Labour

[mvines17]

What is Labour like???

[Bellamuerte]

Depends who you ask. Mine was horrific, others less so. Everyone has a different experience.

[ShowOfHands]

Like a warm hug.

[Bobbiepin]

@showofhands

[Grufeling]

Better than I expected but I'd prepared for it. It also changed at different stages

[Bumdishcloths]

Not much fun with a failed epidural...

[Bumdishcloths]

(But as PP says, everybody is different!)

[Scoleah]

I remember comparing my first labour to being kicked in the back really hard by a horse I've never been kicked by one but how I would imagine it felt, over and over, had 2 hour labour start to finish though..

Second one, got induced, 4 hour start to finish. More like massive aching pains in Lower back that progressively got worse to the point where there was no break in the pain, it was constant and I was overwhelmingly hot!

[AliceInWonderland17]

Hideous, but I was induced.... labour ended up being 36 hours long! The epidural failed and I ended up having a c section 🙄

[LRL2017]

Better than I though. Was 6 cm before any real pain and went from 6 to 10 in 10 mins. Total labour time 2.5 hours. Was assisted though but managed on just gas and air.

[goose1964]

My first was scary s I'd been hospitalised and missed all my antenatal classes so didn't know what was happening. Second easy and pain free my last was quick and painful .

[Pickleshickles]

I've had 3 unmedicated home births. All were fine, not really terribly painful until the pushing phase which is bloody awful but thankfully not that long.

The contractions hurt but stop, you get a breather, then it's all go again. It's fine.

Keep hydrated and drink lucozade sport to keep your energy up. It's exhausting work!

[Crumb502]

Mine felt like REALLY bad period pain followed by having the biggest poo of my life!! The urge to push was unreal when it came...

2 babies, both natural births and honestly wasn't that bad - but I realise I'm incredibly lucky as not everyone has the same experience.

[juddyrockingcloggs]

Induced at 37 weeks with a big baby. Honestly, and I appreciate I am probably in the minority but it was a lovely experience, not as painful as I had imagined - he was 9lb 7oz. It was calm and relaxed. I only wish I could experience it all over again.

[greathat]

I wouldn't want to do pregnancy again but I wouldn't mind labour

[HeavyLoad]

I have described it like my entire body was being torn in half and also like the opposite of an orgasm.

But you're not allowed to tell anyone who hasn't had a baby the childbirth truth so I'll tell you it was an incredible experience.

[KikiA]

Mine was fine up until about 8cm... transition was god awful. I had a planned homebirth but had to have an emergency transfer to hospital after waters broke because the little bugger passed meconium in the waters. Pushing was totally fine, didn't even wince at crowning (but then I did have to have an episiotomy so might well have been in part down to the local anaesthetic).

[user1485778793]

It wasn't like I imagined.

I was lucky. I had an induction at 36 weeks. I was contracting for a few hours but they were manageable then they went back to back and intense. Midwife didn't believe I was in labour till I said I felt like I was sat on his head, she lifted the sheet and he was on his way out. 3 pushes and he was fully out. I had no pain relief but it was very intense, thankfully not for long. I couldn't believe in comparison to others I'd got away lightly. Had to have a lot of stitches though and I spent 4 days on delivery suite having pessaries and waters broken

[mvines17]

I'm 19 weeks and 4 days when does breast milk start coming through

[Thecomfortador]

Labour....really, really painful contractions. Like I cried each time until they got me hooked up to gas and air. Had episiotomy, like a pp I wonder if the local anaesthetic made the last bit less painful.

As for milk, came in a few days after son was born. I had no issues with leakage prior to his birth at all, though I believe it can happen.