What does labor feel like?

janeen1689 · May 2016

To the moms that have already been in labor, how did you know? I haven't had Braxton hicks so I have no idea what those feel like. How did you know you were in labor and what did it feel like?

yogahh · May 2016

Like hell. It feels like hell. For me it was like a monster truck landed on my uterus and was driving over it over 45 seconds or so. Fun times.

MrsO11/24/2006 · May 2016

remember "indian burns" on your arm when you were a kid.....imagine them with your ute...fun times!

balamama · May 2016

Like I was being ripped apart from the inside. You'll know.

MsIan · May 2016

babyfmama said:

Like I was being ripped apart from the inside. You'll know.

This.

missnc77 · May 2016

Why do you want to be scared like that? Ha! It's so excruciating that when you see the giant epidural needle being wheeled toward you, you look at it like it's Christmas morning and someone just gifted you a Ferrari stuffed with $100 bills.

LadySamLady · May 2016

What everyone else said. You won't miss it.

thismakes4 · May 2016

Let's just say when the anesthesiologist asked me where it hurt I could only scream "everywhere!"

saladflambe · May 2016

Early labor felt like bad period cramps
then it felt more like a Charlie horse in the uterus
i googled the crap outta this question but didn't really understand til I was in it

kbrands7 · May 2016

Lol. Like your abdomen was put in a trash compactor. Really, you'll know. I do think it depends on how quickly contractions come, though. With my first, they were noticeable but not awful at first. My second, they hit like a truck 5 minutes after my water broke. I could still talk through them, but it took a lot of concentration.

dsmith211 · May 2016

All I can say is there is no mistaking it and you'll know. I think everyone else pretty much accurately described how it feels. Lol.

tgortney · May 2016

I hated it when people would tell me "you'll know" when it came to contractions. I didn't have Braxton hicks either until a few days before I went into full on labor. Those contractions are a walk in the park.

Real labor contractions feel like period cramps, on steroids....while something is trying to rip your vagina to your anus...while you feel like you're going to poop and pee all over yourself.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Pray you don't get put on pitocin to speed up contractions because I blacked out between contractions.

Labor is no joke.

Also, pray you don't have back labor, it's like a twisted knife in your back that's constant.

ayeshaohara · May 2016

3 words. Hell on earth. I never want to experience that pain again. I begged my doctor to get her out in any way that he could because I couldn't stand the pain any longer (my epi didn't work)

kp90 · May 2016

I'm wondering if she regrets asking this question yet... It's the worst pain I've ever felt. Period.

First like on and off bad period cramps. Once the frequency picks up they are debilitating. Pray you have time for the epidural because I did not... But I am still alive and have a perfect, beautiful little girl. It's worth it.

Pascal86 · May 2016

I haven't done it yet, but I'm imagining more of a gentle massage sensation than what these ladies are describing. And then I think the baby just kind of slides out.

Jenly17 · May 2016

Think about plugging your vag into an electrical socket. It feels like that. Like lightening repeatedly striking your crotch, low back, and belly. Over and over and over. I'm stoked that I get to do it again!

TXmamatobe · May 2016

Man, I can't wait to check in tonight...

jenashawn · May 2016

kp90 said:

I'm wondering if she regrets asking this question yet... It's the worst pain I've ever felt. Period.

I don't know, but I might be regretting opening this thread....

JoMunson · May 2016

My BH were much less intense than my actual labor pains- like turning cramps up to 11. It's frustrating to hear on the still pregnant side, but after about 3 contractions I knew I was in labor.

tgortney · May 2016

ayeshaohara said:

3 words. Hell on earth. I never want to experience that pain again. I begged my doctor to get her out in any way that he could because I couldn't stand the pain any longer (my epi didn't work)

Ah yes, and hope and pray your epi works. My epi didn't fully work either.

Pascal86 · May 2016

In all seriousness, I've just never found it helpful to dwell on the pain ahead of time, for anything that I know is going to hurt. I like to focus on my mindset and coping mechanisms but not the actual pain, that just gets me scared and that won't help anything.

littlebb22 · May 2016

@Pascal86 I totally agree

katxattack1212 · May 2016

Ok... I am a repeat csection x 2, with NO experience with labor at all.

I was kinda hoping I could go early.

I have changed my mind.

Merciel · May 2016

When I was googling around for "what does labor feel like?" (don't judge, you know you did it too) I would occasionally run across anecdotes from women who -- apparently genuinely! -- didn't feel a thing, never had ANY painful contractions, and were surprised when the baby popped out because they didn't even realize they were in labor.

So, like, I guess that could happen. But when I asked my mom about it, she just laughed (and not in a nice way) so I am not expecting to be a lucky magical unicorn myself. I am braced for the internal immolation version.

Bellodomani · May 2016

Merciel said:

When I was googling around for "what does labor feel like?" (don't judge, you know you did it too) I would occasionally run across anecdotes from women who -- apparently genuinely! -- didn't feel a thing, never had ANY painful contractions, and were surprised when the baby popped out because they didn't even realize they were in labor.

So, like, I guess that could happen. But when I asked my mom about it, she just laughed (and not in a nice way) so I am not expecting to be a lucky magical unicorn myself. I am braced for the internal immolation version.

My best friend has had three kids and she literally doesn't even feel her contractions until she's in transition. Her labors have all been about 2 hours long, and they're done having kids but she wishes she could have more because she "likes labor and finds it empowering". Meanwhile I want to die and will never do it again.

tripledaggerWed95976 · May 2016

My contractions actually didn't hurt that bad, what KILLED me was the last two hours of labor when baby was dropping down I seriously felt like my pubic bone was being ripped open... And this was WITH the epidural

lalala2004 · May 2016

To me pushing was more painful than the contractions. I've honestly felt worse pain. I had 2nd degree sun burns that hurt worse. A clogged duct I had right near my nipple hurt worse (when LO was sucking on it. Ouch!)

In the beginning it's extreme menstrual cramps. After a while it feels like what it is, your cervix being forcibly pulled apart. I had laughing gas, so that got me through the worst of it. I'd do it again for another baby

VS2016 · May 2016

My contractions actually weren't that bad in the beginning. I never had BH so I swore that's what was going on. They started 3 minutes apart and lasted one minute but wasn't convinced. I googled and googled and it wasn't until several hours later that I realized it was the real thing and I really needed to go to the hospital.

ETA: my contractions didn't start that bad, but as hours went by, they were exactly like PP have described and I begged for that epidural. Best decision ever!

avidkeo · May 2016

Lol im probably one of the few ladies who found all these replies reassuring haha. Basically the answer is when it happens ill know. Im a STM but had nothing at all with DD. We had an emergency csect when she was a week late so im still new to this

Soontobejones33 · May 2016

I wish this thread had been here before. I had the period cramps for a couple of days but had no clue until my water broke. Only after pitocen and it started in my back were they really bad. Once it hit my back, which felt like a board of burning hot nails shoved into my back, then i got drugged up. Period cramps i can take, even really strong ones but back labor with the intense hot flashes was too much. Pray your baby is facing the right way.

gingerbride26 · May 2016

@Merciel my mother was one of those magical unicorns which is really f'ing with my brain. Everyone keeps saying "you'll know" but they also say "you will most likely labor like your mother" so I'm slightly worried if I follow the dr's "come in when you need pain management or when your water breaks" I'll be one of those surprise births - my mother didn't even consider an epidural until it was already time to push (which she only describes as gross not painful - she said her kidney stone was way worse) and her water never fully broke without medical intervention...

jenashawn · May 2016

gingerbride26 said:

@Merciel my mother was one of those magical unicorns which is really f'ing with my brain. Everyone keeps saying "you'll know" but they also say "you will most likely labor like your mother" so I'm slightly worried if I follow the dr's "come in when you need pain management or when your water breaks" I'll be one of those surprise births - my mother didn't even consider an epidural until it was already time to push (which she only describes as gross not painful - she said her kidney stone was way worse) and her water never fully broke without medical intervention...

I worry about this too, because my mom acts like labor was no big deal. She was crowning already as soon as she got to the hospital, and there was no one in the room but my dad. They thought he was going to have to deliver, and were joking about whether or not they would need to pay the bill to the doc!

sillyfox · May 2016

With my first, the contractions (for days) felt like someone was taking a chainsaw to my uterus. And I never got past 2 cm before I got a CS.

Can I just say that I must be crazy because I love this thread. Maybe its the solidarity or the brutal honesty but it is so spot on! Except those unicorns. F*ck the unicorns.

thismakes4 · May 2016

I know for a fact that epidurals do not work on me. With my first it failed so they tried again and it only numbed my left leg. With my second, I had the epidural put in (twice) but they couldn't get the drugs started so I gave birth without it. I remember screaming a lot through it. With the third, it was 2 failed epidurals and then a spinal- which was heavenly!

@sillyfox My mom was a magical unicorn 10 times! But I love this thread too... I love reading all the crazy examples you ladies come up with, especially @Jenly17 with the electrical socket. Cracking me up.

@gingerbride26 I wish! I did not labor like my mom. She was there for the birth of our second and she was like... "OMG that was terrifying! I was never in that much pain." Thanks mom.

SweetRhthm · May 2016

I was deadset on having a natural birth and that the pain would only affect me as much as I would allow it to. Mind over matter. After 23 hours of labor with horribly painful contractions from the very beginning -- all while sitting in triage because I never made it to 6cm on my own after all that time to be admitted to a room in the natural birth center -- I begged for an epidural.

I thought I would feel like a failure if I "gave in" to pain meds, but I was exhausted and in unbelievable pain. I have never experienced relief like I did once the epi was in, and I dilated from 5-10cm in the two hours after placement while I was sleeping. Baby boy popped out after 20 minutes of pushing. I have no regrets at all about opting for the epi to get my body to relax.

folamij · May 2016

My contractions felt like intense menstral cramps, so I dismissed them; until they began occurring every 5 minutes and rose in intensity to the point of doubling me over. i had planned med free but caved and got the woo because they were worse than I ever imagined and I couldn't take it. I also had shakes before the epi. I ended up with a csection because LO was stressed by my contractions and was laying oblique and leaving her in would have been worse for her. Light pressure as they pushed and pulled but never felt pressure cutting or stitching me up.

Nicbert1214 · May 2016

I just gave birth last Friday- it was the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life. I'd rather have all my teeth pulled without anesthesia and then have the dentist stick her fingers in the empty sockets LOL!
The epi did work- but it worked so well that I couldn't push or move my legs. When they turned it off so I could push it was the worst menstrual cramps ever plus a burning, squeezing pain that went around my lower back all the way around to my lower abdomen.
So yes, labor is an unmistakable feeling, you will just know lol.

folamij · May 2016

^^^ugh! The pain in my back! How could I have forgotten that?!?!

tgortney · May 2016

Bless you ladies who had back labor along with abdominal labor. I know your pain and it sucked ass.

Nicbert1214 · May 2016

I love my LO, but honestly- I don't think I would ever be able to go through labor again. My DH was so traumatized from seeing me in that much pain, he wanted to get a vasectomy before we left the hospital lol

tgortney · May 2016

Nicbert1214 said:

I love my LO, but honestly- I don't think I would ever be able to go through labor again. My DH was so traumatized from seeing me in that much pain, he wanted to get a vasectomy before we left the hospital lol

Lol! DH went through the entire labor process with me. He saw them breaking my water, held one of my legs as I pushed, and watched them try to get the baby out with tearing. It all ended in an emergency c-section though. He seriously thought I was going to literally die

it's funny now that we have LO here though.

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