Pain of childbirth...?

Question

Having recently given birth and think i did well to manage without pain relief, i got to thinking if childbirth hurts the same for us all, or are some women just better at dealing with it than others? your thoughts please.... :-)

nkellingley, who bravely adds his email to his username, it's a good job you're a bloke and won't have to go through it. You'd probably be a screaming mess before you'd even got past the morning sickness.

Answer 1

I think it's a combination of things. Some women are scared and stressed and some have lower pain thresholds.

I had an easy time but I think most women do not. So you, my sister, are blessed and so am I.

Answer 2

Congrats on having such a great birth. I had planned to go as long as possible without pain relief using a TENS machine, but I developed pre-eclampsia and had to be induced. The induction triggered a really hard, fast labour and I was having 30 sec long contractions every 2 mins when I was 1 cm dilated. So I'm afraid I completely crumbled at the thought of having another 10 hours or so of that sort of labour, so I had an epidural (which was recommended anyway for the pre-eclampsia). I let it wear off though so I could push myself and I don't remember the pain being really, really bad, although everyone has told me that the pain is so productive when you're pushing it's easier to bear with than during transition etc.

I would like to have another child and I think I might try and do it with as little pain relief as possible - although having had one, I can thoroughly recommend an epidural!

Answer 3

I think the pain is different for different women, depends on how long the labour is too. I was in labour for 26 hours, I was induced so I had contractions hit me really hard, no build up at all, the baby got stuck, I was in utter agony, if I had had a gun in the delivery room I would have shot myself, no question about it. The pain was like nothing else I could describe, and I am never going through it again, no way. She is going to be an only child, I just canno go through it all again. I also had severe post natal depression after, the pregnancy was awful, so the whole thing was just one big horrific experience.

Then again, my cousins waters broke and the baby flew out an hour later, no pain relief and she said it didnt hurt much, just like big period pains.

Each woman is different, but its definitely not something im gonna be doing again.
Congratulations by the way!

Answer 4

i think there can be different things that happen during labour which can make it more uncomfortable. when i was in early labour my contractions were really erratic, but that was because his head was at the wrong angle, he was trying to look out so i had 30 + hours before the midwives would even class it as being in labour.

but i do also think that people deal with pain differently. yes you did do well to give birth without pain relief...i didn't manage that this time, but i was just pleased that i managed without an epidural, but the pethadine did help me sleep which i really needed after 40 hours!

everyone when in labour needs to do what they want to do and no-one should feel pressured to try giving birth with or without pain relief, because it doesn't make you a bad mother and all our children are precious, if the mother is happier for having had pain relief then those first few bonding moments will be less stressful for all concerned.

Answer 5

no, the pain is NOT the same for everyone - how can it be ? each woman's body is different, and our babies do not come 'made to measure'. i had a large baby that was laying back - to - back in the womb, which makes for a longer, more painful labour. believe me, after 2 and a half days of labour with no sleep, i was ready for some pain relief !!! i do not think there is any shame in opting for pain relief. i was all for a natural birth, using only gas & air, but until u are actually going through the birth, u cannot tell what u may need. u might not be so lucky if u decided to have another child ! my sister has had 3 children, and she said that the 3rd one was the worst !

Answer 6

I was in labor the whole day and at around 6 pm, it became so tough I ended up taking pain killers and finally epidural and felt it was a blessing. Next time, I am straight going to ask for an epidural.

The women who do it without epidural are brave in my eyes.

Answer 7

i won't be able to communicate in direction of the organic newborn delivery adventure, as I added my son with an epidural. first and maximum appropriate... don't sense to blame approximately any determination which you're making. additionally bear in suggestions that each and each physique pregnancies are diverse. I have been given my epidural as quickly as they broke my water. I wasn't dilating as quickly as that they had was hoping, so as that they broke my water to develop the stress on my cervix. The contractions have been given sooooo severe after that, that i could desire to truly stand it. I have been given the epidural, and it made the entire adventure that particularly extra relaxing. frequently because of the fact I nonetheless had 9 hours of exertions to pass. If I had no longer had the epidural... i could have had to have had a C-section. there's no way i could have had the potential to push to get my son out. My exertions replaced into over 22 hours, and the epidural allowed me to get some hours of interrupted sleep. I easily have heard some people say that with the epidural they did no longer sense the could desire to push or they weren't pushing acceptable. possibly my dose replaced into low or had lost that's effectiveness, yet I felt the urgency to push and that i FELT the delivery. It did no longer do away with all the discomfort. i do no longer comprehend... yet i could think of the epidural could make the exertions somewhat longer when you consider which you will get a gamble to take a seat back and your physique can do different paintings on that's very own. without the epidural you'll be pushing and doing each and everything on your potential to pass issues at a quicker %.. I had no problems with my transport. i'm set to be prompted the next day... and that i would be getting an epdiural back. reliable success... that's a determination to no longer be taken gently... even with the undeniable fact that it is your determination. no could desire to sense to blame or sense tension to do as different's think of you may desire to. Your reliable chum would be a reliable gauge besides. many women folk got down to have a organic newborn delivery, and understand that they are extra open to the epidural then they theory.

Answer 8

it hurts, but i think i think everybody deals with it in a different way, ive had two girls, and i actually enjoyed the labour of my second, it was very quick, and actually so relaxed that i managed a few giggles (i had pethadine, which was to late anyway, had the injection then her head came at the same time), i also think it depends on what your surroundings are like! the pain is forgotten after anyway because your too busy looking at you gorgeous new baby!

Answer 9

I think everyone has a different level of pain acceptance. Its usually a case of mind over matter! I just compare my two daughters ... one can cry like a baby when she falls and the other one just gets up and carries on! She will definately be one to use pain relief ... the other will just get through it!

Answer 10

There was really no need to have suffered pain during the birth of your child. Drinking Raspberry leaf tea before and during labour would have helped all the muscles to relax and birthing would have been a lot less painful.