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.

Hi Whats the time my first dd born by emcs and 2nd dd, now12 wks old was born by vbac!i was really stressing beforehand about my low pain threshold, i started with pain about 5-6cm dilated and then couldnt have an epidural for ages and by then too late so managed on gas and air. It really did hurt but actually not for very long, as soon as midwife said you are fine and prob only half an hour left then i was ok.i think its helpful to get your partner to keep saying, its so and so time and you are so and so dilated etc.
I expected to feel elated that i had achieved vbac as had lots of disappointment srrounding dd1s emcs.actually i just felt exhausted but the recovery is so amazing, no comparison and also i was home within 12 hrs for dd1 which was the reason i had wanted to do it.good luck!

to add to my previous post..
my gran lost conscience several times while birthing my mum and that's pretty unusual to say the least - women's pain threshold is biologically 'set' higher than men's precisely so that they remain conscious through labour to ensure survival of the baby. I can't even begin to imagine the agony she was in. Of course in her day there was little, if any, pain relief or even labour assistance as such.

My uncle is 6 yrs younger and she was seriously considering aborting the pregnancy. She doesn't talk much about it (sensitive subject, obviously) but i'm assuming she just didn't think she'd survive another labour. It was much easier for her 2nd time round even tho they made her walk from one ward to another while in 2nd stage so she nearly dropped him!

Funny enough she never told me any of that before I had my baby and damn right - I was panicking so much i couldn't go anywhere near that section in my pg book! Turned out fine for me tho, apart from very long

Fascinating thread. With my dd2 I got stuck at 1cm and was in so much pain I thought I was in transition. I tried to use upright positions and breathing to control the pain but ended up lying on the floor screaming and swearing. I ended up with EMCS.

It's a relief to hear that I'm not the only one this has happened to!

Although it was a bit disappointing having another CS, I was still glad that I had tried for VBAC because if I hadn't I'd have always wondered if it would have worked out.

Good luck to the OP and to anyone else in a similar position.

both very painful