Did your contractions feel the same for all your births?

[Sunrise888]

Contractions were not at all what I expected - everyone told me it was like period pain or backache. I ended up being induced and had very painful and intense contractions, not in my abdomen or back as I expected but in my bottom. After enduring for 4 terrible hours I ended up with an EMCS.

I'm considering whether to have a cesarean next time or vbac. I don't think I can go through a natural labour if its anything like my induced labour. What I'd love to know is if you experienced contractions in the same place for every labour or was it different each time?

Different each time.
dc1 - painful, left me quite breathless every few minutes for over 24hours
dc2 - was just sitting there, one day overdue, when it occurred to be this slightly uncomfortable indigestion was sort of coming and going with remarkable regularity. Phoned the hospital and they said to come in. dc2 born not that long afterwards. No pain. No 'contractions' at all in terms of what I had with dc1
dc3 - no 'contractions' as such either.

So from my experience, dc1 extremely different from the next 2.

Mine were the same all three times.

First DD born at 28+4. Got to at least 6cm dilated and recall the pain being totally manageable. DH says I had gas and air but don’t recall this. I had been in slow labour for almost a week but ended up with an EMCS.
Second DD induced. I progressed quickly but wasn’t examined and given only pethadine which did nothing. After 11 hours I was 7cm and the pain was unbearable. Rushed to delivery under strict instructions not to push and eventually allowed gas and air. But for me it was too late and I just couldn’t cope with the pain so had an epidural.
Inductions are meant to be much more painful than natural labour because your body doesn’t produce oxytocin to counteract the pain as rapidly.
www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/natural-labour-vs-induced-labour/ explains it.
Personally I’d go for a VBAC as I found recovery much quicker and meant I could still help with DD1. But have an epidural as soon as possible. You’d have a spinal for a section anyway but remove the risks of major surgery.

I've never had an induction (thank god), but my understanding from friends who have is that it's nothing like a natural labour. I've only given birth naturally (no pain relief at all) and for me, contractions started like period cramps and then really intense period cramps and then it was like the sort of abdominal cramps you get with a GI infection. But they only last a minute and then you're comfortable again. I never felt like it was unbearable at all and honestly, they were hardly even painful. I had one vaginal exam in labour and that was painful! But the contractions weren't and that's without any pain relief at all other than using a TENS during early labour. I didn't even ask for the gas and air. If I were you, certainly I'd give it a go. You can always ask for an epidural if you need one or opt for a c-section if you decide you don't want to labour vaginally.