What does a contraction feel like? Is it too painful to bear? Cause I plan on having a natural delivery.?

Answer 1

I had one with epidural and one natural and I prefer natural! I am pregnant now and I am going natural again. The other one I went natural was turned wrong and 1 lb bigger than the other so my pushing lasted an extra 1.5 hours versus only 3 pushes with the first. Yes there was pain but the feeling you get of the job done on your own rather than the doctors doing it all. GO NATURAL you won't regret it!!!

Answer 2

Early contractions feel like achy , crampy , menstrual cramps. They increase into long cramps that cause your belly to harden into a ball and relax as your contraction releases. The worst contractions are like a big wave of pain that washes over you and then washes back out as the contraction relaxes . In the hardest labor they can be 2 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute each so that you get maybe a minute between to gain control of yourself for the next one. It is bearable , women have done it since the beginning of time and managed to live just to turn around and do it again. I did it three times and if I could I'd do it again HOWEVER I had epiderals. My first was given at 6cm the 2nd at 8 cm and the third I had a C section but I was at 5 cm. The hard labor before the epiderul was different with each child. I was able to control it with breathing except for my 2nd child where everything happened so fast that I hyperventilated and vomitted. My only advice to you is if you decide to go natural but change your mind once you get started don't feel like you failed. It is fine to ask for help that is why the stuff was made AND MOST IMPORTANTLY if for some reason you need to be induced just fore go natural all together and opt for an epiderul. Induction is 100% worse than natural contractions and it is unbearable.

Answer 3

Contractions are like no other pain in the world. I had every intent on having an epidural, but my body wouldn't allow it. My vertebrae were too close together so they couldn't get the cath. needle in!! I had no choice but to go "natural". They can give you Demerol to help ease the contractions, it made me fall asleep between the contractions (for about 1min at a time) but all and all if I had to do it again I would do it natural. I was able to comfortably walk around a few days after delivering my son!! No shakes, no stitches no problems :o)
As far as what they feel like...
Imagine the worst cramps in the world or better yet that someone it tearing your uterus out every couple of minutes.
The labor pains you will forget very shortly afterwords and before you know it you will be wanting another little person in your life.

More power to you if you choose to go natural!!!
Just remember to allow yourself the option of pain meds if you feel as though you cant take the pain, even if you dont do it, the option is still on the table :o)

BREATHING is the key to getting through those nasty contractions, so go to Lamaze Classes!!!

Best of luck to you! Motherhood is like nothing else in the whole world!!

Answer 4

Labor is very painful. These people who do "natural" deliveries make no sense to me at all. The medicine is not harmful to the baby other then making them a little sleepy sometimes. When you are in labor and feel all that pain your body is tense and you are under an immense amount of stress. What do they say not to do while pregnant...get to stressed right? Plus if you are all tensed up it slowes your labor. I had natural labor with my first and I labored for 42 hours. I had an epidural with my last two babies and labored 6 hours and never felt anything. And the recovery was no shorter when I didn't have an epidural to the ones that I did. In this day in age where we have all these medicines, there is no reason to go through the pain. If the meds were harmful to the baby, they would not give it to you. Get an epidural and enjoy the birth of your baby, rather then being in so much pain that it just makes it a horrible experience.

Answer 5

Contractions and delivery are different with each child. I am a mother of 5 children. The first 4, I delivered naturally. That was because I knew when to go to the hospital. When my labor pains started, I didn't rush to the hospital right away. I stayed home, until I felt it was time to delivery. When I did get to the hospital, I went straight to the delivery room and within an hour or so I delivered. They were as easy as 4-6 pushes. How wonderful! On the other hand, my labor was induced with my 5th child, because of his size. He caused alot of labor time, because he was born a "star gazer", a baby who comes out facing up instead of down and it was much harder to push him through the pelvic bone area. Needless to say, I had an epidural with him.

Regardless of how you delivery, the pain will be there, but like what most of your answers are saying, after the birth, and years to come when you love and nuture your children all the pain you endured will be forgotten. And that is Biblical, too!

Answer 6

Everyone has a different pain threshold. Some people can take a lot of pain and others can't take a hangnail. Contractions are very painful but unless there are complications their bearable. Just be sure to learn the breathing techniques many women use to get through them. They help a lot. Once it's over with and you have that newborn in your arms all the pain is forgotten. Natural is the best way to go. Good Luck

Answer 7

contractions are bearable. Just do your breathing excersises. You might feel at some point that you can't bear the pain anymore, and then it may be to late, but when it is all said and done, you will have a beautiful baby in your arms and you will have forgotten what the pain felt like.

I had an epidural when I had my son, because I fear pain, but unfortunatly for me the epidural didn't work and I delivered him naturally. I can't remember the pain now, in fact, moments after he was born I couldn't remember it. I will have a natural child birth again when I decide to have another one.

Answer 8

Quite honestly, it is one of the most painful things I have ever done....TWICE!! lol However, they do not start out too bad at all. I think the key is having a supportive delivery staff. My doctor tried to talk me out of natural delivery both times. However, once I got to the hospital and told them I wanted natural delivery, I was assigned nurses who were supportive of that choice and helped in every way possible to make sure it was successful.

With my second child, I did a LOT of walking. Some hospitals don't allow that anymore though. Walking through labor really helped me.

I agree with the other answers. It does hurt, but once your baby is out, the pain is over and you have a beautiful child. (And a lot less sleep!!)

Make the choice that is right for you and don't let anyone tell you how to do your delivery. Remember, you are the one in charge of your body

Good luck!

Answer 9

Contractions, to me, felt like an exaggerated menstruation cramp. I went into preterm labor at 30 weeks, and that was way more painful than when I actually had her at 36 weeks. I had an epidural, but because she was only 6 lbs, I probably could have done without one. So to answer your question...wait until you go into labor. If the contractions are too painful for you, then get the epidural, or a saddle block, whichever your doctor offers. And don't believe TV shows or movies where they portray the woman screaming bloody murder....I think that only happens in like 5% of births.

Answer 10

A contraction feels like your body is a washcloth and you are being wrung out in a twisting motion from the middle. It is not fun, but it is bearable, as women have been subjected to it forever.

If you want to go without pain meds or an epidural, that's fine. You'll be okay because a person can stand anything for a short time. I would suggest having a backup plan with your OB in case you really decide you don't like it when the time comes.