was something that kept me going through that dark time.

 

[staralfur]

Yes, definitely! I got to 5cm pretty easily and even after things started to get really painful there was never a moment where I was thinking "I hate this", I was just in a zone and focused on making it through the next contraction!

Pushing was a bitch and I don't particularly look back on that part fondly (I was just SO exhausted and I tore quite badly) but it doesn't take away from an overall lovely birth experience!

 

[amjon]

I almost enjoyed it in a way, even though I knew once she arrived she would already be gone. I had no idea I was in active labor. I was pretty uncomfortable and tired (just wanted to be able to get back in bed, but couldn't), but the pain was not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I was ready to do it again the next day. It's taken us almost a year to conceive babies that stayed, so it will be nearly a year and a half between labors, but I am looking forward to natural labor. I am scared to death they will want to do a c-section for the twins though and am NOT looking forward to that.

 

[Eleanor ace]

Yes, I loved my labour it was amazing . There are aspects I would change and I hope not to tear too badly thins time but I definitely look back on it fondly. Counting down the days until I get to do it again

 

[dizz]

I think no matter how bad a persons labour was..any time you look at your child...their beautiful smiles and a constant reminder that no matter HOW bad....it wasn't that bad because they are here and worth it. Not only that...people do it again and again..so clearly it's not that bad.

Nope. I've just coped by compartmentalising things and separating out the birth and post-natal/NICU shit from the day we drove out of the hospital together... it's literally like I mentally view her life as properly starting two roundabouts over from the hospital - the roundabout I can actually remember completely vividly bizarrely enough.

People saying things like "oh but she's here now" really don't get how it can be and it's actually pretty insulting and belittling to other women's feelings to constantly be up against that - also the insinuation that being left traumatised somehow means you don't love your child enough to wipe out the stuff that haunts your nightmares and flashbacks... which isn't the case at all - hell, I think you have to love them MORE to be able to function through all of that.

I'm doing it again - because I have to to achieve the end goal - not in some miraculous haze of motherhood and flowers... and nowhere near in a haze of having forgotten what we went through - and I'm fighting to get every single bit of support I can do to get through it all.

I am, however, going to tie my legs together and stick a blooming cork up there to make this one stay put to nearer full-term than last time!

 

[bekkie]

Absolutely. Parts of it were horrid, but I'll never forget the look on the nurses face when I was pushing and DH said 'you can try harder than that'. Or right after my water broke in the middle of the night and DH was freaking out about whether he should shave... "Should I? No... yes? I should shouldn't I" for about 20 minutes while I'm standing in the bathtub leaking all over the place. It was hilarious. I had an epi and couldn't feel a thing, we were joking and laughing right through pushing - until DS' heartrate went up and things got a little scary... but he came out fine with a bit of help

I hope this time goes just as well, I'd rather not be induced... I'd like to experience early labour at home but if that doesn't happen, that's fine.

 

[x_WelshGirl_x]

I absolutely LOVED giving birth. From 2am with a period type pain up until 10.30am I was alone at home. I rang OH in tears for him to come home from work as the pain was so bad. 11am we arrived at the hospital and midwife told me I can either get checked or walk around for a couple hours and come back, we were all surprised when I was 6cm (and they all thought I was a wimp who had to be taken up in a wheel chair as I actually couldnt walk) 2 hours later my son was born. I'll never forget that day, I had to tell the midwife I was pushing as she was still filling in my notes. For me, the pushing was the best experience (I didnt feel that ring of fire people talk about) it was just an amazing feeling pushing him out. I was a bit scared to pee after but even that didnt sting!? I had no pain relief, the gas and air kept making farting noises when I tried it out when we first got to the hospital so I chucked it! I really Can't wait to do it all again. I said as soon as I held him I'd do it again in a heart beat, I just hope next time it's as easy! Knowing my luck it will be a difficult labour.

 

[ttc bubby no2]

I spent a lot of my last labour (all 2 hours of it lol) thinking I am never doing this again because it was really painful. Now I look back fondly with a warm fuzzy feeling and think it was awesome but I know at the time I didn't feel like it was that great!