How much did your contractions hurt?

[fitforflight]

With my first I was booked for a C-section but ended up going into labour before that date, so the result was an emergency section. I only got to 2cm dilated before the section and although I was having contractions (according to the monitor) I could barely feel them. My friend was in agony from 2cm all the way to the end.

Did you find there was a point where they became very painful? I appreciate it's different for everyone! Did you find the same sort of pain levels at those points with subsequent babies?

I'm hoping to have a vaginal birth this time and although I'm confident in myself after birth when looking after a baby I feel like a first time parent when thinking about labour as it's not something I've experienced.

Did you find there was a point where they became very painful?

Only 3cm for me, that's when I got the epidural. Things progressed super fast from there though and he was born 15 mins later!

Horrific.

I was induced and exhausted as had been in hospital for 5 days with multiple attempts to induce me with various methods that didn't work.

I finally made it to 2cm and they took me to delivery suite and put the drip up.

2 epidurals failed and they wouldn't give me pethidine in active labour. I'd had it twice when I was having contractions on the ward after my third pessary one day and then after another pessary and a sweep (it all stopped about 2 hours later both times).

I remember kneeling on the bed on the gas and air and telling my DH to just kill me. In my head, I wanted to die. DD was back to back and I felt like my insides were being pulled out of my body.

It's put me off ever having any more.

Back to back labour was unbelievable pain for about 19 hours. 3 minutes apart for 15 of them. Ended up with emergency c-section.
I had an elective C-section next time which was a walk in the park in comparison.

I went into labour naturally first time. 1cm and mild pain maybe 3/10 but was induced as I wasn't progressing. Pain went up to 8 but was only 3cm after hours so had an epidural.

Second time contractions were maybe 4/10 until I got to the hospital. Must've been fully dilated by that point as I gave birth 5 mins later. It was same level of pain as first time when I was only 3cm. Not convinced my tolerance went up but 💯 my body knew what it was doing second time.

Very painful, definitely, but within the gas and air remit for me. That was from around 6-10cm and happened with 90 minutes. (Several times!) Afterwards- no pain. I walked out 4 hours later and whist there was healing, no pain. (except womb contractions!)

Everyone's body reacts differently. My 2nd labour was a vbac and I started to have very painful contractions from early on. Doctors and midwives have told me on many occasions I have a higher pain threshold which I was not aware of! Yet, my contractions were awfully painful from 1cm and continued to ramp up in pain until the end of my 7 hour labour. I mention my pain threshold because apparently some women say they don't even feel their contractions at 1cm yet my body was reacting differently. My point is, contraction pain feels differently for everyone and progresses at different speeds too! I would definitely recommend hypnobirthing for pain management!

Also, I know women who have not experienced painful contractions until they were 8cm dilated and none the wiser they would be giving birth imminently! Not common I'm sure but certainly happens. These same women flinched and had agonising pain when they got their ears pierced!

Horrific. Back-to-back labour with continual contractions all the way through. Started out very painful and rapidly progressed to where I didn’t believe that that level of pain was possible then just kept increasing. Those who say you forget are lying imo. DC2 was elcs…

I had a planned C-section with my first, vbac with my second after 3 sweeps, felt contractions start instantly after the last sweep, went home for about an hour before saying to my husband we needed to go back to hospital, where I just remember constant contractions with no break, mooing and sucking the life out of gas and air before he was born 4 hours later. Can remember thinking I was going to die and feeling quite at peace with it and then he was born so that must have been my transition stage. Still one of the best experiences of my life despite the pain, which went away immediately after he was born.

I was in absolute agony with my contractions from 1cm 🥲 the hospital tried sending me home but I was in so much pain I couldn’t even think about walking back to the car so I stayed there overnight, they didn’t examine me for a while overnight by which point I was 8cm - gas and air and lots of other pain relief took all the pain away from then onwards. Looking back I wish I had asked to be examined more often to be able to get the gas and air earlier on xx

Had my 1st baby 16mo ago. Had pre eclampsia so laboured very quickly. I was induced by having my waters broken and was already 3cms dilated. Contractions started as soon as I got up off the bed and were 4 in 10 minutes straight away.

I started gas and air straight away which helped amazingly and despite my pre eclampsia I got in the pool for a bit.

I felt my body get to 10cms and told the midwife I thought he was coming.

Out the pool at that stage and then all of a sudden my contractions were 7-8 in 10 minutes. At that point I completely lost control and couldn't think, breathe or concentrate. Just kept screaming at them that 'IT FUCKING HUURRRTTTS'.

If I'd just carried on having the usual 4:10 minutes I think I would've coped okay. 8:10 contractions was no joke.

Ahhhh fuck
it just really hurts
sorry

More than I thought they would from early labour, maybe I have a low pain threshold...although I do have very narrow hips and quite large babies.

I'll be honest I'm not sure what I hoped to gain from this thread... The rational side of me knows it's going to hurt more than I can even comprehend. It's looking increasingly likely I'll be having another c section but I'm holding out hope just in case I can give it a go vaginally. And at least I'll be somewhat prepared for the fact I'll feel totally unprepared for the pain 😂

@fitforflight As much as it was the worst pain I’ve ever been in, I would still do it over and over again for my baby and it hasn’t put me off having more children in the future so try not to think too much about it! (Easier said than done I know) X