# What does a peak natural contraction feel like??



## aliss

I've only had straight Pitocin (at maximum dosage from the start) so I don't know what the whole "build up" feels like. Can anyone share? For me, the Pitocin contraction (felt the same from 2cm-10cm) felt like 10x worse than a leg cramp and I was passing out from pain.

I have heard others describe natural ones as everything from a period cramp to breaking in half. Please share!! My midwife will be driving almost an hour away, same with the doula, so I'm not really sure how to tell when to call or not.


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## minties

Nothing like a period cramp for me. 

A bit like intestinal cramps if you have a huge fart to do or you ate something a bit off- that feeling built stronger until the pain would go down and peak in a feeling that my cervix was being really stretched. The cervix bit was the most painful bit for me.

Then it would fade away and my bump would feel lovely and relaxed.

These contractions lasted about 1 minute each. The cervix pain would hit about 30 seconds in.

I managed happily like that for 12 hours. It hurt but in a good way. I loved standing in doorways holding onto one side with my forehead resting on the cool wood and being vocal.

But yeah...when they augmented my labour in hospital the contractions just felt like pure agony. Nothing like what I was having at home. Felt like a gorilla was beating the shit out of my insides and all I could do was cry.


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## pinkandfluffy

aliss said:


> I've only had straight Pitocin (at maximum dosage from the start) so I don't know what the whole "build up" feels like. Can anyone share? For me, the Pitocin contraction (felt the same from 2cm-10cm) felt like 10x worse than a leg cramp and I was passing out from pain.
> 
> I have heard others describe natural ones as everything from a period cramp to breaking in half. Please share!! My midwife will be driving almost an hour away, same with the doula, so I'm not really sure how to tell when to call or not.

Thank you for starting this thread I've been wondering the same after my induction with number 1! X


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## fairyflowers

for me it just felt like mostly back(she was back to back) but completly took over my whole body which made me shake and tremble and nothing could help. my vagina didnt really hurt from what i can remember


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## anita665

Both labours have felt quite different to me. I guess both times it felt like a huge elastic band around my belly but the first labour was slow. The build up was gradual and the intense pain was only for the last hour or two.

With the second there was no build up. It was full on, strong contractions from the start and close together. It really hurt. It's such a bizarre thing though because you're in all this pain and then it goes, so you go on like normal and then it hits again.


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## lozzy21

For me it was just intense pressure, the cramp I had in my leg during labour hurt more than the contractions. 

I suppose I'd ring her as soon as you think something is starting to give her a heads up.


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## mamawananotha

I don't think there is one answer for what it will feel like. Women experience different levels of pain and describe it with different words.

I know from my first labor, towards transition when I was around 7-8 cm, my peak contractions were horrific. Even my doula said that they ramped up so fast and intense that it was like full peak for the entire minute/1:30. She said it was not like most women who have a build up and then a peak and then a let down. I felt like I was going to die, but then it would go away, only to come back before I felt like I could handle another. Then again, I didn't feel like I was in a safe place and was very anxious about how I was being treated at the hospital I was at.

Another woman might describe what I felt in gentler words, but I don't know how else to put it. To say that it is 'intense' is like comparing a jalapeño to a habanero. Either way it can be something that you might handle really well or might not. Also depends on the rest of the environment you are in and your state of mind.

I'm hoping what they say is trueevery pregnancy and every labor can be different. At least this time I know what I can handle and am hoping I won't perceive it to be as painful.


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## NaturalMomma

Mine were like period cramps for 98% of the time. The only time they got intense were during transition which is at the end and right before you start to push. Transition didn't last long, and even those were not painful or horrible. They were intense because they were harder than the previous ones plus there was no time in between them.


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## Adela Quested

lozzy21 said:


> For me it was just intense pressure, the cramp I had in my leg during labour hurt more than the contractions.

It is always so interesting to discuss this with different women. I had a cramp in my leg during labour and it was mildly annoying; it just kind of distracted me.

I found the contractions to be incredibly painful. Many of my friends have said, "Yes, it's painful, but it's a good pain." For me it was just agony. We are all so different!


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## 2016

I didn't find the contractions painful at any point! Just achey and intense. I did find myself having to breathe really hard and was sweating profusely by the end but my body was just on autopilot. By FAR nothing like the horrid period pains I get and I have also had headaches and toothache a million times worse.
Oddly enough I also had a weird twangy sensation down one of my thighs every time a contraction hit too.

I think I might find it tricky to know when is the best time to head to hospital. In my case I was "coping" so well they didn't believe I was in labour - even though I was in the hospital with suspected broken hind waters. :haha:
Probably my closest method would be the length and frequency of contractions. I think I was several hours away from fully when my contractions were 15 seconds long and 3 minutes apart. By the time I got to fully (which was the only time they checked me!) they were 45 seconds long and 60 seconds apart!


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## modo

Period cramps in the beginning but they got stronger as time went on. By transition they were very intense and my only comfortable postion was on all fours on my birth ball. If I tried to get up I got another one. It was very painful. This is when I started saying I was crazy for wanting a vbac, that I wanted an epidural AND a c-section :haha: Very soon after that I ran to the toilet to poo but in reality was pushing, then my water broke and the mooing noises started. My doula told my DH it was time to get the car ready :lol: Lily was born 20 mins later in triage :cloud9:

Honestly though I have forgotten what it feels like exactly. Just remember it being very painful, wondering how the hell some women have an orgasim doing this and moaning.

Hypnobirthing's labour breathing really helped me. There is now way I could have coped without it. I would have def ended up in hospital a lot earlier. It would have been a shame as my labour was really fast on it's own.


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## greenpear

It started off like period cramps but by the end the pain was so intense it didn't compare even close to period. It's hard to describe becuase when you'r in pain at 10 cm you are not aware of anything but surviving through it. Funny thing is that pushing didn't hurt as much for me (still very painful though!) but even funnier is that you really forget details and intensity and how exactly it felt once baby is out. All I remember is that it was the most painful thing I've done but I would do it again as crazy as it sounds :)


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## mummyclo

Mine was sort of like really bad back ache and cramp in my belly.


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## chattyB

I found my first two births were FAR easier than my third (which was an induction with synto/pitocin). #1 was very fast and for the most part felt like period cramps that gradually increased. I only had 3 "hard" contractions before starting to push, pushing lasted for another 3 contractions (9 minutes in total) and it was over. I really feel that my labour was just 6 contractions! I arrived at (the wrong) hospital and discovered I was already 9cm and had spent 0cm - 9cm walking about, stopping and leaning over when a contraction arrived. The whole labour was very easy compared to #2. With my second, I was induced with a prostin pessary which worked first time but meant that I was confined to the bed, on my back, being monitored .... Being in this position definitely made the contractions more painful. As soon as I was allowed to get up and move about, the contractions changes nd became much more manageable - #2 was born in a birthing pool weighing 10lb with only a few whiffs of G&A.

Stay calm, practice your breathing techniques and your body will produce more than enough endorphins/natural pain killers to see you through and make it manageable :)


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## ace28

I'm really glad you posted this, since I have been wondering the same thing! I used to get really bad period cramps- so painful they would make me sweat and tremble all over and throw up. I'm hopinh labor is cake compared to those!


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## aliss

ace28 said:


> I'm really glad you posted this, since I have been wondering the same thing! I used to get really bad period cramps- so painful they would make me sweat and tremble all over and throw up. I'm hopinh labor is cake compared to those!

Wow that sounds awful!|

Another side effect, and I have no idea why, is that after you've had a child, your cramps also tend to be far less severe or even go away completely.

Same thing happened for my mom too. I used to be on the floor crying with period cramps but once I had my 1st child, they completely disappeared :shrug: I had a good 10-12 periods where I wouldn't even realize it was happening.

Here's hoping for you!!!


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