Just how painful is natural childbirth?

Question

I'm scared to death of needles, let alone a huge epideral!

Answer 1

No one person can accurately describe to you how childbirth feels. They can only tell you what childbirth felt like to them. Mine felt like really bad period cramps but I was able to give birth without any pain medications. Others have described it as their insides being ripped out and how painful it was for them. Every body is different, every woman deals with pain differently and every labor will vary in the degree of pain. If you're serious about a natural delivery try to prepare yourself. Look at relaxation techniques and have someone there that can help keep you distracted. I found listening to instrumental music of songs I knew the words to and then trying to repeat the words in my head helped keep my mind off the pain. You could also memorize a pattern of numbers or colors, states or a topic that interests you and then try to repeat them to your birthing coach as a distraction during labor.

Answer 2

First. Every girl's frame and the way it reacts to childbirth is unique. But I ought to say this...DON'T TRY TO BE A HERO!!! My aunt, who's an OBY/GYN instructed me from the starting to simply get the epi considering the fact that there is not any factor in hanging your self via that PAIN!! Even although you have not mentioned why you opt for to move common, do you quite wish to awareness on all that agony you're gonna have whilst you're having contractions? It will also be beautiful extreme! Plus I quite consider it makes you quite quite worn out or even more ill-tempered than you could probably be when you simply received an epidural (no agony medicinal drugs, simply the anesthetic). I had my first (and handiest) youngster vaginally with handiest an epidural. I received my first dose at approximately two:forty five am and had three or four doses till I began pushing at approximately 10:30 am. I driven her out at eleven:15 am. Towards the top, they would not supply me extra considering the fact that epi they desired me to be competent to believe myself push. It did not harm that badly (nevertheless it nonetheless harm) and to let you know the reality, you traditionally are not going to don't forget how dangerous it felt besides. Its all valued at it subsequently. I used to be off the bed getting wiped clean up and strolling to move get whatever to consume like forty five mins after I had her, so do not fear approximately an epidural incompacitating you.

Answer 3

I am really scared of needles also.. I also have had 2 children and trust me, you can handle the epidural... you're given a local, which means you cannot feel the actual epidural. If you're still, it's over in just a second. The most bothersome thing is probably the tape they use to keep it in place! You'll be fine! If I were you, I would definitely get the epidural... I was in labor for 37 hours with my first daughter, and getting the epidural really comforted me during my wait! lol

Good luck with everything. You can do it!~

Answer 4

I couldn't have gone through birth without an epidural. I don't remember feeling the needle go it but I had a problem due to the spacing in my spine where I was poked 9 times trying to get the epidural needle in. I would and am going to do it all over again. I'm 18 weeks pregnant with #2.

Answer 5

I have always had a fear of needles. With my first baby, my doctor had to induce, and I flipped out at the nurse when she went to put my IV in. After many, many hours of hard labor, I just didn't care about the needle, I wanted meds!!! Since then, I'm a little less apprehensive about needles in general, but I'll be honest, I'm still terrified of the epidural, and I have no choice cause this one will be a scheduled c-section. Natural birth does hurt!!!!! Any one who tells you differently is a liar.

Answer 6

it varies.
if you are tense & scared, and unprepared for the pain, it *will* be worse.
if you are relaxed, calm, and have taken childbirth classes (i recommend Bradley classes) then it will be less.
i've heard it *really* hurts only for a few minutes, when the head crowns.
also, it's pain with a purpose, not pain from an injury or from somethign being "wrong"
i've also heard that those who have had drugs for the pain are often more focused on how much pain they were in, and those who go natural by choice don't see it as such a big deal. (probably due to the fears)

look into Bradley classes if you want to do it natural!!

Answer 7

Well, your best bet is a childbirth preperation class. I really loved 'Birthing from Within" some mamas swear by "Hypnobirthing."

Part of the pain off childbirth is that you fear it (from all the horror stories told by underprepared mothers) which creates tension, which causes more pain.

Check out some childbirth prep classes, there is no reason you need a 10 inch needle in your spine while you are giving birth.

Answer 8

I thought I would be scared of the epidural as well but I was in soooo much pain I didn't care. I also never saw the needle or anything they were doing. It helped SO MUCH. I thought I would try to go natural but when it came time I just couldn't do it : ( I didn't like the gas, that just made me dizzy and feel worse. good luck

Answer 9

I read a book while I was pregnatn "supernatural childbirth" Not sure of your religious backgroun, but Prayer definetly helped me! I had an epidural with my first son and I couldn't walk afterwards for 3-4 hours because my body was numb still and I hated that feeling of not being mobile, but with my second son I had him natural. We had a quick birth with him as my first was 15 hours. The part that hurt the worst was when his shoulders passed i've heard it referred to as "the ring on fire" and it does burn....but! Afterwards I felt great I walked to my room....and I'm having this one natural.

Answer 10

it is painful very painful like you think it is impossible i remember with my first i told the doctor my baby was a fluke and was too big and he was gonna have to cut me open lol but once its over its over and the most painful part isn;t the pushing it the contractions before once you get pushing you have something to concentrate on and your only pushing for probably 10-15 min max its bad but once you've done it without drugs you feel very proud and empowered

with my second it wasn;t as bad as the first only bc with the first i thought pushoing would hurt way more than the contractions so i was like i can handle this but if it gets any worst at all i won;t be able too the second time going in knowing soon as i could start pushing it would all be over before i knew it made it that much easier go natural people have done it for 100s of years you can do it too


p.s. if you get an epidural you have to get an iv and a cathadur which i would not be able to deal with the way i dealt with the pain was being able to walk and move sometimes just sorta collapse to the floor
plus your less likely to tear if you do it natural the nurses told me bc your more alert and ready to slow down on command if they think your going to tear and you can feel more and my nurse told me she tore 13 yrs prior to telloing me and her tear was still sentive no thank you!!!