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

[Dozeyland]

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

For me, the first stage is the worst as I get large amounts of pain from my cervix dilating. Transition and crowning are a doddle compared to 40 hours of cervical pain frankly. The contractions themselves aren't painful for me, just intense.

Compared to whats coming at you down the track once the baby is here.....giving birth was the easy bit!!!!...

...says Indaba, the proud but knackered mother of three, who is counting down the days until they go to college!!

KittyMee,
I had been warned of afterpains and like you I was in fear of them.
Nothing happened. Honestly.

I found this out for you after pain I hope the link works. I googled it.

God yes. The first poo afterwards.... almost needed G&A for that

Being sewn up afterwards. Gas and air didn't touch it.

If you need stitches get a local put in (though that hurts like hell).

I would recommend necking lactulose from birth onwards!

And I know its easy for me to say, but please don't try to worry too much.

For the vast vast vast majority of people its absolutely fine.

I took lots & lots of drugs which for me worked.

I was hideously scared before going into it. Did hypnotherapy, infact anything that was going cos I am absolutely rubbish with pain, hospitals etc. Have to be hit over the head before going to the dentist. Honestly.

Talk to your midwife how you feel. But please don't stress too much.

As I say, I have done it three times now and I say that not to brag but if Mrs Little ScaredyCat & Squeemish me can do it.....anyone can!

Good luck.....!

Another vote for the stitches afterwards. They took longer than the delivery (from feeling the need to push to DD2 being on the table= 14 minutes) and I was breathing completely through the gas and air tube for 50 agonising minutes. I put my jaw out of alignment biting on the G&A nozzle end. Fucking midwife kept saying "nearly done" when she was nowhere near and I broke down sobbing when she said it for the 500th time, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! I would love another baby but the thought of having to go through that again fills me with horror.

Thanks, upahill, very nice of you. So according to that link this time should be ok as it's the first, but all subsequent births will be more painful - nature always give you something to look forward to doesn't it!

Transition. I asked if it was too late for an epidural and was unsurprisingly told that it was. It was over quickly though.

crowning.

It fucking buuuuuuuurns; it's not called the Ring Of Fire for nothing.

Head and body coming down and out. The stretching for them to do that. Not a ring of fire, but feeling them stretch my whole pelvis apart. Satisfying as you are seconds away from meeting your baby at that point though.

KittyMee I had no cramps with DS2 either I swear.

I was uncomfortable but home later on the day he was born. He was born at 8.25am

I had a tougher time with DS1 because he got tangled up in his cord but with the after pain stuff, No I didn't expeience this at all. That is not looking back with rose tinted glasses. I was expecting something to happen but it didn't.

My advice to any first time mum is to relax, don't listen to horror stories and have your own unique expierence.

Hope everything goes well.

Transition. Easily. But at least it didn't last long.

The earlier contractions were manageable and the pushing phase was just a relief. I didn't have any tearing, afterpains or toilet problems luckily.

With my first, afterpains were like bad period pains. With second they were like moderate contrations, coupled with dizziness and shivering! But actually a good excuse to hand over the baby and have a lie-down!

Kittymee don't worry about afterpains, with your first baby they are really mild. I barely noticed them but they were like mild period pains while I was breastfeeding and they stopped after a day or so.

For me pushing really hurt, so much that I was holding back and not doing it properly so they got ds out with the ventouse .

Transition was really painful and scary as they didn't believe me so I was sitting in a taxi sobbing while that was going on.

My advice to any first time mum is be assertive! If you feel that you need to go in don't let them fob you off and don't lay on your back to push because that makes the pain so much worse

Transition. Definitely. Wasn't so much the pain of transition that was worse, but the sudden sensation of absolute knowledge that no, I couldn't cope with it any more this time which made the pain unbearable. I got so cross with the stupid midwife insisting on examining me at that point when I was clearly desperate and needed the epidural arranging NOW; then was instantly cheered up when she said I was 10 cm, rushed another midwife in and a few pushes later dd was born I didn't really have a Ring of Fire bit - didn't notice it anyway.

Yes, think "gravity" and keep upright - that's the best advice I was given. There's still a furrow in the carpet from me walking up and down for four hours!

With no. 1, at about 2cm, just before active labour. It's when I screamed the most. Contractions fucking hurt.

With no 2. Hmmmmm, probably being stitched up.

5-10cm contractions for me definitely. Crowning, pushing, placenta, after all fine compared to that!

Transition is when you've have gone into a 'zone' and given up all hope of living, are relaxed and just letting the pain of the contractions wash over you, as a broken woman.

Then all of a sudden your body gets a great injection of adrenaline to enable you to expell the baby. Adrenaline is what is released for the fight or flight and magnifies the pain.

So, it is like an injection of fear and pain. But it doesn't last long.

Transition, I kept on repeating "this can't be right, these feels really wrong". The MWs just replied, "nope it's suppossed to feel like that, it's called labour for a reason" [much restraint from me to not shout OH F**K off].

Also what I really remember hurting was the injection to have the placenta out (can't remember what it is called). I tried to have a psychological 3rd stage and failed so asked for the injection. It was the worst injection I have ever had, sent shooting pains down my leg and made me cry. Apparently you don't feel it if you have it straight after birth.

If you have stitches get a local and get them to give you the G&A BEFORE the injection. My advice is get as high as a kite before they go anywhere near the bellow bits with a needle and thread. Also gives you the opportunity to enjoy G&A without the inconvience of contractions

this feels really wrong. Oppss

even tho i have been thru it, i learning alot about these posts!

24 hr labour, and 2 hours pushing the slightest whippet of a baby out, and i torn cos she flew out suddenly.

transition, i remember it now ( have kind of buried it) yes deffo the most firghtening for me. wish i'd had mumsnet back then, and op, you are deffo doing the right thing asking. Knowledge IS power.