? for those of you with outside babies

Re: ? for those of you with outside babies

• drea_raye

  March 2011

  At their worst they were probably as bad as what you described your cramps to be...

  I had contractions from 4pm Sat onwards... my water broke at 1130pm Sunday, and from there my contractions got much worse. Pre-water breaking they were about the level of my worst menstrual cramps... 

  I went all natural... what helped me was being able to move around and try different things (even when they didn't work they bought me 5-10 more minutes without taking the drugs)... the worst part was sitting in triage with the monitor (eventually I gave up staying still... it didn't matter since my contractions weren't getting picked up) and the last half hour before I was ready to push (not that I knew it was the last half hour at the time.)

  What got me through was taking them one contraction at a time... and pushing was a whole different world... 

  Things that helped - the shower with water on my back between contractions and on my front during, then, when the pain was too low/ the shower wasn't helping, I didn't the slow dance rocking my pelvis side-to-side with DH.

  When it was all over it was better than the relief of pain meds for cramps... so if you really want to go natural prepare to cope with that pain for the height of labour... and when you get to the point that you can't take it, let yourself have 20 mins before you get the drugs... by then you will likely be pushing...

  hth...
  

   

  

  Report0 Reply
• Loading the player...
• MsPurple24 member

  March 2011

  EmandChris08:

  What do *real* contractions feel like? I've been having lots of BH, which to me feel like an uncomfortable tightening, but I would not describe them as painful.

  I'm planning a natural, med-free birth, so I just kinda want to be prepared for what I'm going to be up against. I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but I am worried about how I will tolerate contractions.

  I used to get really bad menstrual cramps. Not every month, but every few months, they would be so bad I would just curl up in a ball and cry waiting for the Advil to kick in. They were so bad that I almost passed out a couple times. I ended up going on the pill for 5 years and the cramps were so much better... I still had them sometimes, but I could get through them without pain meds. 

   So I'm wondering, do contractions feel like severe menstrual cramps? Can anyone who's had severe menstrual cramps compare them to what labor feel like?
  

  The first part that I bolded was what I was feeling with BH contractions, too.  They felt like a tightening with no pain.  I was expecting real contractions to feel similar (but with pain), but they didn't.

  The second part that I bolded, unfortunately, was pretty much what contractions were like for me.  They felt like menstrual cramps that were so strong, I would double over, vomit (just a few times), feel like I was going to pass out, etc.  Mostly, I just cried a lot and made sure to KEEP BREATHING.

  You'll make it through.  Just don't forget to BREATHE!! 
  

  
  
  PM me for our family/baby blog
  
  Haley Beth ~ March 3rd, 2011
  
  

  Report0 Reply