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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

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

457 replies

Blackitty · 28/12/2020 01:33

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...

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Anthilda · 30/12/2020 09:14

One of my children was back to back labour. Couldn't even put a number on the pain. Luckily the delivery didnt last too long.

Teakind · 30/12/2020 09:15

@Blackitty

Why do so few women in this country get an epidural? I don’t understand.
I don't judge any woman who wants an epidural. Birth is of course painful but please don't be afraid as there are lots of pain relief options available.

In answer to your question though, I didn't want one because of some of the risks associated with them such as nerve damage in your back and how you are more likely to end up needing intervention such as forceps.

MrsRogerLima · 30/12/2020 09:17

Well the actual pain was probably a 7. The relentlessness of it was 10.

pipnchops · 30/12/2020 09:19

In my experience about an 8. For me the pain was the worst I've ever had but it's not constant so not the worst I could imagine. It comes in waves which makes it manageable and you know there's an end to it. Gas and air was enough pain relief for me. I was lucky my labours were both quick as well, just a few hours, so totally manageable.

misskatamari · 30/12/2020 09:22

It hurts but in my experience it doesn't have to be a "scary" pain, if that makes sense. I did hypnobirthing, which I would 100% recommend as helping take the fear away. Unless there are complications, the pain is your body doing what it is made to do. So yes it does hurt, but it's not the same as breaking a limb or a tooth abscess etc which are signs of something being wrong.

It pretty much only hurts during contractions as well, so you do get respite. If you can look into some sort of hypnobirthing I would so recommend it. My labours were both fine thanks to it. One didn't go how I had hoped, almost needed a section but thankfully dd came out, but I was calm through it, and my second I had a home birth, with just G&a. I don't mean that to come across in anyway as smug, just hoping to provide some reassurance that it's possible to have births where it does hurt but you don't feel overwhelmed or scared by it

MrsRogerLima · 30/12/2020 09:24

Op a previous poster is right that it's definitely more of a mental challenge than physical.

If I had my time again I would spend lots of time practicing meditation and detaching my mind from my body.

As it turns out I'm quite good at it naturally but I didn't know that until my first labour!

Find something that helps you disconnect. You will be fine BTW. I also read a lot about how Labour works so that I understood what was happening and researched all of my options for pain relief ect and made my DH read them too so he could advocate for me.

Grumpy19 · 30/12/2020 09:34

My scale goes like this...
Full blown kidney infection 8/10
Broken ankle 7/10
Diverticulitis at peak 7/10
First labour (back to back induction) 10/10
Second labour (spontaneous) 9/10
Third labour (induction) 8 or 9/10

Being mentally prepared the second two times definitely helped. Also, getting into positions that helped me (rather than staying on my back as the mw insisted for DC1) made a big difference for DC2 and 3.

sqirrelfriends · 30/12/2020 11:12

11 but DS got stuck. Honestly if I could do it again I would have the epidural.

2magpies1pigeon · 30/12/2020 11:14

Probably an 8.5. Have an epidural if you can.
It's not just the pain. It's the type of pain. There's a different quality to the pain somehow. Really nasty.

parsnipsnotsprouts · 30/12/2020 12:09

[quote theresaplaceforus]@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.[/quote]
I agree with this. I've been caught out twice like this waiting for pains to get unmanageable then it was too late. I was beyond annoyed the second time I got sod all

meow1989 · 30/12/2020 12:18
  1. I consider myself to have a higg pain threshold - broke my ankle in 2 places without pain or complaint, but I was begging maternity to take me in after a few hour of (back) labour. Codeine didn't touch it, pethidine was amazing, the epidural even better!

Ended up with emcs, actually, very little pain (maybe a 1 or 2) after.

Drogonssmile · 30/12/2020 12:22

I'd say a 8-9. 100% honestly I've been in more pain with tonsillitis. It's a different sort of pain and not constant so hard to measure.

Drogonssmile · 30/12/2020 12:24

Ooh and for what it's worth when having my second, getting in the birth pool took pain from a 8 to a 3-4. Amazing.

Mxflamingnoravera · 30/12/2020 12:25

Not as bad as a dislocated shoulder- but that was 11!

TisTheSeasonToEatLots · 30/12/2020 12:57

It pinches a bit 🤣🤣🤣. I think the fact they are happy to offer you diamorphine as standard kind of tells you how much it hurts. I broke my pelvis and it was at worst the same level, but of course it isn’t a constant pain, it comes in waves (unless you had what I had with my second child where there was no break between contractions, that’s not normal though). I’m pregnant with my third though so it isn’t so bad that I didn’t want to do it again, I’m strangely looking forward to doing it again, I must be mad.

Historydweeb · 30/12/2020 13:04

Contractions maybe an 8. Pushing, crowning and tearing- off the scale, probably 100 . But I didn't have any drugs. Epidural and you'll be absolutely fine ❤

TaraRhu · 30/12/2020 14:32

10.I distinctly remember wondering how anything could be more painful. I had a very short and intense labour though. Contractions were every 2 mins from the get go but he was out on 5 hours. Pregnant with number 2 now. Would like a shot of morphine this time to take the edge off. Had nothing but gas and air last time. Once it's over there was no pain really - even with an episiotomy.

BuffaloCauliflower · 30/12/2020 15:06

@donnager you’re still assuming all women will experience the same there there. I had a back to back baby for most of my 30 hour labour and needed the drip to increase contractions twice. I was definitely not screaming in pain or needing an epidural, I’d say my labour was about a 7/10. I breathed a lot and had a lot of gas and air and a TENS machine and that’s all I needed. Sweeping statements of ‘if you have this’ (back to back labour, drip, whatever) ‘you’ll definitely be worse off and need X’ aren’t very helpful.

pinkpetal2 · 30/12/2020 15:10

It's only painful at the end stages I've found. The contractions start like period pain then they get more intense but you can have pain relief and obviously at the end it's really painful but when it gets to that stage it's all over very quickly.

I've had three without pain relief they all came within 45 mins of the first pains my second was only 15 minutes start to finish and didn't hurt at all, but my 3rd was extremely painful and I begged for the epidural on that one, except I was fully dilated and ready to push but no one had realised as only 5 minutes before I was told I was only 6cm dilated.

I pushed my son out whilst the doctor was at the door ready to start giving an epidural.

I think everyone differs on how painful it is but there's so many things now that can help you.

MartiniDry · 30/12/2020 15:15

10 - firstborn, arrived within two hours of being told I had around 10 hours to go, no time for pain relief, ventouse delivery, wanted to die, never again.

Second child delivered by elective section, pain controlled excellently thanks to advance planning, home after 3 days, back to normal by the time DC was 2 weeks old.

Sheleg · 30/12/2020 15:50

Off the scale. Just so, so painful. I had planned a natural unmedicated birth, but as soon as the contractions hit I begged for an epidural.

WednesdayAllTheWay · 30/12/2020 18:50

Are you glad you asked OP?Shock

WednesdayAllTheWay · 30/12/2020 18:52

I know you didn't ask for advice but I would get a doula, she will help you work out what you want in any given scenario, and then help you get it. Hard to convey how vulnerable one is during labour.

Shadow21 · 30/12/2020 20:09

@Sheleg

Off the scale. Just so, so painful. I had planned a natural unmedicated birth, but as soon as the contractions hit I begged for an epidural.
Did you have the epidural in the end?
Shadow21 · 30/12/2020 20:10

@WednesdayAllTheWay

Are you glad you asked OP?Shock
Yes. It’s interesting to read people’s different experiences.