What do contractions feel like and what does it feel like during delivery?

Question

Im 7 months and im afraid of all the pain that im going to be going through. This is my first baby so i dont have any idea what to expect. So im wondering what the contractions are going to feel like and what its going to feel like during the delivery. Details are fine with me i wont be grossed out I just really want to know whats going to happen.

Answer 1

i have 3 boys 7, 5, and 2, and all of the labors were different. but u can expect pain.you will probably get braxton hick contractions first, they are small obdominal pains and will go away, this is just your body stretching and getting ready for your baby. when it's really time, it will hurt in your lower stomach, your sides, your back and especially your lower back and my legs hurt too. i felt like i had to pee constantly. the contractions will get stronger and more painful and when they get to 5 min. apart you should be on your way to the hospital but dont rush too much,,u still have hours most likely, your first baby takes the longest usually, not always. you need to decide if u are going tohave an epidural...i didnt have one with my first 2 because i woke up in labor and when i got to the hospital i was too far along and they wouldnt let me have it, but with my last one i made sure to get one and it made the world of difference..i didnt feel any pain and i only felt the squiggle of him coming out. u can get some med. in your iv when u are like 5c.dialated to help but it will slow the contractions. at 6-7c, u want to get the epidural. remember if your water breaks before your contractions get to 5min. apart,,go straight to the hospital,,he/she is coming now....good luck, hope u the best...from a mom of 3 wonderful boys...im if u need to ask anything else..

Answer 2

I have three boys, I delivered the first vaginally with an epidural, the second emergency C-section, and the third vbac (vag after c-section). The vaginal deliveries were less painful to me than the C-section because once baby arrived the pain stopped. I went through Lamaze classes with my third and it made a huge difference in my labor. The first I did not know what to expect and I did not know how to relax. It might be hard to get into Lamaze now but you might be able to borrow a tape from your doctor or your hospital. My contractions felt like a tightening that just got tighter and tighter. The pain was like intense cramps. The worst part is when I reached about 7 centimeters but if you learn to relax your pelvic muscles you will dilate faster. Also walking during labor can help speed things up. The epidural with my first one was not given for a long time and once the pain was gone I dilated within minutes but then I had trouble pushing because I was numb. My third was the most painful but I actually remember it as my best delivery experience. Good luck and know you will do just fine.

Answer 3

I have a one year old son and I'm 38 1/2 weeks pregnant with my daughter. I had an epidural with my first and I felt absolutely nothing.I only felt my contractions for about 3 hours before I got the epidural and it wasn't as bad as everyone said it would it be. I didn't even realize I was having contractions at first. I would encourage you to get an epidural but every woman is different and no two pregnancies are alike. Some women get the epidural and still feel everything. Contractions and delivering the baby. And some women, like me, get lucky and feel nothing. I would go for it. You might get lucky and feel nothing, too. Good luck and don't be too scared. God created women to handle that pain. You'll be fine. And congratulations!!!!

Answer 4

I think the answers above help, but mostly I felt really, really, bad cramps like period cramps, I felt sick, I threw up the first time, just overall super crappy, like the worst flu you could ever have, while you have the worst cramps. By the time you get into "active labor" you don't really have time to think about the pain, you're too busy dealing with it. Have you gone to prenatal classes? I've had an intrathecal (spelling??) both times, and still felt a lot of pain, but what helped as much as the shots were the breathing I had learned, they really seemed to help me. I was also really helped by having an excellent & caring person by my side both times, first my mom & then my husband. So bad, bad, cramps, and hard pressure, that's what I'll expect with #3 this August. By the way, I know so many things you read & hear say that first labors are often long- my first labor was only 4 hours! (#2 was 3 hours!) So don't wait forever, if you feel you need to go to the hospital, go. My mom actually convinced me to go to the hospital the first time, I didn't think I was ready, but I was indeed in labor... It's much better to go too early than too late. Best of luck to you!!

Answer 5

it is extremely painful!! i didnt get an epidural for a variety of reasons especially cause it is known to cause breast feeding trouble but i was in labor 12 hours and stopr dialating at 9 cm (thats when you get the most painful contractions) so that made it much worse but after about an hour i dialated the last cm and was to tired to finish pushing by then so they pulled him out! for this pregnancy im so nervous because i know its excruciating but well worth it and yes im planning on no meds again so you can do it too as long as you have good support there! my sons dad didnt talk(it annoyed me when people would talk) he would just let me know when a contraction was coming(the monitor lets you know) and just encourage me that i could do it without an epideral!! anyways good luck sweetie oh yea and the farther you go into your dialateing the more it hurts thats why i think some women that get the epidural dont feel pain like a completly natural birth because they get the epidural right before the real pain kicks in!! ask your mom if she had quick labor and if she did you most likely will too!! my sis in law had her first in just an hour no problem

Answer 6

ok, you asked for details, so i'll share my experience and something i read somewhere once.

flex your arm muscle like a bodybuilder would. now squeeze harder. keep squeezing harder until you can't squeeze any harder. now release. you just contracted your muscles in your arm. it was uncomfortable ~ on the verge of painful, but not really painful.

when you have contractions during labor, it will be the same type of thing, only much stronger than your arm. remember that a labor contraction will be an uncomfortable feeling you cannot control, but you can control your reaction to it.

another thing to remember during labor. when you have a contraction, it squeezes the baby down into the cervix, which causes the cervix to open. when you are having contractions, remind yourself that the purpose is to open your cervix for the baby to fit through. this really helped me focus through my contractions.

another thing to remember: gravity!!!! what i mean is that if you are laying on your back through the contractions, you are fighting gravity. the best position to get in during the contractions is the squatting position. start practicing them now: squat down with your feet under your hips and spread your knees out as far as you can. this will cause your pelvis to open up which in turn helps the baby push against the cervix during contractions causing the cervix to dilate.

if you have any other questions, i highly recommend the bradley method. pick up a copy of "husband-coached childbirth" from your local library ~ or search for it on-line and get a copy. it is invaluable to really describe what you will soon be experiencing. i used the bradley method and had all 3 of my babies natural without any anesthesia and had the last one at home in a birth tub (the first 2 were born at the hospital). the home birth was the easiest for me. why? because i was not stuck in bed with monitors on me. i actually squatted through every contraction. when my hard labor started (that's when the contractions get so strong that you cannot talk through them), it was about 7:30 am. my midwife showed up at 9 am and my baby was born at 10:07 am.

blessings on the upcoming birth of your precious baby!

Answer 7

i wish i could tell you. I had an epidural so i didnt really feel much. my first contractions I had until i got my epidural just felt like really bad cramps. After I got the anesthesia I went to sleep. they literally had to wake me up and tell me to push and tell me when I was having contractions. So really the worst part for me was the aftermath because I tore and had to get stitches and got hemrhoids which was VERY painful. I hope this pregnancy goes that smoothe. Good Luck to you!

Answer 8

sweetie it hurts really bad but it is so so so worth it you
see that wonderful person in fron t of you words can' t describe the feeling you get. i was in labor 20 hours and Ididn' t dialte but to maybe 3 1/2 cinmeters, it was bad but Ididn't give up. its' a pain nobody can describe I am not trying to scare you some women have it easier than others,
don't worry you will be fine.

Answer 9

They both hurt but giving natural birth hurts the most. I have 2 kids so far natural birth. I'm carrying another i'm 8 months now. You see when i had my 1st child i didn't want any drugs for the pain so I just took it. But yeah it's gon hurt with or without drugs. But a c-section you might not feel what their doing but you'll still be in labor and afterwards you'll be in pain in your stomach for a while or maybe longer.

Answer 10

not going to candy coat it, yes its painful and being your first labor can be long but you discuss what type of pain management you want with your doctor. now i said it is painful but your higher power is mericiful, you won't remember i think the reason for that is if we did remember we wouldn't want to do it again.