My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Childbirth

What does it really feel like?

122 replies

sweetchilli77 · 20/02/2017 15:17

Sorry in advance if this has been asked numerous times before but...

What does labour pain really feel like.Can anyone explain in the best ways possible the type of pain?

Im 30 weeks now and starting to think a lot more about labour and getting quite anxious

OP posts:
MrsDustyBusty · 20/02/2017 15:18

For me, it was like pressure. Imagine you needed the loo but were horrendously constipated.

It was like that.

MontysTiredMummy · 20/02/2017 15:19

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

ageingrunner · 20/02/2017 15:21

It was like trapped wind and my upper thighs were quite painful too, but I had the syntocin drip so it was more intense more quickly than it would have been otherwise. I used gas and air and eventually diamorphine which I found effective.

sweetchilli77 · 20/02/2017 15:21

oh wow, i imagined it being like very bad period pains....

OP posts:
ageingrunner · 20/02/2017 15:22

Also was back to back so that made it worse. There are so many variables.

ageingrunner · 20/02/2017 15:23

Just keep an open mind to having drugs or epidural or whatever if you find that you want/need to Flowers

Somehowsomewhere · 20/02/2017 15:23

I find it impossible to describe to be honest. And I think it must vary a lot between people. My first was excruciating.... she was back to back. Number two felt like trapped wind and doing a very very big poo!

ageingrunner · 20/02/2017 15:24

Some people breather their way through it with minimal pain, hopefully you'll be one of those people! Doing squats is meant to make for an easy labour.

SmellySphinx · 20/02/2017 15:25

Different stages? Obviously it's different for everybody and what your pain tolerance is. I would describe the initial contractions as very bad period pains, they grow with intensity. During pushes it's like wave after wave of increasing pain and a very strong urge to push out, rather like a (very very very) big poo! I did feel like oh my God, I'm gonna die!! It really is bloody awful!! Some people seem to sail through it. I didn't scream or shout, not once. It is much like an all consuming exhaustion. Which pain relief options are you looking at?

MrsDustyBusty · 20/02/2017 15:26

The main thing is though, don't worry yourself unnecessarily if you can help it. It's not good for most but you get over it more quickly than you imagine. Try to think of it like having a toothache. You go to the dentist and they do some incredibly horrible stuff but afterwards you're glad you went. If you can...

Thirtyrock39 · 20/02/2017 15:27

The transition phase is the most intense and l once read a description of like being stood in the beach and big waves hitting you and nothing you can do but let them cover you which is pretty accurate . Once your waters go it's more intense as less cushioning . The actual pushing out is an amazing sensation and quite impossible to describe . If you're worried I'd recommend researching hypno birthing which really helped me to see it as a process not just in terms of pain. Things like not using the word contraction (ironically I can't for the life Of me remeber what they did call this though!)

Thirtyrock39 · 20/02/2017 15:28

Just remembered - surges!! Much more positive !

UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 20/02/2017 15:29

It is very much like being unbelievably constipated, especially once you get to the pushing stage. You are very aware that something ENORMOUS is stuck up there and you are desperate to push it out.

It started as like period pains which came in waves and built from there.

mistermagpie · 20/02/2017 15:29

Interesting the variation! Mine honestly felt like I was being crushed in a vice, it was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life and I certainly have not forgotten it. That said, I had a 'precipitous' labour (basically very fast) and there were no gaps in my contractions at all, I only had gas and air for pushing because I was 10cm dilated by the time I got to hospital and it was too late for anything else. My labour wasn't really the norm for a first birth, but basically it was very intense but very short, so a mixed blessing really.

I am 34 weeks pg with DC2 just now so it didn't put me off, and on a positive note I would do it again every single day for the rest of my life if it meant I got to have DS.

justdontevenfuckingstart · 20/02/2017 15:30

For me it was a bit like a tattoo. It builds and builds to the point when you don't want it anymore and then it stops and you get a bit of a breather before it starts again.
Everyone is different, make it clear what pain relief you want in your birth plan.

Funnyonion17 · 20/02/2017 15:30

Both mine were back to back, that was painful. It wasnt as bad as I thought it would be though. It looks much scarier on TV!

SmellySphinx · 20/02/2017 15:31

Oh and try not to over do it on the gas and air! I did during the pushing and things went fuzzy, my hearing went, I had no idea why was pancicking. The surgeon who was about to use forceps sort of tutted and "explained" that it was OBVIOUSLY because I was using too much G&A Hmm

NSEA · 20/02/2017 15:34

Mine felt like my insides with being crushed. Like really excruciating period pains. You know when you really bang your elbow and it hurts and you furiously rub it better to distract from the pain. Well, labour pains are internal and theres no rubbing to distract from the pain so it feels more intense. However, relax and breathe and be open to drugs. I had every drug going in the end. It did me nor baby any harm. You soon forget the whole thing too.

SmellySphinx · 20/02/2017 15:35

Oh and I had pethidine (can make you a bit pukey) and gas and air. Oh and the G&A is most effective if I remember rightly, at the height of a contraction, does wonders!

justdontevenfuckingstart · 20/02/2017 15:36

mister same for my second. No pain relief but short so you can cope with it. It's not about the level of pain so much but how long you have to put up with it.

Good luck op, (also take on that people do like to embellish , just look forward to meeting your baby) Nobody here btw.

Heatherbell1978 · 20/02/2017 15:36

DS was back to back so I mostly felt pain in my back. It definitely felt like period pains to a point though. Depends how long you labour for and time between contractions etc. I had brilliant relief from the pool and gas and air though. Pushing was sore but tbh I've mostly forgotten. I'm 39 wks with #2 so if it was that bad, i wouldn't be doing it again! Focus on the end goal!

AngryYeti · 20/02/2017 15:37

yup, like being squeezed in a vice from boobs downwards and then feeling like I needed a massive 9lb crap!

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Eolian · 20/02/2017 15:38

Do you really want to know? It was unbelievable pain, the like of which I hope never to experience again. My first was induced, back to back and long. Second was induced and too quick once it got going. Both were ghastly. Gas and air, no epidural. Onnly thing that has nearly compared was gallstones pain, but at least that only lasted about an hour. I've never had anything but very mild period pains so I can't compare it with that.

Thirtyrock39 · 20/02/2017 15:39

Agree with not overdoing gas and Air. Mw confiscated it as I was off my head in it (was practically hallucinating !!) and I wasn't focusing on the pushing

Thirtyrock39 · 20/02/2017 15:39

You also do need to listen to your body and work you don't just wait fir it to end it's quite physical and active

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.