How painful is childbirth on a scale of 1-10?

[Blackitty]

1 being a breeze
and ...
10 being the absolute worst pain imaginable?

I am due in March. First baby and would like to know what I’m in for...

When the head crowns it can be surprising you’ve had cramp like pains then suddenly a burning sensation. Mine have both been very quick labours with no time for pain relief and they’d both be a 10 really but once you have that baby in your arms you forget instantly. With my second I actually found the after pains whilst breast feeding about an 8

@Orichette - Luckily for me I didn’t do NCT - don’t think I would have agreed with many of their ideas.
I walked through the hospital door asking when I was going to have my epidural!

The worst and best experience of my life. The pain was aching and the most intense I have ever felt, but the joy of holding my baby was the best reward ever. The midwives were very supportive and for my second there was no fear involved at all.
If you have an untraumatic birth the joy of having a newborn wipes out the pain involved in giving birth.
All the best

Having had gallstones I would say childbirth is an 8. Gallstones attack was a definite 10.

I never get anyone who says contractions feel period pains! GET TO THE DOCTORS ASAP if every month you get pains reminiscent of contractions.

Contractions were definitely 10/10 pain. I completely underestimated it. After epidural , I was pain free, even pushing, was pain free, in my experience, pushing a baby out feels like constipation x1000 (a different pain)

5 - twingey and uncomfortable for hours & hours, but then DS got stuck and they knocked me out so I wasn't aware of anything.

Day 1 after a forceps delivery was miserable but recovery was quick compared to a C-section so not too bad. I was coping on my own (gingerly ) by day 4.

It feels like the whole earth is opening up and you are the earth.

But then I had an epidural and it was 0.
The second time around I also had a planned c-section so that was 0 as well.

10, I was totally unable to concentrate on or experience anything other than the pain. It blocked out everything else. I couldn't think or see.

However my baby was back to back. I have heard that makes it worse. I am honestly gobsmacked when I hear of people saying it wasn't that bad, it made me wonder for ages what was wrong with me

OTOH I am pregnant again It IS just a day or so (or if you're lucky a few hours) out of your life. One I'm not especially looking forward to, but it's limited - it does end.

I'm completely torn whether to try again with the epidural - I opted for one last time but it didn't do a thing, which was probably worse than not having one at all, because I felt like all my options were gone. Or whether to try a bit more seriously with the natural pain relief methods in case it doesn't work again, being left with no options was horrific.

Building up to the pushing stage was bearable for me but still incredibly painful. Maybe 6/7 once contractions started.

The contractions during the pushing stage was 10.

Sorry

The actual contractions up to established labour about 2. The contractions in established labour maybe 6. The pushing I found horrendous and I was seriously crap at it but still wasn't a 10, maybe an 8. I had 2 paracetamol for a headache and a bit of gas an air when pushing but I wasn't too keen on it!!

It was maybe a 5 for me at 4cm until they put me on that bloody drip then it was an immediate 10. It was so painful I could really describe it if I tried, it was so painful I couldn't move and it was continuous. I had the epidural, it didn't completely take away the pain but took it back down to a 5. Could still feel contractions to push. Was fine really, don't be scared. It's a mental labour as well as a physical one. Someone very wise told me to wave goodbye to each contraction in my head and celebrate the fact that it was one bastard contraction I'd never have to have again.

How long is a piece of string???

#1 induced, was put on epidural straight away, I slept, played cards, didn’t know what the screaming woman’s problem was next door. Eased me off the epidural but although I hadn’t been in pain my body didn’t have much energy, hooked me up again, I pushed a few times and baby popped out, but with the help of forceps. Didn’t really feel anything at all and was out of it for an hour or 2 after being drugged up with some other stuff. By the time I came round and could think straight I barely felt anything.

#2 felt like I had mild period pains, started to get more regular and intense, still not as bad as my usual period and the pains finished fairly quickly. Was told to go to hospital, on the way (15 min drive) they started to get up to 7-8, I had about 15 mins of 9-10 when baby flew out. All done, no time for any pain meds, tried gas and air once but didn’t like it. The after pains were more intense though and felt like bad period cramps for a good few hours.

#3 induction again, 2 days later they brought it on further, was on pethadine or diamorphine (can’t remember) that started to wear off, they topped me up, but baby arrived about 2 mins later, honestly can’t remember how bad the pain was it happened so fast. The pain meds started to kick in about 5 mins later so didn’t feel any after pains.

I can tell you after every birth (I mean literally, minuets after) I got super broody and could have done it all over again.

Lots of pain relief options. First time I was in hospital at 3cm, had all sorts of pain relief that didn't work for me so opted for an epidural at 5cm. 2nd time I knew what was coming so I went straight for the epidural at 4cm! Total game changer!!!

A 2..?

I’d say 7/10 for mine. Both 9lb back to back births, gas and air natural birth. It wasn’t exactly fun but it was fine
I had pneumonia once, that was worse

I didn't find it that bad as between contractions it was a 0. I'd say around 7 at the end.

10. It was utterly horrific, and ended in me hallucinating and vomiting whilst trying to crawl through the floor away from the pain. Put me off natural childbirth for life, very gratefull for my c sections.

10++++ I thought I was dying but I also was being induced. I’m sure the medication made it more painful.

Gas and Air, 3 day induction, 3cm to 10cm in 7 hours, extended pushing of roughly 3 hours, forcep delivery.

I'd say it was a 3 right after induction,
went down to a uncomfy 1 until I was about 6cm dilated,
then it was a about 6 progressing to a 10 as baby got stuck (back breaking pain during contractions, going down to a 6 in between)
After birth it was about a 2 or 3 for a few hours.

I would say a firm 10 never managed to obtain an epidural in any of my births. Only had gas and air, first dc and my 5th dc were the most painful and they were my smallest babies

First- 10
Second- induction, so so bleak
Third- piece of cake, bit of gas and air, no time for hospital, had at home!

@Kolo

Elcs about 2/10 and all the discomfort was afterwards.

Contractions after induction 10/10. I've never experienced pain like that before. But it was strange - sort of like being out of body, you know the feeling when you've got the flu and drifting in and out of sleep? But then I had an epidural and 0/10.

My exact experience!

But it's worth it.

Unimaginably horrifically painful 10 +++