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

[Dozeyland]

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

Crowning. Crowning. Crowning. Oh God. I did it with just gas and air and would do so again but please, if they invent an epidural that would just work for that bit I'd bite your arm off for it!

Hoping if I have any more DCs to actually deliver underwater as I've heard that helps. I did labour in the water with DS and found it really helpful.

But yeah the rest was okay in a "Okay this hurts but I'm getting somewhere" but the crowning was just "MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP NOW. I CAN'T DO THIS OH GOD SERIOUSLY." and really really dreading it if I ever have more children.

Oh but DS did have his arm up around his neck so the awful pain was probably more to do with having to push out head + stickyout elbow rather than just head.

The crowning was the worst part for me I was on just gas and air right through labour as I managed to sleep through most of it. I can rememeber being uncomfortable for most of it but crowning bloody hurt. DD was however 10lb 4 so I wasn't suprised it bloody hurt in the end

Probly from about 8cm through transition

I didn't have transition with either of mine or crowning.With ds I had about three really strong contractions right at the end and wth dd I had a night of contractions that were very uncomfortable (but I was on my own all night in a labour ward so that may have made them seem worse).

The last couple of hours before the epidural! (this was about 27-29hours in)

In fairness, DS was back-to-back so I realise this is not typical. I felt like my lower back was being ripped apart.

I still experienced transition despite the epidural - vomiting and refusing to put my sick bowl down to push despite the doctor brandishing forceps and telling me very loudly to put it down now.

Transition for me too. I actually didn't find second stage painful with either of my previous deliveries - a sensation of total compulsion but relief to be actively doing something. We'll see what it's like with number 3 in a few months.

Actually, thinking about it, the worst part was panicking and feeling out of control with number 1. Pain on its own is manageable, pain & panic is a bad combination.

Both transition and crowning. Transition felt like someone was stabbing me in the front, just above my pubic bone, I think. And that was after the contraction had already gotten as bad as it could in my lower back. Then when ds's head was being born it felt like i was passing a big ball of spikes!

I thought I was giving birth to an American footballer complete with helmet and shoulder pads - my son was a big baby, almost 10lb. No gas and air, no epidural just a bit of pethedine. But it was 1979. And to think, I'd told my husband I wanted a natural birth. lol!

Transition for me too, it was pretty relentless. Though the ring of fire stung more than a little for the 30 secs it took for me to push ds out!

With no.1 at around 2-3cm. I wanted a gun to shoot myself.

With no.2 at around 20mins post birth when I realised I was quite sore 'down there'!

Are you asking as this is your first baby and you want to know what it will be like?

If so, this really isn't helpful to you as everyone has a different experience and you cannot go on what happened to other people.

I read threads like this before having my daughter and I needen't have bothered as when it starts it starts and then it is your OWN experience. Don't scare yourself shitless beforehand with stories of pain and agony. No one said it would be a walk in the park but what is the point of torturing yourself? When it happens you will deal with it and then it will be over and you can forget all about it and have a bottle of champagne.

Or something like that....

Daisystone's right. Everyone's pain threshold is different as well, so what is unbearable to one woman is bearable to another.

Crowning, oh God the pain!!!

Trying to push out DS2 with a shoulder dystocia wasn't exactly a bed of roses either.

Transition. Like having your front bottom tattooed.

It made me shriek 'I want to go home!' and I was in my own bedroom giving birth anyway!!

the journey to the hospital, having to sit on my hands.

The memory even now makes my eyes water. 20 mins of hell.

At least the rest of it was helped along with some gas, air, and knowing I was not stuck in traffic.

i guess memory plays trick on you...but i sort have fond memories of my transition stage. I remember it hurting in almost enjoyable kind of way.

you know, like that feeling of take a much needed poo. It is uncomfortable but also quite nice.

I loved the transition part! after hours and hours of relentless pain, I felt fully 'awake'. Perhaps because I knew it would be over soon?!

I ruddy loved the whole experience though...

getting to the delivery ward - the lift was broken and had to climb stairs while having contractions. Terrible!!

ma oh yes, walking with contractions! I disliked anything movement wise with my second (not my first though), the only place I was comfortable was on all fours leaning over the end of a raised bed. then I was fine, as long as they all just left me the hell alone to work with my contractions thanks. And no i won't be turning over so you can examine me. Not now, not ever (i stayed put as all thought of moving was not pleasant, midwife annoyed though!).

18 hours of labour only to be told sorry your still 2cms and your now having a c section, then half way through it your epidural weres off

I've never heard of transition either, but do remember the point at which I told the midwife I was definitely going to die because I was splitting in half Going from what others have said, that could well have been transition!

For me that whole bit pushing the baby out was the worst, especially as my need to push goes in reverse (i.e. my body desperately wants me to close my legs & use all my muscles to hold the baby in, not push it out!) wierd I know, but I'm sure it makes the pain worse

The bit before transition, where the contractions are coming on top of eachother and you actually think you will die. For me, transition was when all the pain totally stopped, it went 'quiet' and you started having those expulsive contractions.

Had my second baby last week, and I must say, it was not half as bad as first, although it was still bloody painful and I thought I would die!

The bit after my waters broke at 6cm and before I got the epidural. It went from "oh this is quite manageable" to "Get me the anaesthetist. What do you mean he's at the other hospital???wahhhhhhhh" in the space of 1 contraction.

Transition. Crowning didn't even come close to the pain of contractions that are so regular it feels like one long, all consuming contraction.