How sore is childbirth? If being compared to a very very bad period?

[Iwantababynow]

I get the worst periods! to the point that 2 times ive been taken to the hospital because im screaming in pain, I cant take it, however my doctor says I have a high pain threshold, I had my appendix removed and refused pain killers after.

so, you girls out there that know what its like to be in bed 3 days a month due to extreme period pains, how did birth compare to that for you?

I really want a natural birth in water without pain relief... how bad can it be???

thanks guys, ps i love mums net :)

i had emcs for my first birth (and epidural) and i had nothing for my second birth (not even g&a, made me sick).
i had contractions for 5 days befire actually going into labour. i felt something "clicked" into my body and suddenly i had huge, painful contractions and started shaking and just couldnt handle the pain. apparently if you shake it is your endorphine bc you are too scared (midwife says).
in french we say "saoul de douleur" or "drunk with pain". something else has taken over your body and it is not alcool, it is pain.. i was screaming, i want a cesarian now!!! a few minutes before i started pushing. pushing was actually really nice (even if i did so for 2 hours). i like the pushing stage because when i pushed the pain was going away. but apparently it is not the same for everybody?

really want to know how i will cope with my third labour now...in a few months...

i admire that women in OBEM who didnt say anything... i am more like the one who was saying, i cant do it, aaaaarrrghh... i want drugs, i want a cesarian hellllppppp!!!

oh and i have spent days in bed, agnising because of periods pains. labour is def worse in my opinion.
and i dont think my pain tyhreshold is low as i was walking the day after my c-section (and usually you cant)

Period pain is an annoyance.Labour is expectation. Just ride it out it's doing something wonderful!

I was induced for both of my labours. And i can honestly say my second labour was by far the most painful thing I have ever been through. I had my waters broken to induce labour and within 20mins was in bloody agony. less than 3 hours later Ds was born. I think I actually have a fairly high pain threshold having put up with pains from a perforated appendix for 24+hrs and after my operation the surgeon telling me it was the most disgusting gangrenous appendix he had ever removed with the largest amount of pus he had ever seen ( I am quite proud of that actually ). Saying all that I did it with only gas and air but only because there was no time to give me anything stronger.

I would love to have gone into labour naturally, and I think if I have any more children I would perhaps try and leave it a few more days after the recommended term +12 rather than being induced. It is actually lovely to read all the really positive labour stories on here.

For me it was exactly the same sort of pain as period pains but 1000 times worse. But somehow just bearable because you know it will end at some point (I did have very short labours though, may have felt differently if it went on for hours).

BUT it wasn't as bad as a migraine.

for me, when I concentrated on the contractions and embraced them, instead of being painful, it just was simply intense, like a very strong and powerful sensation that I was not in control of. When it came to pushing the baby out, it did sting a bit, but was not as painful as having my legs waxed. Childbirth is incredible and I did enjoy it. Only thing I hated was transition (when the contractions speed up and take your breath away) and the examinations (vaginal) then when my midwife had to check me internally after I had given birth to make sure I had no tears. (I had a tiny 1st degree which healed quickly)

basically as long as you dont panic and tense, its all good baby. period pains are bastards and are 1000000 times worse in my opinion cos you get nothing at the end of it!

Terrifying. I thought I was dying. Make sure you have a good midwife with you. It is like nothing else.

Muslim mummy is right. I had a bad time but when i had contractions I couldn't do anything so rather than it taking over me I did something about it.
They gave me an exercise ball I sat and bounced on it at first that did nothing so I put the little tv on music channel and listened to music ( billionaire by Bruno mars and California girls kept playing) when ever I got contractions I took my anger and pain out on the ball by smashing it on the floor so it bounced for ages. Every1 thought I was mental lol but it helped me

ready all the posts it is qute interesting to see some women who reused pain relief say that they should have gone for it... maybe... i had epidural for my first and blame it for my emcs.
the epidural was only working on half of my body so they re-sited it, and top it up and then it all went pear shape with me vomting and DS heartbeat going berseck

but as everyine says, every labour is different so do whatever feels right for you :-)

reading.... refused

sorry about the typos...

I'd say that the uncomfortableness (yes, that is a word ) bugged me more than the pain. Pain-wise, it was not as bad as a migraine IMO.

I had gas and air only. It was quick though, which probably colours my view a bit. If I'd been in pain for days like when I get a migraine I might've said it was worse...?

You should read this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/a1389012-Labour-Love-it#29627661 it will give you a whole different perspective on the subject.

A GP told me that severe period pains are often due to your body trying to pass large blood clots through a hole the size of a matchstick head in your pre-delivery cervix. I suppose some people's blood clots more heavily than others during periods?

Once you've given birth naturally your cervix opening is permanently bigger than it was pre-delivery and therefore many women never have severe perod pains again.

As for giving birth - I had severe period pains for years but two pain free births using HypnoBirthing (which I learnt specifically because I'd always assumed bad period pains = terrible pain during labour). Maybe it would help OP? Your cervix is very different during pregnancy/labour to how it is at other times so not comparable, it is much softer/shorter and hormones enable it to thin and open.

'Sore' is what you will be afterwards when you have your first poo

Labour itself is, let's face it, really painful - I was really scared beforehand (and I have a reasonable pain threshold), but in some ways it wasn't as bad as I expected.

I didn't have the build up of contractions over a long period that I was expecting, I was 2 weeks overdue and when they broke my waters I went into full on fucking agonising contractions.

I couldn't move around as I was hooked up to the monitor the whole time, so spent the whole time on my back on gas and air. I don't really remember the crowning especially, I do remember my best friend counting me through each agonising contraction while my horrified DP sat there in shock for 7 hours.

I'd do it again tomorrow though

I had 3 children, and childbirth was pain-free for me. But then I had CSections!

It is painful! But manageable.

The contractions are like really bad period cramps in the first bit of labour. Then in active labour more intense, like your whole body is cramping. But they surge then stop. Each individual contraction on its own is dealable with, what gets hard is as you get to full dilation they come on thick and fast and you are so tired from dealing with them, you feel you can't go on much more.

For me the contractions at transition became less cramping and more pushy. A bit like the vomiting reflex, except your whole body convulsing, not just stomach. This bit was very intense but actually hurt less than the contractions on their own. Just very odd to feel like your whole body is expelling something!

Crowning is stingy/chinese burn-y, but not as bad as you might imagine. It's so close then, you are full of hormones and off your head with endorphins, adrenaline, tiredness etc. It's not like pushing a baby out of there "stone cold" - you are in a totally different place hormonally by the end of labour. Also, you know you are very nearly there, the contractions aren't as painful, you are dead excited and terrified, just shout/yell through it and it will soon be over! The midwives are shouting encouragement, the room fills with midwives rushing around putting aprons on, there is a real sense of anticipation and drama. Whereas with the contractions its bloomin painful and hard work, but no real sense yet of how much longer to get through. I had a third degree tear and didn't notice it specifically, just a lot of stinging. And my DS shot out in 7 mins, so not the most gentle of second stages!

Then baby is out, and it is the best feeling ever. You are so bloody relieved it is over and you have DONE IT! I spent about 5 mins just saying "thank god thank god thank god hello sweet boy thank god thank god!!" . No pain, you've got your lovely baby, your DP is crying with pride and relief, you get TEA AND TOAST but best of all you have bloody DONE IT and it is OVER thank god!

Really really really recommend waterbirth. One of the things about labour is that it is just so uncomfy to move around - even going to the loo in early labour is awful, can't quite describe it. But once you are in the water, you can just float off into whatever position works for you, its wonderful. It still hurts and is hard work, but somehow the fact you are in the the water, mobile, and pain free between contractions and soothed by all the lovely water, it helps you mentally to think you can do it. I managed on just G&A and a lot of moo-ing, in the water with DS (DD was an induction previously and I had the full epidural with her).

Also recommend getting your DP to distract your body during contractions as it takes the edge off the pain. My DH poured loads of hot water over my back in the pool during contractions. Really helped - just having another strong sensation to feel in addition to the contractions helped distract my brain and made it easier to manage.

(The day after DS was born and I was in hospital after having tear repaired in theatre, DH had the gall to say he had a sore arm from all the pouring . He got short shrift, needless to say!)

There is no point comparing between different people. You might feel very little or you may be in unbearable agony immediately the real contractions start. Just take it as it comes, adapt to the hand you get dealt and don't stick to your pre-labour plans if the circumstances change.

I am a midwife and recently looked after a woman having her first baby at home. By the time she called us she was already fully dilated in her water pool and wanting to push. She had been having contractions for a few hours but as they were like her usual (severe) period pains with which she had suffered for many years she thought she couldn't possibly be in strong labour. So you never know you could be in for a good surprise at how well you will cope. How ever you find it you WILL get through it and it will be worth it. Focus on the end result! Best of luck

For those with painful periods: consider having a Mirena coil fitted. They are magical you stop having periods, and they are now being used for this purpose, so ask your GP. Pregnancy again is known to help with bad periods/endometriosis because of the 9 month break to the womb lining.

Labour is very painful. It is like period pains x 10 000. In my first labour it was as though I was being tossed in a sea of pain and that's it - you are drowning in the sea and you can't get out. But like you have been advised stay calm, don't panic, don't tense and ride it through. There is only one way through and that is through!

I had a water birth and it DEFINITELY helps with the pain - they say about 50%. BUT: the midwife can't monitor you, so help you with your breathing/position, and I wonder if it doesn't dry you out a bit stretching wise I tore badly. So you need to get out, which means more pain!

Good luck, let us know how you do.

sorry that meant to say, don't tense, fight it or try to control it and ride it through.

never had bad periods. But first birth had no pain relief, easy labour and the pain was manageable. Second birth, had home water birth and some gas and air. Gas and air didn't help - just made me sick and drunk. And the water was relaxing between contractions but of no help whatsoever with the contractions. I found the pain very bad. For both births, I did hypnobirthing. I didn't find the actual second stage so bad, but the second birth was long and painful. I would see how you get along and ask for an epidural if you need it.

I have a high pain threshold but I honestly thought I was going to die. And I'm someone who has walked around on a broken ankle for a few weeks without even taking aspirin.

I was induced when it wasn't needed - long story but midwife didn't believe I was in labour because I could 'talk through my contractions'. That high pain threshold, I guess! So they whacked in the drugs and my poor DD smashed through my bladder on the way out. I was torn apart and am still having issues down below now, 8 months on.

It was quite simply the WORST pain I've EVER experienced. And made worse by the midwife telling me I was exaggerating and it's natural. I ended up with an epidural. And scared out of my wits because I couldn't make anyone understand what I was feeling. I was a first time mother and I went in on Elective Caesarean night when the hospital staff just didn't have the time to listen.

The following day, the midwife came up to apologise.

Hmmm.

I am another one whose periods used to be very painful - then once I had my first child when they came back they were painless, amazing!

I had a water birth 8 weeks ago and it was fab - would totally recommend. I had no pain relief, so it is bearable and working towards a purpose which helps I think.

Three short labours. During the third the pain was howlingly sharp but labour proper only lasted just over an hour. Thus, bearable. No pain relief, no time for it!

Horrible pain, way worse than period pain (I've never screamed involuntarily with period pain).
The labour pain was worse than pushing - I was induced and there was no time for an epidural, just G&A and Pethidine.

They kept telling me I was probably going to have an emcs and I held onto the hope of that as a psychological 'out' to keep me going. in the end he was born in 1hr 15 mins of established labour and the high (And total lack of pain) afterwards was incredible.

Would do it all again tomorrow with as much pain relief as I could get my hands on! 15 weeks of morning sickness was way worse.