Haven’t given birth in a while… remind me how painful labour is?

I had a similar gap between mine. Both 10lb babies so no mean feat (I'm 5ftish). My second labour and birth was wonderful. I'm not exaggerating. I really leaned into nesting instinct and being as cosy and happy as possible. I needed an induction at 38 weeks due to some other medical issues but was already in early labour and just had a very slow drip. They had to take me off it as they couldn't monitor baby's heart rate but it was enough to put me into natural labour. I only used gas and air and honestly, I distinctly remember thinking that I couldn't feel any pain. I felt like wonder woman afterwards and I don't think the student midwife had seen anything like it...
I would recommend the positive birth company online course if only for the birthing Facebook group that has loads of wonderful positive birth stories.

My experience is it will be easier this time. More intense than period cramps yes by far. But for me the pain was only intense for 15 min and then it was done.

I found the contractions really tough for both but the actual pushing, "ring of fire" bit much less awful than I had read on MN. And with the second birth, immediately felt totally worth it and forgot about the ordeal after a week or so and just enjoyed the miracle of it.

The pain of contractions wasn't unbearable, but then once the pressure near the end starts it's unbearable. Get the hang of gas and air during the earlier contractions, and remember to only breathe it without pause throughout the contraction from when it first begins each time. Pausing and breathing normally at all stops it working that contraction.
The difference between labour and normal pain is the gaps between allow you to slightly mentally recover rather than consistent continuous pain.

I found it an ‘immense’ feeling but not agony / extreme pain.

Just having my body taken over by a sort of huge feeling.

But my endorphins were so sky high I felt high. I was leaning forwards on the sofa, the stairs, in a pool. Walking. Very ‘in on myself’

TENS and pool.

No doctors!? What if something goes wrong? I wanted vaginal, after 3 days I had to have an emergency C.

Why do you want to remember? 😂

If it helps at all, I had my first without pain relief as my epidural didn’t take & nobody believed me. I had gas & air only with DC2 & DC3 and the pain was nothing compared to DC1.

Labours were much quicker too.

A 10 for pain - though knowing there is an end to it (unlike illness/injury) made a huge difference to my ability to deal with it. I kept comparing it with climbing a mountain - hard work/painful/exhausting but if you pace yourself you'll get to the top the struggle will stop and the view will be worth it.

Inductions are ten times worse than natural labour. Even the NHS says this on their website, and they’re big fans of underplaying pain (calling sweeps ‘uncomfortable’!). My gran had 4 babies spontaneously, and then an induction for number 5. She said it was absolute agony compared to the first 4, and she never exaggerated.

I think it depends on so many factors. My first one was so outrageously bad I thought I was dying. He was back to back, the contractions were irregular and didn't have a proper break between them, so the pain never stopped for the full 36 hours of labour. He was sunny side up and had his little hand up by his face, so he never engaged properly and I got no urge to push. I just had to push him and his arm out myself, it felt exactly like pooing a watermelon. I was traumatised for months 🤣

With the second one the contractions felt like a bad bout of gastric illness and my body shot him out in two big pushes that I was not involved in at all. The high afterwards was unbelievable, like conquering Everest while on heroin.

I'd do the second one again, not so much the first.

I wasn’t shocked by the pain (thank you tv, movies, friends and family for the warnings!)

But I had not expected it to be such HARD WORK I thought the contractions being sort of involuntary meant my body would just sort of crack on while I endured it but my god I really had to push and work hard. So just reminding you of that too 😁

I did have a chunky baby though so maybe if you cook them smaller you’ll be ok

I had three inductions. The first time I was put on a drip and my waters had gone. The pains came very quickly and were absolutely shocking. Remember not being able to breathe with the pain. I had an epidural and gas and air. I still felt the pains, but they were manageable. I remember getting sick. Also got an episiotomy. I nearly had a section. Baby passed meconium and went into the SCBU.

Second time round, another induction by pessary this time. A shorter labour and still painful but I was okay with gas and air. I thought the pushing stage was harder. Episiotomy site tore.

Third time round, another induction by pessary and I had a really awful sweep as well. I thought the pain was worse than my second. I had gas and air. I had a shorter pushing stage than the second time. A graze on my episiotomy site.

I think I was unfortunate having to have three inductions. I tended to go over my dates by ten or eleven days. My first wasn't that late, but my waters broke and I didn't go into labour and I had an induction on the third day. I have had vivid dreams of being back on the labour ward and waking up feeling very relieved! I remember the pains very well although it's fifteen years since the last time. Women are amazing. Good luck op. I

I had a planned home birth for my second child after a grim and very medicalised obstetric ward hospital birth with my first. (I had ALL the drugs and hated it ). Second labour still hurt but I did it with no pain relief at all because it was an environment that I felt relaxed in and I assume my body produced loads of oxytocin and my body laboured really effectively. I also kept upright through the labour and gave birth in the very physiologically effective position of kneeling and leaning forward. Didn't even ask for gas and air and I am not the heroic type... A MLU will be set up to keep you from lying on your back in labour (our local one does not have beds for that reason) and will use the usual tricks to get up your oxytocin levels which helps with pain management.
It'll still hurt OP but second births are often easier and faster than first births. I felt on such a high after DD2 was born. If you want a reassuring research based about outcomes at MLU's have a look at the 2011: Birthplace study.

I found gas & air amazing for my non induced labours . It really took the edge off. Obviously the crowning stage was still painful but the adrenaline got me through. For dc3 I had an induction where I was put on the drip and the gas and air didn't do anything. It was agonising. I was refused an epidural. It really was a horrific labour. Also the after pains were really bad.

It hurts for sure but unless you’re induced it is possible to ride the wave of the pain with the right pain relief and mindset. I was in the birth pool for the transition period which really helped but needed to get out and once I was on all fours on the bed I started hallucinating Micky Mouse counting down from 20 and by the time he got to the end of the countdown the contraction had ended!! This may have been the result of me fully taking advantage of the gas and air though 😂

I think it depends on the baby/labour. My first, hell, begged my husband to kill me and meant it. My second, fine, no worse than period pains. My first was back to back and my second was obviously just in a great position (and didn’t have a 98th centile head) so I think it’s just luck to the draw!

My first was agonising, monitored because of meconium in waters so I was trapped on my back the whole time, I felt like I was being sawn in half (was given gas and air and pethadine).

2nd one, I stayed upright and on my yoga ball as long as possible, felt no pain until contractions got to a few min apart and my mum made me go to hospital - I was fully dilated on arrival and baby was born 20 min later. No drugs and although the last half hour of contractions stopped me in my tracks, I would describe them as painful as such, the only real pain I remember was the crowning stage.

Totally true! DC1 was 4 hours from contractions to birth and DC2 was 2 hours from contractions to birth. I gave birth in a moving car on the way to the hospital. If I have a 3rd I won’t have any warning.

Apparently it's quicker and easier each time so just remind yourself you can do it! And look at Hypnobirthing

Like taking the biggest spikiest shit of your life

First time was heavily medicated following induction. Monitoring meant had to stay on the bed and couldn't change position at all, forceps and ventouse used
A long day and affected my thinking for subsequent labours

agree with pp who mentioned staying upright as much as possible, I found leaning on the bed or a chairback to help

second and third labours unmedicated and felt in control, focussed on breathing

water births not so available in those days but for third labour felt no desire to be on the bed - seemed so high - and baby was delivered with me on the floor probably lying on a sheet or something but can't remember

Focus on breathing, be calm and let your body guide you, at least that's what worked for me

All the best to you

The pain was consumed my entire body. I was on my knees. I tried to climb out of my body and touch god as my baby was crowning. I’m not religious at all.

If you don't remember the pain of last time, it probably was not horrendous and you have a higher pain tolerance than most. I have given birth twice and yes there was pain, but it wasn't awful and I was also in awe of what my body was doing. Used Tens machine and gas and air with second birth, was great, especially getting into the birthing pool.