is labour really as painful as they say it is?

Question

tv and televison make it look so painful. but is it really that bad? is the worst pain you have experienced?

Answer 1

Yes, it is as bad as they say, BUT after it's gone and over you really can't remember how bad it was or what it felt like. It's hard to explain. I mean, I remember that it was BAD, but I can't recall exactly how it felt. I think it's a wonderful trick that our mind lends us. As soon as the baby is out and placed on your belly, it's gone.

I know this makes no sense, but that's how it is for me, and every other woman that I know.

Answer 2

However painful it is - even if it is the worst pain you have experience at the end of it, you will have a beautiful new baby in your world. This is going to change your life for the better and at the end of the day you will forget the pain of labour no matter how bad it was.
I have suffered a miscarriage and when I found out I was pregnant, I like you worried about the pain of the labour. Now there could be nothing in the world as painful as realizing you were after losing the baby you never got to meet. The pain of labour dose not matter as it will be worth it in the long run, no matter how bad it was.
Good luck!

Answer 3

tv and movies SERIOUSLY OVER DRAMATISE it i had my son without any pain killers at all but it does depend on your pain threshold aswell i thought the worst part was the contractions but eventhen i thought they were uncomfortable to the point where you dont know what to do wit yorself than painful (mind you i have a fairly high pain threshold too wich changes the equasion a bit) but when your pushing you arent thinking about the pain so you dont notice it as much once the head comes out there is a burning sensation for a couple of seconds and its all over if you have a very painful or complicated or hard labour your body produces a chemical which kind of supresses the pain or memories of it afterwards anyway but even if you were fine its still one of those things you dont really remmember or cant explain to anyone especially after you see and hold your beautiful baby boy or girl then you realise that it was all worth it in the end

Answer 4

OK, most people say that it is the actual pushing the baby out that hurts the most. For me though, it was the contractions. And they weren't like a stabbing agony or anything, they were just really, really bad period pains. It got a bit hard to handle, but the gap between contractions was the best feeling - by the way I used the gas mask as the only drug.
And yeah, it was just about the worst pain I've experienced.. but I've never broken a bone or hurt myself bad enough to need stitches either, so I can't compare it to anything like that.
By the time the urge to push happened, it was a relief and it didn't last long; it hurt a little, but was just more of a stretching sensation and I was occupied by concentration on trying to push rather than dwelling on any pain.
It wasn't nice... but it wasn't fire and agony like I had imagined it by watching TV.

Answer 5

It really depends on your tolerance for pain and the type of birth you are having. If you have a c-section then there is practically no pain (or not supposed to.) There is also a procedure called a epidural, they deaden the sensations from the waist down by inserting a needle into your spine and injecting pain medication there. This is slightly dangerous and I would never have one for anything in the world, but some doctors swear by them. My daughter's birth was a bit painful, but that only lasted 45 min, she is 12 now and the love she gives me (she is a great child) is worth the worst pain in the world.

Answer 6

If you consider giving birth to something the size of a large watermelon coming out of a hole in your body that is (well, you know how big yours is!) painful, then, YES. It hurts like h@#*. However, the pain is only momentary (even if it seems to go on forever at the time) and once it's over, most women find that the memory of the pain fades away, like the pain itself. I would recommend accepting whatever drug your doctor offers for the pain, take it while you can...you're still going to feel some pain, but it won't be quite as severe.

Answer 7

Well it stings a bit that's for sure!

It IS painful, no doubt about it but gas and air is brilliant stuff and with a little concentration, a lot of walking about and keeping active for as long as possible during labour it's not as bad as a bad toothache.

I had toothache last month that had me in tears- I would happily have given birth to my youngest son all over again-gas and air only, 6hrs established labour(I thought 48hrs with my eldest was as bad as it got-but nipper was back to back) than go a minute longer than I had to with that.

So in answer to your question, yes it hurts but no, it's not the worst pain I've experienced.

Answer 8

Labour pain is tantamount to torture, especially if you are having your first child, and you may get nurses who are way too casual about you getting an epidural. This is not always a beatific experience and a forgetable pain (there are lots of us who get dizzy everytime we think of it). It never looks as bad on tv as it really is, because it seems when you get to a certain point with pain, you go inward and stop screaming so much. And despite people talking about a "natural" childbirth with no medication, as long as you don't get a c-section it IS natural, so why go through the horrible pain for hours if it isn't necessary. You have nothing to prove. (I have had many rounds of stitches and I had gall bladder flare ups for 3 years before it was removed. I know pain.)

Answer 9

It is painful, but TV and movies make it look so fake. Pain is also no a subjective thing, so it depends on what you would consider painful. There are many pain reducers/killers out there to help easy the pain of labor and delivery.
Good luck

Answer 10

Yes I am afraid to say that labor is very painful. However, if you have a good coach and a wonderful support system, the pain seems to not be near as bad. In the end, you will have a beautiful, healthy baby and it is all worth it.

I am getting ready to have my 4th baby in 2 weeks :)