From 1 to 10, how bad is labor? What is pregnancy like? I don't have kids because of the fear of the unknown!

Question

Another thing, I have a herniated disk in my lower back that hurts alot. I'm afraid if I get pregnant one day the pregnancy will make it worse. Any thoughts? I would get an opinion from my Dr. but with having a male Dr. I assume he wouldn't have a clue!

Answer 1

The actual delivery is not that bad, the contractions are horrible, but you can opt to get an epidural and skip some of the pain...when delivery actually starts, you'll feel relief when it comes time to push...its kinda like your countering the pain with the push and its sweet relief...you don't feel pain much, mostly pressure and then all of a sudden its over and you have a gorgeous baby that makes you forget all the pain...and then a funny thing happens...the baby grows up and mother nature has a way of letting you forget how bad the labor was and you want to do it all over again for the love of another child...

Answer 2

From what I understand as a husband, father, and man, Labor would be a 10. Some women have an easier time than others.
For Example:
1. My first wife, who gave me two children, did not have a real bad time, but being there I would consider it a 10 on the pain scale.
2. My second wife on the otherhand who gave me one child, and already had two children, joked and played cards throughout most of her labor, butI would still consider her pain a 10.

Pregnancies in both cases were virtually the same, some misery but for the most part they both were happy and alive with the idea of giving life.

I am no doctor , but I believe your doctor will agree, a herniated disc will be very painful or could possibly become worse during a pregnancy.

Answer 3

Pregnancy is different for everyone. M first pregnancy I was sick the first 4 months then when I hit 6 months I started itching and it didn't stop until I began labor.
My second and third pregnancy's where much better then the first my third being my best with no problems of any sort.
Labor if natural sucks with a pain scale of 10. I can't have a epidural because of previous back surgery but after I had my third my tubes got tied the following morning because no way was I doing that again.
Some woman find labor to be a spiritual thing but not me!!

Answer 4

Gosh, I almost don't want to answer that question.
ON a scale from 1 - 10 it would have to be a BIG FAT 10!!!
With my first baby, I went into labor and got an epidural with in couple of minutes and it was great. Didn't feel a thing.
Now, with my second, I wanted to be brave in front of my mom and try to handle the pain for as long as I could. STUPID!
I kept saying to myself after the pain resided ok that wasn't to bad and then the pain would come again and I thought I was dying. It hurt so bad. I had never felt pain like that before. I ended up waiting to long and I signed the papers to have the epidural but it was already to late and I was dialated to a 10. I had to push that baby out with no pain medication what so ever. My mom was on one side of me holding my hand and my husband was on the other side. I looked to my mom and said "MOMMY, I cant do it."
My husband to this day brings it up and laughs at me. Yeah, he wouldn't be laughing if he was in that kind of pain. I wasn't even in labor that long really. And my baby girl turned out to be only 6lbs. 9oz and it felt like I was going to die.
That is the truth.
If you get pregnant, and are going into labor. Just make sure you order your epidural as soon as you get to the hospital because it takes a little time for the epidural guy to show up and take the pain away. That is my advise to you.
Afterwards, you forget the pain really fast. It's funny how that works.
Anyway, In the end seeing your baby, you know it was all worth it.

Answer 5

I have 4 kids, and labor time is about 2 hours for me, usually I hear 10 hours, 20 hours, etc, each woman is different. Look you don't have to worry about the pain or labor. When you are ready to have a baby, do it, it is the most beautiful thing to do and to have in your arms, babies are so tiny so warm, so yours.

In my last two deliveries I had this injection in my back ( I don't know the name) and it did wonders, It was amazing all I had to do wash Push! NO pain at all, They told me that there where some side effects,and they made me signed somenthing, but at the moment of pain I did not care just as long as the pain went away, I said please anything just take this pain away. Please when you are ready don't wait to see if you can bare the pain just go with the injection, Now if you want to feel what that umbereable pain is like, wait a while and then do the injection. Good luck.

Answer 6

labor is very ummmm not to scare you but painful 10 i had to be induced so my contractions were every 2-3 minutes full force i did the first 4 hours or so natural and then got an epidural which was a little peice of heaven on earth let me tell you anyone who tells you labor is easy, even those with a high tolerance for pain, is lying to you and you don't need to listen! labor is painful but i promise it will be over soon and if you need to keep reassuring yourself of that during the process than do it! millions of women before you have done it and millions of women will do it after you! good luck
by the way if you live in fear of the unknown for the rest of your life you will never experience the things that you will consider unforgettable having a baby is the best! i wouldn't change it for the world and the pain is so worth it and definitely an unforgettable experience

Answer 7

Pregnancy is one of the best things that can happen to a woman. Feeling your baby kick and move around is great! The pain is pretty bad, but it usually gets really bad when the baby is about to come out. I would give my two experiences a 10 (according to your scale). Like the other girl said - as soon as you see your baby you forget about the pain that you just went through. Once the baby is out the pain goes away immediately. The experience of having a baby is worth the pain and so much more!

I was induced for both pregnancies - no drugs or anything for the pain.

Answer 8

I have two kids. My first came out after 7 hours labour, with the last 3 hours under epidural cos I couldnt bear sitting in the bed watching and anticipating the pain that was gonna come with each incoming contraction. My second was under induction, and came out in 20 mins, and there was not enough time to get any painkillers into my system. Was it painful? Well, I was bent double (literally) with the pain when the contractions came..so, a rating scale of 10..heck, 20 as one of the other posters said! :P

Pregnancy is different for different people. I guess I was one of the lucky ones cos I didnt have morning sickness for both my babies. That said, I think it's common for most ladies to be tired during the first trimester. The best time is probably whey you are like 4-7 months pregnant..great time to plan for baby....buying stuff, planning the room, planning for the delivery etc. Around 7-9 months, since one is big, I think one tends to be more heavy and therefore its harder to move around and get things done. There are of course things that you should be prepared for..constipation, cramps (leg cramps for e.g), varicose veins, stretch marks, going to the bathroom frequently cos the baby is pressing on the bladder, lack of sleep, just to name a few things, but all these are worth it when you see that bundle of joy wailing upon delivery.

There are some excellent pregnancy and motherhood books out there. I'd suggest you read some of them if you want more information.

Answer 9

It can reach a 10 on anyone's pain scale, but there are ways to lower it. I have been a labor nurse for 15 years and have had experienced mothers tell me that passing a kidney stone is much worse than labor. Dealing with any pain is a pain, but labor can be the most rewarding pain in the world, As a pastor and a proponent of natural childbirth, I teach my patients to "let go and let God," because this awesome process is natural. By relaxing all your muscles while your uterus does its job, you cope better with pain and speed the labor process along. If you fight the process, yes, it is always a 10. I no longer teach childbirth prep classes, but have the essentials on my web page, if anyone is interested.

Answer 10

Since I was a child I had nightmares about childbirth. Even into my early 20's I would wake up crying in the middle of the night because I knew I wanted to have a child, but I was sure that childbirth would send me spiraling into a panic attack. When I met my husband I knew we both wanted kids, and the first time we "tried" to get pregnant I cried because I was so torn between the great fear and my desire to have a baby. Anyhow, we were blessed with a pregnancy and then I found something that changed everything. I had seen a Baby Story episode as well as an episode of Dateline on a relaxation technique called Hypnobirthing. I went to www.hypnobirthing.com and found a class in my area. I figured it was worth a try. I'm happy to say that the class was amazing and it changed my whole view about birth. All my life I'd heard about birth as this terrible event with intense pain, punching your husband, and saying in an almost demonic voice, "Give me the drugs!" The hypnobirthing philosophy is all about empowering women to understand that we're designed for this event. If you look at pregnancy and see the miraculous way everything (usually) falls into place, you can see that this design is not flawed. The thing that cause pain in birth is fear. Fear causes Tension, Tension causes Pain, causes Fear causes Tension causes Pain and on and on... For example, when you are scared to get a shot, you tense up the muscle in your arm, this makes the shot hurt really badly. If you can let go of fear and keep the muscle relaxed, you will feel almost no pain from the same shot. I know I sound like I work for hypnobirthing, but I don't. I'm just a regular scardey cat who had an incredibly relaxed birth. I have a video to prove it and it's crazy how I'm laying there like a limp rag. I can only tell you that even though you don't have power over exactly how your birth will go, you do have power over your state of mind. Stay focused, keep the room clear of stressful energy (that might mean mom needs to be in the waiting room) and go inside yourself and work with your baby and you body to have a beautiful birth. It's YOUR birth. I'm not a new-agey type of person, but I have to say that by using Hypnobirthing, I had a pain level of about 4 at most. It was not so much pain but extreme pressure. Like a BIG balloon being blown up inside of you. When the balloon gets bigger, you MUST relax into it or the pain will come fast and hard. Just LET GO and give in. You're on the rollercoaster, so just ride it out and heck you might even enjoy the rush. If you want medication, you can use it, but I still think these techniques with make the experience much MUCH better. Learn solid techniques because in the moment you must call upon your practice to stay centered when things get intense. Prepare like you're getting ready for running a marathon. I'll never run 26 miles but I got through almost 3 days of labor like a true champ. Me, the little girl with the birth nightmares! Don't buy into the negativity. Stay positive. You can do it!
No matter what the child will be a blessing that will change your life. Go for it!
All the best to you!
Sarah Jane