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...

It wasn’t as bad as I’d feared, in the end I couldn’t have any pain relief and it was manageable. It was exhausting and relentless but there is break between contractions. The worst part is delivering the head and that is over very quickly.

C section delivery is 0 then recovery around a 6 for a few days 😬

No worse than period pains and at least you get some respite in between and something lovely at the end!

It's so different for everyone there's no way to say really. Even different births in the same woman. My first was a 0, my second was an 11!

10.Epidural all the way,you'll thank me for it

10 thousand.
Back to back, 36 hour labour, I spent my entire pregnancy saying I would have an epidural, but by the time i got to the hospital he was on his way, only had time for G&A at the ring of fire.
I remember whimpering saying 'it hurts' to my husband during the ring of fire.
Adrenaline gets you through it though.

For me it was probably 2/10.

My contractions started 3 in 10 minutes and about 30 seconds in duration. Once they got to 60 seconds I went in to be checked. I was 2cm, given 2 cocodamol and sent home. An hour later I was struggling to cope with the discomfort so asked to come in. There was a room available in the mlu so they let me come in. I was expecting to be 3cm and wanting /needing all the drugs available. I wasn't 3cm, I was 10. I got in the water pool just in time to start pushing. She was born within an hour of arriving at the mlu.
The water helped a lot but I would describe the birth more as a mental challenge rather than painful. I definitely had a "I can't do this moment" just before her head was born but that was more due to the previous few pushes getting close but not quite there.

It's weird how almost immediately after though, when the pain completely disappeared,I felt the most joyous sense of calm and euphoria that I've never ever felt in any other situation, it really is quite wonderful.

I was like this, I felt like I could achieve anything, so powerful.

For me, the birth without the epidural was the better experience, however both births were good experiences.
For the natural one I would say pain hit a max of about 8 but it was short lived. Mostly it was only maybe a 5, and that was intermittent at the peak of the contractions.

Every birth is different, research all pain relief options. Go with the flow, if it gets too much then get the relief. You may find you never need it. If you do, take it.

@AriesTheRam

10.Epidural all the way,you'll thank me for it

Yeah, definitely. Although I am sacred I’ll struggle to get one. They might say they’re too busy or that they have a limit on the amount of epidurals that can be given or that I’m too early or too late. Seems quite common.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/04/i-asked-three-times-for-an-epidural-why-are-women-being-denied-pain-relief

I’m definitely different from the majority of posters. I didn’t see the benefits of going through the pain. The epidural was safe (000’s have them every year) and a lovely birth experience. Was very proud of myself for delivering DT’s naturally. Would have had an epidural with any future births but we’d already decided that with twins our family was complete.

@Parker231

I’m definitely different from the majority of posters. I didn’t see the benefits of going through the pain. The epidural was safe (000’s have them every year) and a lovely birth experience. Was very proud of myself for delivering DT’s naturally. Would have had an epidural with any future births but we’d already decided that with twins our family was complete.

I take it you didn’t have any problems getting one then? I’m disgusted by some of the articles that I’ve read saying there is a culture of natural child birth and women being refused.

No problem in getting an epidural and top ups. It was in my notes from the start. I class an epidural birth a natural one as opposed to a c- section which I was offered as I was having DT’s.

Choice should be available to everyone. There isn’t a right or wrong route. Everyone is different as to their views and all want a healthy mum and baby.

Both of my DC were induced via drip and I'm unable to have an epidural but only found out during labour with DC1 which was devastating.
So with v little pain relief:
DC1 required forceps and episiotomy with only gas and air.
DC2's head is HUGE - left a lot of damage on her way out.
They were both 10 but different 10s.
Be kind to yourself and get all of your pain medication approved in writing by the GP if there are any questions in your care.
You'll be fine and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Just to add, I was refused the epidural for medical reasons not because they refused to give it to me.

@Blackitty definitely request one as soon as you possibly can! I progressed from 2-7cm very quickly so when I requested one, the midwife said I'd manage fine on gas and air. I hit the roof and for two hours went on and on until the anaesthetist arrived. Turns out that I did need one as it took me another 12 hours to get to 10cm, I was put on the syntocinon drip and still had another 5 hours of labour left in me, ending in a cat 1 emcs.

It’s a 10. And the worst is that the pain continues for another week or so at least, especially if you have a tear.
I’m sorry, but I wish someone had told me.
I was naive and thought once the birth is over, the pain is too.

I've had 3 children, longest labour 10 hours, gas and air for pain relief.
Probably an 8.
To compare, I've had terrible toothache at times in the past, and that was much worse. I also had a bad ankle sprain which was probably on a par to labour pains.
From observation as a nurse I would put acute pancreatitis and a few other conditions at 10.

Why do so few women in this country get an epidural?
I think women prefer a less medicalised approach to birth in this country generally speaking.
The reasons for me - didn't want a needle shoved in my back, wanted to get up as soon as possible afterwards, wanted to avoid a forceps birth, and probably other reasons as well. It would only have been possible for my first birth anyway , the other 2 were too quick/born at home.

I’d rate mine both around a 6, I didn’t have pain relief with either so if I had then it could of even been less.

I honestly didn’t find giving birth that bad, I found contractions more unpleasant though. But as soon as that baby is out, then the pain was completely forgot about!

10! When baby's head is crowning, it feels like you are being split in two.

DC1 - 3
DC2 - 9

Before the epidural 7/8 - my waters were broken and I went from 1cm-5cm in about 40 minutes so that was pretty painful but I had blood pressure issues so advised epidural - thank goodness. It was a mobile one which I recommend and I could still feel
Something which I wanted and it was around 2/3 pain and when I was pushing it wore off so let’s not talk about that part lol

@Blackitty if you want an epidural request one early I was given one for a medical reason but I know others who have requested and got one even if the early pains seem ok and you’ve decided that you want one ask as it could be a while later you get it.

10 is an underestimate. It’s beyond agony. But so worth it