How much pain were you in at 1cm dilated?

[whatsthetimemrwolf]

I am currently pregnant with DC3 and am trying to decide whether to go for a VBAC or ELCS.

DC1 was delivered by EMCS as undiagnosed breach. I only ever reached 1cm dilated before they got me in for a EMCS but was in tears with the pain. I always believed that I wasn't dilating properly as DC1 was breach, hence my pain. However, I have had a consultation with an expert VBAC midwife this week who told me that I was in no extra pain because DD was breach, I was just being a first time mother. I would love to go for a VBAC but am scared about the pain and wonder if I just have a really low pain threshold! I would be very interested to hear how ther people felt at 1cm dilated. Thanks.

sorry, DS claimed my attention!
you're right, sorry about the confusion on the last thread and what on earth are you doing up at this time in the morning?

just got in from a night out at walkabout!

I was in pain with both Dss at 1cm dilated. Was bearable thougfh.. had pain killers before 3cms but then with DS2 went from 3cm to delivery in 15 mins...

I was in a fair amount of pain right from the start but that was from 2cm but it turned out bubs was back to back and my back was killing me i cant describe it but i though i must be about 6-7cm the amount of pain im in so went to hosp and was told i was only 2cm ( i wanted to cry ) so i went home and came back about 8 hours to find i was 5cm so wasnt bad but after another 5 hours i had only gone upto 7cm so the bust me waters and it went quick after that thank god but she still came out back to back lol the sod wouldnt turn. Anyway depsite all that it was the best experince of my whole entire life and would do it again if i had to any day.

I don't really think it is a question of pain threshold, some (most) people don't seem to feel anything and others do.

I was unlucky enough to be in pretty appalling pain almost straight off. When I started feeling and timing contractions they were about 5 mins apart and perfectly bearable. Within 3 hrs they were approx 2 to 3 mins apart and to my mind unbearable. I went into hospital and was told I was only 1 cm. I was in floods of tears and went home for another 5 hrs or so of contractions every 2 mins until my husband insisted we went back in as it was clear that I couldn't stand it a minute longer. Still only 1cm. I never really progressed much from there. 24hrs on, enormous amounts of bouncing and various drugs later I simply wanted to die (but was still only just on 3cm). Thankfully I was finally given an epidural and my contractions were monitored - they were showing very strongly on the monitor but clearly were achieving nothing. The baby was in distress, heart stopping, low blood gasses, merconium etc so I had a section. I had elective sections the next two times - I was told that in my case I had a greater than 95% chance of an attempted VBAC ending in a section anyway so it seemed pointless and I had no particular desire to repeat the experience anyway!

Hopefully second time will be easier for you although my understanding is that it tends to be easier only if the cervix has previously dilated, which obviously yours hasn't.

I don't have a low pain threshold. I know this because as a mad anorexic teenager I was also a self harmer and as such am pretty familiar with degrees of pain.

On my first birth I was in substantial discomfort at 1cm, but the 2nd birth, my contractions started at 2min apart and about 1.30 in duration! Needless to say it was a LOT of pain. However, they didn't get progressively worse - just stayed the same until 10cm! And unfortunately, it didn't mean it was particularly quick either - 8 hours start to finish.

Umm...perhaps I'm not going to be extremely helpful to you mrwolf, as I have a high pain threshold and it sounds as though you're somewhat less insensate than I am!

I got to hospital at 7cm and then had g&a for the rest of labour. Although I was in a lot of pain by 7cm that was the only point at which I felt I couldn't manage it without help (thanks to the heavens for g&a!!).

Apols if you've already covered this earlier (haven't read whole thread as I really should be working - ahem) but have you gone for any birth training? I highly recommend hypnotherapy (I just used a CD and it worked a dream) and acupuncture is meant to be very good as well. Basically, anything you can do to help you feel more 'in control' will help you to manage labour far better than you expect.

I'm also sceptical about what your consultant said about pain levels during breech - but why don't you check this with several birth experts to be sure. IMO when the baby's head is properly engaged it means everything is working as it's meant to, so if anything is off-kilter it is more likely to increase your discomfort.

Best of luck!

Labour is labour. I only made it to 3 cm first time round and I was also breech. I thought I was in tremendous pain!

It was only second time around when going for my VBAC (successful) that I knoew the true meaning of pain

Both times I was 1 cm dilated for a couple fo weeks prior to arrival.

Absolutely shedloads the first time; pretty bad the second time (but I knew how much worse it was going to get!).

Both my dcs were back to back, which apparently slows down labour and makes contractions more painful & less effective.

I expect no better from d?3 when it (hopefully) arrives in June. But this time I will not expect that the whole "its much better/faster when its your 2nd/3rd/4th/10th dc" mantra will apply to me

Good luck!

I only got to 2cm dilated after 50 hours of induction. I was in an awful lot of pain for the final 20 hours or so, enough to be making me sick. I ended up with the full works of pain relief, before having a c section.

Fillybuster!! I think this is the first time we've been on the same thread. Remember me? We met at the MN Baby book launch. Congrats on your pregnancy, what brill news - I'm also preg, due in April!

MrsMerryHenry ...finally!

Hiiii! I'm back! So how are you doing in your 3rd preg - are you well? (apols for hijack)

None at all at 1cm. No one ever examined me until at least 8cm dilated. I would be frightened to have a 4th in case I didn't get to hospital on time!

Feeling about as crap as possible without actually being sick, and wondering why I was so keen to go through this again a few months ago. DH was taking the piss out of me last night "ooh, I really want to be pg again...".......I nearly thumped him How about you?

I honestly wanted to kill a woman who i met on the ward after having given birth who came in only because her waters broke and was told she was already 6cm dilated. She hadn't know a thing. For me I was stuck at 1cm for 24 hours and exhausted by it. Like many on here DS was back to back and that's where the pain was. Felt like my back was being ripped off every time I had a contraction, and the contractions were according to the Midwife 'off the scale'. She told me I was bound to have the baby within a few hours as they were so strong. In fact it took 48 hours.. The first stages weren't unbearable, but I couldn't sit down at all, had to walk and walk as the pressure on my back was so intense and threw up so many times there was just green gloop of bile coming out by the end. So I'd say possibly it depends on how the baby's lying/ strength of contractions.

Because my waters had broken no one would examine me to tell me how much I had dilated.

I - wisely - decided to assume that nothing much was happening, and when 12 hours after waters going, during which I had had contractions every 3 minutes, I was in too much pain to cope any more I opted for an epidural, presuming that there was still a long way to go.

Another 12 hours later, I was 3cm. Which would suggest that perhaps I was only 1cm when it was too painful to cope.

Low pain threshold? Possibly, but have had three caesareans now and every time the stafff have expressed pleased surprise at how quickly I have been up and about: "Already? Wow! Well done!" etc, so hopefully I am not as wimpy as all that.

DS1's head was so big I don't think it managed to engage even in labour, so I wonder if the contractions were doing their stuff but there was no pressure from the head to help things along. Which is what you said in your OP really.

I was in awful pain at 1cm- so much so that my doula, who for weeks had been on at me to stay home as long as possible, rushed me to hospital because she thought I must be at least 5cm. The hospital staff could barely disguise their contempt when they checked me over.

I stayed in hospital overnight and by morning I was 4cm, but the pain overnight was nothing compared woth the pain of getting to 1cm.

DD was back to back and head flexed and wasn't coming out without an EMCS, but even though I know this now I still feel like a complete wuss for all the fuss and howling I did at 1cm.

don't think this is anything to do with a low pain threshold - for me with DC1 went into hospital after 15 hours as pain was unbearable (convinced I was about to give birth) - I was 3cm. But like some others have said it didn't get worse than that until right at the end... (25 hours total)

birth #2 - vague pains started at 8am, midwife arrived 1/2 hour later (had already said to her nothing serious so don't come yet but she said best to check) I was 6cm. Gave birth at 2pm with only the last couple of hours being painful (6 hours total).

I was 3 cm dilated with dd1 without feeling any pain. I was walking around normally, unaware that I was dilated. I only found out at an antenatal appointment.

However, I was told how extremely lucky I was. The MW said that many women are in a great deal of pain dilating from 0 to 3cm. Therefore I do not think that you are strange or have a low pain threshold at all. I know that I am a total wuss when it comes to pain. When I say that I was not in pain, it was not because I was brave, just because I could not feel a thing. I cried like a baby for an epidural when the labour actually started (but it was quick, so I did not get one)!

Interesting. My second birth was also undiagnosed breech and I swear labour was more painful with her. I got to 6-7 cm before they could finally do the EMCS and it hurt almost as much as transition with DD1. So no matter what your MW says I also do believe breech labour is more painful, why else would they advise that if you try for a vaginal breech delivery you should have an epidural?

Having said that, neither of my labours hurt very much at the beginning - it was just like bad period pain until about 3-4 cm.

Hope this helps, good luck whatever you decide.

I felt a LOT OF PAIN at 1cm dilated. I have a low threshold for pain. It hurt so much! Ctx were often and lasting near a minute and so painful! Maybe I was just "being a first time mum"
The midwife who examined me internally at that point told me I was "acting like a little girl"
I had the hardest time with internal exams but while contracting as well... not good.

I think everyone feels labour pains and ctx differently. I was begging for a c section at not even 1cm dilated "finger tip" she called it.

First time around, I was in agony at 1 cm dilated, and by the time I got to 3cm dilated (which took about 93859348759843759435 years as I was Slow To Progress....), midwife practically forced epidural on me as I was v close to losing it....

Second time around, I didn't notice really. Went into hospital knowing that I was in labour, but it was totally manageable, to be told I was 3cm dilated. Only really started to hurt around 8cm.....

I have a pathetically low pain threshold I think. But we have to deal with whatever we have....