how your contractions felt? I have an outside baby, so when describing contractions to people the only thing I can come up with is that it felt like my butt was falling out...haha
Early contractions always felt like normal to strong menstrual cramps. By the end, they felt like a combo of strong menstrual cramps and diarrhea cramps. But honestly, I have very little memory of the end contractions. Having gone medfree with my last birth, my memory was wiped clean almost instantly.
Eleanor 1/8/10
Harriet 1/19/12
Margaret 10/31/2013
I had contractions and BH for months before the baby came. The contractions felt like my belly was squeezing really really right while cramping. The BH were of course a much lighter version of this with out the cramping. However when I really went into labor I had no idea because it felt nothing like my precious contractions. It was ALL in my back. It felt like my spine was a burning steel pipe that someone was trying to squeeze, twist, and rip in two. They were not really time able because the pain never really stopped or lessened enough for me to realize it until much much later. My husband forced me to go to the hospital. I arrived at the hospital at 4cm dialated and was asking for drugs the minute they told me I was dialated and in labor. Going natural did not last past triage for me.
My contractions were barely existent after water broke. Like light period cramps. Thrn after they did pitocin, the contractions were all in front and very low. Felt like uterus was on fire and being twisted and ripped out. I never got an epi. It hurt. but got thru it.
My BH just felt like a all Over toghtening. No pain. Sometimes I had to put my hand there to be sure it was a contraction. Real contractions were more down on my lower abdomen. It started out with light back pain then the lower abd pain. Then aching in my inner thighs. When I was started on pitocin, it was pressure and pain... The nurse wanted me to describe it but I couldn't. I just yelled that it hurt!
Having gone medfree with my last birth, my memory was wiped clean almost instantly.
I like this. We've prepared for a natural birth, so it makes me happy/hopeful to hear stuff like this. I hope it was a good experience for you overall.
It was a great expierence. I don't remember the pain but I know I must have gotten off a lot easier than other women. As long as I was moving my pain was pretty low. I got to the hospital at 7cm and the baby was born 2 hours later. I remember in between pushes, joking with my MW and MH that I was still smiling. I would definitely hope anyone wishing for a medfree birth would have the same luck.
Eleanor 1/8/10
Harriet 1/19/12
Margaret 10/31/2013
Early ones like menstrual cramps plus simultaneous back cramps. Later they were simultaneous tightening in my back and abdomen. By the time I hit triage at 7cm I was feeling a lot of tension without enough time to relax in between because contractions were coming on top of each other. That was when I called for the epidural, but my labor moved so quickly that it didn't get placed til 9.5cm. By that time, I also had rectal pressure. My LO was sunny side up, OP, so I probably had more back pain than others.
I had the best epi ever with this birth, I felt no pain! Contractions during active labor felt like squeezing right under my ribs, pressure and cramps in my lower belly and back and a slight urge to poo!!!
Early contractions on day one felt like strong menstrual cramps.. sometimes stopping me in my tracks to grab onto something and breathe through them. Sadly, I had almost 48 hrs of back labour and those felt like intense stabbing pain in my back and moving around to the front.
When it came time that I wanted to push, I felt like I really had to take the biggest poop in the world. In fact I kept telling the nurse that.. 'what if I really do just need to take a massive poop? just let me poop puhlease!' She wouldn't budge until my body was ready for the pushing stage, and FI kept reminding me that I hadn't eaten in two days so I had no poop in me.
Mine were like really bad period pains on the lower/underside of my belly. Along with a hard squeezing feeling. And lots of pressure in my butthole.
My contractions this time were a lot worse than my contractions while on pitocin last time. But my labor was 6 hours and 15 minutes of pushing this time. Last time was 17 hours of labor (7 on pit), 1hour of pushing before getting a vacuum assist. Both started exactly the same - baby high, no BH or contractions, 1cm dilated for 2 weeks, water breaking without warning while laying in bed.
Before Pitocin (and after water breaking) they were intense menstrual cramps.
After getting Pitocin it was a very severe pain like my uterus was trying to rip, tear, scratch and claw itself from my body (@mmgkms describes it well, lol).
At the end I kept telling DH it felt like one of those huge machines that picks up cars (I am having a hard time describing this) was squeezing me all around my entire body. So, basically like something huge was squishing me, all the way from my thighs to right below my boobs.
DH asked me what they felt like when we were on our way tithe hospital. I told him like someone stabbed my ute with a giant sword and started thrashing it about. I also had a constant ache in my lower back.
Re: please explain
However when I really went into labor I had no idea because it felt nothing like my precious contractions. It was ALL in my back. It felt like my spine was a burning steel pipe that someone was trying to squeeze, twist, and rip in two. They were not really time able because the pain never really stopped or lessened enough for me to realize it until much much later. My husband forced me to go to the hospital. I arrived at the hospital at 4cm dialated and was asking for drugs the minute they told me I was dialated and in labor. Going natural did not last past triage for me.
Over toghtening. No pain. Sometimes I had to put my hand there to be sure it was a contraction.
Real contractions were more down on my lower abdomen. It started out with light back pain then the lower abd pain. Then aching in my inner thighs. When I was started on pitocin, it was pressure and pain... The nurse wanted me to describe it but I couldn't. I just yelled that it hurt!
It was a great expierence. I don't remember the pain but I know I must have gotten off a lot easier than other women. As long as I was moving my pain was pretty low. I got to the hospital at 7cm and the baby was born 2 hours later. I remember in between pushes, joking with my MW and MH that I was still smiling. I would definitely hope anyone wishing for a medfree birth would have the same luck.
My contractions this time were a lot worse than my contractions while on pitocin last time. But my labor was 6 hours and 15 minutes of pushing this time. Last time was 17 hours of labor (7 on pit), 1hour of pushing before getting a vacuum assist. Both started exactly the same - baby high, no BH or contractions, 1cm dilated for 2 weeks, water breaking without warning while laying in bed.
Sawyer Lynn
 Born 10.11.13
This! Major lower back pain.