Labour Ward Horror Stories
By EmTeeBee
@EmTeeBee (64)
Australia
February 19, 2008 5:54am CST
What is with some people's need to share the horror stories of their labour? Strangers seem comfortable sharing the most uncomfortable details with you, regardless of how little they know you. I can understand the common thread of the shared experience of being pregnant...but really! When I was expecting my first child, I quickly learned to turn off when the stories started. Every woman's experience is different, and the horror stories did little to help me prepare for my first child's birth. The best bit of advice I was ever given, sifted from the tales, was "Write your birth plan, discuss it with your partner, then tear it up forget it. Babies can't read, or follow a birth plan." What was the the best piece of advice you were given?
2 people like this
3 responses
@mommynews (1)
• United States
20 Feb 08
CHildbirth is natural, I am comfortable talking to most people about my two births. But I also consider the environment I'm in and only share when I'm not the one starting the conversation. I also leave out the terrribly gross functions that come along with childbirth. You also have to consider the age of those who are telling their horror stories. Let's face it epiderals etc, wheren't available 20 years ago. You also have to consider while now it is uncommon for a doctor to let you go past your due date my mother was 2 weeks overdue with my twin and I aswell as my younger brother. She was alos in labour for 3 day's before she had option of C-section. Now after 24 hours and in a lot of cases less that baby comes out. For all the expecting women out there, if you want an epideral and you have family members trying to talk you out of it saying , 'don't wuss out- women gave birth naturally since the dawn of time', tell them if the technology was available then they would have taken everything available to them too.
My best piece of advice- it's your birth and you'll remember that day for ages, try doing what you want to do but be open enough to look at options available and discuss it with your doctor and labour partner. In the end it's your day to welcome your baby and you don't want to remember how horrible of a day it was.
@EmTeeBee (64)
• Australia
20 Feb 08
Great advice, mommynews. Your labour - your way. I agree that it's also important to keep that open mind, and keep those options open. My 2 deliveries were very, very different. What worked for one definitely did not work for the other. At the end of the day, my babies arrived safely and heathily. That's what's really important. I do not feel the need to share the gruesome details with strangers, however. If asked, I speak frankly about the birth that did not go so smoothly, but only if asked.
@cdparazo (5765)
• Philippines
19 Feb 08
Human as we are, we tend to find people who may have the same experiences or felt the same as we have about things that have significant effects on our lives such as giving birth. I don't mind hearing or reading about those stories since I have always relied on my own judgment and I know that each experience varies from the other. I don't also remember any advise that was given to me. I know that there was a lot of advice but there isn't just one that really stuck and made such impact on me. Like everything else in life, i go with my natural instinct as far is giving birth and raising my children.
@EmTeeBee (64)
• Australia
19 Feb 08
I do think it's human nature - to seek out and share common experiences with others. It's the basis of so much human interaction, from support groups through to book clubs! I think there is merit in this. What I found uncomfortable was the unsolicited advice and dramatic retellings from complete strangers!
