How much does labour hurt? If at all

[dannii87]

I've had migraines where they've been so bad I've been sick and dizzy and thought I was dying! I've broken my wrist and hand but labour was the worst pain I've ever felt.

I can't even describe where/how much it hurt/what it feels like... It's a wierd pain Hard to explain!

I coped better than I thought I would, especially when everything started going wrong, but it's not something I'd want to do again in a hurry.

If painfree labours are hereditry, you're bloody lucky!! x

 

[bhe101]

Its agony, think of bad period pain x1000
The crowning part is the worst, it feels like your ripping open-which I was
The second she popped out the pain went!
As debbie says your body is designed for this so you will cope

 

[hennaly]

Its agony, think of bad period pain x1000
The crowning part is the worst, it feels like your ripping open-which I was
The second she popped out the pain went!
As debbie says your body is designed for this so you will cope

well you have just successfully put me off and i already have 6

 

[Squiglet]

i'm gonna be honest- like i said in my last post towards the end u really do feel like you are in your own little bubble- u forget the world around u even exists and feel almost like youre on another planet! and i can say this my experience WAS NOT DRUG INDUCED

I had to comment on this... I very much got the same thing when I had lil miss... When I had Tia I had an epi so only had contractions till 3cms which hurt like hell... but then everything was pretty calm and relaxed until she went into distress but even then I never had that "bubble" experience... I was fully aware.

But with lil miss, they didn't have g&a at all here in Spain, I wanted an epi but although they put the cathater in, they had to wait 20 mins and do obs to make sure I was ok before putting the epi in, by which time there was an emergency and by the time the doctor came back to administer the epi, I was already pushing I got the drip to make the contractions stronger too so I never even got those blessed breaks between contractions people talk about..

But I do remember just being in my own little bubble.... and I was trying to do stuff and say stuff and no one seemed to understand me on the outside... I just ended up saying my little mantra.."I want to go home" (I'd wanted a home birth and hate hossies) and just going off into my own little world... like when they put the drip up to make the contractions stronger, I said (in my bubble) "Unless the baby is in distress, can you please wait before putting that in and maybe I can have my epi because I know it will make the pain unbarable as you won't let me move from my back"... what came out was "no no no no no no no no no no no... I want to go home!"

maybe you do that if you don't have any drugs... Its like a protection mechanism to help you get through it.

 

[swan1]

I honestly didnt find it that bad, I had gas and air and eventually diamorphine as they put me on the drip to speed things up. Once the diamorphone kicked in i was in la la land and sailed through the last few hours!!

 

[AliCat]

It bloody hurt to begin with! But that was because Isla was lying back to back, so I had constant bad back ache. To me the contractions were like REALLY bad period pains coming on top of each other. The G&A didn't help, just made me feel tired (and I hadn't slept for 2 nights before proper labour). I had an epi, and by God, that did the trick! I needed to have it tho as I was dilating slowly thru the night and had to have a drip in the end to speed things up. I didn't feel her coming out either, but they had to cut me, fortunately I didn't feel that.

You will be fine hun, and will cope in your own way. Good Luck! x

 

[crackers24]

Wow, what a popular post.

Sorry to add to the already massive chain of 'IT HURTS'

Looking back, the contractions did hurt. I had gas and air and pethidine. That took the edge off the contraction pains and made them bareable (though they still hurt) but the pushing was aweful. It's been described very well by others so i wont try and describe it.

Also, like many have said, its all worth it when LO is out and thats when the pain just suddenly stops

 

[trixipaws]

actually, for me the pain didnt just stop straight after my baby was born! it still ached like period pain (nowhere near pain like labour but still...) it felt like something was rotten inside me and needed to come out (this is how i describe period pains anyway- like my insides are rotting! its not how labour felt tho- labour pain is positive pain)

i remember whining "it still hurts- they said the pain goes away- they lied!" LOL

for me it was only after the placenta came out that the pain completely went. but i had the injection to make it come out quicker so idk if thats why (still worth it tho i'd've hated to be waiting 40 minutes or more to get on with being stitched up, showered and start BFing and bonding with my baby)

 

[Rachel]

It does really hurt, worst pain I've ever experienced anyway.

With my first birth I found it easier to cope with the contractions (got to 8cm without pain relief and even then it was only abit of gas and air) and it was the pushing that was really bad and hurt, felt like I was on fire down there

With my second birth though the contractions were much worse. I was in so much pain with them and even the gas and air didn't help much. I honestly felt like I was going to die with the contractions I had with my second birth. Pushing was fine this time though. It hurt but not half as much as the first time.

When you see your baby though you do forget how bad it was. Well, you do remember that it was v.painful but can't remember how much it hurt and how it felt iykwim?

You will be fine

 

[kalia]

I haven't read all the replies so sorry if I duplicate stuff.

On TV you will find that waters break, labour starts and is a continuous pain for 20 minutes and the baby is born. It's all rubbish!

Waters can break at any time - for a lot of people it is during labour, not at the start.

The pain is not continuous. I think this makes a huge difference is how you can cope. You get breaks in between each contraction. And it takes far longer than 20 minutes!

I didn't think labour was that bad. I had a hellish pregnancy and I was in a great deal of pain from my hips and pelvis - I was on crutches so I could get from bed to the loo. I think this may have effected how labour was for me as I must have had loads of endorphins whizzing round me trying to help me with day to day stuff. OH's sister was due the day I gave birth so I thought it was very important during labour to pass on the message that labour is OK actually It does hurt. Really, I don't think you should assume otherwise. But there is a big difference between pain and suffering and although I was in pain I wasn't suffering. You end up in your own world and that helps you deal with it. It wasn't that bad, in my very honest opinion and I do think part of that is the break between each contraction where there is no pain. I had a 55 hour labour with my TENS and gas and air (then a spinal as they were about to do a caesarian but had a go with the forceps first and managed to get her out that way.

Now what was hell was the month or so afterwards where it hurt to sit down or to stand for too long. And your stomach really hurts when you breastfeed to begin with. It's after labour that I dread.

 

[Jollypops]

I was really worried at what labour was going to be like and to be honest it wasn't as bad as i though. I would say that for me upto 9cm dialated it wasnt painful and my breathing just seemed to take over somehow! after that i had uncomfortable hips and was only given gas and air and told to focus on something so i moved my hips as though i was cycling which seemed to get me through it
The only way i discribe the feeling it now is as though i was constipated!

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

I was induced due to being 13 days overdue. I was given the tablet at 3p by 8am the next day I was 3cms dilated but had to get my waters broken for me. My contractions were irregular as well so I was given the drip to make them regular. This also causes them to be much more intense. I had a lovely midwife, Dot, who told it how it was and I had such respect for her for that. She told me that I was going to be in a lot of pain and if I wanted ANY pain relief to tell her. I took Gas & Air. By 2pm my contractions were on top of each other despite the drip monitor being turned down. I had 10 seconds between contractions and 5cms, no where near pushing! I can't describe the pain now but I broke to mouth peice on the G&A due to the pain. Dot kept asking if I wanted an epidural by 3pm I gave in. I was crying so much because I felt like a failure but 5 minutes after the epidural was administered I fell asleep. It took the pain away completely.

All I can advise is be open to ALL options of pain relief. I was dead set against an epidural but I don't know if I could have coped without it.

 

[KJL]

I was induced so the contractions were more intense but by 8cms TBH I was vomitting with the pain, and I have a high pain threshold! I really think everyone is different and everyone's labour is different. I have a very small pelvis and also Layla's head got stuck at the wrong angle for ages. I also had a very very long labour so that made the pain all that more intense by the end. I did actually have two epidurals (the 1st one didn't work) and the pain relief only kicked in towards the end...thank god! However, I personally found the contractions at the end very painfull...it feels like an elastic band being tightened really tightly around your bump with the pain increasing through the contraction...as has been said before though the pain is soon forgotten and well worth it

 

[caz2008]

hi with my first i was really nervous and panicky, i was indued at 37 weeks and the labor lasted 10hours my daughter was 7lb 10 and it hurt like mad it was the worst pain ever lol,, but i think my body wasnt ready and i was not relaxed at all.. i also didnt feel in control..

but recently with my secod i started natrally at 41 weeks and after 24hours in labor he was born weighing 8lb 14 he was also layed awkward his back was to my back...but considering the leghnth of labor and his size i got through it with no pain relif till last 2 hours ad the pain was not too bad and i pushed him out all by my self lol (yey me)... and i think it was down to my body startimg labor off pluss i was so much more relaxed and i felt in cotrol of everything... now my son is 3 week old n im very tired lol its best to laugh

 

[charlotteheys85]

i think they may be saying that to make u not worry...

it hurts like hell i wasnt prepared for it, but sooo worth it xx

i also had after pains for 2days, they were soo bad too, felt like contractions but very irregular! xx

 

[lea m]

actually, for me the pain didnt just stop straight after my baby was born!

It didnt for me either!! After Lola-Mae was born, I had really bad after pains for two days, I asked if I could take the G&A back to the ward with me lol! They were bad!

 

[MagicMarkers]

I wouldnt associate Flo's birth with pain i dont thinkl i think of it more as the most knackering, effort draining thing i have ever done.... ever !

 

[Laura_James&Amber]

actually, for me the pain didnt just stop straight after my baby was born!

It didnt for me either!! After Lola-Mae was born, I had really bad after pains for two days, I asked if I could take the G&A back to the ward with me lol! They were bad!

I was the same, still having contractions for a couple of days afterwards but they were nothing compared to the ones I had in labour!

 

[chaz84]

i have got to say it depends on the baby smaller ones hurt big ones dont for me anyone the more relaxed you are the better you will cope you have just got to think no point moaning about it its gonna happen no matter what you do but no doubt when when the head is coming it hurts alot but as soon as you know baby is out and you forget about about i didnt have any pain relief with my 5 didnt have gas or air or anything and all i can say is relax