My labour and birth are a distant memory now as my daughter is one year old, but I'm not sure my recollections were any better just a week after the event. I kept my eyes closed from the time my contractions became really strong until I delivered. I opened them briefly to walk up the steps to the Birth Centre but I think that was about it. I guess we all cope in our own way!

Yes we certainly do all cope in our own way. Labour and birth are only the beginning of the journey of being a parent, its how much we love and care for our kids that counts. Sometimes our mind blocks out traumatic events, and as long as you and your little girl are healthy and happy, thats all that matters.

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My memories of it are still very vivid. Right from the very first contraction, to screaming at Geoff to call the hospital, to walking down the corridoor to the birthing pool naked from the waist down, to throwing up repeatedly, to screaming so loudly I burst my own eardrum, to holding my little man in my arms.

I remember the whole thing very clearly, largely due to taking gas and air for 1 hour as my only form of pain relief! I didn't have to worry about focussing on the contractions too much when my waters broke, as I was too busy trying not to throw up in the birthing pool. That was my partners fault for feeding me a banana which made me throw up with every contaction thereafter. So whenever I had a contraction, I tried to aim my vomit in the bowl which my partner than had to catch, it was a great game which lasted around 2 hours!!. It was quite a distraction from the whole ordeal!

The process itself isn't so important in the grand scheme of things, it's the end result that matters and the journey you begin together as a family that counts.

Welcome to the site!

I'm Sel, 27 and Mum to a 16 month old named Oscar.

Happy chatting!

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Giving birth is really not that easy, but once it's done you'll feel better just by looking at your new born baby...


They're worth all the pain.

That's a bit of an understatement

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Yeah I think we do all cope in our own way. I always stayed pretty quiet during labour & giving birth. Just breathing through the stronger contractions using gas & air, just concentrating on my breathing. The most noise I made was the pushing part & even that wasn't much of a noise

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Exactly the same here Lou, I had one hand on the side of the pool, the other hand on the gas & air and I just got on with it! no noise or anything! xx

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You're both abnormal!!!!!!

I screamed the roof off the hospital when I was at the pushing stage, so much so that Geoff was deaf for 3 days afterwards!

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Drama queen!

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She probably kicked the MWs butts too

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