what did your contractions feel like?

[TrotskyPlayedTheHarpsichord]

for a teaching exercise I am planning next week please for the lovely pregnant women, so they know what to expect
describe your pain here - I'm listening
thanks!
HC

I'll let you know when I get them, I'm due today, so they'll be fresh in my memory

TENS did absolutly NOTHING for me. A bath did not help or paracetamol. I had pethadin which did help me to take mind mind of the pain for a while. Apart from thath the only way I can describe labour pains is, the worst period pains I have ever had in my life together with a feeling that my hibs bones were slowly squeezing in and out!!!

mild period pains, a slight burning then a baby
But I think I was very lucky...

Message withdrawn

I was induced with sintocin and don't really remember much but I don't remember the pain as being in my belly more in my back and it felt like a vice/clamp with a sort of wave like quality, rising to a peak and then subsiding.

The tens machine did help me but it got to the point where that was not enough and then gas and air helped - (still hurt but I didn't seem to care whether it did IYKWIM)

The most difficult for me was near the end when my whole body seeemed to need to push and bear down and the contractions seemed constant with no break but I wasn't fully dialated yet so had to wait. I can best decribe the labour as manic and hectic and I moved around a lot.

The actually pushing out bit at the end was comparatively OK, much less painful with gaps between the contractions so I could recover. The pain of the contractions was the same in quality as before but more bearable somehow. It was exhausting though as I took nearly 2 hours to push ds out. It was also the most peaceful bit which I remember best.

period like pains for weeks before. Had show 4 days prior to labour. Contractions very variable and irregular things kept hotting up and calming down. Period pains which were fine to cope with then a real tightening of abdomem that took my breath away.Even though this was 3rd pregnancy it was difficult to say wether this was it or a false alarm (38weeks at this time) . As we live some distance from hospital took mw advice and decided to make trip in to be checked. Any doubts about whether this was labour were laid to rest when my waters broke while I was getting dressed. Leaked water all way to hospital all over hubby's new car, Take loads of towels. Once waters went, pains much more regular and increasingly more painful. I'd forgotten how bad it could get(8 years since last baby.) I found the pushing the hardest part. Almost tempted to escape leaving baby's head half hanging out it was so painful,but decided that future introductions in that position might be a bit awkward! Anyway all went fine and pain forgotten until now.

I find the term 'labour pains' quite frustrating as I was in agony and the nurses kept telling me I wasn't in labour. Not even 1cm!!!! This went on for 7 hours. They gave me pethedin. It didn't make any difference to the pain.

Tens didn't do anything either. Just a distraction when pains are very mild at the beginning.

Got the Epidural at 3cms. What a relief! had to push though for 1.5 hours. Didn't have a clue what I was doing. When Dr. came and siad 'right lets get the ventouse' I pushed the baby out
That was DS1. DS2 was a breeze in comparison.

From what I remember, they started out as feeling like period pains - with DS1 this started about 3 days before I gave birth. With all 3 of mine the 1st stage pains were very painful and went on for at least a day. They would be coming every 3-4mins and I would think I was nearly there only to find out I was only 3cms dilated!!

I remember the difference between early pains being that once things were established they were much longer in duration, and felt like my whole torso was contracting. I remember DS1's birth being the worst pain- felt like he was trying to get out through my bottom. The full on labour pains would make me make noises that sounded not unlike a cow. Best thing though is that you soon forget about the pain once you've got that baby in your arms!

When mine were at their worse I couldn't feel that I had the TENS machine on at full blast....

The most excruciating pain I have ever experienced. When I had DS1 I had been in a car accident during my pregnancy and had been on skull traction for weeks. The pain of those weeks was nothing compared with the pains of contractions and delivery. However, I had short labours - all over in a couple of hours first time and less the second time - so my recovery time from the pain was short and my lovely healthy baby was there.

Mine felt like a red hot poker up my bum... With DD1 now preg with DS and worried about those 'oh, no now I remember feelings'!!!!

Mild pain in my lower back for 12 hours and then became stronger and stronger and on and on for another 36 hours... GOD it was painful, period pain are fun compare to it(and bless I had painful one, or what I thought was painful!!!)

Like the worst leg cramp you've ever had, only 100 times worse, and in my back and stomach!
And yes, I too had a "now I remember" moment in my secong labour!

Exactly on my due date, my labour came on like a mild period pain around 2.30pm. This lasted for about 2 hours so I made an apple crumble and danced around the room to a lively CD. Called DH and told him I was in labour. Felt silly calling the hospital as I thought they would think I was paranoid - this being my first child and here I was phoning them on my due date saying I was in labour - but I called them anyway.

By 5.30 it was really uncomfortable - felt nauseous and like I wanted to do a big poo that wouldn't come out. It was a backachey type of sensation. I sat on the toilet and found the coolness of the cistern on my back very soothing. DH took me to hospital. Tried gas and air but didn't really feel any different. Just made my throat feel dry. DH tried it too! Contractions made me feel sick so I threw up all over DH - felt better after that but I still wasn't dilated so after an hour they sent me home. The contractions were stronger by now - I was shocked/worried that they sent me home. Got in bath and sent DH to shops for some wine (I had asked the midwife while in hospital if that was OK). Had a some of the wine. Sat on my bed to dry off and watch TV but waters broke. Then I felt like pushing but resisted for a while - wasn't sure whether I should call the hospital again (first baby) so sat naked on the floor in the dark in spare room with heating turned off - DH wanted to massage my back but I just felt I needed to feel coolness not heat. We finally rang hospital at 8.00 when pushing sensation became very pronounced, I had to really hold it in - I think if I hadn't DS would have been born in the ironing pile! Anyway went to hospital contractions very strong by now. Lay groaning on back seat of car with legs firmly crossed! At 8.30 After a long ten mins midwife came and examined me and said I was fully dilated and could push. So I got on all fours on the bed. When next contraction came, gave one push - out came his head, on next contraction gave another push and his little body came out at 8.40 pm - it took ten minutes! No drugs, no gas and air, no stitches, nothing!

Everyone is different. I don't know if I was just lucky - but I did have an easy pregnancy and I stayed quite active right up to the end. I also read The Natural Birth Book - which was very good at explaining what your body is doing throughout each phase of labour, so I felt quite calm because I kind of knew what to expect - even though this was my first (and only child). A few weeks before my due date I started massaging oil (almond oil, or olive oil) down below to soften it and help prevent tearing.

If I were to have another baby what I would do is freeze a bottle of water so that I could use it as a cold compress on my back next time - to dull the achey sensation.

My DS is nearly 3 now, and I can assure you I'm getting payback for having such an easy pregnancy and birth

Started like really bad period pains, and towards the end the pain was on a scale with someone cutting my leg off with a chainsaw. I was induced though, which apparently can make it worse.

Mine (under induction) felt like I was having my insides cut out with a red hot blunt knife.

Second time round they were still agony but much more bearable.

Yep, the first 8 ish hours for me was like period pains, and I found it hard to believe/ admit I was in labour, then an overwhelming feeling like someone was squeezing my stomach as hard as they could, accompanied by similiar feelings in my upper thighs.
Then that x 1000 accompanied by a feeling like I needed to do a really big poo. It was pretty amazing though, the times inbetween contractions, where it just stops altogether and you feel fine.
It wasn't as bad as I expected tbh, the worst for me was the pushing which is when i wished I hadn't been so 'brave' and had opted for some pain relief..lol..
I actually expected to get an epidural when I asked as he was crowning and was peed off that the midwife laughed at my request.

mine (from the very beginning unfortunately) were as if someone had stuck their hands in there and were bodily pulling my cervix apart, that's the best way I can describe it. For the first day of labour, that's how they were, concentrated low down and like a tearing pain.

Second day of labour, still the same down low but now the pain covered whole of belly

Third day of labour the same kind of pain but x1000 worse, it was like burning all over my tummy and getting through each one was like a mountain I had to go over, never knowing how high the pain was going to go.

And they came every 10 minutes for first couple of days then closer on the third day! God, it was grim!

just in case anyone interested in outcome, all these bloody pains never even dilated me, ended up with 7 cm dilation after 50 hours labour and v. distressed baby!

Like someone is cutting you in half with a rusty hacksaw every couple of minutes, you just get over one and the next one starts and you think "I cannot cope with this" and if your like me you lose all sense completely and just howl like a baby. Gas and air is great as sucking on it gives you something to do instead of the howling.

Both my labours have had no mild backache, no uncomfortable pain I go from 0-60 with the first contraction, although I've had a 4h 20min labour and 2h 30 mins from start to finish (second one would have been faster I was fully dilated in 30 mins but waters were intact and her head was high) some people say I'm very lucky doesn't feel like that at the time.

My immediate post birth euphoria isn't for my newborn but thanking everyone that pain has gone.

Worth it though

The worst ones were absolutely brutal, it was like being squeezed round the middle by a psychotic sumo wrestler who really didn't like you

I remember what seemed like pints of amniotic fluid being ejected by these overwhelming, unstoppable movements. It was similar to what I imagine being on a bucking bronco would be like - you can't really do anything while it's happening - you just hold on for dear life and wait for it to be over

and this was how it felt after an epidural and loads of gas and air

Strangely enough I kind of look forward to doing it again

Forgot to say that my epidural with DS1 only worked on one side! I was crippling on the other. How people give birth without an epidural I do not know.

Mine crept up on me. Went in to be induced at 7am but was found to have started contractions when they strapped the monitor on. Couldn't feel a thing at this stage. After a few hours got a bit uncomfortable, but found to only be a couple of cms dilated. Mid afternoon time went for a bit of a walk round the hosp and had to keep stopping because there was an intense and strong vice like pain around the front of my bump. DH noted that this was happening every 3 mins or so - none of the slow build up I was expecting. I was scared and shocked by how much it hurt and gas and air did nothing for me. Wished I had been taught how to breathe to help - I think I was holding my breath and tensing up through them which probably made things worse. I'd been told the period pain myth too, so wasn't prepared for how bad it was. Eventually went down to delivery suite to have my waters broken as only 4 cms dilated. Never got any further than that even after a further 12 hrs, and ended up with c section as ds distressed.

I don't think many women realise just how bad it can be, but it's so different for everyone and the last thing you need as a first timer with a huge bump and raging hormones is to be told about the agony ahead!! That said, when I rang a friend afterwards and said 'bloody hell it hurts doesn't it?!' she gave a knowing laugh, and I've since done the same!!

thanks everyone
we should market this as "The thread to read if you're feeling broody"

UCM 16 weeks pregnant scuttles off to find number of consultant and BOOK c/s!!!!!!