Pregnancy/Birth horror stories

[tialin]

Two weeks after my baby was born I had a massive pulmonary embolism and and nearly died - had to spend two days in intensive care. Terrifying and even more so that I have massive health anxiety. Safe to say he is my last! I wasn't high risk either, I'm 21 and not overweight. The birth was super stressful so that's why they think it happened. What us ladies go through!!

 

[ChloChlo]

My late mum was there for my first child, she full on fainted and whacked her head on the trolley while I was pushing. So a team of nurses had to tend to her and wheel her away because she had a brain tumour... I was so worried about my mum I couldn't push so a ventouse was used and my baby "girl" I was told I was expecting at the scan had a willy!!!

4th birth, my sister was my birthing partner and I had to put up with her for over 3 days. She is a lesbian with no kids... she decided she wanted to be at the end with all the action while I was being sewn up after a forceps delivery where I was cut almost to my anus. She kindly announced "Well that has put me off going with women with kids, that is one butchered nuni and its put me off roast beef dinners for life and all sis" - the midwives didnt know where to put their faces and I wish my mum was still alive to find out what she saw to make her faint

 

[Kim Mild]

It took me a long time to want any more babies after my first. Medically the experience probably wasn't bad ( although baby was back to back, I needed lots of stitches and had a pph) but they wrote the birth weight as 3.9kg instead of 3.6kg. They kept me in hospital for 5 days (til I told them I was discharging myself) because they thought baby had lost too much weight and I wasn't breastfeeding properly and lied baby had jaundice ( it didn't say that in my notes). I swore if I ever did have another baby I'd never go back there,I hated the whole experience. Luckily, that maternity unit had closed by the time I had my next baby (after a 10+ year gap).
I also think that the midwives treat young, unmarried first time mothers differently to married mid 30s mothers who've had a baby before.

 

[Platypusfattypus]

This was in the mid 90s so nothing got done about it but it should still be on my records, I'd hope so anyway. I think (and hope) he's retired now. I needed gynaecology treatment several years later, had a lovely female doctor who left and this monster took over. I told my gp I refused to see him and wanted a female doctor, only to get told I could be sued for discrimination
Also subsequent pregnancies weren't tested for gbs, they just assumed I had it and gave me antibiotics in labour

Yeah if someone has had gbs in prev pregnancies and baby was affected we offer abx anyway


You won't be sued for discrimination, plenty of women have reasons for requesting female Dr. I hate it when healthcare workers try and scare women into accepting things.

 

[Fishnips]

After a traumatic induction and labour that resulted in an emergency section, my mother (who had 1 emergency section and then 2 electives) told me we weren't made for giving birth. When I said "But I did give birth" she said "Yeah but you know what I mean... properly"

We don't talk anymore.

 

[DCICassieStuart]

Oh god the jack Russel part made me laugh so much I hope he made a good birthing partner for her!

Probably better than the poor panicky husband did at the time

Her eldest daughter was almost 8 at the time and can remember it very clearly.

 

[Sugarhoney]

Not really a horror story physically but definitely mentally! I’d just given birth (it was a normal and pretty straight forward delivery ) but I’d not even been stitched up back together or cleaned up and my husband bought his 6 yo daughter in and my parents as they were waiting in the hospital cafe whilst I was feeding my son for the first time. I didn’t have it in me to argue, I was coming down from the labour hormones and perthadin. The midwives kept asking if I was ok with it but I was so exhausted. Looking back I should have punched him in the face. It was grossly inappropriate

 

[HowlOwl]

I started to go through labour and had been struggling for hours. The consultant popped in on his way home ... had a feel around, demanded that the nurse get the scanner asap. She said, “You don’t think ...?” Turns out my baby was breech and an emergency c-section was booked. I knew he had been breech but my midwife said that he had turned. I hadn’t felt him turn but just went with their expert knowledge and advice. A simple scan would have shown otherwise. Thankfully our son was born safe and well, although later was diagnosed with a heart murmur and he’s had a couple of ops but is fine now (he’s 13).

The consultant came to apologise. Thank goodness he decided to check on me as I worry in hindsight how dangerous it could have been for the baby and I if we’d been left to struggle on regardless.

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

With my son, he was born on the Wednesday, my husband's sister insisted she visited on the Saturday. They arrived at 8am!! We were all still in bed! His other sister told me I needed to start on my tummy exercises on day 7, I had a sacral dysplasia during labour and couldn't even stand up without help!

With my daughter, we were keeping her arrival to family only until our son had met her, to suddenly start receiving congratulations texts from friends as my husband's family had announced her arrival and tagged us in their posts on fb!

 

[Keiffers pipe]

It’s just extremely uncomfortable. I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous but I also feel embarrassed about it too My partner has told me to go to the doctors but I was checked over twice post pregnancy and both my midwife and GP said everything has healed well and back then I hadn’t even attempted sex, we waited about 2 months after baby was born and that’s when I first realised something didn’t feel right

It took me years after the kids were born to feel like I actually needed and wanted to have sex again.

It was uncomfortable and even using lube it just seemed to dry up very quickly and it sounds horrible but I always felt like I had a million other things I should have been doing instead or just wanted to go to sleep.

We are well past the baby stage now and I definitely have a new renewed libido but it took a looooong time

 

[Devondoll]

I had an elective c section at 36 weeks due to PPROM and baby remaining breech and have definitely been made to feel like I didn’t give birth “properly”
People can be harsh fuckers, major surgery and 6 weeks recovery with a newborn is not easy.

I had an emergency c section with my first as he was back to back and stuck. I was told I 'didnt really give birth' or I was 'too posh to push'. Less than 18 months later I had my second who was born after about 10 minutes of pushing. Having had a caesarean and a natural birth I can honestly say in my personal experience natural was far easier in terms of recovery. I mean the main factor was I could actually walk after giving birth! C sections are hard work. People are nasty.

 

[Cthxo]

With my son, he was born on the Wednesday, my husband's sister insisted she visited on the Saturday. They arrived at 8am!! We were all still in bed! His other sister told me I needed to start on my tummy exercises on day 7, I had a sacral dysplasia during labour and couldn't even stand up without help!

With my daughter, we were keeping her arrival to family only until our son had met her, to suddenly start receiving congratulations texts from friends as my husband's family had announced her arrival and tagged us in their posts on fb!

When my daughter was born (5am) we had to stay in overnight and I kept falling asleep obviously, every time I woke up a new person was visiting and when we did get home my brother in law, his wife and two kids were waiting for us I was exhausted

 

[MrsOgre]

My first pregnancy, midwife doing checks every visit and said baby's head was down, everything ok. I was high risk so had some checks in hospital, different midwife checked me, then did an ultrasound (had 9 in total) got told baby was breech and next thing the obstetrician came in without a word, grabbed hold of baby turned it round and walked back out again, I was screaming in pain. I wish I'd known at the time that was assault, a midwife was stood nearby and just kept saying sorry. If I was given a choice I would've asked for a section, I had so many complications giving birth and also had group b strep but didn't find out until much later when I spotted it in my records, thank god my baby was ok. The obstetrician was a horrible man who mistreated many women.
Group b strep testing should be mandatory on nhs but it is shocking that it isn't.
The same midwife was my labour midwife and she was awful, I was induced and she spent most of the time out of the room, I was pushing for 3.5 hours and had physio and ultrasound therapy afterwards for the injuries. Next one was like shelling peas!

 

[Fairypop]

One of our “friends” announced my eldest’s birth on Facebook before anyone else had chance. She was still in nicu. I didn’t think much of it at the time (was really too worried about everything else) but when I look back on it, it makes me fume. Really sympathise with everyone else it’s happened to

 

[ChelsLou]

I was a size 6 uk before pregnancy, usually a size 8 in the years before that. I didn't give a f*** about my weight. Thought I'd lose it slowly over the year and needed rest and food to breastfeed at that stage. Initially I laughed at the message but it festered and really hurt. I bought some size 12s jeans at my biggest and I'm back to a size 8 now after a year. I really think people should think before they speak about someone's weight post pregnancy.

100%! I had my baby 11 months ago and I am now in between a size 8-10. My hips are so much more wider now and I doubt I’ll ever be able to fit my arse into size 6 trousers ever again As someone who went through an eating disorder during my teens, my mother (I’ve never been incredibly close to her) made comments that were a “joke”. For example, she once pointed at a man with a beer belly and compared it to my pregnant body. Maybe I’m just a bit sensitive and extremely insecure but I cried for hours that night to my partner. I just wish there was less expectations of women to bounce back once they’ve had a baby. Pressure on women in today’s society is absolutely dreadful!

 

[LittleMy]

It took me a long time to want any more babies after my first. Medically the experience probably wasn't bad ( although baby was back to back, I needed lots of stitches and had a pph) but they wrote the birth weight as 3.9kg instead of 3.6kg. They kept me in hospital for 5 days (til I told them I was discharging myself) because they thought baby had lost too much weight and I wasn't breastfeeding properly and lied baby had jaundice ( it didn't say that in my notes). I swore if I ever did have another baby I'd never go back there,I hated the whole experience. Luckily, that maternity unit had closed by the time I had my next baby (after a 10+ year gap).
I also think that the midwives treat young, unmarried first time mothers differently to married mid 30s mothers who've had a baby before.

Oh they definitely do treat young, first time mums differently. Some of them treat you like an idiot. I was 25 when I had my first (not totally young) but I look younger. I had this one particular old midwife who was a real battle axe. Accused me of not feeding my baby enough - he would scream more than any other baby on the ward, bearing in mind that he was also poorly and being treated for an infection. I physically couldn’t get him to feed anymore than he was taking. I felt like such a failure. Not a good way to start motherhood, and her attitude among other things caused me to fall into a depression. I struggled to bond with my son in the first 6 months and felt I wasn’t good enough to be his mum.

With my next baby a few years later, it was like night and day. I was obviously more experienced and confident, the midwives were great and not one bit condescending/patronising.

 

[GlennCoco]

My waters broke on the Tuesday afternoon when I was 40 + 5. Spoke to the hospital and they said to make my way in and not to rush as I wasnt experiencing any contractions. We got there, I was examined and they said "oh boy, your waters have definitely broken" and I was sent home to return in 24hrs if I still wasnt having any contractions. Couldnt sleep that night as every time I lay down I had awful crampy type pains but not contractions. Ended up sleeping in a chair for like 2hrs

Went to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon as instructed. Waited a couple of hours whilst they monitored the baby and then I was induced and left to my own devices. Around 2am I got a new midwife who advised having half a shot of diamorphine to help me get some sleep as I was only 2cm dilated but experiencing some very strong contractions.

Slept for a little bit and then Thursday was just a blur of contraction after contraction. Got to midday and decided I had enough and couldnt go on. My midwife was very supportive and told me I could carry on and it wouldnt be much longer.

Got to 10cms at around 11pm on Thursday and was told to push on every contraction which was fine initially. My midwife turned to me and said "why arent you pushing?" And I said "I'm not having any contractions" so I got put on a drip to speed up my contractions, holy hell they were the worst!!

I was examined by a doctor twice, the first time he said to push for another half an hour and then he would reassess. The second time he said let's go to surgery and we will either use forceps or c-section but let's see what is going on.

So the epidural guy came in to explain what would happen and I signed my life away (still contracting faster and harder than ever before!) And off we went to surgery. I had the epidural and it was amazing! The doctor took one look and said "no let's operate" and 5 mins later she was here in the early hours of Friday morning

She was back to back and very stuck!

Thought we were done but baby had an infection so we knew we were in hospital with her until her 5 day course of antibiotics were over.

Didnt anticipate me getting sick. Ended up with a condition which can happen 1 in 10,000 cases after a c-section

So we spent 10 days in hospital in total. I cant fault the majority of the midwives as they were lovely. The ones who were there when I delivered I didnt like at all and feel they could have been way more supportive and involved rather than just leaving me to it.

 

[Mrs Cucumber]

With my son, I had a back to back delivery that caused sacral dysplasia as he decided to turn whilst on his way out, I said to the mw after my back really hurts and her response was you just gave birth ofcourse your sore, she wasn't impressed when I answered with he didn't come out my arse though did he! My husband said I was off my face in gas and air and kept stopping pushing to look at the snow

My daughter I was induced as was 42 weeks, went in at 9am, pottered around the hospital all day. Went to Costa at 4pm, ordered a malteaser truffle cake and suddenly felt pressure, ate my cake and shuffled back to the ward, got checked and taken round to delivery, contractions started but it was just one huge long one, they gave a injection to try and slow the labour, they had to put a trace in my daughter's head as we were both becoming distressed, they called a Dr in who called me the wrong name, I shouted at her and as I shouted my daughter shot out! I didn't even feel like I was pushing my body just took over!

I would do pregnancy and labour over and over, I loved it and am always slightly jealous of others having more babies!

 

[chocolate choux]

I know this may seem a bit off topic... but it’s related to birth so whatever. Does anyone not enjoy sex since giving birth? It’s been 11 months since I had my baby and it just feels so uncomfortable. I never had any problems healing, I only had a second degree tear which healed well. I don’t even have much of a libido anymore

Can you identify a particular problem? If it’s physically uncomfortable may be worth double checking with a gynaecologist that you’re okay down there (obviously subject to the COVID situation). If you don’t already use lube that might help you feel more comfortable. Maybe you need more foreplay? Also, if you don’t already do them, pelvic floor exercises will help

Lack of libido is harder to solve though part of it might be related to sex being uncomfortable. I expect you’re busier and more stressed since having the baby so that could be effecting things. Is anything else going on in your personal life? Maybe you’ve grown apart from your partner? Or maybe you’re bored and need to spice things up? Identifying whatever factors are affecting you is important so you can start to move forward

 

[MakeDamnSure]

My first baby was due 20th December, I’d had issues on and off through the pregnancy with reduced movement but every time I went in to be checked out I was always told it was just because I had an anterior placenta which made it harder to feel movement. It gets to 22nd December still no baby and I had my normal midwife appointment and my blood pressure was really high. I didn’t have any other symptoms of Pre-eclampsia so they told me to come back the next day and have it checked again. I came back the next day and my blood pressure was fine but I mentioned I hadn’t felt the baby move much that day so they sent me to hospital to be checked over. This was probably my 4th or 5th incident of reduced movement so they said they were going to induce me the next day (Christmas Eve). That night I started having contractions anyway and went in the next day to be induced. The actual ‘labour’ was fine my contractions weren’t too bad and I managed on just gas and air until suddenly I needed to push. I kept saying I needed to push but no one was really listening to me and my body was actually pushing by itself which was really dangerous as I wasn’t dilated enough yet. This went on for maybe an hour and my babies heart rate was dropping with every contraction. More and more people were coming into the delivery room but they weren’t really saying what was going on and then they had a shift change. I now had a consultant in the room and I told her I needed to push. They checked to see if I was dilated enough and by now I was 9cm. I was told I had to get the baby out quick or I’d have to have a c-section so I had a ventouse delivery and within 3 pushes my beautiful baby was out. He was so tangled up in his cord he wasn’t breathing and had to be resuscitated in front of me. He weighed a tiny 5lbs 7oz and was born in Christmas Day. He was taken straight away and I didn’t see him for 2-3 hours while they were getting him stable in NICU. Whilst I was being stitched up the consultant just casually said if you hadn’t had him today your baby would have died. We spent 5 days in hospital as he was on antibiotics for suspected sepsis and just had a horrible time generally in there, the midwives were quite rude and they were really pressuring me to breastfeed which I wanted to do but both me and my baby just were not getting the hang of it very easily and instead of being encouraging I was just being told I ‘wasn’t doing it right’.