Did you scream during labour?

[PSL1990]

I'm wondering how often women scream in labour - did you scream during labour?

Not with DS1 but I did with DS2. Had an induction with him so it was intense. Lots of groaning with both. And I swore a lot.

I agree mooing here too. Its from the bottom of your diaphragm. The air is forced out of you as you push/ your body pushes.

No, I didn’t particularly make any noise. I’ve screamed and cried plenty since having him though. #terribletwos

Yep and the midwife helpfully told me that screaming won't push the baby out. Well thanks. But it bloody hurts. Nearly punched her

I did with my first.
I was induced with the drip, and had no pain relief at all, no gas and air - nothing. It was hideous. I remember telling my DH “I’m
dying. No one can be in this much pain and survive it!” I now know that I only felt that way because my contractions were forced by synthetic hormones, and drip inductions are notoriously brutal
My second was born at home after a spontaneous labour - again no gas and air as it makes me spew. I didn’t scream, or really make much noise other than a bit of moaning through the later contractions, and I remember “mooing” a bit as I was pushing, but all in all it was very quiet and calm in comparison to my first - most likely because it was no where near as painful!

I wouldn't say I screamed but I was quite noisy. I didn't do it intentionally, it just kinda happened at the pushing stage.

My labour was back to back and I only had gas and air - I'm sure my daughter coming out with her hand in her mouth didn't help much either haha.

God I did. Out of frustration a little but also the bloody splitting open pain. Also said fuck a lot!

Back to back baby i screamed

Midwife told me to stop it

I told her to fuck off

No screaming
I kept saying ‘oh no’ when a contraction was starting to build.
I was so focused on breathing I couldn’t talk.

Not other half
Just o h no

I was terrified by the woman screaming next door when I was I was waiting to have my waters broken with DS1. Never been so relieved when the Dr said I wasn't 'ready' at all and they'd need to do a section! All while this poor woman screamed and screamed for what felt like hours... My DP looked scared to death too

I'm a midwife - I'd say that not many women actually scream . They tend to groan ,or "moo" as many have said. Like really heavy, noisy breathing.

DS was OP and I was induced on a drip with a failed epidural, so it was pretty rough. I was almost silent throughout. I don't think DH knew whether to be impressed or freaked out.

I did !! Im a very quiet & shy person. For the first 5 hours of labour my contractions were very painful & often but I was quiet and just breathed through it. Once I was moved to delivery and I was pushing i couldnt help to scream ! The midwife told me to concentrate it into pushing instead of screaming , it was incredibly hard.

No, just the sort of grunting noise you make when lifting heavy weights! Not surprising when your body is putting in so much effort.

I only made any noise in the final 10 minutes or so of pushing, and yes more a low groaning type noise. I cried out at the crowning, but it was over very quickly.

Not really. Only in the car when having a contraction. They are so fucking painful when sat down - much easier when standing or on all fours!!!!

Yes, both times. But in a very precise way with each contraction, not just screaming wildly. Somewhere between a scream and a grunt. I am very quiet when not giving birth!

🙋 Another inadvertent scientologist here

No screaming, groaning or any noise at all with either labour (which can be problematic, as midwives tend to assume you're not far along). I don't know why - I think I was lucky with my labours as the pain was full-on but manageable, I was very busy doing breathing, and also I felt like I'd panic if I actually expressed externally how full-on it felt!

A midwife friend who practised in London says the noise-making (volume and type!) seems to correlate v frequently with cultural/ethnic background, which I thought was really fascinating.

No, I was pretty much silent except for when I was asked a question, or when I was asking my DM and XH to shut up.

Yes all the way through every contraction. It was horrific.

I laughed through all three of mine I think I'm broken (or more likely, I was just off my tits on gas and air)

Not a scream but a very loud shout. A bit like Arghhhhhh for the whole contraction! No one told me to be quiet, but the midwife told me to breath and I had no idea what she meant because I was breathing!

You coming back OP?

Not a scream as such, but what I imagine sounded like an angry cow bellow! There was someone on the ward who made a noise like a far away air raid siren because I remember briefly thinking that I really didn’t want to have to evacuate the ward!