Did anyone else have severe leg pain during early labour?

[Twinklemegan]

Yawn, it's me again, nearly a year on. I have an appointment to go through my notes with the consultant but going by the letter she sent to my GP she's getting all defensive. I'm not even making a complaint! (yet!). Apparently it's MY fault for having a birth plan stating a preference for a natural, active birth.

Anyhooo, I'd just like to gauge how common, or otherwise, it might be to get agonising pain in the legs as well as the back and abdomen during the early stages of labour. I mean agonising like you feel your leg muscles are imploding in on themselves. My argument being I should have been allowed to have some blardy pain relief.

[1dilemma]

Got cramp but that's not much help sorry.

[Twinklemegan]

Thanks for taking the time to respond anyhow

[1dilemma]

Didn't want you to go unanswered and gave it a little bump in the process

[LorraineSattell]

cripes, not me. soudns horrible

[1dilemma]

Good luck with the meeting might be an idea to take a list of all the things you want answered then you don't need to worry about getting sidetracked! (helps us anyway)

[Twinklemegan]

bump

[Princesspowersparkle]

Saw a birth programme the other day and the lady had some pains down the front from her groin to mid thigh ish but it didn't seem that bad. Sorry that you had such a hard time. Hope you get the result you want. x

[NorbertStanleyFletcher]

Where in your leg?

I had really really bad pain down the front top half of my thighs. Felt like I couldn't move my legs.

WIth all three of them I think

[meandmyflyingmachine]

I did. Thighs only IIRC. But more pain there than anywhere else really, until push came to shove as it were.

I was rather surprised by it the first time as I hadn't expected to feel it there.

[Twinklemegan]

Bumping for the evening crowd. NSF - did you find out why and were the midwives sympathetic?

[NorbertStanleyFletcher]

I don't know why but presume it is just the way I am - I get really bad period pains, and when they are at their worst the pain extends to the same place in my upper thighs.

With my first I am not sure that I told them where the pain was. It was a really long labour and I was out of it on pethadine for too much of it.

With my second the MWs were crappola the whole way through anyway and refused to believe I was in labour until I was 10cm anyway. (no pain relief until the day shift arrived and they realised I was about to deliver, rushed me to delivery suit in a wheelchair in comedy fashion, so just G&A for the last 40 mins)

With number 3 the midwives were fab, and I was much more prepared, and I don't think I mentioned where the pain was as I was so concentrated on what I was doing.

[Twinklemegan]

I'm the same NSF, I get bad period pains that extend down my legs as well. This pain was like nothing on earth. The MW's only response was, oh yes that happens sometimes. I was in excrutiating pain, not just in my legs, and I was offered paracetamol as it was apparently too early to have gas and air, even though I begged for it. My contractions as bad, if not worse, in early labour as they were in transition and I was denied pain relief. I am still so upset and angry about that.

My DS went posterior at some point during labour and I suppose I was wondering whether this might have caused the leg pain. From what you say though, perhaps it's just the way I'm made.

[hatwoman]

I wouldn;t call it agomising but I felt my contractions in the tops of my thighs. in fact I didn;t really realise they were contractions because of where I was feeling them. I hope this works out how you want it too

[hatwoman]

just seen your new post - dd didn't turn, but the leg pain was definitely at the early stages of labour and no less painful than the later stages

[NorbertStanleyFletcher]

I had that thing where the contractions were bad early on too - well I did with number 1 and I think with number 2. It really pissed me off that they wouldn't give me pain reliefe with number 2 and wouldn't believe that I was in labour. I had the urge to push for hours, they just told me not to then buggered off back to their cup of tea. They even made me get out of the bath at 3 in the morning. I said "only if you get me some pain relief". MW said "well only if you get out of the bath". So I did, and guess what - I didn't see them again.

I probably should have asked to look through my notes for that one, and kind of wish that I had, but it is too late now.

[Twinklemegan]

I had to have a bath because they wouldn't let me in the birthing pool. That is an experience I never ever want to repeat - kneeling at the end of the bath screaming in pain.

[hatwoman]

[mears]

Twinklemegan - women often complain of pain in their upper legs with contractions. For a woman who is in very early labour ie whose cervix has hardly opened at all, I would probably suggest paracetamol and a warm bath or a birthing ball to sit on. I would also encourage her to eat.

If a woman was very distressed in early labour, I would offer her a bath and if that didn't help, the pool. The pool can either make contractions more effective or stop them if not truly established. If they stop, then the woman gets relief.

The most important thing is support in labour though - were you alone?

[CarGirl]

I was induced and I have to say the leg pain was horrendous - I was desperate to sit down but it was too painful and the standing up/walking was exhausting but slightly less painful, never got any pain relief for it as I was told it was just the gel!

[susie100]

Twinklemegan you poor think that sounds horrible.
Mears I think the problem with my friend is that they refused to check her, told her she was in early labour and she was already 6cm dilated and in a lot of pain.
Paracetamol was going to be about as useful as a boiled sweet!
See what you mean about support as well, she was alone as they had sent dp home and told her to keep the noise down

[susie100]

Sorry I of course mean you poor thing

[mears]

You are right susie100 - paracetamol in those circumstances isn't much use. It is a shame your friend had such a horrible experience.

[meandmyflyingmachine]

I had it the first time when I was induced, but because my waters had already broken and I was bleeding from some undefined location, I couldn't have a bath, or anything to eat. I went for about 18 hours after the drip was put in, and then I had some gas and air - yay! But by that time things had moved on and it certainly wasn't early labour any more. I don't know if they would have given me any pain relief if I had asked.

But it wasn't the induction that caused the pain there because it happened again the second time, but fortunately I was psychologically more prepared for it. Had gas and air only for the pushing bit again.

The ball is good - and short bursts of walking in between sitting on the ball also helped.

I reckon it's going to hurt somewhere whatever happens. It just felt wrong for it to be in my legs!

My midwives were lovely though - both times. Hugely supportive. It makes a huge difference, especially the second time when I was very nervous.

[CarGirl]

worst thing about it being in your legs (happened with all of mine) is that the tens machine doesn't seem to help much with that bit! Overall I found the tens machine fab but it never touched the leg pain, not sure it can?

[Twinklemegan]

Mears - thanks for responding. I was 2-3 cm dilated when I was first checked. In horrid, horrid pain with no respite between contractions. Gas and air requested but denied, birth pool denied, paracetemol offered which I didn't take because I felt violently sick (and I knew it wouldn't work as pain was too too bad).

They wouldn't let me rest on all fours on the bed, which is what I wanted. My legs collapsed under me with every contraction so I ended up mostly on the hard hospital floor. I was sent for a walk "to speed things up", which was horrendous as I could barely stay upright. Then they still wouldn't let me in the birth pool, but wouldn't check my dilation either. They sent me for a bath with my DH - I could do nothing except kneel at the end of the bath. I ended up screaming in agony so that DH had to pull the emergency cord. When they got me back to the labour ward and examined me I was 6cm.

My baby went back to back at some point between arriving at hospital and starting to push. It took me 3 1/2 hours to push him out, with the head being visible for 3 hours of that. He turned 270 degrees and my contractions almost stopped in the process. Delivered naturally in the end with a fantastic midwife to help and encourage me.

I personally feel that the offer of paracetemol and the refusal of gas and air had a massive impact on my ability to cope with the first stage of labour. My understanding was that it was going to get a whole lot worse and I couldn't see how that was possible. It was never worse than at that point, which goes to prove, in my opinion, that the level of pain I described was not taken seriously by the midwives concerned.