Pain with induction vs spontaneous labour

[bexboz]

I'm hoping to hear from women who have had both an induction and spontaneous onset of labour...

The reason I ask is because I had an induction (pessary and then ARM to get things going and then eventually the hormone drip) and, while the contractions never felt unmanageable (although once on the hormone drip they were pretty wild!) I really struggled with the pain in between contractions. The contractions built from level 7 to 11 on the pain scale over time but in between was a constant 6 for hours which was just relentless.

I was led to believe that in labour you get a break in between the contractions and go back to feeling almost normal...!

Because I was in the hospital I was able to use gas and air in between contractions to give myself a break, even before I needed it to handle the peak of the actual contraction. But I'm a bit anxious about my next birth - id rather not have an induction again but if I'm having early labour at home and it is just constant pain that is so daunting!

So... do you think that constant pain is just how my body experiences labour or do you think it felt like that because it was an induction where my body was being forced to do something with drugs that it wasn't quite ready for...?

How did you find spontaneous onset vs induction in terms of pain?

[BingBongBoo86]

First baby I had a sweep and then went into labour a few hours later. I had continuous pain for hours. No gradual build up
of contractions. Just agony for 15 hours.

Second birth, induction. Gel and then waters broken. Textbook contractions. Built up to a point and then back down again. Still agony but I had 30 seconds or so to breathe. I was terrified of being induced but it was so much better than my first. Really fast too.

The pain, for me, was very similar in both labours. Interesting, when it came to the pushing stage during my first it felt like such a relief but with my second I found it way more intense and painful.

[TheGreatestAtuin]

My first was induction - straight onto the dreaded drip as my waters had broken and labour didn't start within 24 hrs. I didn't need a pessary or anything first.

My second was entirely natural and I went into spontaneous labour.

Only pain relief I had both times was a TENS machine (and then into birth pool with the second).

I would say that the induction labour was a bit more painful, but only very marginally. It was probably only the last 20 mins before I started pushing that I started to feel close to overwhelmed by the pain. I did have some back to back contractions, with seemingly no break, which wasn't the nicest, but again these came not long before I was allowed to start pushing. They weren't back to back the entire time. I kept active throughout the labour, on my trusty birth ball, and I found that helped a great deal to help with the pain.

In both cases the pushing stage was such a relief and the pain disappeared almost entirely at that point.

[Silverbirchtwo]

Every labour is different so even if you had both you can't really compare. Also first and second will also be different.

[Richie23]

I started spontaneous labour and the pain was completely manageable, like I carried on with my day. They didn’t really get too painful even after my waters broke.
But when I got to hospital I was put on the drip and that’s when the pain really started. I could definitely feel a difference between the natural contractions and then the effect the induction had.
I like to think that if I hadn’t needed the induction then birth would have been a bit calmer and would have had some breaks between contractions. Really hope I don’t need an induction next time 🤞

[FizzyFlamingo]

Not quite what you're asking but my experience is first birth was induced with the gel. Contractions went from 0-100 in minutes, hyper stimulated womb, no break between contractions, distressed baby, my heart rate sky rocketed, ended in ventouse delivery. Couldn't have an epidural so just gas and air. Saving grace was it was all done with pretty quickly.

I was really anxious about being induced for my second and hoped to go into labour naturally. It didn't happen and I needed to be induced but because of what happened last time I talked about my worries and because they could go straight to breaking my waters they agreed I could have an epidural from the start as my body seemed sensitive/reactive to the hormones. It was a totally different experience. Chilled and relaxed from the start. They started the drip pretty quickly after breaking my waters and baby was born about 7hrs later with no issues at all - really straightforward lovely experience in comparison. And recovery has been a breeze too. I just wanted to share as I was really worried beforehand and actually it turned out to be ok and you may end up with similar options to consider when/if the time comes.

[annlee3817]

My 1st was a spontaneous labour, I went straight into established labour with contractions 2-3 mins apart from the off, it was quite fast, but I did get breaks between contractions and felt able to breathe through the contractions and therefore feel in control. No pain relief.

My 2nd was an induction due to age and other stuff, I had the hormone drip and it was the complete opposite. The drip was ramped up and it felt like the contractions were back to back, and I relied heavily on the gas and air until I got to the pushing stage, but didn't feel like it helped. They stopped the drip due to her heart rate not managing the contractions and were debating a c section, but then all of a sudden I was pushing.

[RosesAndHellebores]

DS1: back to back, posterior labour. It was spontaneous. There were no contractions and no breaks, just a continuous wall of pain, until 8 hours later they let me have an epidural. Then there was no pain and labour progressed normally. The only pain was at crowning.

DD: induced at about 41.3. The pessary did nothing. The registrar was a rude pig so I didn't let him break my waters. About 10 hours after the pessary they wanted to start the syntocynon drip. I agreed providing I had an epidural first. I was barely dilated.

Then my waters broke and as soon as the epidural was in labour started apace. They didn't have to switch on the drip. DD was born very easily about 2.5 hours later. I recall no pain, except for the crowning bit.

There is no need to suffer pain. It isn't a badge and if men did it it would be routinely as painless as possible.

[Bramblecrumble22]

2 very different births. First was a slow natural start. Waters broke followed by a slow start for constractions. Very manageable pain wise with breathing. But when I had the hormone drip I needed gas and air then an epidural. I took the epidural when gas and air made me spacey.

2nd I had been having evening cramps for a week or so. Went to bed and had a grip the sheets contraction, in my back more than anywhere. Arranged childcare, got to hospital and baby was out in less than 4 hours from arrival. I had codine and used tens machine gas and air for the pushing stage and stitching (the most painful)

Both of their had moments of thinking this is the worst pain ever.

Neither of them did I feel any crowning pain.

I guess because I had an epidural it's not a fair comparison of pain.

2nd birth I never had much time between contractions.

[Essie274]

First birth: induced with syntocinon drip as already 2-3cm but waters broken +24hr ago. Excruciatingly painful, but equally I was incredibly tense and anxious, hate being watched/feeling like the centre of attention, and get really flustered/claustrophobic when my movement is restricted (and I had so many wires/cables on me I just couldn't move; drip in hand, BP monitor, Monitor on stomach for baby, TENS wires and the gas&air). I did not cope well. I found the whole experience awful and all just too much. Ended up getting an epidural (also hated that).

Second birth: Used TENS from very early labour at home, really manageable - looked after my 2yo on my own labouring all day (DH was WFH upstairs). I had to stop and breathe through contractions as the day went on, but absolutely nothing compared to my first experience. Put DS to bed at 7pm and went to hospital. Got there and wasn't dilated AT ALL. Told to go home and sleep as it probably wasn't labour. Waters broke on walk back to car at 8.42pm, sobbed the 15min home as contractions were overwhelmingly painful all of a sudden (I believed I wasn't in labour and thought I was weak and stupid - now know this was transition). Got in bath when I got home, all contractions disappeared and I sobbed because I thought the midwives were right and it wasn't real labour.... Suddenly felt pressure (but not pain): Baby was born at home at 9.47pm.

[bogoblin]

First birth - induced with drip. It got intense very quickly and I ended up having an epidural because I just couldn't keep doing it.

Second birth - spontaneous AND precipitous, but I never felt it was unmanageable until the point where he was ready to come out! By the time I was adamant I wanted to go into the hospital (they kept saying my contractions needed to be 1 minute long, I had one 1 min contraction and was like F this!) my water broke at home and he arrived 15 minutes later! The labour itself was so much shorter and more manageable than my induced one

[elliejjtiny]

My first 3 were spontaneous, dc4 was an elcs and dc5 was an induction. The induction was the most painful out of all of them and I only got to 5cm dilated and then I had an emergency c-section. I dread to think what it would have been like further on. Dc2 was more painful than dc1 and dc3 as he was back to back but a lot less painful than dc5. Dc1 and dc3 were a breeze compared with dc5.

[Allyjames]

I was induced at 39+4 due to gestational diabetes as was told my baby would be large so they wanted to bring me in early.
I had two pessaries, 24 hours apart, neither did anything to me, but were very painful and created so much pressure down there I could barely sit down!
I then had two process gels, 6 hours apart, the 2nd one got me to 2cm but my cervix was still not as short as they would have liked. They booked me into labour ward to have waters broken but had to wait for a bed, was told several hours as it was full up. Still experienced so much pressure down below and I'd been in hospital for 4 days at this point so starting to get fed up. Midwife then gave me a sweep as I was waiting for a bed on labour ward anyway and she said it wouldn't hurt! Several hours later I lost my mucus plug when going to the toilet. At around 4pm I got taken down to labour ward to have my waters broke. That itself wasn't painful, just felt weird!! Baby had pooped inside when they broke waters which meant I had to have the oxytocin drip, they put this up and this started back contractions only, they were intense but bearable although weren't registering on the monitor as strong contractions. Couple hours later contractions came all over, I've no frame of reference as this is my only baby, but the contractions with the drip came so quick and so strong, there was no build up, 0-100mph in a matter of minutes it felt like. There was barely any pause between each contraction and they had to keep adjusting the drip because of this.
I managed with gas and air for a couple hours then it was way too intense so had a remiphentanyl drip which I could then control with a button. This was great and made the contractions bearable, but made me feel very very woozy and drunk like. I had to go on oxygen because it literally takes your breath away!
Within 6.5 hours I was ready to push, my contractions changed from pains across my stomach to complete pressure down below and within 9 mins of pushing my little girl was here.
One of the worst/best experiences of my life 🤣
One of the worst things was being attached to all the drips and monitors and not being able to leave the bed and move around.
As I said I've no other experiences of natural spontaneous labour to compare to, but I would say the induction was horrible and made things so much more painful that I think they would have been.
All worth it though, cause the second she was put on my chest, all that pain and discomfort disappeared 💕

[Bobsledgirl]

First was induction. Gel didn’t work so put on drip. Ramped up to 10/10 pain in minutes. Unmanageable so had to have an epidural,

second was all natural and was pretty quick . Managed pain with g and a and while awful it went quickly.

[LolaJ87]

I've only had one baby, induced also but just with the gel and then things kicked off, so I never had the drip.

I had the same experience as you, no real break between contractions, the pressure felt like it was going to tear me in half. My baby was back to back and only turned fully right before delivery. Was your baby back to back also @bexboz? Apparently this can make a huge difference. I couldn't even clear my head enough to do my hypobirthing. I had an epidural at about 9cm - it was the greatest relief of my life 😅

[Urgenthelplease]

I had spontaneous labour with both but I had an induction with my first she to RFM. I was only 1cm so the pain wasn't too bad at that point. Contractions were very painful. I'd say a 9. I needed way more than gas and air and after labouring for hours and finding out I was 3cm only I got an epidural. Pain dropped to a 1 and I had a 45 min labour.

Second child I barely made it to the hospital to give birth. No time for pain relief. Contracted at home and went from a 1-2 to a 9 on the pain front but only for the last hour before I gave birth. If I did it again I'd definitely avoid an induction but I'm happy with how both births went.

I do think your body struggles more to progress with the pain when you're induced. But my sister had both spontaneous labours and still needed an emergency Caesar both times as she wasn't progressing. No inductions but body still didn't seem to naturally progress the way you'd expect.

[Wotchaz]

I’ve had one drip induction and 2 spontaneous. Drip induction was definitely the most painful, I was sucking on the gas and air for hours and afterwards my arms/shoulders were agony from where I’d been literally hanging off the bed rails, for the last 45 mins or so I had basically no gap between contractions. Requested an epidural but didn’t get one in time.
Spontaneous labour number 1 I had no pain relief other than 2 paracetamol and it was very manageable. I felt a bit panicky around transition but this was only a few minutes before she arrived.
Spontaneous labour number 2 again I just mobilised/breathed through contractions until transition, at which point I was struggling to manage the height of the contraction and the back pain stayed constant. Gas and air got me through the last 45 mins until delivery.

[excessivescreentime]

I have only experienced spontaneous labour.

However, I was booked for an induction due to "post dates". I had originally planned for an unmedicated labour. In the run-up to the induction date, I discussed with my midwife if I should review my pain relief preferences to plan for a potential epidural, and she said definitely so, and she often raises this with people having inductions.

Happily I went into labour spontaneously on the eve of my induction date.

I could've had an epidural if I wanted but managed without. (I was on private healthcare so they were able to tailor my care, no problems with missing the window for having one... I did keep asking during labour if one was available if I wanted it haha).

After my labour the midwife said it'd have been a LOT more painful if I had been induced.

So I would say that if you can avoid induction (and particularly for a second birth) you might find your second labour more manageable, pain wise.

[Bootoagoose123]

First was induction, second spontaneous. The way I describe it is like the boiled frog analogy- if you throw a frog into boiling water it'll be unbearable and it'll hop straight out - if you put it in cold water and slowly heat it up it won't notice the water is boiling (I might have the exact specifics wrong but you get the idea!) With my induction I went from 0-100mph contractions almost instantly, with the spontaneous labour although I reckon the ultimate pain level was comparable, because it was a slow build up it never felt anywhere near as bad.

[MumChp]

So so much worse with induction than the two spontanous births. Contractions were without breaks. A storm for hours. No rest. Epidural didn't work.

Tbh I am thankful the induction was the number 3 birth. I am not sure I had the courage ever to do that again.