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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Do contractions hurt more once your waters have broken?

38 replies

waitingtobloom · 20/06/2008 19:53

Am currently trying to convince myself (delude self) that second labour will not hurt as much as last time. Recently I have heard a few things about contractions being more intense once your waters have broken - is this true?

Last time my waters broke and the contractions were pretty intense straight away but when I got in to hospital was only about 1 cm dilated. All contractions from that point were pretty furious and by 3 cm I was really sucking on the gas and air and finding it difficult to move about as he seemed to be grinding down so much if that makes sense.

Friends who I have talked to seemed to find the earlier stages more manageable. Was this just my particular labour? Was I a wimp lol - or is it more difficult if you have no waters as there is more pressure there?

xxx

OP posts:

PrettyCandles · 21/06/2008 22:08

My waters never broke until I had started pushing, in each of my labours, and then I felt a weird whoosh of relief down there, an easing of pressure really. I didn't notice any difference in the contractions - but I don't suppose one would by then!

FrannyandZooey · 21/06/2008 22:09

oh yes indeed, my word yes IME

Twinklemegan · 21/06/2008 22:10

Ditto Starlight (but you know this). I totally agree, the pain at 2cm for me too was simply horrendous. When my waters broke it was just like things instantly went up about 5 gears. Absolute full on contractions with no respite until DS was born 12 hours later.

I am very jealous of g&a at 3 cm, waitingtobloom! But I don't want to remind myself of the horrors of my labour by going into it all again. Anyway, to answer your question, IMO it was your particular labour that was different from your friends'.

alittleteapot · 21/06/2008 22:13

Yes yes yes. IME It's the difference between falling over on a mattress and falling over on concrete! Sorry... (but my waters also broken quite late in labour so that may be contributory factor)

Twinklemegan · 21/06/2008 22:14

I guess the saving grace for people like us is that if we go into labour again and find early on that the pain is so so bad we can't imagine it getting any worse, well we know it's probably as bad as it's going to get. I'm hoping that would help me cope better if there's a second time. Like Starlight, I think my horrible experience of early labour was compounded by fear of it getting even worse.

Minniethemoocher · 21/06/2008 22:17

Starlight - I was in terrible pain, totally ignored by the midwives until my waters broke and they FINALLY realised that I was in active labour!! Getting to 8cm with NO pain relief is a horror that will live with me for the rest of my life!!

francagoestohollywood · 21/06/2008 22:19

Both times I gave birth my waters broke when I was fully dilated. So in a way yes, contractions got more intense, but that's because I needed to push.

daffodill6 · 21/06/2008 22:35

Erm -- had to be induced early had waters broken by hook, advised by 3 MW to have epidural.... took the hint, ...epidural was a bit OTT.. ie affected my face, throat and eyelids... had a fantastic birth, needed paperbag cos of too much G&A but I can honestly say I was really lucky and it was totally manageable.

Sods law is I've never managed to get pg again

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/06/2008 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Twinklemegan · 21/06/2008 22:39

Way to go Starlight. It's getting closer eh? I really admire you for taking the plunge again. I still can't decide...

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/06/2008 22:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Minniethemoocher · 22/06/2008 11:27

Starlight - sounds like you should get a much better birth experience this time around - good idea to outnumber them!

After my horrendous birth experience, which would have been a good birth, if I had half decent midwife care, I have gone for a C-section this time, which I am really sad about, as my body seems to be very efficient at giving birth, just as well given the lack of care that I receive when I was in labour! Including the midwife telling me to push when I WAS NOT having a contraction - and she had me hooked up to a monitor so that was feck all use is she couldn't read the damn thing!

Sorry, for the birth trauma rant! Bit OTT and off topic

micegg · 22/06/2008 21:08

Waters broke before contractions for both of mine so I cant answer your question directly as I have no comparison. However, what I can say is IME the second birth was very different to the first. Much better all round. 2 hours from contractions starting and only really, really painful for the last 15 mins and even then OK. Very different experience to the first time which lasted for 10 hours and I needed an epidural. WHat I am trying to say is you may just have a better experien e next time anyway without worrying about the waters breaking.

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