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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Could someone describe what a contraction/tightening feels like?

143 replies

victoriascrumptious · 23/10/2009 21:19

I've never had one. Had an c-sec with no labour last time.

Can you describe them to me so I can live vicariously?
I'm sad that I may never know what they feel like-expecting another cs due to bp this time round.

OP posts:
AliGrylls · 28/10/2009 17:10

I was induced and I would describe my early contractions as well almost nothing. The first few hours were lovely.

As they became more intense they were like a really painful orgasm over and over again and all over my body. It was unbearable.

I was so happy when they said they had to do a c-section.

estar · 28/10/2009 17:11

In answer to this question at my antenatal class, the midwife said 'I wouldn't describe it as pain. Just an unpleasant sensation.'

Unpleasant sensation my ass. Feeling like you're being ripped in half is a better description IMHO. And not localised or regular either.

CantThinkofFunnyName · 28/10/2009 17:13

Unpleasant sensation??? My ass indeed!!!

Iamamumma · 28/10/2009 17:14

My DD was born 5 weeks ago today and my contractions were like the worst period pain ever, and just kept getting worse until you start to push and it feels like you are trying to poo a fridgefreezer, then the ring of fire, the the distinct feeling at the point where the head is born, where you tear [ouch] and you think you can't go on, then you baby shoots out and you hold her, and you would do it all again! [carried away emoticon]

GYo · 28/10/2009 17:15

Definately second diarrohea cramps at the start. Mine started as low back ache/ pelvis ache. But it was constant so thought it wasnt labour. Didnt believe for a second I'd have a baby 16hrs later.
Once it got going, it was like someone was hanging onto my cervix. Pain was all at the front and not at the back at all. Was definately the pain of my cervix opening. I dont remember the bump hurting at all expect DD kicking like a banshee all through labour and also giving me my final bout of HORRENDOUS heartburn.

Transition I went loopy and categorically ordered my husband and midwife to kill me with one of our kitchen knivees (was homebirth) and I couldnt understand why they didnt do as I asked

2nd stage really did feel like pelvis was going to split in two, that must have been the head coming through the cervix. Ring of fire did smart a bit and I think I felt the details of my DDs face emerging from me.

DD was nearly 1lbs. I did it with nothing other than a few puffs of G&A so thats why it hurt. That's my disclaimer to anyone yet to go through it and reading this....

SOrry way more detail than required but I find it very cathartic talking about it.

GYo · 28/10/2009 17:18

thats nearly 11 lbs not 1 lb!

Comma2 · 28/10/2009 17:24

Oh my! [hshock}

GhoulsAreLoud · 28/10/2009 17:33

I can only describe the sensation as like being tortured for information that you don't even have.

dollyparting · 28/10/2009 17:47

I woke up at about 4am with definite painful contractions that felt like period pain, but a bit more intense, and then went away.

I was doing wonderfully - all the breathing exercises, and coping well. My contractions were about 4 minutes apart. I was convinced the my baby would be born wondrously and peacefully within a couple of hours.

Unfortunately that was still 4 days before dd was born.

When it actually happened I thought "F...ing Hell, how could I have thought my previous experience was labour!"

It is bizarre though. It is different from cramp, period pain, or anything else, in that while a contraction is happening you can be in agony, pain that you just cannot bear. Yet 30 seconds later when it has subsided, it is completely gone. So when the midwife asks if you want pain relief, you say, "What me? No. I'm not in any pain"

LittleWhiteWereWolf · 28/10/2009 17:47

I kept saying to DH when the mw left the room "they'll tell us to go home soon, I dont think I am in labour". This was right up to 8cms! My DD was back to back so all my contractions were in my lower back and even at their worst felt like period pain. As long as I breathed through them I was fine--which is what the entonox was for for me!

Someone asked me a few months ago what was worse, contracting or pushing and I'd go for pushing every time. 2 bloody hours feeling like nothing was happening then suddenly out she whooshed as the mws prepared for an episiotomy. Well done DD for helping me avoid that!

m66 · 28/10/2009 17:54

I too had breech baby but started with contractions before c section. They felt like a Mexican wave of tightening muscles across bump. No real pain as the baby was high up and not for moving downwards. Didn't know it was labour until monitor was on and the contractions were registering really high. Hope you're as lucky. Good luck!

PurpleZOMBIEbuns · 28/10/2009 18:02

I thought it felt like having two tonne demolition style blocks, being smashed into your back and front at the same time.
I also felt like I was being tortured in some personal hell(gas and air), asI had hardly any gaps as my contractions were back to back. Luckily I gave birth in 2and a half hours.

FrameyMcFrame · 28/10/2009 18:22

Bad pain, all I could do was shake my head back and forward and say 'no,no,no, no' over and over again.
Gas and air takes the very edge off it but I personally had to cane it to get it to do anything. When there is only 30 seconds between each one it is mighty horrible. You feel like you haven't recovered from the last one yet. It feels so unfair!
I think 'no' was the only word I could say for about 4 hours. I don't know what i thought it was achieving!
The pain is all encompassing. The feelings of wanting to poo, wee, push are all pretty uncomfortable mixed with very strong pain. Yuck, am traumatised by both of mine still.

linglette · 28/10/2009 18:34

It started off as if I was wearing a wide belt just under my skin which was being tightened a notch then released, then tightened again then released, then tightened two notches, etc,etc, - you get the picture.

It ended in a private universe of pain and a lovely jubbley epidural.

Poppet45 · 28/10/2009 18:40

Blimey I wouldn't want to be expecting imminently and stumble across this thread!

For what it's worth I had two minute long contractions four minutes apart from the get go and slept through them for as long as I could then managed the next ten hours on paracetamol, shouting at my DH, and using a wonderful birth pool. I only tried it on the off chance but was amazed by the medicinal effect of a hot bath. Sooo yes it does hurt, but it's a funny kind of hurt that can be soothed by a hot bath, so not like a broken bone or anything like that. Plus the minute the contraction is over - the pain is all gone, no ache nothing.

I can't recommend Ju Ju Sundin's birth skills highly enough it sorts your head out totally so you feel strong and fearless, lots of nice aaaaah noises kept me calm, and keeping calm kept the pain far, far away. As soon as I got stressed it hurt. Simple as.

Sadly after using gas and air for the last nine hours, my clever boy turned transverse so I had an em-c section, and got a spinal block after all, which felt great at the time, but I really didn't think I would have needed it at any point earlier in proceedings.

I've now been told future deliveries are likely to be via c-sections as I have a tiny pelvis, and my lad is 91st percentile for height and weight, and to be honest I'm a bit gutted. I'm proud of my labour, can't remember the pain now, and would like to do it again.

Poppet45 · 28/10/2009 18:42

And for what it's worth I did get to fully dilated, and pushed for an hour and a half so I didn't bail before it got difficult! In fact the tricky bit was the massive haemorrhage after the c-section, but m'eh you live and learn.

DwayneDibbley · 28/10/2009 18:49

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VanillaIce · 28/10/2009 18:50

Stop it, stop it, stop it!!! Why oh why did you post this question OP? And, more importantly, why am I (with 14 weeks to go) reading it?

Come on ladies, surely there are some encouraging stories out there too?

Jayfer · 28/10/2009 18:53

I think I've changed my mind!! Scared!!

DwayneDibbley · 28/10/2009 18:57

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FrameyMcFrame · 28/10/2009 19:12

VanillaIce, I think these are encouraging stories, they are real! childbirth hurts and it's good to be prepared for that really. I have heard a few people say 'oh it didn't hurt that much' etc. Either they are lying or some people have vastly differing expiriences of pain.

But you get a baby at the end! It's all worth it.

sheeplikessleep · 28/10/2009 19:18

Like someone was whacking a steel rod on my back with all their force.

BalloonSlayer · 28/10/2009 19:22

I think people are trying to cheer the OP up, because she feels sad that she missed out on the experience/excruciating agony/joy [delete as appropriate] of labour.

RunJHC · 28/10/2009 19:27

For those who are expecting, my contractions weren't actually that bad and even towards the end felt EXACTLY like being really really constipated. And once I realised that it made me able to deal with the pain because at least it was familiar (although I haven't ever been that constipated in real life!!)

At one point I even said to the midwife 'I feel like I'm trying to s**t a brick' and she said 'that'll be the baby's head dear' to which I replied something like 'well it definitely feels rectangular...grumble grumble!'

And agree with one of previous posters, the pushing stage was much easier. Painful in a different way but at least you're doing something rather than just sitting there and you know it's near the end!

ThisPhantomPlopsPumpkins · 28/10/2009 19:27

1st labour the contractions felt like I was having my legs ripped off and at the same time being stabbed in the back repeatedly. The pain was continuous!

2nd labour they felt like something I can't describe, it was painful, but in a nice(ish) way. The pain was all over the bump this time, not in my legs or back (thank God) and were proper contractions coming and going in waves not continuous.

I'm 15+6 now and hoping they're the same as my second birth.