How Painful is childbirth and what is the discomforting about pregnancy?

Question

I haven't had any children yet but before I think about kids I want to know exactly how painfull is natural childbirth and how long does it take to get the child out of you? and what are the other discomforts about being pregnant?

Answer 1

I had natural childbirth 20 years ago. Trust me...I WANTED drugs but the baby was coming so fast they didn't even have time to set the stirrups up! Totally natural childbirth will hurts like HELL. The pressure from the head bearing down was excruciating but it only lasted a few seconds. I only have one child because I was unable to have more, but if I had to do it again I would do natural childbirth. I was totally coherent and able to remember everything for the first few minutes of her new life. I saw my mother and father hold their first grandchild. I saw the tears in my husband's eyes when he told me it was a girl.
How long labor lasts is different for every woman. Mine was very short but very hard and very painful. I did not proceed according to all the things we learned in baby classes.....lol.
Other discomforts vary as well. Toward the end I carried my daughter on one side...my tummy looked really funny and uneven. I didn't have much morning sickness...never threw up, just felt queasy for about 2 months. I also enjoy sleeping on my tummy...couldn't do that once I started to show.
Don't let the thought of pain or scary stories keep you from having children if you want them. There are safe ways to make natural childbirth more comfortable but don't let anyone tell you it will be painless. My daughter is the light of my life and I cannot imagine being without her.

Answer 2

It depends on factors that are unique to each woman: your age, your health before pregnancy, your fitness level etc. I have been pregnant & given birth 5 times, and each experience was different for me.

A great site for researching pre-pregnancy health & fitness planning, and all things related to pregnancy, childbirth & parenting is: www.babycenter.com.

Many of the discomforts of pregnancy can be alleviated with medication or other means that are safe for your baby and there is always an epidural to make childbirth more bearable if you are afraid of the pain. If you really want a natural childbirth, then I would highly recommend a doula to assist you during delivery & help you to manage your pain. http://www.dona.org/ Try this website for more information.

Don't let your fears keep you from one of the most wonderful experiences of life! The minor discomforts and even labor pains fade into a distant memory as soon as you hold that precious baby for the first time. (you can trust me ... I've given birth 5 times naturally and without any pain medicine at all & I can still say this.)

Answer 3

Everyone's different. Some have very comfortable pregnancies with little compliants and no complications in birth. Some have nice easy pregnancies and complicated, painful births. Some have hard pregnanices and easy births. Some have difficult pregnancies and complicated births. Some are in labor a matter of 2 or less hours, some are 24 hours or more (most doctors won't let you go much beyond that anymore). You can't guess what your experience will be. Don't decide based on the pain and discomfort you might feel whether or not to become a parent....most things in life that are worth anything don't come quick and easy.

Answer 4

Every pregnancy is different, so how much pain you feel depends on your pain threshold. I have two children and they were both very different. My oldest I was sick for the first 3 months but after that, I was very comfortable. My second child on the other hand, I was sick the whole nine months and had heartburn all the time, even after drinking water. About the delivery, I was induced both times and they say that that's harder then going into labor naturally. I was in labor about 7 hours with my firstborn, and about 3 with my second. Don't believe every woman horror story bout birth, everyone's different. Above anything I can tell you with or without the pain, childbirth is an AMAZING experience.

Answer 5

I did not start gaining weight or showing til i was 20 weeks. I never got the morning sickness, i never peed alot, I never got the "mask", i got the fast growing hair n thick nails n pretty complection lol. i can tell you though, i do everything i did before i got pregnant. sometimes i forget I am pregnant til i look down at my belly!! and i only have 26 days left to go. a lot of prego girls will tell you how miserable it is and how they were sick alot, well i was never sick and i dont waddle yet or anything!! the ONLY pregnancy symptom i got was the hemorroids cuz of the iron pills they put me on and the baby etc., and every once in a while if i wear tight tennis shoes and walk for a while my feet will swell a little bit lol' but i would def not mind getting preg again!!

Answer 6

well everyone is different when it comes to child birth, the pain is undescribable, so no matter how someone describes it, it will still fell different. but it does hurt. kinda like a burning sensation with the head ( which is the worst). for me i was in labour for 7 hours and took me about 30 minutes to push. again it depends on how dilated u are when labour starts, how it starts, what posistion the baby is in and how u both cope. the most common discomfort i had was at the end of term when they baby was just pushing down. also when he stretched he would get up under my ribs. i am 5 months pregnant now with my second and the morning sickness is worst for me now, i am still vomiting. so every pregnancy is different. but good luck, i think you'll be fine, hope it all goes well and i hope your baby is healhty!

Answer 7

depends on your pain tolerance level and if you are a laid back or hyper-high-drama type person. preparing yourself through Lamaze & education is very important so you know what is happening, why & when.

I am the laid back variety---had my child with only 1/2 shot of darvocet taking the edge off 20+ hrs after beginning labor--I did not cry out---yes there is discomfort, some pain, pressure, you get quite exhausted by the end--but it is all very worth it. I remember the joy, not the pain.

Answer 8

everybody's different

my grandma said it was like trying to poop a cast-iron oven that was glowing red hot

a girl that went to school with my sister didn't realize she'd had her baby until the doc informed her, even though it was a drug-free birth

Eurasian laborers are renowned for having their babies while working in fields, with virtually no lost time from their respective jobs -- they just squat, pop, cleanup and go; i don't know how they handle the infant or dispose of the afterbirth

lots of women report great pain (which led to the epidural -- a potentially dangerous procedure that sometimes results in paralysis)

some schools of thought suggest that the orientation of your body has a lot to do with whether the birth will be painful (part of the reason foreign workers are able to have their babies in fields, basically without any help and without any apparent discomfort)

but it's totally worthwhile!

Answer 9

Everyone is different when it comes to how long it takes for the child to be delivered. As far as trying to describe the pain, I think that the closest analogy is when you get a Charlie Horse in your leg, you know how that feels? Well, it's like that only it's the whole area of your abdomen.

Answer 10

It hurts like Hell and it's terribly uncomfortable. But the joys of having children overpass andy of the discomforts of those 9 months.