Please someone tell me it’s not THAT painful

[anmummy]

Just watched an episode of one born every minute and this woman was SCREAMING, and I mean screaming from the top of her lungs. She was kicking the bed, trying to roll off of it, and was clearly in agonising uncontrollable unbearable pain. I’m due in 1 week!!! This is not what I needed to see 🤣 I’m so scared. someone tell me their positive stories. This is my first time. I know everyone has a different experience. I’m just hoping I can do this! I’m unbelievably scared now.

Yes it's painful, but, when it starts look at a clock and remind yourself in 24 hours you will be cuddling your little one.

The pain comes in waves, so you get relief. If it is any consolation kidney and gallbladder was worse.

Epidural didn't take due to scoliosis. I think having your head in a good place is helpful. There was no screams etc a few choice words at the end but it is manageable, if baby co-operates position wise. I would think panic could be the enemy.

I didn't scream the place down and once he was born I said I'd do it all again in a heart beat. The love you feel after is so worth it x

I found it like really hard work - as if my body was doing something immense of its own accord - uncomfortable but not acutely painful.

I was upright and walking about throughout labour, kneeling leaning forwards on the stairs or over the back of the sofa etc.

Birthed in a pool.

Overwhelming more than 'agonising'.

It's interesting reading this thread, when I had my vaginal labour I didn't get any gaps between my contractions, it was honestly sheer hell and I couldn't breathe or see or hear. When I went into hospital I was 2cm and was in blinding pain and they left me for 45 minutes when I made my partner get somebody and when they checked (reluctantly) I was 10cm ready to push. Has anyone else had this experience?

P.S Tooth abscess much worse.

I’ve had three with no pain relief whatsoever and honestly I’ve had worst period pains. I’ve definitely had much worse toothache!

In between contractions the pain goes so it makes it very doable. The very last bit stings I won’t lie but it’s over quickly and you then get to hold your baby!

I moved around loads throughout all of them, walked around, swung my hips, played music, had a bath, bounced on the ball. All really helped. The minute I lay still the pain felt a lot worse every single time so that’s my suggestion to you- keep moving.

Both mine were alright. First with gas & air, second with birthing pool and two paracetamol 😂.

I agree with the pp who said being laid down on your back is the most painful position - try to avoid that if you can. I also found hypnobirthing techniques quite useful during the earlier contractions. I didn't bother with a course just read a book and used some of the visualisations.

But you don't know what your labour will be like until you are doing it! Keep an open mind, try not to panic as that will probably make it worse. Be ready to advocate for yourself (or know that your dp/DH or whoever else is going to be there) will be able to do it for you.

Im a freak who didn’t find it so bad both times I’ve done it! It is painful but once it starts you’ll get through and you’ll feel like superwoman! It might be silly but during my contractions I tried to distract my self by thinking okay name every state in the US or every country that starts with an A or something stupid 😂😂 You’ll be fine and as everyone says the quickest forgotten pain in the world. Good luck ❤️❤️❤️

Also agree with the poster who said to move around as much as you can, the birthing pool was great for me so maybe look into that? You can kind of float around in between contractions. I had my first baby with no pain relief and second with gas and air but there are other pain options so totally take advantage of them if you want to x

I've had 3 without epidural but with gas and air and with the first one (37 hours of back to back labour) I had some diamorphine.

It hurts, but it's a productive pain, every contraction is one nearer to meeting your baby. And when he or she is out, you go from being in the most pain you can remember to being happier than you have ever been in your live - it's all hormones but it's amazing!!

You've got this. Trust your midwife, ask for help if you need it, and I hope you have a great time getting to know each other xx

I was fine with gas and air with all 3 of mine.
I didn't feet the need to scream but wondered if it helped to be more vocal so tried that with my 3rd labour.
It took a lot of energy and effort and I preferred concentrating on breathing and pushing.
Everyone is different I guess.
My tiny SIL had a big baby 2 years before me and the first thing she said when we visited was that it was nowhere near as bad as she had expected - It was very reassuring.

Mine was just like bad period pain. With my first DC the midwife thought I wasn’t in real labour yet as I wasn’t in ‘enough’ pain. She reluctantly examined me and was surprised I was 8cm.

With DC2 again I was told not to come in yet as I was able to talk normally on the phone to her so couldn’t be in active labour yet. However I knew the signs and went in anyway. They then panicked when they examined me as I was very close and DD was born 10 mins later.

It’s not painful for everyone. But if you do find it painful ask for pain relief.

Luck of the draw I think.

Ds1 - induced, had everything they offered. Epidural was amazing. Before epidural I was in agony

DS2 - horrific pain but did it on gas and air.

DS3 - couldn't manage on gas and air. Had epidural but it didn't work! (Just paralysed my left leg) very painful but still did it

Openly want a fourth even though it was all sore and hard

I’m going to say that how much noise you make might well have no relation with how much pain you have.
I came out if the delivery room saying that the only thing that hurt was my throat 😂😂 but I genuinely do not remember pain, let alone screaming in pain.
I was concentrating on breathing out whilst making that weird noise instead 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I think it is of course very painful. However it stops as soon as the baby is born. There are drugs and gas and air which do help. I think when pushing it feels different as the pain has a purpose and you are using the pain to push out your baby.

Bad toothache is worse and I'm being serious.

A good epidural and bit suck on gas and air made it painless

It does hurt.

i have a high pain threshold given I have had multiple injuries in the course of my life (horse rider).

have all the drugs you need. ask for them early as sometimes the anaesthetists want to clock off shift. make it clear you are willing to have them early so the medical staff know in advance and can schedule it.

Literally no-one who matters cares if you had loads of pain relief. Ignore anyone who thinks they have a say or with something to prove who get all pious and militant about it. You do what is right for you.

It is painful but there are plenty of ways of managing the pain and you get a baby at the end. Kidney stones was definitely more painful made worse by not knowing what it was and thinking I was dying.

Being induced and having the hormone drip cranked up made it v painful. Without that it was manageable. The moment the head came out hurt and felt like I was being ripped in half and I screeched as much due to sheer fear as the pain. Amazingly despite my fear and how it felt I didn't tear. The Hardest part managing the pain is knowing how long it will last. I'd have breezed my second labour had I realised how quick it would be

I was scared before I gave birth the first time and had an epidural because I wasn’t really coping very well. 2nd time I went to hypnobirthing because I was scared of a repeat. Hypnobirthing removed all my anxiety and helped me keep calm, got through the second birth with no pain relief at all (but it was quicker and more straightforward). Fear is your worst enemy, try to keep calm if you can and completely focus on your breathing. One trick I tried was I tried to inflate my stomach like a balloon while I was having a contraction, it takes your focus off the pain and then before you know it the contraction has passed. If you need an epidural though, make sure you ask for it in plenty time as sometimes it takes a while to get hold of the anaesthetist.

What kind of induction did you have?

Everyone has different pain thresholds: mine is barely there and I was crying for help early on, turned out I needed a c-section anyway and I was never more grateful for anything in my life.

I gave birth 6 days ago (second baby). I arrived at hospital already 7cm (that bit was just about okay).

7-9cm it was fucking excruciating, I was begging for epidural every 30 seconds. I was screaming I feel like I’m dying. I had intermittent gas and air so felt everything.

baby was back to back and head was flex so I think that caused a lot of the extra pain. But yeah i think it’s realistic to know it might hurt quite a lot probably

It was painful. I was frightened beforehand, but strangely, the fear went when I was doing it! And then I had a lovely little baby and forgot it all. If you're lucky enough to be OK with no pnd etc, the moment that lives forever is when you hold your baby for the first time. Nothing like it. Labour is just the hill you climb to get there.

Try not to stress yourself unnecessarily. There's no way to predict how you'll experience it but the baby will emerge, one way or another.

Best of luck! Tell us how it went next week!!