Can anything equal or beat the 'high' of childbirth?

[earlycomputers]

Having had 3 kids, I always feel kind of sad when it's all over - ie the birth. Whether the birth went well or not, having a baby is such amazing experience and I feel can be likened to the feeling people might get if they did some superhuman achievement (eg sail round the world/jump out of a plane etc etc). The feelings of happiness/adrenaline etc if the birth went well is also great. Everything, after having a baby, seems to pale into insignificance...

The question I have is - what can equal or beat the high of having a baby? What have others done that's rivalled this high? I would like some suggestions (only legal ones please and ones that dont involve jumping out of a plane as I dont like heights)!

Can't think of anything at the moment. Fantastic feeling.

The moment the three minutes are over and the blue/pink line appears on the pg test

oh well, i didn't think giving birth was a high. no adrenaline, no ecstacy. relief maybe, exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed, yes. i'm afraid i have had plenty of better moments - getting married to dh, dd1 saying 'i love you' for first time, my personal big achievements, dd1 finally getting potty trained.

perhaps i'm a saddo, but births aren't on my 'high' list.

Difficult one.
Feeling the first kicks perhaps during pregnancy?

Well I've jumped out of a plane twice and given birth twice and for me the post childbirth high is much higher than the post-jump high Might depend on the sort of birth you had though and type of pain relief?

Not for me. Prior to having DD, my biggest high was a career-related one, which did feel absolutely amazing, but the post-birth feelings eclipsed even that.

I know nothing of this 'high of childbirth' - and before you ask, I've had one birth with an epidural and one with no pain relief!

Swimming in freezing cold water is the best high IME - I went in the sea off St Bee's in Cumbria last New Year's Day (air temp was -5, sea probably +2 or 3) - incredible high and you feel great all day!

being on the wrong side during the inquisition?

being boiled alive in a giant pot of porridge?

A sex change operation with no anaesthetic?

ROFL MP!

I've had two c-sections so have not experienced the "high" of childbirth of which you speak.

The biggest high of my life was artificially induced and I have no regrets about it (although I am anti-drugs now I am middle aged of course) but it was a valid, beautiful, amazing experience, maaaan, and one I shall be eternally grateful to have experienced .

Getting lost in the Australian outback, getting your leg trapped under a falling rock, sawing it off with your own penknife after a week and then crawling 100 miles back to civilisation dragging your rotting limb behind you?

agree lockets... for me the high is suddenly seeing this tiny person that i grew and i feel the world should stop dead to aknowledge the fact that there's a brand new human being that i made in existance

cs, epi, whatever, i can't imagine they would have altered it much, although there is an additional sense of exhileration from going it without drugs that last a few hours but the high i get from bringing my baby into the world lasts days, every time i look at them i'll get a new surge of excitment

Going through 9 months of pregnancy is amazing achievement however the baby arrives.

I agree with lockets. There was little difference in the high I had with my first baby (medicalised birth) and my second birth. (Drug free homebirth)

I think the high comes from the endorphins and oxytocin building up during labour, and then once the birth is over, the pain has totally gone but the oxytocin and endorphins are still whizzing around your body, and not only that, but your new baby is placed in your arms for the first time - there is nothing to beat that high for me.

All comes crashing down though when the after pains start.

High? Eh whatty what what? I could equal the feeling of childbirth with a blunt spoon and some DIY surgery I suppose. 2 years later I'm still waiting for the high to kick in.

Oh god the after pains, I'd forgotten about those

ow ow ow ow ow ow

Was going to say that flying an aeroplane solo for the first time was the biggest high of my life, much better than doing a parachute jump or giving birth, but see that you don't like heights!!

I haven't experienced anything like it.. Totally amazing, I feel envious of ladies who are about to experience it.

did it hurt? YES but the adrenalin rush lasted 3 days +

There was no high with childbirth for me. The actual birth was pretty horrid both times and in niether case did I feel any overwhelming love for my children. This means just about anything beats it including hoovering, dusting, cutting the grass, anything at all really.

Oooh flying a plane. Now that's on my wish list.

What about racing down a ski slope just a little bit too fast? Does it for me every time.

Goosey LOL at hoovering and dusting, but sorry to hear about your bad birth experiences.

Thanks - I'm over them now! I do however wish I had felt the "high" that people here describe, I had imagined that I would but there really was no sense of elation or joy.

All I can really remember is the pain and the absolute soul destroying agony that is the first two weeks of breast feeding.
I have three children so I went back for another go to see if it was going to get better.
I remain disapointed.