Contraction pain have anything to do with dilation amount?

[lissylo]

Hi there. I have a question. I'm pregnant with my second child and I'm scared to death of going through so much pain again. Contractions started fast and furious with me and I had from the get-go absolutely no pauses or relief, just relentless intense pain until I got an epidural. I am very sensitive and have a low tolerance for pain, I admit, but my doctor made it sound like I couldn't possibly be in that much pain when dilation wasn't so far along. Does the intensity and pain of contractions have anything to do with the amount of dilation, though? I'm so confused as to why there were no pauses or moments of relief as its not what you hear about. Am I just too sensitive?

 

[luz]

You aren't 'too sensitive'. Everyone handles pain differently and some of us have higher tolerances than others. Some people can be laughing and say their pain level is at a 10, while others could be crying in a ball on the floor yet say the pain is not that bad. Don't let anyone try to tell you that something does or doesn't hurt. you feel what you feel... and if it's pain... then so be it!

Your labor experience seems a little different than most, however. My contractions start off sporadic and not too painful, and then increase in length and intensity, which i think is generally how things go.

 

[Eleanor ace]

Generally the pain gets worse as you get further along and more dilated- you would normally expect to be in more pain at 10cm than you would at 4cm for example. That's not the case for everyone though, if you're induced for example you're more likely to experience labour with little/no break between contractions (I can't remember the name but I think it is down to the uterus being hyperstimulated, I could have that totally wrong though!) than if you have spontaneous labour.
Just because you experienced that sort of labour last time doesn't mean you will again though, so try not to worry . With my 1st labour my contractions quickly got intense and I didn't notice them getting much worse after 3cm. With my 2nd they started off mild and built up as I got more dilated. Also now that you've been through it once you might well find it easier to cope-your body knows what it's doing, everything stretches and dilates a bit easier and it won't be such a shock to the system. You may well be pleasantly surprised

 

[fxmummyduck]

I really think it's not even just a case of how well people cope with pain, I honestly think people experience different levels of pain, we are all different. I'd say my contractions started off quite mild and grew and grew with intensity once in established labour. After that I think it stayed the same for a while.

I spoke to a friend the other week who had a baby and she said to me, what is all the fuss about it was just like period pain and didn't really hurt. She only had to start breathing through them at nearly fully dilated!! With that description I don't think it was just a case of her dealing with it better than everyone else, but that her body did not experience a high level of pain.sorry... is that making sense?

I would say no one has any right to tell you what you can and cannot feel or what should or shouldn't happen. I haven't had a second but agree with other posters that as the body has done it before you may find it a little easier.

 

[luz]

It is true, i do think it gets easier each time around. Whether it is because your body knows what to do, or you just know what to expect. My first labor i went to the hospital and thought i was dying - i was begging for an epidural and was only 5 cm. With my second i walked into the hospital at 10 cm. It definitely hurt, but i had no clue i was fully dilated because i guess i was expecting an experience similar to my first. I think you will be okay, you know what to expect and can prepare yourself a little better for what is to come.

 

[lissylo]

Thank you to all for words of encouragement! And I think you make an excellent point, fxmummyduck. Maybe its not tolerance as much as how your body responds. I also wonder if people's nerve endings are turned up to a higher volume than others. A friend of mine who says she has a high tolerance of pain put her finger over a burning candle for a long time and said she simply didn't feel it much. I could never do that!

Googling doesn't seem to shed any light on why I had no pauses. The only thing close to the pain I felt is described by women who had precipitous labor, when the baby comes in only a few hours. I didn't labor that fast, but it was a constant primal pain that would have caused me to go insane if I had to do it any longer than I did. I think I could have handled it better if I had those moments of relief/pauses that everyone talks about! Also, when labor started to when I saw the doctor at 2cm the pain felt just as intense and as bad as when I got the epidural at 5cm. I couldn't imagine it getting worse!

Hopefully this next time it will be different!! But man am I scared. It was really quite traumatic! But I DEFINITELY got a different doctor this time, so that's got to help.

 

[d_b]

I thinks to as more to do with the baby's position that any sort of pain tolerance level! I have a low pain threshold I think, when I had my wisdom teeth out I found it so awful and was on painkillers for weeks! My labours werent really painful but baby was in the right position. My friend was in labour for ages with her son's head at a weird angle and it sounded sooo painful. Even when she was only a few cm dilated and sent home from hospital she was in a ton of pain.

 

[lissylo]

Hm, not sure what position the baby was in, but it wasn't an issue as far as complications. Pushing the baby out with the epidural wasn't even that bad. Really it was just the intense relentless pain pre epidural. It was so frustrating than the doctor and nurses kept telling me to calm down. In retrospect I don't think what I experienced is normal and I had no way to get that through to them when it was all new to me. I just felt like I was a sensitive wimp and was left utterly confused as to why it was nothing like the birthing classes described as far as having intervals and level of intensity.

Its funny how the body responds because I found getting my wisdom teeth pulled a piece of cake! I remember I was eating a sandwich the same night with no problems!

 

[d_b]

That doesn't sound anything like my contractions, each contraction had a definite start and stop and in between contractions i could relax for a minute or two. I was able to count down during a contraction because I knew it would be over in 60 seconds or so and I would get a break.

 

[fxmummyduck]

There is no way I could have coped without those pauses, it starts builds, reaches a point where you're like owwww I can't do this and then starts to ease back down and that knowing that it will get better each time is the only thing that got me through it!!!

I developed gallstones in pregnancy that weren't diagnosed for a long time, anyway when I had stone attacks the pain was unbelievable and would last up to an hour, sometimes more!! Constant intense pain is sooo hard to deal with.

Could you maybe try some hypnobirthing techniques? If you can learn to relax and let your body produce all the natural painkillers maybe you won't panic etc that can make pain worse. I can highly recommend it. X

 

[likeaustralia]

I think it may have to do with your baby's position too. Sometimes your muscles work extra hard to try and get baby to move around and get in a better position. I've heard that back labor is more intense/constant than other types.

 

[teal]

My labour was pretty much constant contractions from the beginning. I remember complaining to the midwife that I wasn't getting a break like the books said

 

[NotNic]

OP it does sound that your baby's position was contributing the first time. My first was moving further into a back to back position during my labour. Within 15 mins of my main waters going I had strong contractions. An hour after they started I was in the bath to help and 5hrs in I was at the hospital. There was gaps in between at the beginning but rather than having contractions with sharp peaks my pain radiated out. The further along I went the more they blurred and I felt like I was on fire.

Second time my son was in a perfect position. The contractions were sharp but started off very softly, unlike before. In each contraction there was a few seconds of really sharp, curl up.in a ball pain but the remainder of the contraction was fine. I actually got to the hospital without needing anything for the pain and only went in because my contractions were close. I dilated in a similar timing in both labours roughly 8hrs to 5-6cms but my second labour went far quicker after that point.

 

[MummyToAmberx]

Firstly, every labour is different. Birth of your 2nd could be complete opposite.

For me pain does not equal dilation.

in my labours i get to transition and have no gaps in my contractions this lasted 3/4hrs. However with #3 that only lasted 20mins tops.