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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for your help describing a contraction?

150 replies

Itsnotmessitsashithole · 10/12/2019 20:42

Lovely friend is heavily pregnant with her first and has asked me to describe a contraction to her...

Apparently ‘arrrrrghhhh’ was not descriptive enough. But even though it was only 6 months ago, I just found it impossible to describe Confused

So how would you describe a contraction? Will send her a link to thread so do your worst!

OP posts:
Picklypickles · 10/12/2019 20:59

Well with my first I was induced with a drip and those contractions were horribly painful, but I went into labour naturally with my 2nd and a lot of it must have happened in my sleep as I woke up with waters trickling and 15 minutes later noticed contractions, started as dull throbbing pain in my back and progressed to what felt like bad period cramps.

crispysausagerolls · 10/12/2019 21:01

@imnotsureaboutdinosaurs

Sounds EXACTLY like my induction experience. And awful, Awful pelvic pain. Panic mode.

@picklypickles

Nice to read - hope I don’t get induced and it’s better for me this time round

MonChatEstMagnifique · 10/12/2019 21:02

Jesus, don’t send her a link to this thread, not if you’re really a friend.

When anyone asks me I just say everyone seems to feel it differently so there’s no point talking about my labour in terms of letting another woman know what there’s will be like. I always advise to take the drugs though, all of the drugs !

RoomR0613 · 10/12/2019 21:02

Like someone spearing you through your spine with a vacuum cleaner hose and trying to pull your insides out with it. Over and over again.

snowballer · 10/12/2019 21:02

Like being in a vice which just keeps tightening and tightening. Back to back labour here, induced and it went too fast, I honestly felt like I was dying

iamthevirginmarywith2weans · 10/12/2019 21:03

period pain that makes your back feel like it's in a vice at the same time. It builds up.

burritofan · 10/12/2019 21:05

Like an evil giant had transmogrified my spine into a white-hot corkscrew of hate and was pulling it out of me via my bum while my whole body was clamped in a vice made out of pain.

But maybe just tell her it's a bit ouchy?

PlinkPlink · 10/12/2019 21:06

Like some sort of demonic hand pulling all your muscles ridiculously hard, simultaneously.

Mine were ridiculously strong.

Thank god for the injection and gas and air. Chilled me right the fuck out 😂😂

Bizarre how I'm looking forward to doing it all again with no.2 😂

Ellisandra · 10/12/2019 21:08

@leghairdontcare not true for me.

The thing that caught me out, was not knowing that contractions aren’t always felt across the front. I had a tight pain in the centre of my back. It felt like someone was squeezing my pelvis together - but pain only in the back. It came and went. It was certainly enough to go “ooooof”, and it stopped me physically in my tracks walking to the labour suite. But it wasn’t pleasant, but as it wasn’t constant I didn’t need painkillers. There was enough respite in between to catch my breath.

70sWitch · 10/12/2019 21:09

Like a butterfly pinned to a card but it's you pinned to the bed with a giant girder.

1CantPickAName · 10/12/2019 21:09

I’ve got

Crabonastick · 10/12/2019 21:10

I felt like someone was ripping my pelvis apart internally

user1493413286 · 10/12/2019 21:10

Like someone squeezing a belt over your tummy and back

HeyMac · 10/12/2019 21:10

Definitely back pain which I wasn't expecting. Like about a third of the way up my spine being kicked and kicked by a horse until you felt your back was going to break.

Panic panic panic

Then done.

OlaEliza · 10/12/2019 21:11

It would help if these descriptions stated whether you had pain relief, or whether they are that bad WITH it.

SmellMySmellbow · 10/12/2019 21:11

Like the worst period pain you ever had multiplied by a honzillion. But prob best not to tell her. Plead the fifth, let her enjoy blissful ignorance.

HeyMac · 10/12/2019 21:11

No pain relief

Sipperskipper · 10/12/2019 21:11

Like a tractor driving across my back and then flipping me over and going over my abdomen.

20viona · 10/12/2019 21:12

The most fucking horrific agonising pain ever describable with little to no breaks inbetween them start to finish was 2.5 hours of pure hell. BUT I'd rather that over a long labour lol. Oh and take any pain relief you're offered. I only got gas and air with it being so quick, I would of loved an epidural.

EC22 · 10/12/2019 21:12

I had all my contraction pain in my back, it felt like a vice on my spine.

Sipperskipper · 10/12/2019 21:12

No pain relief at this point though I might add. Epidural 20hrs later & contractions just felt like my tummy going slightly hard. Even fell asleep for a bit!

Celebelly · 10/12/2019 21:13

Mine was like the kind of really painful cramp that you get in your leg except in your uterus and you can't make it go away by putting your foot flat on the ground!

70sWitch · 10/12/2019 21:13

Just gas and air. Was a fast labour

yukka · 10/12/2019 21:13

God I must be a rarity , i didn't find it that bad at all. Short intense cramps every 4 mins for about 14 hours, dosed through most of that using a tens machine and paracetamol, then 30 mins of 'I'm not in control' body surges and she was born, but that wasn't painful, just powerful. No 'sting' or 'ring of fire' either when she crowned.

I know, I was so bloody lucky.

EC22 · 10/12/2019 21:14

But I was totally pain fee in between so it was bearable. Just gas & air with all my labours.