Can people say something different about labour???

[Elisareven]

So I just want some one to tell me something different......
I keep getting told it'll feel like period cramps and back ache......okay thats great but I was lucky enough to never really have cramps.during my periods so don't really know what that feels like.....and I've had back ache since I was 19 and fell off a horse which has beem progressively worsening my whole pregnancy.

The other one is "oh you'll know the pain is horrid" thats awesome but I went to school.for a week with an arm broken in 4 places before I realised I went to hospital because 'it didn't hurt that bad'.

I really don't know what anyone else can tell me but I feel so unprepared. I have no idea what to expect which makes me super nervous and then everytime I get a twinge Ifind myself wondering what is going on.

Take today for example. The baby has been moving loads, everytime I sit resting back on my sofa he is wriggling around like a gooden with feet poking out all over the place. At the same time I'm getting a sharp pain that feels like it could almost be in my kidneys. My hips are killing me so much so that I cannot put them together enough to cross one leg over the other. Everything feels swollen around thd pubic bine etc.

So really I guess I just have no idea what is going on and as a first time mum I have felt very much that 90% of pregnancy knowledge is left down to looking it up on the interent.

Has anybody else been in this position that could give me some advice? Or just tell me about their experiences??

How frustrating for you. If it's still going on tomorrow maybe see if your community midwife could see you?

Try to stay calm and distract yourself.

How about cramps when you have diarrhoea and you know there’s going to be a god almighty explosion soon. I would say labour pains are similar to that.

I was induced early - waters broke after 2 days of pessaries and went from 0-9cm in under 3 hours - I don't remember rolling around on the bed screaming as I'd had diamorphine! I'd had mild contractions for 2 days that felt like uncomfortable period pains but nothing horrendous just unpleasant.

I was then taken up to the labour ward but due to a cervical lip I spent 6 hours trying to push my baby out before a forceps delivery. I remember those 6 hours as there was no further pain relief and gas and air was taken away after a few hours.

For me it just felt like a needed to do a poo and it wasn't coming out! Contractions for those 6 hours really weren't that bad ... and the whole labour was pretty awful. I don't know what it feels like to push a baby out as I'd had a spinal at that point and was exhausted but the point I'm making is every labour is different and be unique to you.

You'll surprise yourself and remember any interventions isn't a failure - sometimes we just need help!

For me the physical pain was sort of secondary to the emotional pain I went through after the experience. Just be kind to yourself and prepare to possibly feel like an emotional train wreck in the weeks to come. Or you may feel absolutely fine

Congratulations on this exciting time!

Well I'm still here waitinh for something to happen......

Im in a constant pain with my hips and today this little boy hasn't stopped moving and kicking me about.
Lots of headbutting in my pelvis and kicks in my belly which really hurt.

I can also feel fluttering.....as if water is being jiggled about the way it might if you wiggled your fingers in a sink.....does thst make sense?

I haven't rtft but I downloaded an app to time my contractions. So when they got close enough together I'd know to go to the hospital. I found it easier to have an objective measure rather than my subjective feeling

Don't put too much emphasis on your birth plan and the certain birth you want. Unfortunately it's pretty meaningless and you will have the birth the baby wants. I learnt that the hard way

Due date is today isn't it?
Have you got snow? Could it be a blessing in disguise now that you aren't trying to get to hospital through snow?

I always wondered this with the “urge to push” feeling I thought how do women know what that feels like?! But then when you feel it, BAM you know that’s it! I imagine that you will feel like that when your contractions begin!

You might not notice them to start off with, on tv they always show women dropping stuff and clutching their bellies in a dramatic fashion but with me I just had some slight tightenings like Braxton hicks to begin with and it grew gradually from there, and because it didn’t go away I knew it was the real deal.