From the article: True Labor versus False Labor
Everyone describes contractions differently. Some say it's sharp pain, others say dull and crampy. Do contractions feel anything like Braxton Hicks Contractions from pregnancy? Being prepared for any kind of pain is difficult to do, but some readers help give you advice on what to expect from labor and delivery. Share Your Experience
It is as it should be
- My fourth baby is due in June 2010. I've had normal birth with all three with my last two weighing over 8 pounds. I experienced all of my contractions in my abdomen. I could tolerate it and continued with whatever I was doing until the tightening of my abdomen muscles became too frequent...'rolling on like thunder'(laughing). It really was not that bad at all. However, I found the last 20 minutes or so before the big push overwhelming and could perhaps pin this down to exhaustion. In the end, it is most rewarding. Every contraction brings me closer to observing the wonder that resided in me for 9 months. The pain is as it should be.
- —Guest Rayhaana
I think I'm having some now.
- With my first I kept having a tightening feeling like a balling up in the front of my belly. This went on a few hours. I ended up falling asleep waking up to some serious hyperventilating and back labor. I immediately got diarhea and was screaming and cussing. This was at 3:30 am. I pushed out my daughter at 6:36am after 16 minutes of pushing. I am 38.5 weeks pregnant with my second now. And I am feeling some menstrual like cramps, then my belly gets really tight and radiates to my back, not too unbearable though. I think I'm still in the early stages. I'm pretty sure its labor though. It's different than the false alarms I have had over the past 3 weeks.
- —Guest Jessica
Soon to be Second Time Mommy
- Personally, I think that the contractions were not that bad until they gave me pitocin, which made it feel like I did not get a break between the contractions. The only pain relief that I had was the shot in the down there area right before the episiotomy. I tell you what the only pain was the contractions (and again they were manageable). The baby coming out is not really pain at all. Additional discomforts is the obscene amount of pressure. It feels like you need to have a BM but it won't come! I was in labor from Thursday at 8am until Saturday at 3:59pm and 4 weeks after I was ready for my second baby! Now I am currently 37 weeks pregnant and anxiously awaiting my baby to arrive!
- —Guest Sheri
No way to describe it.
- I missed early labor waiting for period-type cramps - mostly what I felt were "twinges" in my cervix (baby's head) and BH that never hurt. First sign of pain -water broke and within an hour I felt EXACTLY like my sports bra was too tight - feeling of pressure smashing your ribs. At the hospital, I was 2 minutes apart, feeling fine - 1 hr later not so much. So much makes it hurt more - being cold (amniotic fluid not only smells gross, it makes you soaked!) and being afraid. You can feel the contraction coming before it even starts, kind of an "oh no" moment and it RADIATES from your sides and tightens your whole abdomen. I didn't have an epidural bc I wanted an alert baby (this didn't happen) but I did have nubain which let me rest between contractions. I was unprepared for WHERE it hurt during transition/pushing- don't underestimate the pooping comparison - wish I'd known (would've calmed me down). Get in the tub if you can, best relaxation ever.
- —Guest rowa474
Yes it hurts!
- I went into labour on the Wednesday morning, my contractions 2 minutes apart, however they just felt like period pains. I had to be on a drip throughout my labour so spent the next 32 hours laying on a hospital bed! Contractions still every 2 minutes but gradually getting worse!! After about 28 hours I gave in and had the epidural - I couldnt cope any longer, I was tired, irritable and so uncomfortable! The contractions were making me physically sick, and I couldnt bear to be touched! The epidural was the BEST thing ever!! It took the pain away completely and it actually helped me enjoy the rest of the birth!
- —Guest KP123
5 labors down...1 more to go
- My early contractions just feel like tightenings. I feel pressure between my legs, but the pain never gets bad until my water breaks. Then the pain level jumps up to a point where I have to really breath and relax through them. Out of 5 births, I have had 3 with epidurals and 2 without. One of those withouts had a body part (hand?) out of place and that bruised my uterus. All my pain was there as well as the afterbirth pains. The most pain is in pushing the head out. My kids' heads were 14"-14.5". I felt like I was being torn to the front.
- —Guest Rae
induced for number 1
- I was about a week late with my DD and my OB saw that my fluids were very low, so he decided to induce. I was induced at 6 or so in the morning, and around 5 pm they started to feel uncomfortable. I also remember being surprised how much they felt like menstrual cramps. They let me decide to keep going or to turn off the pitocin and start again in the morning. So I chose to have it turned off, and at 7 am I started again. It got much worse and was very painful, but still bearable. It hurt horribly to lay down, so they had to check me while I was sitting. I also just wanted everyone to shut up. I did not want to hear a thing they had to say. I ended up getting an epidural at 11am, which was the earliest they would let me. And started pushing at 12pm, and my DD was born at 1pm. looking back it was definetly an easy labor, and I am hoping this one (due in less than a month) goes just as smooth. Of course it hurts at the time, but by the time you hold that baby it won't matter a bit.
- —Guest becky
Depends on the person
- I went into labor at 30 weeks and they held me off until 34 weeks. It started out feeling like cramps then as got more and more intense. I personally didn't think it was that horrible but I did have back labor. I had a relatively easy birth, I had about an hour and a half of hard labor and only 10 minutes of pushing but did it all without an epidural. I opted for a little bit of medicine in the IV just to take the edge off. Even with an episotomy, I still thought it was pretty easy considering. Now I'm 32 weeks pregnant again and will opt for the medicine in the IV again. I'm terrified to get an epidural. Labor and contractions all depend on the situation and the person on how well they can handle it.
- —Guest AAF
smooth sailing
- When I had my son 8 years ago I was only 18 years old and very scared but I never felt any "painful" contractions and after a few hours I was given an epidural so I really didn't have this horrible time during labor. Some women think "How do I push with an epidural?" but my doctor told me when to push and after about ten minutes of pushing I gave birth to my 9 and a half pound son!
- —Guest mandy2002
labour pains
- I had my daughter nearly 9 years ago, and I remember the pain was pretty bad. I had pethidine injections 3 times and felt having your hand squeezed by someone helps to take your mind off the pain a bit. I asked for an epidural, not completely knowing what it was then but it was too late by that stage, I'm not a fan of them as I feel it's a bit of an extreme measure and wouldn't it be a problem when you have to push the baby out. Anyway I'm now 38 weeks with second baby so who knows what will happen this time. I wanna try just gas/ air but maybe it will be so bad I might ask for other stuff.
- —Guest Mummy no 2
Not too bad...
- Like every first time mother I was worried about how bad it would hurt. I had Braxton Hicks Contractions for 2 days but they would always go away. Finally, when I was 4 days late, the Braxton Hicks contractions kept coming. I dismissed them for hours because I had been having them so much. I decided to go to the hospital and I was already 5 cm! 6 hours later I was a mom! Not that bad, but I got the epidural cause I didn't want to "feel" it come out.
- —Guest Rachael
Labor!!
- I was in labor with my daughter for fifteen hours. The contractions were horrible. About 10 hours in I tried to get the epidural but it didn't work. I'm pregnancy with my second child and scared to do it again.
- —Guest Jess09
22 hours of labor
- I was in labor with my first child for 22 hrs. I was induced and I thought it would be a walk in the park. The contractions started out like menstrual cramps but they got worse and worse. I didn't get to have the epidural because I wasn't dialated 4 cm. Then my cervix closed back up so my next option was a c-section. However, I guess my doctor felt sorry for me because he gave me the epidural since I had been in labor so long and my cervix then opened right up. Needless to say my son is 9 years old but I am pregnant with my second child now. I have 5 weeks to go and I am petrified and extremely nervous because of how my first labor went.
- —Guest Jameesha
Yup...It Hurts!
- I went in on a thursday morning (I was 2 weeks overdue, Doc wanted tests run), awoke that morning feeling a sharp pain in my belly,kind of like menstrual cramps, went to the hospital, they told me I was in labor and they kept me because they were pretty close together. Dialation had slowed to tremendously so they broke my water; it was downhill after that. I had to get the epidural; I was miserable. They let it wear off though and I was extremely uncomfortable and restless and hot and sweaty and oxygen deprived when I tried to deliver again. I vomitted and did other "things". I would not get past 9 centimeters for anything. Anyway, I ended up having a c-section. Didn't have my boy until Friday night. Being stitched up either way sucks.
- —Guest Carmen
It hurts, but its different for everyone
- I occasionally would have excruciatingly painful menstrual cramps, which once sent me to the hospital for morphine. I figured if I could get through that then labor wouldnt be that much worse? Hello! For me, my labor pains felt like those sharp cramps you get in your neck or leg (charlie horse) and you can't move because it hurts so bad. That's what they felt like times 20. They started off like regular menstrual cramps, progressively getting worse and more intense until I could barely move or talk. I went to the hospital at 2 cm dilated with contractions spaced 4 minutes apart. I was there for 5 hours and only dilated 1/2 cm more and still in bad pain. At that point I agreed to the epidural, with reluctance. I hated being immobile, pooping, farting and peeing without knowing it. I felt helpless. I couldn't sleep because I couldn't feel anything and was worried I would move and the epidural would come out. I have 2 friends who had short and less painful labors, no epidural.
- —Guest Lisa
1-15 of 37Next
