What would YOU say was the most painful stage of labour?

[Dozeyland]

in regards to dilation, the babys delivery, contractions etc etc

None of it was a picnic, but crowning by far the worst bit - actually feeling myself tear. Excruciating.

Hi zachsmama :)

Thank you for the uncharacteristic mn hug :) As always, it is appreciated.

the bit where the head comes out and you feel like your underneath and bum and going to rip in half..

God I love reading about labour being a positive pain, and all those other positive stories. Isn't it mad that it should be hard at all, something so natural.

In the last 40 minutes I thought I was being ripped in half and was screaming full blast to get that f**ing thing out of me. Of course she's a beautiful baby and I love her dearly, but I thought she was going to kill me. Her head was so big it was off the scale. The midwife's eye's watered as she measured it. Funnily enough, it didn't look that big compared to the rest of her - she was 9lb4oz, big but not enormous. She's now a dainty little toddler.

Do advise lactulose straight away so going for a poo is easier, because that is frightening and painful if you have to strain at all. The afterpains were like mild early labour pains for me.

Is transition the bit where the contractions no longer have any gaps between them so that you seem to be constantly either building to a contraction, having a contraction or the contraction tailing off...? Because that was pretty bad. Also the crowning was horrible each time!

All of it I'm afraid. The MW said to only take the gas and air when I felt a contraction and I remember hissing at my DH 'But I'm in constant pain '. I thought I was going to split open, and then I did...

transition 'rest and be thankful stage' w t f ????

I have had 6 deliveries and have begged to die in all of the none epidural ones at transition

It really really is a living hell

Crowning is horrible but usually over quickly - all bar my 6th born whose head is llloooooongg and decided he liked it - half way out - no back in - half way out -no back in and so on for what felt like weeks!

Definitely transition! With dd1, I was manically scrabbling at the air vents- I NEEDED to escape from the whole thing, and thought I might be able to get out there- very surreal! It wasn't even so much the pain I remember as the need to run away from it!

Ummm.... What's the transition? This thread is making me very scared! (30+2 with DD1).

Can't remember much pain at all with DS 1, LOVED the gas and air but could have done with some for 1st poo a day or so later!! Now 35 weeks with DC2, am hoping just to manage on gas and air again............

For me contractions were fine not bad at all really, transition was bad but the worse was the pushing.

Pushing without a doubt.

Transition is hidous.

There is quite a lot you can do to minimise pain though. I used natal hypnotheraphy CDs and did the cours.

I just had TENS for pain relief.

I think the after pains and establish breastfeeding is awful. I asked my midwife if I could have gas and air for brerastfeeding and she thought I was joking. :(

My last few contractions before the pushing stage were the most difficult to deal with - there were probably 6 or 7 contractions in total where i couldn't get into any position which helped with the pain. It felt like very very bad period pain and also like being badly winded (literally like someone had punched me in the stomach and taken my breath away!). But then the sensation totally changed and I can honestly say that the pushing stage felt weirdly satisfying to me. You can tell that your body is working hard to push the baby out, and it helps if you can welcome the feeling and push with it - I would compare the muscle contractions to being sick, in the sense of your body experiencing involuntary 'heaving' feelings (but obviously in a different place!)

The contraction before my waters broke.

transition - I asked my husband to kill me with a kitchen knife (was homebirth) - I had no idea why he wasnt doing as i asked.

crowning was a lot more painful than expected but relatively shortlived

All well well worth it.

I still see it all through rose tinted glasses and cant wait to do it next time (should there be one)

ps my dd was nearly 11 lbs and had no pain relief. 2nd degree tear. I expect that ll contributed to need to be bumped off by DH.

Judging by the things I said at the transistion stage of each labour, I would say transition.
I tend to start quietly but pitifully weeping too....

DS1: I actually went a bit 'hippy' and said 'Yes, I can do this...' :o

DS2: 'I am actually going to die. Tell my mother I love her and please look after the kids properly !'

DS3: 'I need something!! Please give me something... anything!!'

DD: 'Just shoot me please. NOW.'

Pushing the head out!!! So painful but u also know it's finally the end :) my labour was v long so I was so happy that the awful pain signaled the end! Lol

Well, I never pushed as had emergency section, but the 48 hours before that were all incredibly painful. Anyone who says it doesnt hurt at all...they are either fibbing or are actually God!!! lol x

with dd - crowning. the ring of fire

with ds - pushing. probably because he was coming out so quick. only took 3 pushes.

actually, most painful part was the stitching after birth (I had an episiotomy). Other than that, the later part of labour ( from about 7cm to 10cm dilation) were excruciating. I did not find pushing stage or birth itself painful, just exhausting...

Having my waters broken for me, after that it all went a bit squiffy and I had back on back contractions for hours followed by forceps and an episiotomy.

By the forceps point, I could not have given two hoots how he came out.