What does labour pain feel like?

Question

What can the pain be likened to, period pain, spasms ... ? And, is it truly 'that bad'?

Answer 1

starts of as period pains
and im not going to lie it does hurt like hell
BUT i only had gas and air, they wouldnt give an epidural, so thats why i felt the severe end of the pain barrier!!!!

Answer 2

Labour pain cant be described, it cant be likened to anything else you will have experienced in your life BUT it is true what they say about the pain from labour will fade once you have your little one in your arms. It is bad, i dare any mother to say otherwise, but you will sort of forget it. Also, no two pregnancies are alike - not even in the same mother - i had 2 totally different kinds of labour pains with both my kids, but i really couldnt describe it.

It is called "labour" because it will be hard, painful and very very tiring - which is just what labour means. You will forget about it afterwards.

Dont try to focus too much on the pain before you go into labour, you will only stress yourself and give you major feelings of dread. Concentrate on the most important thing - your beautiful baby at the end of all the hard work.

Answer 3

every woman is different, but I will share my experience with you.

the beginning pains felt like someone squeezing my lower back (above the hips) and pushing their hands around to my abdomen..they would generally last a minute or so, then subside.

as my labor progressed, the pain then became more central to the front hip area and abdomen, with the same pressure/squeezing feel.

once I went into transistion, and the need to push started, I felt like I well..to put it nicely...I needed to have a bowel movement. The baby was bearing down in the last stages, which put pressure on my bottom. I did find however, when pushing, this pain was the one that I focused on pushing against, and I delivered quite quickly once I started using that pain instead of trying to push from my abdomen.

As for whether it is that "bad" or not...it depends really on how well you tolerate pain. I have a high threshold for pain, and did not have pain medications for birth, but some gals need epi's. In the end though, you forget about the pain because the end result is a precious gift.

Answer 4

So, because this is my first pregnancy, I don't know if I'm exactly right, but today is my due date, and I am in pain. It feels like I'm having the worst period pain ever. I feel aching down in my inner thighs, cramping in my lower abdomen, and aching in my back. I also have a lot of pain in my crotch with a lot of pressure to go along with it. I'm really hoping that this is the real thing, because anticipating labor is probably the worst part about it. Braxton Hicks contractions are misleading, and I have had those for a couple weeks, but today it's different. I have contractions with a lot more uncomfortable sensations .

So to conclude, I can't tell you what the entire labor process feels like, but the beginning sucks. I'm sure that it will get much worse, and I'll be sure to get back to you on that.

*Oooo! I just had a sensation that something was trying to rip my crotch in half. That hurts so bad!!!

Answer 5

Well plenty of people have answered already but I'll give it a go. I havent read them all...

I had my dd 9 years ago. I still remember it well. No pain meds. No time for them.

My labor started off as hardening of the stomach on and off every so often. My back hurt. Then it would progress and come in waves, faster, and harder until it was almost unbearable. The water breaking is wet and gushy. Like a POP and PLOP then DRIBBLE, DRIBBLE, DRIBBLE. When it's time to push you'll know. It's like having to do number 2 really bad but you can't. Then pushing is a lot like constipation and the contractions are so hard and fast that it's hard to breath. When the baby's head comes out it burns like hell, when the feet comes out it feels better - it's quick and gushy sort of like when your water breaks only like really big fingers were removed from your vagina with a lot of wetness. And then when the placenta comes out that's an even worse burning sensation than the head. Maybe on account that I had bad tearing. The massaging of your perinium sucks. It's like someone's trying to cut you, burn you over and over. And if they pull on the cord a little bit that's like burning too and a sort of ripping feeling, bad cramps, the worst period pain cramps you ever had. Then the sewing up without pain meds seems easy compared to the rest of it.

You'll feel incredible relief when a) the baby comes b) when the placenta is out and c) when the suturing is done and d) when you're finished breastfeeding

Funny cause I'm doing it all over again in about 6-7 mos! Don't ask me why but when you see the cutest little thing lying next to you looking at you like you're god, the world just seems perfect and the pain is no longer there.

-T

Answer 6

It's a lot like a really bad cramp but in a wave, usually radiating around your middle and bump area (but it can be in your back too).

Each contraction is sort of a squeezing cramp that starts off small, builds to a maximal point and ebbs away.

Analogy wise it's like you're cycling up a hill, starting off at the bottom, building up, really feeling it, getting to the peak and then quickly down the other side.

Labour basically starts off as little 'cramps' on an irregular basis, then little 'cramps' regularly with the odd medium one.

Next you get the medium and little ones often and then as you are into serious labour it's medium to large 'cramps' every 30 seconds or so.

It's painful, no doubt about that, but it's not the same type of pain as really bad toothache or earache. Let's put it this way, I'd rather do 24hrs labour than have a really bad toothache for the same amount of time (as long as there was some gas & air available,lol).

Answer 7

Some women claim not to feel the pain as bad as others do, I thought my 12 hour labour with my first was bad but my second was 15 MINS! and it was 100 TIMES WORSE then the first, so bad I actually collapsed and was rendered unconscious for a few minutes.
To me it felt like period pain, the most crippling period pain I have ever experienced, with my second it was so bad I could not move, my whole body went in to spasm.
But all women are different some find it manageable others do not without meds.

Answer 8

Best not to ask if you're pregnant. It's been likened to passing a watermelon through your back passage - but never done that so couldn't say if the comparison is correct or not!
I went through 11 hrs of incredibly painful 'labour' the pain was so bad I passed out several times (body's way of coping) all ended in an emergency c-section (umbilical cord was very short - about 6 inches so there was no way she was coming out that way!)
Having said that I have friends who have popped them out like shelling a pea!

Answer 9

When I said to my midwife "If this is as bad as it gets, I won't need drugs", she said "oh honey it hasn't even started yet". My advice, get an epidural straight away!
It is like period pain that you have never felt before, back pain and cramping. Then you get to delivery which is worse. It feels like you are doing a number 2. (sorry but it does).
When you feel like you can't push any harder, push a little harder.
But for all the pain and discomfort, there is a wonderful reward at the end for you. In a few months you will forget how bad it was.

Answer 10

period pain at first, then it gets sharper and harder and basically takes over your body. All you can do in the end is scream on each one, and as they get closer together it gets worse. No there is no other pain like it, nothing to describe it with, and nothing that can stop it. But you will forget the pain after the birth and no doubt go and do it again a few years later like most of us have. I have had three kids, all naturally, 2 of which i had with no drugs because they made me feel worse, and i wanted to be allowed home asap after!! No more though, that's it, I've done my bit, it's your turn now!!!

Answer 11

It starts like period pain and then you just wanna die it hurts real bad and you pretty much want to kill everyone and anyone around you! You don't know what hurts the most your ab, your back, your butt or your you know what. But it's all worth it at the end! When my second child was born my two best friends were with me and I was told I reminded them of the girl from "The Exorcist" so you can only imagine the pain I must have been going thru. By the way if you are having a baby and you wanna know what awaits you GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!