Was labour less or more painful than expected?

[SmartieMeUp]

My first labour was awful. From start to end. Just slow and agonising. Didn't make it to transition. First 18 hours I managed no pain relief, remaining 25 I had diamorphine, gas and air and epidural. From 6cm when I was allowed gas and air, I felt okay and just loved it. As soon as contractions broke through it, it made me sick from pain and no longer worked so had epidural at 8cm. Moving house 2 weeks after a caesarean was much less painful, carrying furniture and boxes.

 

[SoupDragon]

So much more painful than I expected. But then, my uterus was contracting for 2 days around a 10lb 2oz back-to-back baby who was not going anywhere. So it was not a normal labour.

It felt like a bad period until 4cm, then it got so much worse. I managed on gas & air for a few hours, but after repeatedly being asked if I wanted pethidine, I gave in. Eventually, after a whole day at 6cm, where the contractions merged together and I never sensed a break from the pain, I had an epidural.

Baby was so badly stuck I ended up with an emcs at 9cm.

I'm hoping #2 will be a very different experience...aiming for a vbac and would like to do it with minimal interference and no drugs. I want to stay at home in the bath as long as possible, and I'll be doing proper birth preparation classes, not just the 2 sessions the NHS provide.

 

[BunnyN]

My first was much less painful than I expected but was long and drawn out. My second was probably more painful that I expected once I hit about 7cm. It was much more intense than my first and went quicker (plus baby was almost 11lbs). The pain only surprised me a bit because it was much more than the first time but still wasn't as bad as I had expected before my first labour.

 

[zebbed89]

My first wasn't painful until after the birth as I had an epidural at 3cm because of blood pressure!
My second was painful I don't know if it was as painful as u thought it would be. I had gas and air and loved it i had pethidine which im glad I had because it made me relax and I went from 4cm to 10 I'm 20 mins and pushed for 4 mins which was the part I was dreading the most as it took 1 hour 20 with my daughter! I would do my second labour again even tho it was painful! Xx

 

[bombshellmom]

It was waaay more painful than I thought!! I think that's because my labor pains started right away, I woke up with a sharp, stabbing, diarrhea feeling (and I mean I remember thinking this is the worst diarrhea I have ever felt in my life!!) then I sat up and my water broke. My contractions didn't give me a break! They were 2 minutes apart from the start! Luckily my labor was only 2 1/2 hours I went pretty quick, but I remember laying in the hospital bed thinking I'm never doing this sh** again lmao! And here we are now TTC #2!!

 

[k4th]

It was waaay more painful than I thought!! I think that's because my labor pains started right away, I woke up with a sharp, stabbing, diarrhea feeling (and I mean I remember thinking this is the worst diarrhea I have ever felt in my life!!) then I sat up and my water broke. My contractions didn't give me a break! They were 2 minutes apart from the start! Luckily my labor was only 2 1/2 hours I went pretty quick, but I remember laying in the hospital bed thinking I'm never doing this sh** again lmao! And here we are now TTC #2!!

haha - I remember that thought very clearly!!!!

 

[SoupDragon]

I remember laying in the hospital bed thinking I'm never doing this sh** again lmao! And here we are now TTC #2!!

haha - I remember that thought very clearly!!!!

I told my husband right before I went to theatre for my c-section 'we're not having any more children, I never want to do this again!'...yeah, I hope he doesn't hold me to that!

 

[hanni]

A lot more painful than expected. But then my little man was in the most awkward position ever and my labour was 42 hours long.
Tapped out at 4cm after being in labour for 26 hours and got an epidural. Best thing ever!

 

[PrincessTaz]

My birth was way way worse than I ever thought it would be. I thought I had a really high pain threshold but it was awful. I was in slow labour for 4 days and had to get induced because my waters had been broken too long without being in active labour. Once they started me on that drip it felt like I didn't even have a break in between contractions. I think for me the worse thing was being so tired because if been in labour for days I hadn't been sleeping. In my birth plan I'd made a big point of not wanting an epidural and wanting the most natural labour ever!

I was begging for that epidural and kicking off when they wouldn't give it me lol. In the end when they said I could I told them why were they saying that when I said no in my birth plan lol. I did have pethidine and gas and air in the end but urgh it's was horrible and still painful.

And that urge to push was something else, they kept telling me not.to push because there was still some cervix but my body was just doing it. I had no control! In the end she just had to get up and push the cervix out of the way.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

My first labour was awful. From start to end. Just slow and agonising. Didn't make it to transition. First 18 hours I managed no pain relief, remaining 25 I had diamorphine, gas and air and epidural. From 6cm when I was allowed gas and air, I felt okay and just loved it. As soon as contractions broke through it, it made me sick from pain and no longer worked so had epidural at 8cm. Moving house 2 weeks after a caesarean was much less painful, carrying furniture and boxes.

Second labour was much better. Managed a VBAC *JUST*! I was in the 'giving up' zone but glad I didn't. Early labour was much more manageable, maybe because I knew what I was doing this time, I was having contractions every 2.5-3 mins the entire labour. Arrived in hospital at 4cm, 11 hours later I gave birth. I progressed steadily. Did have 3 epidurals which all failed, diamorphine and an episiotomy, but I would do it all again. Pushing was great, didn't hurt at all.

If I could give birth again without going through 9 months of pregnancy, I would in a heartbeat. Really made me broody.

 

[k4th]

My first labour was awful. From start to end. Just slow and agonising. Didn't make it to transition. First 18 hours I managed no pain relief, remaining 25 I had diamorphine, gas and air and epidural. From 6cm when I was allowed gas and air, I felt okay and just loved it. As soon as contractions broke through it, it made me sick from pain and no longer worked so had epidural at 8cm. Moving house 2 weeks after a caesarean was much less painful, carrying furniture and boxes.

Second labour was much better. Managed a VBAC *JUST*! I was in the 'giving up' zone but glad I didn't. Early labour was much more manageable, maybe because I knew what I was doing this time, I was having contractions every 2.5-3 mins the entire labour. Arrived in hospital at 4cm, 11 hours later I gave birth. I progressed steadily. Did have 3 epidurals which all failed, diamorphine and an episiotomy, but I would do it all again. Pushing was great, didn't hurt at all.

If I could give birth again without going through 9 months of pregnancy, I would in a heartbeat. Really made me broody.

Congratulations!!! Glad you had a better experience this time around. Enjoy those newborn cuddles!!

 

[bombshellmom]

Question for the ladies with more than 1 kid!

Was labor more painful with each one? Or did it get easier? We're thinking on doing home birth with #2 whenever we conceive but I don't know if I'm strong enough!!

 

[SmartieMeUp]

Question for the ladies with more than 1 kid!

Was labor more painful with each one? Or did it get easier? We're thinking on doing home birth with #2 whenever we conceive but I don't know if I'm strong enough!!

For me, there really was a difference with mine, and felt so much easier and less intense, but that could be down to being in more control with my body and coping better.

Thank you, K4th! It really was a big achievement

 

[Eleanor ace]

Question for the ladies with more than 1 kid!

Was labor more painful with each one? Or did it get easier? We're thinking on doing home birth with #2 whenever we conceive but I don't know if I'm strong enough!!

I've given birth twice (so far!) and for me the 2nd was more painful. Early labour was less painful 2nd time around, and started off steadier (I was induced with my 1st so probably had something to do with his labour getting going quicker and being faster), but the later contractions were more painful, as was pushing. But I only pushed for 14 minutes with my 2nd as opposed to 2 hours with my 1st, and her delivery was more straightforward .

 

[BunnyN]

Question for the ladies with more than 1 kid!

Was labor more painful with each one? Or did it get easier? We're thinking on doing home birth with #2 whenever we conceive but I don't know if I'm strong enough!!

I've given birth twice (so far!) and for me the 2nd was more painful. Early labour was less painful 2nd time around, and started off steadier (I was induced with my 1st so probably had something to do with his labour getting going quicker and being faster), but the later contractions were more painful, as was pushing. But I only pushed for 14 minutes with my 2nd as opposed to 2 hours with my 1st, and her delivery was more straightforward .

Simmilar experience here. The second was more painful but on the whole I'd acctually say it was easier because my first labour was so long and drawn out.

 

[dan-o]

Thought I'd post again now I've had my third baby. Another totally different experience again!!

My waters went preterm this time and I didn't establish after 12 hours (still had contractions though!) so I got put on a syntocinon drip and continuous monitoring. (Don't let this scenario ever stop you being active if you want to be)

I went from standstill to delivery in 1.5 hours max. Most intense labour for me and I gratefully used the gas and air at transition as I was tearing the back off the bed!! I had no birth partner either (hubby ducked out to do school run) and a controlling midwife (who I totally ignored) I delivered kneeling again but the whole baby pretty much in one go as soon as he crowned, the midwife didn't even catch him! I felt him more than my other two even though he was smallest.

My cord then snapped and the registrar couldnt reach my placenta, cue panic stations and I then had to go to theatre and have a spinal block and manual removal Totally wasn't as a bad as I'd expected though (I've read some horror stories!) I just shut my eyes and thought of other things.

This time the broody button is actually off. Hoping it stays that way as hubby says NO MORE!!!

 

[hanni]

Thought I'd post again now I've had my third baby. Another totally different experience again!!

My waters went preterm this time and I didn't establish after 12 hours (still had contractions though!) so I got put on a syntocinon drip and continuous monitoring. (Don't let this scenario ever stop you being active if you want to be)

I went from standstill to delivery in 1.5 hours max. Most intense labour for me and I gratefully used the gas and air at transition as I was tearing the back off the bed!! I had no birth partner either (hubby ducked out to do school run) and a controlling midwife (who I totally ignored) I delivered kneeling again but the whole baby pretty much in one go as soon as he crowned, the midwife didn't even catch him! I felt him more than my other two even though he was smallest.

My cord then snapped and the registrar couldnt reach my placenta, cue panic stations and I then had to go to theatre and have a spinal block and manual removal Totally wasn't as a bad as I'd expected though (I've read some horror stories!) I just shut my eyes and thought of other things.

This time the broody button is actually off. Hoping it stays that way as hubby says NO MORE!!!

Congratulations dan-o. So glad you finally got your rainbow!!