Any good labor pain comparison?

Mike_Patti · March 2012

For those who have done the natural birth thing before can you give your best comparison of labor/birth pain to another type of pain? I know this is tough, but if you've ever had a kidney stone, gallbladder attack, major surgery, broken bone, etc. how does it compare?

I have been waffling about epidural vs no epidural quite a bit. My doc is open to either way and I would love to skip the epidural if I can. On the other hand, I'm not totally against it. My biggest question is how to gauge what labor is like. Yes, I know it's different for everyone for all these billion reasons, but I was hoping for at least some honest anecdotal feedback. For me personally I had really awful gallbladder pains that I got through with no medication at all (a bad idea in retrospect) and did fine.

CTri17 · March 2012

honestly, it was like a bad back ache (I had back labor) during contractions, but it was NEVER awful, I thought it was totally manageable

I think if you can survive gallbladder pain you can totally handle labor

sschwege · March 2012

What is this sense of urgency in deciding right now? Why not wait and see what happens?

Anyway, I have never really been in any kind of serious pain, thankfully. I did have sciatic nerve pain at two different points while I was pregnant and I remember thinking if it's as bad as this I'm getting the epi! So I guess contractions were more desirable than sciatic nerve pain because I never even considered an epi (and I was in the hospital).

The nice thing about contractions is that you get a break and in that break you feel pretty good. So if you just take it one contraction at a time that helps a lot. I guess if someone asked me to describe a contraction I would say it's like a wave coming, building in intensity and then dissipating. To me contractions felt like a very strong tightening in my abdomen (so strong at times that it felt hard to breathe) and it circled around to my back. It was very intense and required all my concentration, but not unmanageable.

WildcatPrincess · March 2012

The best comparison for me was a charley horse. It was the squeezing that got me more than the pain level, a very odd sensation overall.

wagneram13 · March 2012

I dont have anything i can compare the pain too as far as injury, surgery etc but I do strongly feel that had I gone in open to an epi, I would have given in.IMO managing labor pain is as much dealing with it mentally as physically.Looking back the pain was always manageable but did get so intense. I think your best bet is researching your reasons for wanting to go natural and take good classes such as Bradley.Being prepared took away the fear which I also believed helped me make it. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done but so rewarding... I am hopeful to have another natural birth experience in a few weeks. GL to you.

Klikina · March 2012

For me, there were two different pains: contractions and pushing.

Contractions felt like really strong menstrual cramps that would start on the side, then go to the middle and squeeze my belly, then dissipate. They really were not too bad for me, except every once and awhile they would "double peak" and be about 4 minutes long. Those were awful, and made me think it's what it's like to be on pitocin (just from other descriptions on the Bump.) We did the Bradley method and I was able to breathe through them, so for the contractions I didn't feel like I needed the epi.

Pushing was horrible pain. I'm not gonna lie- for me that pain was awful. It was not a relief, and I pushed for 3 hours. BUT I truly believe that if I'd had an epi, I would've needed a c-section because I would not have been able to feel just how hard I needed to push. When I pushed the hardest and it hurt the most, the doctor said I was making progress. So it hurt like hell but after the baby was out, the pain was gone.

Truly though, it's different for everyone. There's really nothing that could have prepared me for how it felt. I guess for me, the worst period cramps I've ever had (I couldn't talk) would be the closest description.

hannahbagels · March 2012

To me it felt like god-awful, super intense menstral cramps. I didn't have any of that wrapping sensation or lower back pain. As PP said though, it did feel like waves so I would tell myself I'm coming down from the pain to work through the contraction.

TrendyTina · March 2012

These are great responses. Very helpful. Thanks, OP!

sedge1 · March 2012

For me, it was like the worst menstrual/diarrhea cramps I've ever experienced. I'd agree with PP in that it is like a wave, so if you're able to breathe through the height of the contraction, you are relieved as it goes back down, stops, and you get a small break. To me, the pushing was actually a bit of a relief. I felt like I had to poop and no one would let me go (for good reason), so when they finally let me push, I it made me feel better and gave me something to focus on other than the pain of the contractions (which I don't remember being as intense at that point). My only fear when pushing was that I would rip wide open when she finally came out. I didn't, though and when she came out, it wasn't that bad. I felt myself tear slightly, but in all honesty, I was just so relieved it was all over that I didn't even have time to care. It's going to be painful, and everyone handles it differently, but it is totally manageable! Good luck!

seraphiclust · March 2012

Mine felt like really, really bad menstrual pains that would move in a wave from my pelvic region and then up my belly in almost a painful, tingling hot hug (wraps your whole belly) and then it would go back down, my stomach would soften again and I'd have a minute or two to breath and prepare for the next one. Definitely painful but for the most part it was manageable. I just struggled in transition from 9cm-10cm and then hated pushing. hth!

PansyPants · March 2012

I feel that if you'd rather go without the epi, then prepare for a natural delivery but give yourself permission to change your mind if you want to during labor.

I'll tell you a bit about the progress and ways I thought of the pain just to give you an idea of what possibility.

A few days before I had my son we went to the hospital for a fluid check and they said I was having contractions on the monitor. When they told me the exact moment of the contractions I laughed and told them that I had been having those for two weeks and just thought it was teeny little round ligament pains. They were measurable at about 8 minutes apart by the monitor.

Five days later my water broke in the evening after having may three light period cramps during the day. "real" contractions started an hour later and felt like the earlier period cramps. Very very mild compared to my normal menstrual cramps and had a very gradual build for about four hours. At that point it was like a day of menstrual clotting.

That's when I went to the hospital.

The sensation was the same for the next four hours even as the strength grew. The pain was more intense but the feeling was exactly like a cramp.

Then things shifted.

They were still "cramps" but it was as if they spread throughout my body so that all my muscles could help deal with them. This is very different than any other pain I've felt because my body has never reacted like that to injury pain.

It hurt more than anything I have ever felt or ever could feel, however; it wasn't a scary pain and it didn't "hurt". It didn't make me say ow or feel like I was injured, it made me focus and work.

As a child I broke both the bones in my left arm causing the arm to dangle in a very distressing way. At the time, I remained calm and simply informed the girl I was playing with that she needed to go and get my father immediately because I had to go to the hospital.

I deal with pain well but even I will admit that there is nothing in the world that can compare to the intensity of labor. It will not be pleasant but you're body knows how to counteract the discomfort so you can handle it.

Jessimurph · March 2012

intheflowers:
It was much worse and much different than any other pain I ever experienced from the point of transition to pushing. The first 6 or 7 hours were like waves of really strong menstrual cramps. I've had ovarian cysts burst, which were pretty unbearably painful at the time, but even that had more of a pinpoint. The really awful parts of labor were my whole midsection and I've never had that much of my body hurt at once before. I think on this board I see people downplay the pain a lot, on other boards I see it really emphasized, but overall it will be really specific to your own experience. I spent a lot of time on this board before my first birth and the full effect of the pain caught me by surprise when the time came in part due to all of the glowing experiences I read here.

This makes me super nervous. I think uo until very recently I've been naive about the level of pain. During the last week or so I'm thinking 'do I really have it in me to get through this?' It's very nerve racking not knowing what to expect and if I'll be able to get through it. I have a fantastic birth team, but no one can do this but me and if I end up screaming and crying to go to the hospital I will feel like such a failure.

amberoye · March 2012

Mine felt like menstrual cramps, they came in waves, peaked and dropped super quickly. As I dilated more, I felt a weird boiling feeling in my lower back, it hurt a little but was just a really strange feeling more than painful. Other than contractions getting more painful, I didn't really feel anything different in transition, and was walking around/squatting until I had to push. Labor was a breeze, I had noticeable/painful contractions for 36 hours.

Pushing did not feel good for me, but it did relieve the pain of the contraction a little, imagine taking a poop while constipated while having bad menstrual cramps. The worst part for me was crowning and tearing. I had a severe tear and knew in that final push that I was destroying myself down there. Wow, that sounded awful, but I had swelling and a 'large' baby.

Honestly, what got me through my drug-free birth was knowing that there was "no other option". In my pregnancy I didn't even consider an epidural (I was seeing a homebirth midwife, but had a hospital birth) and knew in labor I would have to do it on my own. I think if I was strongly against an epidural I might have gotten one.

blonddnyc · March 2012

Jessimurph:
intheflowers:
It was much worse and much different than any other pain I ever experienced from the point of transition to pushing. The first 6 or 7 hours were like waves of really strong menstrual cramps. I've had ovarian cysts burst, which were pretty unbearably painful at the time, but even that had more of a pinpoint. The really awful parts of labor were my whole midsection and I've never had that much of my body hurt at once before. I think on this board I see people downplay the pain a lot, on other boards I see it really emphasized, but overall it will be really specific to your own experience. I spent a lot of time on this board before my first birth and the full effect of the pain caught me by surprise when the time came in part due to all of the glowing experiences I read here.
This makes me super nervous. I think uo until very recently I've been naive about the level of pain. During the last week or so I'm thinking 'do I really have it in me to get through this?' It's very nerve racking not knowing what to expect and if I'll be able to get through it. I have a fantastic birth team, but no one can do this but me and if I end up screaming and crying to go to the hospital I will feel like such a failure.

The last thing u want is fear. I highly recc u read Ina Mae Gaskins book Guide to Childbirth. When we have fear it releases adrenaline and makes us tense up - this actually prevents labor. Thats why being confident and relaxed is so important (and try being relaxed and calm when u have an IV in and ur strapped to a hospital bed) it explains it pretty well in this article but no one says it better then Gaskin.

https://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/women-giving-birth-naturally.html

sschwege · March 2012

intheflowers:
It was much worse and much different than any other pain I ever experienced from the point of transition to pushing. The first 6 or 7 hours were like waves of really strong menstrual cramps. I've had ovarian cysts burst, which were pretty unbearably painful at the time, but even that had more of a pinpoint. The really awful parts of labor were my whole midsection and I've never had that much of my body hurt at once before. I think on this board I see people downplay the pain a lot, on other boards I see it really emphasized, but overall it will be really specific to your own experience. I spent a lot of time on this board before my first birth and the full effect of the pain caught me by surprise when the time came in part due to all of the glowing experiences I read here.

I can only speak for myself, but I am not 'downplaying' anything. My MIL says I 'sang my way through labor' and my CNM asked me six weeks later if I had felt anything (I did but it was never unmanageable)!

As you yourself said everyone has a different experience and I think it's a little unfair for you to decide whether accounts of other women's birth stories are accurate.

SushiNoMore · March 2012

Granted, I had a preemie born at 26 weeks, so my labor experience was probably a bit different than full-term labor. That being said, the things that surprised me were: 1) It really didn't hurt much at all until he was crowning and 2) I KNEW when a contraction was coming even before it started. The whole thing was very strange.

Like the others, I think your experience is going to be so personal that you just don't know how it'll go until you're in it. I didn't think it was that bad, but I know others have had different experiences.

Good luck!

sschwege · March 2012

intheflowers:
sschwege:
intheflowers:
It was much worse and much different than any other pain I ever experienced from the point of transition to pushing. The first 6 or 7 hours were like waves of really strong menstrual cramps. I've had ovarian cysts burst, which were pretty unbearably painful at the time, but even that had more of a pinpoint. The really awful parts of labor were my whole midsection and I've never had that much of my body hurt at once before. I think on this board I see people downplay the pain a lot, on other boards I see it really emphasized, but overall it will be really specific to your own experience. I spent a lot of time on this board before my first birth and the full effect of the pain caught me by surprise when the time came in part due to all of the glowing experiences I read here.
I can only speak for myself, but I am not 'downplaying' anything. My MIL says I 'sang my way through labor' and my CNM asked me six weeks later if I had felt anything (I did but it was never unmanageable)!
As you yourself said everyone has a different experience and I think it's a little unfair for you to decide whether accounts of other women's birth stories are accurate.
I am making an overall generalization, not referring to anything/anyone specific so calm your tits. I've been on this board for years and I think it's pretty true of natural birth circles. I'm not saying anyone is making anything up or downplaying it on purpose. It's more that most people have such good experiences overall the pain is minimized.

My 'tits' are very calm, thank you very much. They have to be or DD would be drinking milk shakes for dinner every morning and night

But seriously I wasn't questioning your years of experience on this board or your extensive knowledge in the natural birth circles. Only to say that it is impossible to know how anyone else feels while in labor.

terpsfan · March 2012

I'm going through PT for knee pain (Runner's Knee/IT band syndrome) right now. At my first appointment, the therapist described the deep tendon massage that he was going to do and said "this is going to hurt". I laughed at him and said "dude, I've had 2 med-free childbirths, I think I can handle this, no big deal". HOLY SMOKES I was levitating off the table this tendon massaging hurt so bad. My PT laughs at me now because he totally sees me going into my "happy place" via hypnobabies breathing (and my knee is getting better but crap that massage hurts so bad that I have a hard time "waving" through it). So long story short, it is not the worst pain I've felt, not even by a long shot!

cyprissa · March 2012

Menstrual cramps on steroids for me and during transition it felt like someone was knifing me in the belly repeatedly. During that part I started screaming and begged for an epi (I was at a BC so luckily no dice) but my MW coached me to bring my voice down and do gutteral moans which made it manageable. Pushing was spontaneous and involuntary for me and a relief. Although it started so quickly that I had to pant to slow things down and that was super challenging. I definitely felt the ring of fire during crowning but then it actually felt good when his body came out. I'm planning to go natural again so it must not have been too bad lol.

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