Starting to think about your impending labour and feeling a mixture of anticipation, excitement and nerves? Whether it's your first baby or your 5th, the thought of giving birth can be stressful, especially when you consider that every birth is different and, however much you plan, it can be quite unpredictable.

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To help answer some of your burning questions about how labour unfolds, we asked new mums in our MadeForMums community to tell us their birth stories, which cover a multitude of scenarios from super-fast natural labours to emergency c-sections and everything in between. The one thing they all have in common though is that they were positive experiences and all end with the safe delivery of a gorgeous new baby.

Here are some positive birth stories from mums in our community:

1. A fast natural birth story with gas and air

hannah and baby georgiana

Hannah Damary-Wilson was 39 weeks pregnant when she went into labour. She shares how things progressed so quickly when she gave birth to her 4th child that she didn't even get the chance for an epidural and gave birth naturally with gas and air.

2. An unplanned natural twin birth story

birth story kathleen nelson twins

Kathleen's planned c-section for her twins didn't go ahead when her daughters decided to make a dramatic early entrance at 35 weeks and were delivered naturally - one in the hospital car park after a fast 3-hour labour.

3. A speedy surprise home birth story

sammibrennan

Sammi Brennan was 40+2 weeks when she was given a membrane sweep by her midwife that started off a speedy and almost painless home birth. Her daughter Eloise arrived naturally the same day.

4. An emergency c-section birth story

georgie le and baby

Georgie went into labour on her due date and things progressed well until they realised baby was back-to-back. A change of plan meant she had an emergency c-section for baby Jack's arrival into the world.

5. An induced birth with back-to-back delivery

louisa and baby louis

Louisa found out she had gestational diabetes at 7 months and was induced at 38 weeks. She gave birth to her baby boy, Louis naturally and discovered he was in the back-to-back position during delivery.

6. An induction at 38 weeks birth story

mum alysia and dad with baby hallie

Alysia Leigh hadn't even started her maternity leave when she was told her labour would need to be induced due to a reduction in her baby's movements. She was induced at 38 weeks and baby Hallie was born the next day.

7. An unplanned home birth story

aarti and baby birth story
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Aarti was 40 weeks pregnant with her second child when labour progressed quickly following a membrane sweep. With no time to get to hospital Aarti gave birth with the help of her GP mum at home with her 2-year-old watching.

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