Honestly - tell me how painful childbirth is!

Sagaris

No 1 - planned caesarean due to large (10lb+) baby, breech position - in those days there were no epidurals, only a general, and I was pretty ill due to the anaesthetic - and it was painful!
No 2 - another large baby - 9lb 13oz - and I was determined to have as natural a birth as possible - I listened to my midwife, went to the relaxation classes religiously, and when I eventually went into labour I didn't need any pain relief - the 2 contractions I forgot to do my breathing hurt, but not too bad.
I'm the biggest coward I know when it comes to hospitals and pain - but it really wasn't that bad, but I would definately go for relaxation/hypnosis type techniques.
good luck and have fun 'trying'!

LilMissEmmylou

fattyc wrote: »

For those replies. True, it cant be that bad if women keep doing it more than once. Its more the humiliation factor, the midwife, doc etc, not to mention my other half seeing me lying there with my legs in the air, not very pleasant! It takes me months to gear up to go for a smear test!!!

Am I being pathetic!!

lol it doesn't feel humiliating...you just don't care - you would happily throw your legs up for the postman if you thought he could help get your baby out as soon as humanly possible!:rotfl:

dont worry so much about it - if the end product you want is a healthy baby - then try for a baby, dont worry about the pain of giving birth, the fact 100 people will see your woo woo or how uncomfy being pg is - its totally worth it!

cobbingstones

Lets put it this way, my dd was 10lb 1oz and I gave birth with just gas and air. Did I do it again? Yes of course!!!! :-) PLease don't worry yourself over it, you know why your in pain and the little being you both created comes out and you just forget about it and feel the most passionate love ever.

Good luck

MM

jfdi

Speaking personally - I'd rather give birth than have toothache!

And as someone else said, it's a working pain & has a finite end to it, unlike other pains (like the knee injury I had 2 years back) that can go on for ages 'n' ages & take yonks to totally go away!

LilMissEmmylou

jfdi - at least its over quicker than the pain of a wisdom tooth or something!

fattyc

You lot are funny! Am going on holiday to Florida in January so that gives us plenty of opportunity to try for baby then. We've got a villa with a pool so that will give me an idea of a water birth ha ha! Thank u all again xx

Loretta

I have a phobia of hospitals and I fainted when I had my ears pierced

I had 3 home births, all quick and easy, 10lbs, 8 1/2ibs and 8lbs, no drugs, no gas and air

and I find having my legs waxed really painful

If i can do it anyone can!!!

shirlgirl2004

I can recomend hypnobirthing. After 3 painful births I tried a Hypnobirth and it was so much better. You don't have to have pain

jess1974

I have had 3 children and would never ever have anymore as i simply could'nt go through labour again, i found all 3 births horrific, with my last one i thought i was dying.

Do take all the drugs offered and have an epidural or failing that a c section, my ds2 was an emergency c section after a 12 hour labour, it was wonderful, my recovery afterwards was so easy. 10 years later, i am left with virtually no scar....

fernliebee

It's different for everyone but I had a very long labour, ended up having a very late epidural which didn't properly 'work' so felt everything but the pain was minimised for the pushing stage. This was the best solution in my case though didn't feel happy having drugs personally, and would try to last out next time! Hopefully second labour would be shorter but doesn't always follow.

Personally during pregnancy I was really confident about the pain side of things and even in labour it wasn't the pain that got me but the exhaustion!!! After 3 days of established labour, no sleep no food etc I was exhausted- try to sleep (yeah right I was too excited ) and eat if you can!! In pregnancy I was more worried about the 'degradation' of labour ie being naked in front of everyone, pooing in labour or something awful like that ! In the event I whipped my clothes off and didn't think twice about pooing (I didn't or so I am informed as I would have been none the wiser! )

I think next time I would try to be open minded, you need to do what you need to do in the event and don't beat yourself up over it. Have an idea of what you want but remember things can and do go very differently in the end! Keep fit in pregnancy labour is hard physical work, and you really do forget the pain in a few days. The swelling bruising and stitches however take a bit longer to forget but so many people do it again that it can't be that bad! You do feel a bit like you have gone a few rounds with mike tyson- all over sore for a while but it really is worth it all.

In pregnancy I used to tell myself it was one day to get through and then you will have your baby, in the event it was 3 days but it was worth it 100 times over! My DD is 6 months old and I look forward to a time that I feel she is ready for a sibling....or two!

Good luck with it, you will be fine!!!