Is childbirth truly as excrutiating as it seems? can u rate it on a scale of one to ten, ten bein tha worst.?

Question

cuz this is my first child and im goin for a natural birth. tha sheer idea of and epidural makes me queasy.

Answer 1

Before the epidural with my first it was a 20, but after the epidural it was a 5. With my second it was a 9 before the epidural, but after the epidural it was a 0, it didn't feel anything. I am 38 weeks with my third and welcome the epidural.

**I was going for a natural birth with my 1st, then I was begging for the epidural when the real pain started.**

Answer 2

My first child I was induced and the pain was a 10++++starting when my water broke. I got the epidural. With my second I went into labor on my own and it was maybe a 3 up until the deli every part and then I would say a 5 maybe 6. I was with out medication of any kind because I arrived at the hospital too late. With this one I am going for the no med approach again unless there is a chance of c-section.
When I had the epidural with my first child, I had a very experienced anesthesiologist and never once felt the needle going in cause he timed it just right during a contraction.
Good luck!

Answer 3

With my first son I had the epidural my labor was 3 hrs and 9 mins, but the epidural didn't work for me properly and the side affects I had afterwards wasn't worth getting the epidural. So with my second I had him naturally, I was in labor 2 hrs. and 14 mins yeah it hurt I'd probably rate it a 10 but at the same time,during my labor and even now I don't regret not getting the epidural and I have no intention of getting the epidural with my daughter. You'll know when the time comes what you want to do and if you think you can handle it or not. Most people I know ended up having longer labors do to the epidural slowing down there contractions and them dilating, SO it's all up to you. Good Luck & Congrats!!

Answer 4

I had my first baby last year. It felt great because I didn't get any pregnancy symptoms. However, when my water broke in the middle of the night, I was a little nervous but I was very calm. I can't really explain to you the pain that I've received while dialating, because I was so scared of how much pain I would have by 5cm, I requested the epidural. The epidural was painful when the needle was injected. However, after the needle was removed, you would only feel a little contraction. The contraction lets you know when to push. The doctor will not let you see the needle, so you will not be more scared than you already are. After my baby arrived, he tore a little of my skin, so I had a couple stitches down below. It feels a little "stingy" after the baby comes out. The next thing you'll know, your baby is in your arms and your family is there sharing the happiness with you. I was very glad that my husband stood by me throughout the whole thing.

Answer 5

1 - 10, 10 being the worst? Contractions in full swing, I'll give them about a 25... As for the pushing, I have no clue. I, too, said I didn't want an epidural, but at 5 cm I got one. I'm not trying to force it on you--just want to share my $0.02. :) I was already 3 cm dilated when they broke my water. Went from 3 cm to 5 cm (in excrutiating pain ever 2 minutes each time I contracted) in about 3 1/2 hours. Had my epidural at 11 p.m. and dilated from 5 cm to 10 cm in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Pushed for 30 minutes and out he was! The pushing wasn't so bad--they turned my epi off part way so that I could feel the contractions and know when to push. I'd say that was about a 2--maybe a 3.

While I was contracting (before the epidural) I would tense up so tight, hold my breath, etc. and that was forcing my cervix to stay closed--my body was trying to dilate, but I was so tense, I wouldn't let it. That's why after the epidural, I practically flew open, LOL.

Like I said--not trying to force my opinion on you--just sharing my experience. Every woman's experience is different, just as every woman's tolerance for pain is different. I say if you can do it without being numbed, more power to you! Just remember that if you do end up getting one or having a c-section, it doesn't make you "less" of a woman.

Big hug, and here's to a healthy, happy, beautiful baby!

Answer 6

It's like a 20. yes scale 1-10....still a 20. It hurts like a mutha effer! I'm not gonna lie. The good thing to remember, is that you're not the first to do this and weaker women have done it too. Your body was made for it...and also remember, all pain ends.

I had an epidural...I have to say, it made my labor LONGER (13 hours) and nothing gets rid of the hard labor at the end. Either you can postpone it, or you can just get it over with. Plus I had back pain after my epidural.
With my other kids, I didn't have an epidural, and my full labor was no longer than 3 hours.

Answer 7

It completely depends on the person and situation. How fast the baby comes made a big difference for me, too.

My first son was born in 20 min after my water broke and they had no time to give me any pain meds. It was a fairly easy, quick birth. It hurt, but not nearly like my second one. Second time, I took no pain meds, but I was in MUCH more pain. I'd say my pain tolerance is rather high, too.

Truthfully, its something you kinda have to call as it goes. If you want to plan to get an epidural, thats fine, but whether you get it or not will all depend on how fast the baby comes, how quickly you get to a hospital. Every birth, even from the same mom, is soooo completely different. I know plenty of moms who started experiencing contractions and ran for the epidural as fast as they could... and plenty who said "eh, I can do this!"

I'd try to make the best decision based on your own pain tolerance and ask those around you what they think of your ability to tolerate pain. But just be flexible... things might change when it comes down to it either way! A birth is something that you can prepare for, but never plan perfectly.

Answer 8

I went into labour with my second child and it was no picnic. But it wasn't really that bad. With my first I had some serious complications (abruptio placenta) and it was excruciating! I would go into labour a hundred times again before having another abruptio.
Labour was only about a 7 or so. Yes it hurt. But the way that labour pains work (they start, they get really strong, they relax) made it a lot more manageable. When I was no longer able to just breathe through the pain, I went to the hospital and got into a hot shower. It was wonderful! I was there for 2 hours and actually fell asleep in the shower. That really helped me to manage pain. Also, request oxygen or entonox before going to an epidural.

Epidurals have their place, but I woud suggest that you try other ways of pain management than just going for the epidural. A lot of US hospitals love them because they create revenue. If you don't really need one, you shouldn't use one.

Good luck!

Answer 9

I can't answer you from experience, I am 16 weeks pregnant now with my first child. I can answer from the viewpoint of a L&D nurse though...

The pain of labor has a lot to do with how you perceive it, and how prepared you are for it. If you are absolutely terrified, and do nothing to prepare, it's most likely going to be a lot worse than it would for someone who has taken childbirth classes, such as Bradley, or Hypnobabies, so they have methods to cope with the pain.

If you want to go natural (and I totally encourage you to do that, I am!), please read as much material as you can on natural childbirth. One good book I read recently was, Birthing From Within. I'm not sure who the author is, but it certainly is empowering!

Also, take some classes like I mentioned earlier. Get support, even a doula, especially if you're going to deliver in the hospital. From my experience (since I worked in 2 different hospitals doing L&D), those nurses tend to encourage epidurals and IV pain medication, because the patients are easier to deal with when they're numb! Know your options, and your rights!

Good luck!

Answer 10

It depends on your pain tolerance. I've had two babies and the first one seemed to be less painful. I was given narcotics through my IV tube and it took the edge off of the contractions for about three or four contractions. By this time, my contractions were about three minutes apart, so the narcotic didn't last long. Narcotics can only be given once an hour, but once you get close to delivering, they won't give you any because it makes the baby's APGAR score lower. I don't know that I would recommend narcotics to anyone.

With my second baby, I went to the hospital too late to get an epidural. The nurse told me if they gave me one, it would kick in after I delivered. She would have been right too. I delivered three hours after I got to the hospital.

There are lots of things you can do to help with the contractions. We hired a doula for my first baby. A doula is a labor coach. They cost about $300 or more. They are not covered by insurance, but she was so helpful. You can also take a prenatal class. They talk about the delivery in the class, so they will help you get to know what positions might help lessen the pain. Talk to your hospital or doctor about taking a class.

Things have come a long way, so depending on your blood pressure and the baby's heart rate during labor, you might be able to walk around or be in a jaccuzzi.

Best of luck!