1st birth - pass out?

Well, I must be weird too, when I had my 1st child, I fully intended to have a good look at the placenta but didn't get the chance so when they asked if I wanted to look at it after my 2nd, I couldn't wait to have a good look, I really wished I could have some sort of instrument, like a glass rod or something or even just a pair of gloves, and had a good poke around it but thought I'd better not ask or the midwife would think I was weird!! I don't mind the smell of iron/blood but I shall wait to see my reaction to placentas as an sm.

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I'll try and keep this brief:

First birth I saw - my niece in 2004. It was amazing. At one point my sister made this really weird animal noise - then she looked up at me and her husband and said 'was that noise me?' ha ha! As babe was being born, the midwives were telling her to push - not sure if the cord was round my nieces neck - she kept telling them she couldn't push. Eventually I asked her why and she said 'because I'm not having a contraction'. I had heard them say something about the cord, so I just said 'right <sisters name>, after 3 I want you to push as hard as you can, 1, 2, 3...' And bless her, she did, and out came my niece. All of a sudden there was this new little person in the room, who wasn't there a moment ago. It was so weird and lovely and perfect! I felt the tears welling up, but my sister and her hubby were so calm and composed that I managed not to blub like a baby! But I kept welling up over the next few days as I re-lived it in my head. Some time later my sister asked if I had watched and I said I hadn't because I didn't think she would want me to look 'down there'. She said I could have. So when she had her next baby in 2006, I was all prepared to see everything in detail. She had a lovely homebirth, but in the end I couldn't see beacuse of the position she was in. Although she did ask me if she had pooed on his face, so I had a quick peek while his head was out and his body hadn't yet come out - he was beautiful (and she hadn't pooed on him!)

Last year my other sister had her first baby, I got to see everything then. As I had applied to do midwifery by then, I wanted to know how I would react to seeing blood and stuff. I was ok though, which I was very relieved about. I even watched while she was being stitched - the thing I was/am most worried about having to do as a midwife - and I didn't even feel faint.

And I think placentas are fab! At the homebirth, I went to make everyone a cup of tea while they were waiting for the placenta. When I came back up with the teas, my sister had asked the midwife not to seal the bag up yet because I wanted to look at it. I didn't know where my sister got the idea I wanted to see it - this was before I even realised I wanted to be a midwife, but I am so glad she did ask. The midwife showed me the membranes and everything, it is so amazing!

I had a father the other day who took up my offer of a pair of gloves and examined the placenta himself after I'd done it - it was fantastic!

I think it would be unnatural if you weren't worried about freaking out / fainting / being sick / crying when you saw your first birth. I know I was, but in reality I found the whole experience so completely surreal, amazing, and enthralling that I didn't have time for anything else.

People who do faint tend not to have eaten properly, or get taken by the heat (which I always find is pretty high in delivery rooms!). You can help yourself by keeping your legs moving, eating and drinking regularly and being honest. Just the other day I had to excuse myself to get a drink and snack because I was feeling woozy...

Pricey, don't worry about your next placement - I'm sure you'll be just fine! People get woozy and feel faint for all sorts of reasons, and I'd hate you to get yourself in a panic loop because of what happened. It sounds like a pretty intense shift and once you feel woozy it's always difficult to shake it, so don't be so hard on yourself! xxx

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I had my first witness on Saturday 28th June. It was so amazing and will always stay in my heart. This was such a special moment for me, one because it was my first witness, and two because it was my aunty that was giving birth. I was so fascinated by the whole thing. Surprisingly I didn't pass out or anything like that.

I too kept on reliving that whole experience (in my head that is) for the next two days. She was in labour for 49 mins and the placenta was out within the next minute. I was surprised how quick the placenta was pulled/assisted out. She had a second degree tear. I wasn't really sure how bad this was because the midwife kept on saying that it was just a little tear. This is one of the things that I am worried about doing .

Even though I didn't know the exact pain she was going through I did the best I could to support her and everything I was doing was like a natural instinct. One of my anuties (her sister) was there to help aswell. Awww the baby was so tiny only weighing 5 pounds and 9 ounces at 6.19pm.

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Limz, that must have been really special for you, and hopefully you will keep your amazement for when you are a student!!!

god luck hun, i always wished i could have seen a birth before starting my course- i was so desperate!!

xxxx

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"With my hands, i have felt the strength it takes to grow, and release new spirit......."
"All the best births are the ones where you only have time to record times on a paper towel..."- a midwife, somewhere in the middle

Thanks ksilk I kept on asking my aunty and she was like I don't mind you being there but i'm afraid that you might pass out or something. Thank God I didn't and now i'm 100% sure that this is for me and that I'll be fine. There was quite a few things I didn't understand like how the midwife done the VE but i'm sure i'll get a better understanding when I start. I didn't want to ask too many questions because everything happened so fast. But in the mean time i'll try read around it to get a better understanding. The one thing I regret is not taking a notebook to write things down. I was surprised by how much I remembered and how vivid everything was when I left the hospital. I was also lucky to be with her on postnatal ward. I was observing each of the midiwves on the two separate wards (delivery and postnatal). It was great to see the different roles midwives actually do.

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Any new septembers/starters concerned about this?

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"With my hands, i have felt the strength it takes to grow, and release new spirit......."
"All the best births are the ones where you only have time to record times on a paper towel..."- a midwife, somewhere in the middle

nope not me - am ready I think? Only dreading c-section I'm a bit squeamish about cutting someone open.

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