[Banned-AnnaMama]

I watched a birthing program.

It lasted at hour and showed 4 women giving birth in the different ways possible. Yes I lasted the hour without fainting, only just mind you.
It was scary to say the least, but when each of them had their baby it was so very beautiful Yes before you ask, I cried. Yes like a baby One of the women was in labour for...get this 4 days, she was such a trooper but ended up with a c-section because the baby just wasn't progressing but she really wanted to do it naturally.

Epidural was going to be in my birthing plan, I just saw one being performed, and I nearly puked, ouch!? Does it hurt? that needle looked abnormally huge.

[LuckyShamrock3]

Omg, you are so much braver than I!!! I used to watch TLC's A Baby Story and such...and I can't even handle THAT now that I'm actually pregnant. I know knowledge is power, but right now I'm thinking ignorance is bliss. (Yes, I know I'll have to get my head out of the sand eventually).

SIde note- I was reading a book recently (fiction) in which the main character's birthing plans was "Quick...and Painless". Sounds good to me..

[mrsdaiwa24]

You are a brave girl!!!! Totally agree with LuckyShamrock -- ignorance is bliss!!!!!

One of DH's friends just had a baby. Wife went into the hospital Monday morning to be induced -- didn't give birth until Tuesday afternoon. Please tell me that isn't normal!!!!!!

[Frangipani]

Ugh, I tried to watch some Birth Day show on TLC today. The lady went into preterm labor at 33 weeks with twins. They put her on meds to stop the contractions and gave her steroids to help the babies' lungs mature. She delivered 4 days later-vaginally, then had trouble with the second baby. They ended up doing a C-section and, man, that was when I had to turn it off!

[ginnkneephur]

For me the worst part of my epidural was leaning over. I have had many needles in my spine though. The steroid injections I get are technically considered epidurals. It's really up to you how you do it. Just remember no matter which method you go... it's gonna hurt at some point. I don't watch those shows when I'm pregnant. I get too emotional. LOL

[~Kris~]

Originally Posted by ginnkneephur

Just remember no matter which method you go... it's gonna hurt at some point.

I think this sums it up perfectly! But it will all be worth it when you hold that sweet bundle of joy. And afterwards, you remember the amazing parts!

[BAM]

I've had epidurals and spinals and seriously it's not as bad as it looks, sure the needle is big, that's why they won't let you see it when they come in to administer it. You feel the prick of the needle like getting any other needle, after that nothing really, maybe a bit of pressure, that's all. I'll tell you this if you are already in labor, contracting hard and everything when you get it you will want to kiss that doctor all over, the pain of the needle is no where near a contraction.

When you said you watched the birthing program I remembered the episode of FRIENDS where Monica and Chandler watched the birth tape that was suppose to be for Rachel and they were so horrified over it, they hid it under the chair thinking it would go away.

[redbirds]

Aww... ladies! It's so worth it!

The epidural didn't hurt as bad as the contractions, but what do I know, all I had was back contractions so I had no idea if it was the needle or the contraction that was causing all the pain... but I can tell you I was in HEAVEN when it finally kicked in! Woot!!! I hope to get an epi at the same time: about 6 mm dialated. That is good enough to experience the pain and all but still be able to know when to push and so forth.

I'm so getting the epidural this time around.

I don't mind those shows at all. I do bawl like a baby when they have the babies (did more when ttc with bfn's than I do now that I am preggo).

[-Jen-]

lol I've watched those before...the c/s's make me twinge ...having had 3 myself so far...but I def. know what a long labor is like...with my 1st it started on a sat. morning & Mon. night they finally took her by c/s...I agree it's awesome seeing those lovely lil babies

[Kumii]

I am so not ready for this. My fiend just had a baby this past Saturday and I am sooo 'looking forward' talking to her about it. At this point I am taking a step at a time.. I am learning what I am supposed to learn for a period of one week and this is it. I am freaked out by the end of pregnancy and all that it has to offer.

[redbirds]

Awww... Karina! You'll be GREAT!!! But it's probably smart to take it one step at a time. Pregnancy, L & D can be so very overwhelming if we jump too far ahead Enjoy entering your 15th week!!!

[Kumii]

Originally Posted by redbirds

Awww... Karina! You'll be GREAT!!! But it's probably smart to take it one step at a time. Pregnancy, L & D can be so very overwhelming if we jump too far ahead Enjoy entering your 15th week!!!

I hope so... I just saw what my nipples are going to look like later on and that alone was enough to freak me out!! I just keep thinking that we, women, are born to give girth and everything should be ok. I will just kinda forget all the stories about throwing up from pain for another 5 month and enjoy the ride!!!
Thanks for the good wishes!!

[Wifey2Jordan]

I love all the birthing shows, Birth Day, Maternity ward, deliver me, I record them here and there and watch them when i'm bored.

The epi didn't hurt me once they got it in (took 3 tries!) You don't ever see the needle, so its not that big of a deal. It hurt waaaay less than contractions for the next 15 hours would have.

[lilybell08]

Amy, that is exactly what happened to me when I was induced with ds. I went in at 10:30 a.m. Monday morning and finally had him at 3:02 p.m. on Tuesday. My dr. warned me that is pretty normal with inductions anyway.
I love the epi. After my water broke I was crawled up in a ball in really horrible pain for about an hour. When I finally got the epi, I didn't even feel it. I am definitely planning on having it again.

[dalynnrmc]

ROFL

You ladies crack me up.

Know what? The contractions are "so worth it" too.

But there are more pain med options than an epidural or nothing. Knowledge IS power - the more the better, and the sooner you start the more you can get.

[Pupcake74]

Amy with my second....I had a stress test and most of my fluid was gone...I was gonna try for a VBAC, but I first wanted to know how much I was already dialted and such, since my due date was only 5 days away. When they checked me and I was like nothing and nothing.....LOL and thats when I decided to do another c-section. I have had a couple of friends that where induced and they told me that I should avoid it if possible. One was over 2 days. The Dr did tell me later that I didn't make the decision to have another c-section he would of recommended it any way since I had lost most of my fluid and it was in the best interest to get DS out ASAP, but he agreed to check me to see if a speedy VBAC would be possible. Ok I'm done rambling....LOL

Oh and the epideral was nothing. I wasn't even in labor, but so unconfortable towards the end it didn't phase me.

[Happy Song]

My inductions went quick four hours to get into labor and three more until the baby arrived.

I had my first epi ordered at 3 cm and I was 10 cm dialated when I got it an hour later but the baby was still fooling around so I sat at 10cm dialated for 3 hours before even pushing.

My second I had my epi ordered at 3 cm and when to sleep after I got it.

[J9+J+C=Complete]

Oh Lord. I hadn't thought about this in a few years and it just brought back some memories! I watched those shows religously, then as soon as Jacob was born, I couldn't watch them again. Weird I'll have to tune in and see if I'm still as into them as I was before.

My water broke on Thursday morning, October 13th at 5:30 am. I went in and they said that it wasn't amniotic fluid and didn't know what it was (I swear I didn't pee myself). At 6:30 pm (Oct 13th) my TLC (high risk) nurse called me and I told her what had happened. I had been "leaking" the whole day afterwards. She said, "Honey, that's your water breaking. You need to head back up". I was being induced at 9:00 pm Thursday night anyways so I headed up. Well, apparently we conceived at a VERY popular time 9 months ago because it was PACKED. They didn't get me out of the main waiting room until 1 am Friday morning (oct 14th). When they finally took me back in, my water had technically broken 20 hours ago, still no contractions. Well they did a few tests and came back saying you have preeclampsia, we have to start you on magnesium sulfate. I think they let me sleep a few hours after that, but at 5 am (24 hours after water had broken) they started the pitocin. A few hours after that (maybe 9 am?) they came in with the epidural. My platelets had dropped pretty low and if I didn't get it early, I'd probably not get it at all. At that point, I was finally feeling contractions hard enough that I was happy to see the epidural. I promise you, you don't feel any pain with it at all!!!!!! You are numbed before they put it in! You don't even see it and at that point you are grateful it is there! Well I'm feeling great for a few hours and laughing at the screen showing my "contractions" that I'm not even feeling. BUT I'm only like 3 or 4 cm and it's about 12 pm friday (about 1.5 days after water broke). Well, we don't know what happened exactly, if they shifted me funny or what, but the epidural stops working. So now I'm feeling the contractions and no one is believing me. Finally at 4 pm, they realize I'm not lying and they give me a second epidural. Because the pitocin was so "dialed up" or whatever at that point they never really could push my epidural meds up fast enough to cover my contractions so I got to feel the contractions until about 11pm Friday night. Finally at 11pm (42 hours after my water has broken) the doctor comes in and says, you have only dilated 5 cm and your platelets are dangerously low now, do you want a Csection at this point? YES! PLEASE! I'm DONE! So Jacob was born about an hour later at 12:02 am on Saturday morning (I missed my due date by two minutes

Bottom line, I worked my butt off for 2 years to get pregnant again. Even with that whole first labor experience, I only remember it as words now. I don't remember the pain, I don't even remember it being "that bad". AND I'm excited to do it again with baby number 2. There is a reason God makes you forget what you go through so that you do it again! And like Gwynne said, SO WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!

[C&J's Mom]

I agree with Jeanine! I didn't have a great labor and delivery experience with DS at all, which I will spare you all the details of right now! However, here I am ready to do it again! It is so worth it. I will admit that after DS was born I told myself and everyone else that he was going to be an only child because I didn't want to go through that again. It did take some time, but soon, I knew I wanted another one no matter what!

Just prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best. That way, no matter what happens, you will be ready for it and if things go smoothly, you will be pleasently surprised! And remember, that the prize in the end will make it all worth while.