I have had a broken hip, two metal rods (12 inches long) fused to my spine, and a bunion surgery. Childbirth was more excruciating than all three combined. I had 26 hours of pitocin labor, FWIW.

Hurt like hell. Then it was over.

Anonymous wrote:For my first, it felt like intense diarrhea cramps during transition, everything else just felt like period cramps. My cousin told me "embrace the sensations." to me it wasn't exactly pain. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but at the same time that it was painful, it was exhilarating. Like running when you're beyond exhausting, pushing through to the next milestone kind of thing. They don't call it labor for nothing. When / if the pain is excrutiating, change what you're doing. Get on your hands and knees, soak in a tub for a while, counterpressure for back labor, shake your hips. Don't push on your back or on your butt, try to be on hands and knees or squatting.

Good luck! I LOVED birth, I am looking forward to baby 2.

PS. I'm a total wimp in other areas of life / pain.

This was my post and I wanted to add something to it:

I also think having a planned unmedicated birth is often (not always!) going to be less "painful" than unplanned. I do believe in a huge connection between fear and pain. But of course, while fear amplifies pain, I don't assume that the opposite is true and that being fearless vanquishes pain or guarantees a pain-free delivery. I just think that it can make the difference in perceiving something as an overwhelming, all-consuming, quasi-painful but totally exhilarating "sensation" vs "having your entrails ripped apart." I went into my first (and only) birth feeling very fearless, and the only time I second guessed the drug free part was during transition. And it was "okay, this seems like it's getting close to the maximum I can handle and if it's going to get a ton worse, I may need pain medication." But in fact, I was in transition, then I got a short break and my body did the reverse-vomit pushing thing, which made it really easy to get through that part. I had nothing to do with it and my body did all of the work. There's something to that, to being able to really let your body take over. I'm pretty far from "crunchy" but I found it to be a transcendent experience. Like seriously, some dali-lama on a hilltop kind of stuff.

But, but, but, but, but, one experience is not universal. I have dozens of friends who prepared for drug-free births and not all of them, fearless or not, felt it was not painful per se, and some of them had to work very hard to stay on top of the sensations. So I'm not giving my story to suggest it is universal, but it is certainly one possible outcome that I hope you find reassuring. good luck!

I'm not athletic and baby #2 was an easy delivery. Transition hurt like hell, but she was out with 5 minutes of pushing. The OB made it in the room two minutes before she was born.

Since I was in transition, I was kind of loopy and thought I still had a while to go before birth. It wasn't until I saw the nurse RUN to the phone to call the OB that I knew it was almost over.

For my first, it felt like intense diarrhea cramps during transition, everything else just felt like period cramps. My cousin told me "embrace the sensations." to me it wasn't exactly pain. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but at the same time that it was painful, it was exhilarating. Like running when you're beyond exhausting, pushing through to the next milestone kind of thing. They don't call it labor for nothing. When / if the pain is excrutiating, change what you're doing. Get on your hands and knees, soak in a tub for a while, counterpressure for back labor, shake your hips. Don't push on your back or on your butt, try to be on hands and knees or squatting.

Good luck! I LOVED birth, I am looking forward to baby 2.

PS. I'm a total wimp in other areas of life / pain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a lifetime athlete and like to say I have had harder workouts. I have had 3 children and short labor so it's hard to compare to women have contractions for days and then push for hrs. Contractions aren't bad for me and I only push once or twice to get baby out. So short you can suffer through it

OMG how much I envy you!

I'm a lifelong runner and agree with the first poster that contractions, although intense, weren't so bad that I couldn't push through it. I was able to go through labor without drugs for all 3 kids. I sorta have an unproven theory that athletic women can make it through labor and post partum better and faster.

How I wish this were true. I am a lifelong athlete too, played competitive D1 soccer and thought I knew how to push past my body's limit. Fast forward to my 48 hour labor where I puked 3x before even reaching 3cm. I read a ton, took pro natural childbirth classes, did visualizations, etc but when I stalled at 9cm 30 hours in and received an incredibly painful pelvic exam, I then begged for the epidural. It helped my pelvis relax enough to let the baby descend so I could deliver. I honestly don't think my body would've done it's job w/o the drugs past a certain point. I just think you can never know how it will feel for you. I had very little anxiety about it, knew that it would be intense and had my tools ready, but I was shocked at how hard it was the whole time and not just transition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a lifetime athlete and like to say I have had harder workouts. I have had 3 children and short labor so it's hard to compare to women have contractions for days and then push for hrs. Contractions aren't bad for me and I only push once or twice to get baby out. So short you can suffer through it

OMG how much I envy you!

I'm a lifelong runner and agree with the first poster that contractions, although intense, weren't so bad that I couldn't push through it. I was able to go through labor without drugs for all 3 kids. I sorta have an unproven theory that athletic women can make it through labor and post partum better and faster.

That's what my doula said--she's been doula-ing for about 15 years and she says she can always tell the mothers who were athletic and/or did yoga. I definitely give credit to my prenatal yoga practice for helping me be physically stronger but also mentally able to cope with the pain better.

Well, I'd been an athlete for 22+ years when I delivered my daughter, including 10 years spent rowing--the all-consuming nature of that pain is very similar to labor, IMO. I think that background helped me labor unmedicated as long as I did--36 hours--and to recover quickly after delivery. But honestly, I had so much stalling during my (very painful) labor that it felt like running a marathon, then being told it didn't count and I'd have to do it again, twice. While puking. So, yeah, being athletic helps, but short labors help, too.

Horrifically painful for me. I felt like a tiger was trying to claw its way through my belly. As in literally clawing its way out. That was my first and only. No drugs. I had done the hypno-birthing and all planning for smooth, pressure but not pain birthing. Didn't happen. Many people have wonderful pain free or low pain births and you may be one of those people. Just be ready to have your own experience. Have no expectations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a lifetime athlete and like to say I have had harder workouts. I have had 3 children and short labor so it's hard to compare to women have contractions for days and then push for hrs. Contractions aren't bad for me and I only push once or twice to get baby out. So short you can suffer through it

OMG how much I envy you!

I'm a lifelong runner and agree with the first poster that contractions, although intense, weren't so bad that I couldn't push through it. I was able to go through labor without drugs for all 3 kids. I sorta have an unproven theory that athletic women can make it through labor and post partum better and faster.

That's what my doula said--she's been doula-ing for about 15 years and she says she can always tell the mothers who were athletic and/or did yoga. I definitely give credit to my prenatal yoga practice for helping me be physically stronger but also mentally able to cope with the pain better.

It hurts - A LOT - but in the end that train is coming and you have no choice, so you just get it done. It's pretty empowering.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a lifetime athlete and like to say I have had harder workouts. I have had 3 children and short labor so it's hard to compare to women have contractions for days and then push for hrs. Contractions aren't bad for me and I only push once or twice to get baby out. So short you can suffer through it

OMG how much I envy you!

I'm a lifelong runner and agree with the first poster that contractions, although intense, weren't so bad that I couldn't push through it. I was able to go through labor without drugs for all 3 kids. I sorta have an unproven theory that athletic women can make it through labor and post partum better and faster.

I did not find contractions to be very painful. I was in easy labor for about 24 hours. During the time i hung out at home, went to the mall, took naps, and ate lunch. My midwives kept telling me to stay home because I didn't seem to be having a hard time, but i guess i was 8cm at that point. I did not find transition to be that painful, but I was in the hotub and it happened very quickly (under an hour).

I don't think pushing was painful but my body took over and I had no ability to not push. I don't think the ring of fire was that bad. i remember thinking it was weird that I could feel his round head pushing out..it was just a very strange feeling. It did sting a bit when he crowned but nothing too bad. He came out with both hands by his head and i tore, but i didn't know it at the time.

i think having a planned unmedicated birth probably hurts less than a unplanned unmedicated birth just because you are prepared and in the "right" frame of mind. But who knows. I think in the end it is all just luck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found it to be similar to a really bad case of food poisoning involving bad stomach cramps and diarrhea -- similar pain level / sensation, but more intense.

And it comes in waves (that "vision" helped me get through it). "Waves" that last like 60 very long seconds.
The pushing part feels like you are pooping (and some women really do) but the poop feels like a bowling ball passing through you...on top of the wave of intense food-poisoning contractions.

Oh yes, and than there is the ring of fire. No explanation needed.

But somehow we "forget" all this and moms continue to have more than 1 child.

I have always described it as giving birth to a bowling ball that was on fire. I have never heard the "ring of fire" explanation. I would concur. I did not choose a non-epidural birth. It happened so fast no time for an epidural.

The pain was beyond belief - thankfully I gave birth 15 minutes from hitting the hospital bed.

I would neve have chosen that path.

I had 2 other non-eventful births that were glorious. (epidural and all)

I had two natural births. Both big babies. The second was the largest baby my doctor had ever delivered vaginally (and with that his head was proportionally larger than his weight). I did NOT feel the ring of fire and I did NOT tear. Not to say that the birth wasn't painful, but that part was not difficult.

+1
My second baby was much bigger than my first (by almost 4 pounds) and it was a smoother pushing phase by far. 10lb+ baby, pushed for about 20 minutes, no tearing at all. It's all about your anatomy and how baby is positioned. Size is just one factor among many different variables.

Yep, PP here, I wasn't exaggerating about being the biggest she'd ever delivered. He was nearly 12lb and had a 16.5 inch head. No tearing. (Also no GD, before anyone asks).

My period hurts so much sometimes that I vomit. I did not want this to happen during labor and requested epidural. After 3 hours of pushing I had a c-section

Anonymous wrote:I am a lifetime athlete and like to say I have had harder workouts. I have had 3 children and short labor so it's hard to compare to women have contractions for days and then push for hrs. Contractions aren't bad for me and I only push once or twice to get baby out. So short you can suffer through it

OMG how much I envy you!