April 2012 Moms

what does labor feel like?

does it feel like the worst imaginable period craps? or does it feel like your muscles (and other parts) are ripping/stretching/tearing? or does it feel like you're being stabbed? is it in particular spots, or is just about everything from the chest down in so much pain you can't really tell what hurts?

just mentally trying to prepare! i know it hurts, just wondering what KIND of hurt!

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Re: what does labor feel like?

  • I've been wanting to ask this too! I know it's google-able, but I want to hear from our experienced April mamas!
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  • I'm curious too. This may sound a little far-stretched but do the labor pains feel like horrible stomach cramps- not period cramps or tightening, but the kind of stomach cramps you get when you just ate too much chipotle and cold stone creamery? The kind of pain that makes you feel like you have to diarrhea...... again- I know that sounds odd but to me, that is one of the worst pains- especially when you're constipated. Does it feel anything like that?
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  • For me it was like a charlie horse sensation and I could feel it over my entire ute, super intense tightening/squeezing. I honestly felt nothing during pushing. I remember the MW telling me it would feel like burning, but to keep pushing and I never got that. Right before I started pushing, though, it felt like the start of the world's biggest poop. For me it wasn't anything like stomach or period cramps - I think of those are more like internal pains. This felt more surface, like a muscle spasm. Which is basically what it is, I guess!
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  • For me it was like period cramps X 10,000. I had an epidural at 9 centimeters - so I never felt any pressure or burning.
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  • imageDevonPow:
    For me it was like period cramps X 10,000. I had an epidural at 9 centimeters - so I never felt any pressure or burning.

    Every woman is different, for me the first 1-4 centimeters were managable with breathing through them (oh I begged for drugs and a epi). When I got the epi it was bearable. I didn't feel much between 4-9 centimeters, but I tried to rest (haha, like that's possible). I never had any burning sensation, and I could feel when to push and I think I was worried about pooping on the table more than having a baby. You also have to understand my baby was small (4lbs), so check back with me in April when I have this little girl, and I'll let you know the differences. :)

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  • I had back labor and it felt like someone was using a sledge hammer on the back of my pelvis. And I still remember that shiiit, no birth amnesia here, ha.
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  • it's a crampy feeling, sometimes in your back, in your belly and pelvic region.

    No ripping/stretching tearing feeling here, or like I was being stabbed.

     

    Honestly , I had a med-free homebirth and I didn't think it was unbearable at all. 

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  • Mine was like period cramps, until my water broke at 8 cms. That was the first time I really doubted if I could do it naturally. Then it was like whole stomach/back/period cramps plus stretching and burning. Although I have to say the most absolute unbearable part for me was actually being stitched up internally with no meds. That topped my pain scale by far!
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  • For me it started off as bad period cramps with the contractions....I was able to just breath through it and keep my cool.  The pain slowly increases into a less manageable pain (I did go natural the first time, then decided for an epi the second time).  It feels like the worst cramps ever along with back pain/ache and really strong pelvic pressure.  It slowly builds up and isn't all the sudden unbearable.  I know that by the time I felt I couldn't handle the pain it was time to push and it's that last part of pain that motivates you to push your baby out.  Once the baby is out the cramping and pressure instantly go away, but I tell you that it's horribly painful when they massage and push on your ute after the baby is born.  That's the stabbing pain I remember.  I was put on pitocin for both labors so I'm not sure how different or comparable births are but I do know that my contractions never let down enough to rest between them, it was a 12 hour contraction the first time for me, the cramping never went away.  That's why I opted for an epi the second time when they mentioned pit.  I'm hoping to not have pit this time and hopefully it will be a smooth labor.
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  • imagewilburbud:

    It hurts like your trying to poop out a watermelon. No seriously. it does. lol.

    Its the most intense period/GI Cramping pain ever.. And then its intense pressure.. and when the babys actually crowing it BURNS....theres a reason why its called the ring of fire. There is nothing pleasant about labor pain. 

    That being said, God is awesome and gifted women with amnesia so we forget most of the pain within hours :-)

    And this would be why I've got Johnny Cash "Ring of Fire" on my L&D playlist...hoping it will be motivational, although I could end up throwing my iPod at DH. We'll see. ;)

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  • imageAmandaLea26:
    imagewilburbud:

    It hurts like your trying to poop out a watermelon. No seriously. it does. lol.

    Its the most intense period/GI Cramping pain ever.. And then its intense pressure.. and when the babys actually crowing it BURNS....theres a reason why its called the ring of fire. There is nothing pleasant about labor pain. 

    That being said, God is awesome and gifted women with amnesia so we forget most of the pain within hours :-)

    And this would be why I've got Johnny Cash "Ring of Fire" on my L&D playlist...hoping it will be motivational, although I could end up throwing my iPod at DH. We'll see. ;)

    I love your sense of humour!!!

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  • This is my first post on this board in a while!! I guess I feel compelled to talk about my pain since I am about 7 weeks away from going through it all over again :)

    Anyway, at first my contractions felt like gas pains and then they felt more intense (like when one gets diarrhea). Then, I got an epidural and things were OK until the pain started to peak through the meds. At that point, I was ready to push and the contractions felt like someone was wringing my uterus with their hands (like when you wring water out of a towel for example). Pushing helped a lot. I don't remember what it felt like when my DD came out, but getting a 3rd degree tear stitched without meds will be forever burned into my memory.  

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  • For me starting around 9pm I was getting some cramps.  They mostly felt like a tightening in my ute and staying on the couch and sitting through them was uncomfortable.  I just wanted to get on my feet and move.  

    I went to bed around 9:30 and started texting down to DH every time I had another one.  I *thought* I was in labor but wasn't really sure.  

    He came up around 10:30 and we tried to get some sleep.  

    The cramping and desire to move was getting more and more frequent and I called the OB around 11:30.  

    She asked me if I could talk through the contractions and conveniently this was right when I had one that I couldn't talk through so she had me come in!   

    The 25 minute drive to the hospital was torture because all I wanted to do was move when I had a contraction but I couldn't, obviously! 

    I got an epi as soon as we got to the hospital, I was about 3-4cm.   

    I didn't feel anything after that.  My OB broke my water at 5:45am and I felt the desire to push around 6:45.  

    DD was born at 7:30.   

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  • I had front and back labor...there was cramping but it also felt like someone shoved a knitting needle through my abdomen through my spine, it wasn't fun but worth it =)
  • I had front and back labor...there was cramping but it also felt like someone shoved a knitting needle through my abdomen and through my spine, it wasn't fun but worth it =)
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