Rate your labour pains by stage

[MellyH]

I'm trying to work out what I'm really in for, and being a scientist, I want to get my grubby hands on some data. So, if you want to, please fill out the following!

For each stage, rate your pain 1-10, and how long the stage lasted
'Early' labour (1-4? cm):
'Active' labour (4?-8 cm):
'Transition (8-10cm):
(Optional extra: Drugs - yes/no/when?)

Then, because I know everyone's pain thresholds are different, here's a calibrating question (for science!)

Rate your pain 1-10 for a bad leg cramp:

Thank you!

 

[purplecupcake]

Early - 0
Active - 3
Transition - 10

No drugs, all natural, from first contraction to delivery less than 2 hours. Also, once I started pushing my pain went from 10 back to a 3 maybe. It was more uncomfortable by then, but not really painful. Just felt really full down there and the pushing made me lightheaded, but such a relief from transition.

 

[sbl]

I didn't have a vaginal birth but I laboured to 9 cm and I didn't find it bad at all.
I actually didn't believe I was in labour till I got the hospital and when they checked I was 9.
Needless to say they panicked to get me to theatre. Lol
My pain threshold is quite high though.
Early: 0
Active : 3
Transition: 5 (as I say though I didn't have a vb though so only got to 9cm)

 

[Eleanor ace]

DS:
Early labour (1-4? cm): 4
Active labour (4?-8 cm): 7
Transition (8-10cm): 7
Pushing: 8
Drugs - (yes/no/when?): Pethidine at 3cm (didn't want it or realise that's what I was being given and it didn't help just made me feel sick) Gas and Air at 7cm (amazing, glorious stuff!) until part way into pushing.

DD
'Early' labour (1-4? cm): 2 (I was 3cm for weeks before labour without any real pain day to day, and the eary contractions when I was actually in labour were just like quite mild period cramps)
'Active' labour (4?-8 cm): 7
'Transition (8-10cm): 8
Pushing: 9
(Optional extra: Drugs - yes/no/when?) Gas and Air at 8cm, through pushing.

Rate your pain 1-10 for a bad leg cramp: 5

I added pushing in to mine as it is a very different feeling to the contractions (for me at least) so figured it deserved its own number!

 

[MellyH]

Yeah I totally forgot about pushing! Hahaha. Whoops.

Thanks everyone.

 

[CertifiedOreo]

Early - 1 or 2
Active - 6
Transition - 10
Pushing - 8 or 9 (not as bad as transition, score!!)

I had no drugs, went completely natural. Arrived at the hospital ready to deliver right then and there.

Bad leg cramp? 4 I suppose?

 

[Inoue]

Early - 0 (didn't even know I was 4cm dilated)
Active - 6
Transition - 8
Pushing - 10++

Medication - Gas and air from 8cm till pushing stage, then nothing.

Xx

 

[Nikki_lou]

Ds1
Early- 3
Active-8
Transition 8
Pushing-6
Gas and air during active labour and transition but stopped when pushing
DS2
Early-1/2
Active-6
Transition- 9
Pushing-7
Had gas and air right at the end only to help me breathe through contractions rather than push while we waited for the second midwife (homebirth) didnt use for pushing

 

[Nikki_lou]

Oops forgot the leg cramp. I would say about a 4

 

[Selaphyna]

Leg cramp - pain would probably be about a 3 or 4

DS1 - induced at 41 weeks
Early (i was in early labor for weeks before hand, felt nothing) - 0
Active - 8 (I was induced with Pitocin, and it was extremely painful)
I then got an epidural
Transition - probably about 6 as epi kicked in
Pushing - 10 (epi was wearing off, and I pushed for an hour and half, and I had trouble getting him out, they used forceps and cut me).

DS2
Early - 1-2 (it was more annoying than anything else)
Active - 4-5 (started to get more painful)
I went in to L&D during this stage, asked for epidural, and got it, but then I was in Transition shortly there after - which I would rate about 7 or so
Started pushing 20 minutes after epidural went in, and only pushed for 20 minutes (3 big pushes and he was out) - pain was about 7 until I actually pushed him out and that was a 10, which quickly went away thanks to my epidural lol.

 

[lauraemily17]

I won't comment on my first labour as it was 36 hours of induced back labour hell!

So second labour

Cramp pain = 3
Early = started as 1 and gradually built to 4.
Active = 5 but built to 7 (at which point I couldn't talk through them)
Transition = 11! Seriously awful, but it also made me feel ill, cold sweats, shaking.
Pushing = 8, it's less painful but the pressure is pretty immense.

Only pain relief was gas an air once in active labour & stopped for pushing. Does bugger all for pain relief for me but the spaced out relaxed feeling between contractions was fab!!

 

[SarahBear]

I'm trying to work out what I'm really in for, and being a scientist, I want to get my grubby hands on some data. So, if you want to, please fill out the following!

For each stage, rate your pain 1-10, and how long the stage lasted
'Early' labour (1-4? cm):
'Active' labour (4?-8 cm):
'Transition (8-10cm):
(Optional extra: Drugs - yes/no/when?)

Then, because I know everyone's pain thresholds are different, here's a calibrating question (for science!)

Rate your pain 1-10 for a bad leg cramp:

Thank you!

I can't rate by stage of labor as I wasn't examined until a bit into the pushing stage. However, I can describe how I felt and how it changed in stages.

I noticed I was in labor because my contractions were too uncomfortable for me to sleep. It was a bit after 5 in the morning when I got out of bed. I then went about cleaning the tub so that I could relax in the bath. By the time I was done cleaning though, the labor pains had increased to the point where a bath was no longer appealing. It was crampy like a period or diarrhea. My system did do a lot of "clearing out" at that point too... At some point, they got to the point where I had to stop and hold a certain position while they happened. I found that I was most comfortable if I sat straight up. I had tried moving and other things, but just holding still was what worked. Next I found that I needed to do more to work with the discomfort. I laid in bed in a certain position described in the Bradley method book. I focused and used a relaxation technique also in there. It got more intense, but between the relaxation technique and keeping a positive mind-set, it was manageable. I kept waiting for it to get to the point where I felt like I couldn't handle it and I never got there. Once I was pushing, it really wasn't painful. I did feel myself tearing a little, but it wasn't that bad and if I feel it again next time, I'm going to try to slow down to decrease tearing.

When it started to get more intense, I would remind myself to think positively and it really made a difference. My first time, I was concerned about what it would feel like and like you, sought out other perspectives. In the end, I think I actually over-prepared (which is not a bad thing). Labor experiences really range from being orgasmic (no, really, it happens) to being a really traumatic experience. With proper preparation, support, and a positive mindset, it isn't likely to be traumatic, even if it is difficult.

Edit: Oh, and it was an all natural birth with no drugs, no gas and air, and no hydro therapy (water birth). It also was 3 hours between being woken up by contractions and Violet being born.

 

[smileyfaces]

Ds1:
Early-6
Active-8
Transition-10
Pushing-6

Ds2:
Early-3
Active-6
Transition-10
Pushing-7

 

[gingmg]

Early- 1
Active- 4
Transition-8
Pushing-6

Leg cramp- 2

 

[ParisJeTadore]

With DS1 I had wicked back labour-oh my! I also had 36 hours of "back labour hell" (I am so sorry PP! No words can describe the pain). So that being said....

Early-3
Active-8
Transition-10 (if I could I would rate it a 100!...not trying to be dramatic but the pain was on par with having my limbs severed...it is a pain I never wish to feel again)
Pushing-8 (actually felt relief and less pain pushing)

DS2 was positioned perfectly, thank goodness, and labour was a piece of cake compared to my first:

Early-1
Active-5
Transition-6
Pushing-6 (pushing hurt more this time around because my contractions weren't nearly as painful as last time)

Leg cramps-3 (but that's a pain with no purpose )

 

[2016]

DS1

Early 1
Active 2
Transition 5
Pushing 7
Afterpains 4

DD1

Early 1
Active 4
Transition 8
Pushing 5
Afterpains 8

Leg cramp 6
Gallbladder pain 10
Bad period pain 7
Migraine 8
Cervical smear 6

No pain relief either time.

 

[RaspberryK]

I'm absolutely rubbish at rating pain on a scale.
To start with it was more restlessness and backache with pain in my thighs like my period pain and I spent a while in the hot shower (starting 2am).
Contractions at the start were more uncomfortable but easily managed sitting on my ball.
By 9am I was glad to have the midwife go ahead to fill the pool as it was starting to get to the point where I needed to focus (4cm) but as soon as I got in the water it was eased so that I only felt tightening.
This continued for 12 hours I was still at 4/5cm once I was made to get out I felt the tightening , in addition I started to get a shooting pain up my bum/spine which I'd say was an 8/10 although I was still at 5cm.
My waters went as I stood up off the toilet and as ds wasn't engaged until that point, his head hit my cervix and it was agony. Verging on 10/10, however it was only a split moment. I would say I was at transition at this point, however as I'd only just been checked the midwife refused to stay saying my Contractions weren't regular or long enough and to call her when they were.
This is when I started to say I couldn't do it anymore etc etc.
I was also completely exhausted which I'd say was worse than the pain from Contractions etc.
We went to hospital since the midwife left, I wasn't in much pain as I was able to converse with the midwife. They left us waiting in the corridor and asked me to do a urine sample before booking me in and I got asked why I couldn't just sit/lay on the bed while she was doing the paperwork/computer thing.
She asked if I had pressure in my bottom which I did but that's all it was not painful and she said "oh better check you then" well she could see I was fully dilated.
I was whisked to a delivery room , I didn't feel any urges to push or any contractions at all so I pushed when I was told.
He was out really quickly almost before the second midwife was in the room.
I had no "ring of fire".
The after pains were about 6/10 and I asked for pain relief
Xx

 

[Dolly84]

Early stage - 1 (lasted 18 hours)
Active labour -5 (lasted 1.5 hrs)
Transition - 9 (lasted 30 mins ish)
Pushing - 6 ( lasted 2 minuites) pushing felt amazing but burns a bit when head and shoulders are born. My ds came out quite quick tho. X

 

[MellyH]

Dolly I thought you were saying 'minus 5' for the active labour stage and I was wondering if you were some kind of superwoman!

 

[JessesGirl29]

Here's what I didn't realized about labour: (can only speak to my own)
It comes in waves, so at first you notice it but it's not bad, then it gets gradually more painful where you have to focus and then work through them.
My mentality was to be able to just make it through each labour pain one at a time. I went in to a zone. I made it until about 8cms before I asked for laughing gas because I felt the peak of contraction was hitting a 10 on the pain scale and holding for longer periods of time. With the gas and using my method of counting from what I felt was the peak of each contraction, I made it all the way.... Pushing was a 10 for me as well. The worst of it all, but my son was back to back.

Leg cramp? 4?