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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Is there any correlation between how bad your period pains are and how much labour hurts?

38 replies

frakkinaround · 09/02/2010 09:27

I know pain is a very personal thing and different people have different pain thresholds and experiences of pain and that period pain can't really be compared to labour(!) but idle mind is wondering whether women who suffer from bad period pains find labour easier or still really painful and worse on the whole than those who don't have monthly agony?

If you typically have practically painless periods are contractions a shock to the system or is it just that you don't tend to feel pain as much?

Or are the two things completely unconnected?!

OP posts:
clayre · 09/02/2010 09:31

i have horrendous period pains that start about a week and a half before my period and my labours were quite easy and not as painful as i thought it should have been, my second labour in particular wasnt painful at all untill they made me lie on the bed to deliver the baby!

You could have something with your theory....

LiegeAndLief · 09/02/2010 10:18

I hardly ever get period pains and found labour relatively easy and not as bad as I had expected - it did hurt like hell but I never felt out of control or like I couldn't handle it.

Definitely feel pain though, I am generally a bit of a wimp! Not sure how that fits with your theory...

beatiebow · 09/02/2010 10:21

My mum had really bad period pains and said she found childbirth really quite easy in comparison.
I had bad period pains when younger but they were fine by the time I got around to having kids. I found childbirth pretty painful!

Sparkler · 09/02/2010 10:23

I get terribly painful periods and labour was pretty painful too if I remember rightly (funny how your mind blocks it out!!)

havoc · 09/02/2010 10:35

I occasional have very painful periods, my labour pains were nothing compared to them.

Is that what you want to hear? Either way, Sparkler is right, you do forget, honestly!

Sparkler · 09/02/2010 10:38

I do have a regular thing of saying to DH when I get my period that I feel like I have labour pains come to thing about it!

Sparkler · 09/02/2010 10:39

*think

Original poster
frakkinaround · 09/02/2010 10:53

I don't know which I wanted to hear actually! All I know is I'm snuggled up on the sofa nursing a hot water bottle and counting down to next painkiller time, made worse by the fact that even if we aren't TTC # 1 right now I wanted to be PG this month and was cursing my period anyway for just being here and then thinking that actually labour is going to be just as bad, or maybe my body's going to be nice to me and is spreading out the pain over time so labour won't be as painful. But I've never actually done it so I don't have anything to compare period pain to.

OP posts:
MyNameIsInigoMontoya · 09/02/2010 11:38

I used to get very painful periods and my mum used to try to cheer me up by telling me I would probably not find labour much worse, as she found it similar to bad period cramps.

That said, I did find labour pretty painful at times with DS, but then he was in a strange position and pressing on all the "wrong" places (ended up with EMCS because of it) so I think that may have been a large part of the reason - I was getting more pain in my bits than in my bump, because of where his head was. Will have to see if it's different this time, assuming I can get DC2 into a better position!

LastTrainToGeneva · 09/02/2010 11:45

I have pretty bad period pain, worse when I was younger (though I may just have learnt to manage the pain better with age).

Labour was painful, yes. BUT the early stages were so much like my period pain that I didn't notice I was in labour till I was 8 cm dilated! The MW kept congratulating me for getting so far on my own, but I really thought I was getting BH and ignored it and kept going. Of course, once I knew I was in labour, the pain went into a completely different realm

On a sadder note, when I miscarried at 20 weeks in my next pregnancy, I had contractions for about 7 hours before, but didn't notice it as the pain was not that bad compared to my period pains. It was only after I MC'd that I realised they were contractions.

diddl · 09/02/2010 12:01

I had a "bout" of painful periods.

But neither of my labours were like period pains-it hurt all around my bum.

Had two easy labours.

IckleJess · 09/02/2010 17:05

I get awful period pain - I do have a history of gynae probs though - and my labours were very painful too.

However, I always think my labours are so painful because they are so quick. I'm sure if they just slowed down a little and spaced themselves out a bit then they wouldn't be so bad. I just have very quick, intense labours.

But, you'll get better drugs in labour than they'll ever give you for period pains (although I have to say the Tramadol I used to be prescribed for my period pains was pretty effective ) so you have no need to suffer.

neversaydie · 09/02/2010 18:23

I used to get unspeakably bad periods - I was regularly sick, the pain was so bad.

DS was induced and face to pubes - the pain was on the whole bearable. Of course, the diamorphine may have helped, too!

GhoulsAreLoud · 09/02/2010 18:26

I never get bad period pains and found labour unbearably painful.

Wouldn't compare the two though - laour pain for me was like having my bladder stamped on.

mamakoukla · 09/02/2010 18:31

I used to pass out from period pain but I didn't from giving birth! One of the nurses came to ask me afterwards whether I had painful periods as often they found labor and birth more 'cope-able'. Either way, I am just grateful that it was relatively easy

Morloth · 09/02/2010 18:32

My pain threshold is crap, I used to have vile period pains (and throwing up etc) but now when I feel them starting I take drugs.

However, used hypnobirthing with DS and had a super easy pain free labour, so no, no correlation.

NonnoMum · 09/02/2010 18:33

Not sure, but do know that once you have had a baby, period pains aren't pains at all!

arolf · 09/02/2010 18:36

always got bad period pains (codeine requiring some months), labour was agony after 1st 24 hrs, not bearable at all. went from feeling like period pains to being much 'deeper' pain, all through my pelvis. thank feck for epidural. am not looking forward to periods returning...

my mum has never had period pains, and found labour bearable every time (4 kids).

Southwestwhippet · 09/02/2010 18:39

I get horrendous period pains, plus it is the one pain I just cannot cope with. Have to mainline paracetamol and asprin for two days every month or I wouldn't be able to go to work.

Found labour pretty straight forward TBH, the pain was completely different to period pains for me, much easier to breathe through/cope with although obviously a lot more intense.

After pains on the other hand were much more like period pains and I found them really unpleasant, survived on paracetamol and arnica for the first 4 days after birth...

MinnieMummy · 09/02/2010 18:41

Hmm, don't agree with NonnoMum, sorry! - post DC2 I (only once, fortunately) had period pains SO bad that they were comparable with mid-labour. Except without the benefit of a baby at the end, so I actually found them harder to deal with as they seemed so pointless.

I am still fuming with every well-meaning do-gooder who told me when I was a teenager suffering from painful periods that 'it'll all get better after you have children'. Bollocks.

(apologies. 6mth pg with DC3, SPD and sleep deprivation!)

Iamamumma · 09/02/2010 18:42

I get very painful periods and found labour very painful too - but DD was back to back so not sure if that made a difference

QueenofDreams · 09/02/2010 18:45

Hmm, I very rarely have bad period pains.
Labour didn't bother me much. First 6 hours of active labour with no pain relief at all. MW kept commenting that I must have a really high pain threshold, so maybe that's it? It was being examined that caused me horrible pain, not the contractions.
Period is currently five days late, so is possible I might be going through it all again soon

shockers · 09/02/2010 18:59

On a related note... I'm having horrendous PP right now... are tens machines any good for that?

PrettyCandles · 09/02/2010 19:07

The big difference between period paina nd labour pains is that you know that contractions start, peak, and end, and you get a breather between them. Quite different IME from period pains. That also makes a difference in how well you cope and in how you perceive the pain. Also, curling up with a hot-water bottle can ease period pains, but does nothing for labour pains - lying down makes them worse, if anything.

I don't think they're really comparable.

said · 09/02/2010 19:13

I asked this of the midwife when in labour with my first. She gave me a "Poor you, how do I break the news to you" look. She tried to make me feel better by saying that women with painful periods often had faster labours (she could have been thinking on her feet and making this up, of course) Anyway, very painful periods here, very painful labours BUT they were very fast.

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