What did your contractions feel like?

[jade1991]

How can you describe the pain? Like period cramps, like bloating pain, in your back or tummy, lower or upper? Pains down below? I wanna know what to expect haha, thanks ladies!

 

[Jennifurball]

Mine is a bit of a funny one. After my sweep, I had very mild to moderate period pains that totally disappeared. Then I suddenly woke up in the night with excrutiating pains, nothing like I imagined, they were very low down, a very strong pulling feeling that just got worse and worse, but I was fully dilated within 2 hours of it so mine is probably at the extreme end of it. I also had a horrible pain in my bum. They made me sick and cry like a baby. The midwives said it was very rare for someone to dilate that quick, so by the time you would feel like I did, most people would have had some pain relief!

They were coming thick and fast 2 mins apart but I still stayed at home for 2 hours lol.

I didn't have the tightening though, that is what I expected.

 

[veganmama]

like braxton hicks but more intense

 

[smiler123]

Lots and Lots of lower back pain!

 

[liz1985]

It's weird LO is only 4months but u already can't really remember that well. I suppose to start with just period pain but more intense. LO was back to back and I just remember it been the most unimaginable pain all over lower back. I could feel them in my stomach as Well but the back pain was more dominant.

 

[rocknrolla]

mine were in my back too, lower back quite hard to describe the pain when they started...but by the end it was reallllllly painful, like i had no choice but to push even when it wasn't time, and like i reallllly needed the biggest most painful poo ever, that just wouldn't come! but then we did discover my LO was back to back too...so not average contractions. kinda wish i had felt the tummy ones but had none whatsoever!

 

[AP]

They made me grit my teeth, both times, thats when i knew!

 

[babyhopes2010]

up until pushing felt like bad back when pushing ermmmmmmmmmmmmmm painful! :shick: really really painful

 

[Amber4]

Erm it's hard to explain because I really do think you forget when LO is born. Mine were quite intense as I was induced with a drip but they were just strong stomach pains. I had an epidural during my transition stage but midwife didn't know. Once epidural was done I was screaming I needed to poo and I was pushing but midwife kept telling me to stop (I was 10cm but she didn't know) and it took her an hour to check me then she let me push finally lol. It isn't that bad and there is always pain relief (which is fab lol) but try not to worry xx

 

[bumpbear]

I only had tummy ones. Like someone was kicking me in the guts without a break. Didn't realise I was in labour because I was waiting to feel back and pelvic pain. I assumed it was 'menstrual cramp' stage and thought I was a big wimp because I couldn't bear it. In the end, hubby dragged me to the hospital against my will and it turns out I was 7cm dilated but couldn't tell I was having contractions because they were so close together they could barely be distinguished.

Anyway, moral of the story: dont look out for other peoples descriptions on what they feel like. If you find yourself in intolerable pain, whether it's your back, abdomen, pelvis, a combination or all three, you need to call the hospital and get their advice on what to do!

 

[jade1991]

Its so strange that everyones felt different. I think a lot of people nearing the end of their pregnancy would love to know what its gonna feel like for them, its the not knowing and you feel like every little twinge could be it! Thanks for all the replies its nice to have a little bit of insight! x

 

[justplainTIFF]

I think there are so many different ways they can feel. Mine were all in my hips and front pelvic bone where it separates slightly. It was like a stretching burnin pain. I made it to 8 cm with no pain relief but once I got it it was too late and onlymade me drowsy between contractions.

 

[shellie]

I honestly can't remember what the pains felt like with my first son, that was quite a while ago now. With my second son I had a really quick labour. I was induced and the contractions started one minute apart not long after she put the gel in. The pain was like a sharp shooting pain in my left hand side low down and I had a really sore back too, like I had cramp in my back is the only way I could describe it. xxx

 

[mummy2be...]

0-4cm I couldn't feel them, then my epidural stopped working. They were hot grinding gritty pains from deep deep inside me, they made me unable to think or breath. It felt like someone had a band around my lower section and hips and they were tightening it really hard.... But then she was here- and I would have taken 3 x worse for her... I loved child birth- truly a wonderful experience x

 

[misse04]

Like I was going to die lol no but mine were just terrible back pain because she was back to back, hoping for a better time this time round. You will be fine though as bad as it seems at the time it's more than worth it x

 

[megangrohl]

Everyone will feel them different, when I was in full blown labor it was really intense tight pains all across my whole bump and it was really really hard to breathe through them. The pain was pretty bad, I couldn't talk through them and I was in labor for 19 hours total before I had the c-section. They were like period pains but they were pretty bad ones but still tolerable - but I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I wasn't screaming in pain or anything, although I did throw up quite a few times more due to the shock of everything happening so fast due to being induced. My contractions were one after the other lasting 2 minutes long each time, and measured very strong on the monitors.

 

[jade1991]

So would you all say you 'knew' they were contractions straight away?

 

[Amy2701]

Mine started off as just tightenings, 6 minutes apart to begin with. They soon became about 2-3 minutes apart but I still had no pain whatsoever. I had my waters broken at 5.30pm and that's when the pain started. Wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be (totally all in my lower back though.. I had no pain in my front at all) although the only thing which eased the pain was pushing my feet off the bottom of the delivery bed. Oh, and gas & air.. That stuff is the business! Haha

I only knew they were contractions when my mum started timing them at 6 minutes apart. I was waiting for mega-pain but all I got were the tightenings. Xx

 

[smiler123]

So would you all say you 'knew' they were contractions straight away?

I thought I would but I had 3 false alarms of what I thought was contractions before I had a proper contraction and it hit me like a slap in the face! The false alarms did not even come close to the pain of the real thing! Don't worry though, pain still bearable and I have a very low pain threshold!

 

[mamaduke]

Mine started as "gotta pee! gotta pee!" urges, but I knew what they were when I realized it wasn't my bladder sending those signals. Eventually they switched to period like cramps (when I was about 9cm dilated). By that point, though, I didn't notice their pain as much as I noticed the pressure shifting around in me as LO was getting pushed out.