One born every minute - not really horsey!!

[Sally-FF]

Hi

We are thinking about trying for a baby this year (not 100% yet!!) Having watched one born every minute last night i think i want to wait a bit longer!!

How painful was giving birth for you? Positive stories would be good!!

How long leading upto/after were you unable to do horses (muck out, general duties etc etc)

Thanks

 

[quirky]

Just think, many women do it more than once (as did I). If it was that horrific, there would be only single child families .

 

[sychnant]

Stopped competing at 5 months, stopped riding at 5 1/2 months. (joggy horse + pregnant tummy = uncomfortable) Mucked out 3 and all jobs until the day before i went into labour.

Baby was breech so I chose to have a caesarean... no pain at all. Not even one bit. The drugs were good

Wasn't allowed to ride until after my 6 week check. Got on a day early and found that any stomach muscles i once had were no more - lost balance in canter and couldn't get it back for 3 circuits of the school. Just didn't have the stomach muscles to stay upright. Caused much amusement to all those watching

Took it a bit steadier until things got more back to normal, and was competing again 12 weeks after i had him.

Hope that helps a little bit... sorry i don't have a gory tale to tell

 

[Angelbones]

It was dreadful. By the time I was conscious again my baby was nearly a week old. I only have one child consequently!

However, don't let me put you off. My friends have sailed through it, worked right up to the end and were back in the saddle within about a month. And they have done it more than once!

 

[Toffee44]

One born every minute is a TV programme with story lines that have been used to attract the public. They dont show the beautiful deliveries and the ones where mums are in complete control and pretty much birthing on there own (as in they are confident in their bodies etc).


If it was that horrific we wouldnt have more than one baby, and I am sure that many mums will tell you that amazing love you have for your baby once he/she is born makes the pain of labour sooooooooooooo worth it. Yes labour hurts, yes it can be a long affair but the end result is the most amazing in the world


PS TFC will prob move this to soapbox

 

[carousel8703]

The birth of my baby girl wasn't straight forward but i'd do it all again. It is so worth it in the end and the pain relief options are good. I did the poo picking of the field right up to having her but i didnt ride because my mare had been off work for a while and i was worried she would be quite sharp! I have only done some light hacking since the birth as my mare is now in foal and other than some core stability issues it is good to be back on board!!!

 

[Headpiece]

it was an experience...some good some bad.

Mostly it was the way it affected me looking after the horses, I couldnt ride because of problems, and i felt quite wary around them, in case I was knocked into. Also when the baby came they werent so keen on staying up the stables, and of course I couldnt ride without a babysitter!

 

[legend22]

I've got about 7weeks to go until my first. Still doing everything apart from riding. Struggling a bit with lifting water jacks and getting out of breath - everythingjust takes a bit longer! Rode / competed up until 5 months or so but then found it really uncomfortable. Did end up in hospital after getting jumped into by one of the youngsters so now trying to avoid anything too naughty to handle or frisky foals! Lots of my friends recomend an epidural - anyone had one? Hopw was it??!

 

[marinitagsd]

In my last pregnancy, I continued to ride throughout although now I must have been nuts! Ex racehorse! I never had a prob riding, throwing bales of hay etc, carrying water buckets etc. Went shopping with my Mum for the afternoon at 37 weeks, came home, water broke! lol Back riding the week after!
x

 

[nikicb]

Hi

We are thinking about trying for a baby this year (not 100% yet!!) Having watched one born every minute last night i think i want to wait a bit longer!!

How painful was giving birth for you? Positive stories would be good!!

How long leading upto/after were you unable to do horses (muck out, general duties etc etc)

Thanks

A few thoughts.....

I haven't watched the program, but 'good' television usually consists of as much drama as possible. I would imagine, like many reality shows, they show the 'best' bits and the rest is edited out.

I have, in my opinion, two wonderful sons. Every mother would (hopefully) say that. Son 1 born by emergency c-section after 32 hours of fairly futile and bearable labour which wasn't going anywhere as he was face presentation. Son 2 born by elective c-section - birth all straight forward (as far as c-sections go), but I had to be readmitted a few weeks later with an infection, but that all healed pretty quickly. Was most likely because I overdid it when I got home. I remember my in laws coming to stay the same night I came out of hospital and having to cook dinner for them. Hmmm..... perhaps I shouldn't pretend to be so capable and resilient.

With son 1 (I was 31), I competed up till 6 months (dressage, showing) - tbh I didn't really look pregnant and just had to loosen off the bottom buttons of my jacket and wear stretchy jods. Then I 'popped' and rode for another month or so until it was uncomfortable. Then loose schooled as my old girl can be a bit crazy on the lunge. I can stand in the corner when I loose school. Started riding gently at about 5 weeks after (doctor sign off for driving at 6 weeks). I remember OH and son 1 coming to a show when son was around 2-3 months. Dressage I think.

For son 2 (I was 37), I stopped much earlier, around 3 months, partly because my mare was only just coming back from colic op and partly because once you have one child you realise how much you would lose if something happened. Also I was older, still working/commuting, had another child, was more tired etc.

Went back to riding probably after 2-3 months. Can't really remember. But you need to bear in mind my old girl was 26 by then so not really doing much other than veteran classes anyway. If I had a younger horse I would probably have started again much sooner.

But the thing I really want to say is that you shouldn't be put off by the birth. That really is such a small part of the whole thing. Even 32 hours of labour doesn't compare to having a teenager in the house and the angst that brings. Don't get me wrong, I adore my children and wouldn't swap them for the world. But the whole pregnancy and birth bit is only just the beginning and the excitement and adrenalin rush of having brought a new person into the world will far outweigh anything else.

Wishing you the best of luck, and hope it all works out for you. x

 

[tinkandlily]

I kept riding till about 5 months in both pregnancies, but still did yard duties and grooming till nearly term. I had stiches after my first son ws born because he was lying back to back, so more of his head came out at once, than normal so it was uncomfortable to do much. I started riding again after 6 weeks
I had nice easy water birth with my second and was back riding after 4 weeks.

 

[louised1henry]

im due my second funnily enough today..but not such luck.its far to comfortable.so yet to find out about this labour.will post a update at a later date.lol.

but im still mucking out poo picking,lunging one of mine and all the other stuff,just have to take it slow and rest when i need to.have to get hubby to help with the heavy bits like water and hay.one thing ive not been able to do for months is pick out feet,the pressure on my tummy of bending over kills me and makes me feel sick and light headed.i stopped riding my boy when i was 4 months as i started to get really bad sickness when i hit 4 months and have had it right until the end.its normally the beginning,but i like to be different.

When i had my first i was pretty much the same.did everything right up until the end just slowly.i had stitches that took ages to heal so i was back in the saddle about 3 months after i think.

labour.....for me first time it was absolutely fine. i just dont do pregnancy very well. i was 9 hours from start to finish.....woke up at 3 in the morning with contractions,being sick and my hind waters went.went to hospital at 4.30 ish and was already halfway there. had to be cut as she was trying to turn on the way out. did it all with no pain relief. had a tiny bit of gas and air for the last few centimetres of dilation,but i had to stop using it for the delivery as it made me fall asleep. the worst bit for me was the stitches.they hurt like hell. even with the gas for them and the local anaesthetic.

but how the midwives described it is how i found it. its like being constipated and going for the biggest you know what of you life.

but i know all people are different and have different labours.i was petrified of labour before i went through it.but its sooooo worth it.the rush you get when the baby comes out is unexplainable. you feel like you on cloud nine.

good luck

 

[zoelouisem]

I've got about 7weeks to go until my first. Still doing everything apart from riding. Struggling a bit with lifting water jacks and getting out of breath - everythingjust takes a bit longer! Rode / competed up until 5 months or so but then found it really uncomfortable. Did end up in hospital after getting jumped into by one of the youngsters so now trying to avoid anything too naughty to handle or frisky foals! Lots of my friends recomend an epidural - anyone had one? Hopw was it??!

Yes i had an epidural, i was induced so took a few days to get a real established labour by then i was exhausted so opted for an epidural. I didnt find the needle unconfortable TBH was to busy consentrating on keeping still and breathing through the contraction, but once it kicked it was brill. Read a magazine and a doze and waited for baby to arrive, although they do let it wear off so you can push so was a bit tough at the end when i started to feel contrations again. But if i had any other children i would go for it again, very long labours seem to run in my family so rather than hours ours seem to be days!!

That said labour would not put me off having another. I hated being pregnant and thats why i wouldnt have more, but i was not in a normal situiation and was worried how i would cope, live ect. But it all worked outand i waouldnt swap it for the world at all, every bit of pain and stitch and dignity i lost was all most definatly worth it!!!

 

[babymare]

pmsl 23 hrs of pure pain but now mmmm 22 yrs of pure beauty kindness and the best friend on this planet - hun dont think just do - only did once but by heck shes my best friend xxxx

 

[Dolcé]

I have had 3 children, all born naturally with no drugs. It does hurt but you soon forget the pain. What I will say though is, I wouldn't have an epidural because I thought it would be agony and was terrified of having a huge needle stuck in my back. I had a tummy tuck some years after the girls and was given an epidural for that, I can honestly say that had I known how easy it was I would have had one for each delivery.

I stopped riding at 3 months but have a friend who rode all the way through and was back on a week after giving birth.

 

[Ginge Crosby]

One born every minute is a TV programme with story lines that have been used to attract the public. They dont show the beautiful deliveries and the ones where mums are in complete control and pretty much birthing on there own (as in they are confident in their bodies etc).

as a newly pregnant person, I've watched all episodes from series one and now two, and found that they show a range of deliveries, with people coping in different ways. Some scream the place down like they're dying, others are much more reserved and controlled. I suppose it depends on each individuals pain threshold. I admit that i cry at nearly every episode, because its just such a wonderful thing.

OP, i've stopped riding because non horsey OH is very against the idea and i wouldnt want anything to happen. Im still mucking out every day, and mucking out for my YM when she rides my boy for me. I lunge or loose school as well. I dont plan on stopping until i pop, and plan on getting back in the saddle asap (as long as all is well!)

Forgot to add that my sister had her third at home on the living room floor - little boy shot out before they could get her to the car, my brother in law and mum had to deliver him with NHS direct on the phone, my sister had no pain relief whatsoever so if she can do it i'd like to think i could manage on gas and air, no epidural for me (not a needle fan!!!)