Has anyone experienced this during labour? Causing pain to distract from contractions?

[Wickeswench]

My first birth was not easy - induction, back to back baby with huge head, failed epidural, completely losing the plot on syntocin, EMCS. We're both fine and I had a debrief with a midwife some time later.

One thing I remember (which I didn't discuss at the debrief) was sitting bouncing on a ball next to a cabinet, and hitting the top of the cabinet as hard as possible during contractions. Not sure if I was looking for pain to distract me from the contractions or could it have been some sort of endorphins from self inflicted pain? Has anyone else had anything like this during labour? I'd really like to understand it better! Thanks

I read a book by a very respected Australia midwife who recommended doing this.

She said it was an automatic thing for many women.

This is basically how the tens machine works - an annoying distraction.

Yes, pain distraction elsewhere on your body is a good coping mechanism.

I remember enjoying the cannula going in because the pain actually felt nice compared to the pain of the contractions. It did take my mind off them for all of a few mins so must be some truth to it. I have a tens machine coming for this time round as they work on the same theory.

I came on to say that I think a tens machine works on the same principle. I found it helped. Weirdly I remember pulling my hair quite hard, right on top of my head, during the worst of the contractions.

Thanks, that's interesting! I felt like I was doing it 'wrong' by not breathing/relaxing as much as possible, like I was fighting it somehow?!

I found that I squeezed my eyes really hard during contractions, or strained my eyes whilst focussing. Breathing did very little. Ended up zoning out (midwife called it hypnobirthing but whatever, I didn't learn to do it).

I do remember buying down really hard on the gas and air tube though when pushing. But everything else is a blank. Don't remember a thing.

I ended up scalding my back and burning the skin by having a boiling hot water bottle pressed up against it for hours. The pain of the burning was a nice distraction. But the midwives couldn't believe it when they saw it!

Have you heard of water injections? My NCT lady said this works based on this principle...your skin is very sensitive so by directing pain there it distracts you from the muscular pain of contractions.

I remember kicking the end of the bed as hard as I could and shouting FUCK! I think its within the spectrum of normal reactions.