Which is the most painful... Probably a daft question!!!

[barbareebaa]

Hello!
Not long to go before I hit my due date (11th) and have been thinking a lot about what's going to happen when I give birth(as you do!)

Anyway I was just wondering whether it is the contractions that hurt the most or the actual physical sensation of pushing the baby out?

Or maybe I should just wait and see...

Thanks in advance,
Bx

Pushing didn't really hurt, it was physically exhausting (but then I was at it for 2.5 hours) but by then I felt very much like the contractions were on my side iyswim.

Actually the very very worst part was being examined to see how far dilated I was. Don't want to scare you, because most women I say that to go "WTF?"so itis obviously just me. But that was very much the worst bit.

Contractions not that bad either. I did manage with nothing until I was about 8cm though at which point I had ARM to speed things up as they hadn't broken. From then things got a bit intense and I had some G&A.

The hours of ctx before the baby is pushing out were agony. Whereas when my uterus finally clamped down and pushed hard -- that was fine. Still painful, but not too bad, and at least it was now obvious that the pain was achieving something. Baby's head crowning hurt, but it was a new kind of pain which frankly was much more bearable than the being worn down by the hours of the same type of horrid pain that had come before.

Everyones experience is sooo different. In fact the birth of my two sons were completely different two. First time the whole thing was painful, I needed an epi and a ventouse delivery and took weeks to recoved. Second time the most painful part was the midwife breaking by waters. After the the contractions were painful but manageable I had my tens on and ready, had tested the gas and air (it hadn't been working the first time round!!!). The moment he started to crown all the pain went and my body pushed him out with these huge overwhelming surges. Delivering the placenta was uncomfortable (felt like the mw yanked it out) and I was sore for a few days. The piles were hellish for about 2 weeks after because I didn't start with the movicol and superstrength creams soon enough - won't make that mistake again!

I think the difference lay in my acceptaing what was going to happen and trusting my body to carry me through it. Preparation and a clear idea of my options also helped as I felt more in control. I read but didn't use the hypnobirthing technique and I think this probably boosted my confidence too.

All the best for a safe delivery, how exciting to have a newborn - I'm very jealous ds2 is one tomorow and will officially be a toddler as he's just started walking...have started dropping hints for number 3

barb, not long to go now, my lovely.
I didn't get to the head crowning bit, becasue I had GA. But I didn't find the contractions that bad. The pushing bit, that I did, was o.k. too.
It is so personal. It is hard to say. Lots of people on this thread, have said contractions. But most people find the pushing bit very hard= exhausting. It is kind of impossible to sy, which bit YOU will find hardest, yourself.

Hello Ob

Wonderful news, well done

Hello Flight. Thank you very much.

In my completely textbook birth the contractions were more painful.
Pushing feels like a relief.
The burning as the baby crowns is unpleasant but not awfully painful.
My 1st birth was a completely different story because the baby was stuck so everything hurt

Thanks ladies!

Really appreciate all your replies
It seems that the general consensus is that the contractions before the pushing stage are the most unbearable but after that it gets easier because there is a 'point' to the pain.
I know I have to just do it to find out but at least if I'm finding the contractions in the first stage terrible, once that's over, and if it all is as it should be, it could get more bearable?!

Knowledge is power

Anyway I don't think labour is imminent, other than the odd twinge nothing is happening!!

I didn't really find the contractions that painful BUT i was scared if it was going to get much more painful so demanded pethidine after a few hours of contractions (i was on synto drip) and pethidine knocked me out completely and i feel asleep...only to wake up and needing a forceps delivery...my pain came the morning after and that hurt...lots of bruising...if you are scared or need pain relief don't be scared to ask and G&A is also amazing i was as high as a kite....my midwife was excellent re: dishing out pain relief!!

G&A is fantastic, I was also high as the proverbial kite. The trick to it is using it effectively - you can breathe in and out with the mouth piece so just keep it in your mouth and suck suck suck as soon as the contraction hits, that way it kicks in before the contraction peaks and you get maximum effect.

The other benefit is that if you try it and hate it, it wears off immediately.

It did make me vomit but that was probably the combination of copious amounts of gas with lots of cups of tea. Didn't stop me carrying on with it.

I was fine breathing through my contractions up to about 5cm, after which I begged for an epidural because the pain (for me) reached a new level of pain!

Getting the head out (at least for me) felt like it was one step forwards, two steps backwards....lots of pushing for hardly any descent! Head bobbed out a tiny bit, went back in a again, etc, you get the picture!!

Good luck and just ask for drugs if you get too uncomfortable.

Pushing - hell on earth. Legs flailing, pissing myself, biting random people in the room.

Thought contractions were bloody easy though!!

Contraction through the transition stage were so intensely painful, but I could breath/scream through those. The pushing bit, the pain of the contractions died down but I had to push with all my might and the stronger I pushed the more painful it felt. After spending hours 'breathing through pain' I then had to find the strength to 'create pain' with each push, and I wasn't allowed G&A for pushing so I wouldn't waste my strength on breathing rather than pushing.

I remember crowning being a different stinging sort of pain but a very positive pain and I looked forward to the baby crowning because I knew that meant it would soon be over.

I do remember thinking afterwards, 'bloody hell, I am NEVER doing that again - Elective CS must be the way forward' But as everyone says the memories of pain fade away with the distraction of a newborn baby to care fill your thoughts.

In my experience, pain after the birth having had a c-section is extreme. Eventually the morphine will wear off and they will want to get you standing up....OH DEAR GOD!! Birth easier (full spinal block and obviously no pushing) but it's the after bits with a section that are awful - try to avoid.

For me, I was strapped to a bed on the syncotin drip being monitored and found the contractions very painful early on (2cm) as i couldn't move around to manage pain. contractions were artifically induced, so my body had no time to build up to them - hit me with a bang - so advise an epidural if you are drip induced.

Crowning for me too, although I also didn't need any stitches (good midwife to thank, I think).

The hardest part though (the transition) wasn't the most painful part, just the most scary. I couldn't communicate because the contractions were coming too fast and I ended up having pethadine (which I knew that I didn't want as morphine and pethadine make me very sick) because I couldn't say no and my dh agreed because he was too freaked out at seeing me unable to speak for a change .

I forgave him in the end, when I'd finished puking (about 4 hours after the birth)! Having said this, I would class it as a 'good' birth experience, fairly quick, lovely midwives and, more importantly, a healthy ds. And as several people have already said, every birth experience is different.

Good luck and hope that it's OK for you.

BBB don't go into it assuming that the contractions will be dreadful and unbearable. They may not! As I said first time with DS1 they hurt like hell, second time they hurt but were completely manageable - ride them like waves, remember they build, peak, then wane. I found counting my way through helped hugely. Try to focus on what you're bodies doing rather than fearing the pain, I think thats what made the most difference to me. Also try to imagine your cervix opening with each contraction, each and every one has a purpose.

Good luck hun, very excited for you

I don't believe that of "not remembering the pain" OF COURSE YOU DO!!!You don't forget that kind of pain. Why some people tried to put everything behind, I find it so fake, just because you admit was painful, and not a pleasant experience, make you a bad mother, or so. I love my son, I love being a mother, but labour is a painful experience, that you don't forget, and not an "amazing moment", meeting your baby, yes, delivering,no.
And I don't blame the attention, I was at amazing private hospital, with a great consultant with me, and a great midwife, plus my husband.

i quite like the pushing bit as it feels lovely and productive and you know the end is nigh.

transitional contractions by far the worst as they come on top of each other and barely give you time to breathe in between and you really start to feel like you can't cope.

doesn't last long though and then you get to the fun of pushing

Oh the only pain was getting to 4cm dilated.

Then the lovely doctor gave me an epidural.

After that I had a banana and read OK magazine. Pushed her out pretty easily and didn't feel anything.

Marvellous, peaceful and calm experience once I'd got the epidural. Pretty painful beforehand.

The afterpains......

no two births are the same!don't get hung up on ideology and mantras.take analgesia if reqd

remember over 90% of birth plans dont go to plan

tbh an element of take it as it comes,is helpful

Crowning is the only hard bit really, but it's can't be that bad otherwise we wouldn't all be doing it multiple times!

I've said this before on MN but I found the most painful bit of childbirth was the fact that during the pushing I pooed solidly for three hours. In front of my partner. And not very solidly.

all of it ooopppssss sorry