My mother, in her inimitable way informed me the other day that labour pains will be unlike anything I've ever experienced (yup, I'm sure she's right) but then said to me that it will be the most painful thing I've ever experienced. Even more painful than the miscarriage I had last year.....
I was rather upset that she would 'know' how painful my miscarriage was when she has never miscarried and also it was one of the most singularly painful experiences of my life with only a bath and a paracetamol to help. It was on a par only with the time both my eardrums perforated and started to bleed due to an infection. Both times the pain level was so immense I was shaking and crying with the pain. She really seems to know how to be offensive. For example the fact that when I was a fetus I was 'constantly trying to abort myself' was far far worse than my own miscarriage. Its almost like competitive pregnancies with a 32 year gap.
Sorry for blahing on, but my question is, if you had a miscarriage and went onto have a successful pregnancy and birth, how did the pain compare and how did you cope? I actually feel that if I can cope with a miscarriage where I was alone and scared, then I can cope with labour in a supportive environment with something to look forward to.