Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

I feel like a lot of people forget the pain. I had to go to L&D when I was 25 weeks for contractions. while I was there, 2 ladies gave birth adn were screaming their heads off. I told my doctor I was scared bc of that, and she looked upset and then told me, well not everyone screams

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

These posts are helpful- thanks to all the ladies who posted their experiences.
I am a HUGE baby with pain.
HUGE.
I can't handle a splinter.
However I suffered through 2 really bad kidney stones and as horrendous as it was- I survived it. And the memory does fade...
I am just hoping and praying that I can have the epidural as soon as possible and it works for me...
I have heard from several friends and family memmbers that the epidural was their salvation.
There is no way that I, personally, can do it without drugs...

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

thank you ladies. Although I am feeling even more nervous, its nice to know its not going to be the candy coated breeze that everyone keeps telling me about.

My two sils have had six c sections and loved them

I wonder why? They were up and moving within two days and carrying the baby. I know C sections are major surgery, but I wonder why some women prefer it over natural?

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Posted by WhoopsWeDidIt

thank you ladies. Although I am feeling even more nervous, its nice to know its not going to be the candy coated breeze that everyone keeps telling me about.

My two sils have had six c sections and loved them

I wonder why? They were up and moving within two days and carrying the baby. I know C sections are major surgery, but I wonder why some women prefer it over natural?

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

i had a vaginal...with no pain meds.

everything up to pushing hurt. when you're contracting and the baby is coming down you're in lots of pain...it started off like period cramps for me and then got gradually more intense. i had a doula and she helped me breathe through each one cause they get longer and just so intense that if you're not concentrating on breathing right you'll lose all hope and think it's a lost cause...i did think that at one point anyway just when you think you can't go on any longer, it's time to push and pushing feels soooooooooo good compared to breathing through contractions. pushing is hard, you have to push with all your might! the next day you'll feel like you ran a marathon, every muscle will hurt. no one ever told me, but the way you push a baby out is the same way you push when you go #2. i was laboring on a toilet and all of a sudden i felt the urge to go #2 so i told the doula to let me have some privacy cause i had to go #2...she laughed and said, no, you're going to have a baby! i didn't understand what she meant and when i started pushing i was pushing all the wrong way. towards the end i don't know why but i started pushing as if i was going to poo and that's when the encouragement got louder and more intense. i figured i was doing it the "right" way so i kept doing it like that and lo and behold my daughter was born. now i know why people say that they poo in the delivery room...it's that same push!

your experience might greatly vary from mine since i did it without pain meds, but that was my experience :) good luck!!

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Honestly, I think I had a very easy delivery.

I had an epi, so I didn't feel anything. I could faintly feel the contractions. So I just pushed when I felt them and I pushed like I was taking an enormous sh!t. The dr said I pushed like a pro. Got her out in about 5 minutes. She was fully crowning at the point when I started to push though, which I think helped a lot.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

I didn't feel a thing once I had the epidural. Before that I *thought* my contractions were extremely painful but the nurses looked at them on the monitor and I think wanted to laugh at me Instead they were going to give me some pain meds but when they checked me I had progressed so much it was epidural or nothing.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

i didnt think it was that bad. Just long.
The time prior to my epi was bad but it wasnt that long!

the pushing didnt hurt- it actually felt like a bit of relief!

It was the after labor that was bad!!!

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Ok since you want honesty - it was the most gut wrenching, excrutiating, horrible searing pain. Ever. I mean I imagined pain... but not like that. I literally couldn't breathe. The pain was so bad that it dropped me on my knees, on all fours, crawling to my bed from the bathroom. I thought I was going to die. But in all fairness, I did dilate from 1-10 in 2 hours so maybe that's why... but I don't know. I was on the bed, with an IV drip (they have to give you a bag of IV before the epi) and I was just writhing. I literally was curled up into a ball sobbing and screaming into the pillow. When I finally got the epi - I felt human again. OMG I cried from relief. I didn't feel a thing go in but the relief was instantaneous. I was able to drink some juice, tape a quick nap, and just relax. Pushing was a breeze because again, I didn't feel a thing. Three pushes and out he came. Next time, I will call-in the epi from the car. Ugh.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Posted by 08BabySurprise

Ok since you want honesty - it was the most gut wrenching, excrutiating, horrible searing pain. Ever. I mean I imagined pain... but not like that. I literally couldn't breathe. The pain was so bad that it dropped me on my knees, on all fours, crawling to my bed from the bathroom. I thought I was going to die. But in all fairness, I did dilate from 1-10 in 2 hours so maybe that's why... but I don't know. I was on the bed, with an IV drip (they have to give you a bag of IV before the epi) and I was just writhing. I literally was curled up into a ball sobbing and screaming into the pillow. When I finally got the epi - I felt human again. OMG I cried from relief. I didn't feel a thing go in but the relief was instantaneous. I was able to drink some juice, tape a quick nap, and just relax. Pushing was a breeze because again, I didn't feel a thing. Three pushes and out he came. Next time, I will call-in the epi from the car. Ugh.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Posted by 08BabySurprise

Ok since you want honesty - it was the most gut wrenching, excrutiating, horrible searing pain. Ever. I mean I imagined pain... but not like that. I literally couldn't breathe. The pain was so bad that it dropped me on my knees, on all fours, crawling to my bed from the bathroom. I thought I was going to die. But in all fairness, I did dilate from 1-10 in 2 hours so maybe that's why... but I don't know. I was on the bed, with an IV drip (they have to give you a bag of IV before the epi) and I was just writhing. I literally was curled up into a ball sobbing and screaming into the pillow. When I finally got the epi - I felt human again. OMG I cried from relief. I didn't feel a thing go in but the relief was instantaneous. I was able to drink some juice, tape a quick nap, and just relax. Pushing was a breeze because again, I didn't feel a thing. Three pushes and out he came. Next time, I will call-in the epi from the car. Ugh.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

It really isn't that bad. The epidural helps. It wasn't a spa day but I also didn't feel like I was being torn in half. Millions of women have done it. You can too.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

If you have an epidural it's really not bad at all. With my first DS the epi wore off and I felt everything and it was pretty bad but once the baby is in your arms you feel no pain. With my second DS the epi worked so well that I felt nothing.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

I was induced 6 days past my due date. I went 5 hours without an epi then I started getting back labor.
They had a hard time getting the epi in the right spot. It worked for a little while, then apparently the line fell out. Not fun. They put it back in but by that point I was getting close.
I zoned out for a while and refused to speak or open my eyes, my way of dealing with the pain. I REALLY wanted to push but I was only 9cm and they told me I had to be 10. I had no sense of time, like I said I just zoned out. I tried so hard not to push but I did a few times, it was a relief. Pushing the baby out really didn't hurt that much. I only pushed for 45 minutes. The last 5 minutes the doctors came in (it was just the nurse and DH before) and gave me the episiotomyl- I just felt a pinch- it was nothing. Getting stiched up was uncomfortable but I was holding DS so it was bearable.
Even though the contractions at the end were really painful that was only for about 1 1/2 hours.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

I had a totally natural, no epi, no drugs birth. But for me, it was totally opposite of what everyone else is saying. The contractions were not bad at all... infact I thought I was just having gas pains.... up until my water broke... and things started going really fast... then they were painful, but not unbearable. When I got to the hospital I was already 9 and a half centimeters... they had me start pushing then. However, pushing was a total other story.... it was the worst pain ever! I think it was also because I pushed through that last half a centimeter. I actually asked to stop and just go through the contraction, just to get a break from the pain of pushing. I pushed for 80 mins with almost no break. I also tore terribly... I had a 3rd degree tear upwards towards my urethra, so my OB had to do an episiotomy. But once he cut me, out she came. Once it was all over, I was up and moving around within an hour or so.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Honestly, the actual birth wasnt as bad as the contractions and I tore REALLY REALLY badly.

I got an epi at 10cms which is when I arrived at the hospital, I labored at home until I couldnt take the pain anymore (my water did not break). I pushed for about an hour but was pushing effectively bc of the epi, so I had them turn it off and let it wear off. So I more or less delivered DS without any pain meds, just enough residual to take the edge off.

The only part that hurt was being stitched up.....I could totally feel that, but I asked my Dr to numb the area and she injected a local anesthetic and I was good to go.

If I think back on all the pain, the contractions stand out WAY more than the birth does on a pain level.

Message edited 11/13/2009 9:10:18 PM.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

i had a vaginal birth with an EPI and it was so much better than i ever thought it would be.

I was supposed to be induced, but wound up contracting on my own early that morning that I was going to the hospital. I was still put on pitocin anyway. I labored a few hours until 5cm before I asked for the epi b/c the pitocin was making the contractions stronger and one on top of the other.

getting the epi was a piece of cake. Didnt hurt much and within 20 min I couldnt feel a thing. at some point it did wear off in my belly area and they had to adjust it. Sadly they re-numbed my right leg so they had to fix it again and turn me on my side to get it to go through the cathether the right way.

I pushed for 2 hours and all i really felt when they lowered the epi was some pressure as the contraction was building. they do that so you know when to push.

they had to use the vacuum to get DS out b/c he was stuck on my pelvic bone, but once the dr. did that, DS was out in a few seconds. I tore pretty bad b/c of that and had a lot of stitches so i was in some discomfort for a week afterwards.

all in all though, I cannot complain. It was so much better than i expected and i was scared to death of this whole experience beforehand.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

Posted by 08BabySurprise

Ok since you want honesty - it was the most gut wrenching, excrutiating, horrible searing pain. Ever. I mean I imagined pain... but not like that. I literally couldn't breathe. The pain was so bad that it dropped me on my knees, on all fours, crawling to my bed from the bathroom. I thought I was going to die. But in all fairness, I did dilate from 1-10 in 2 hours so maybe that's why... but I don't know. I was on the bed, with an IV drip (they have to give you a bag of IV before the epi) and I was just writhing. I literally was curled up into a ball sobbing and screaming into the pillow. When I finally got the epi - I felt human again. OMG I cried from relief. I didn't feel a thing go in but the relief was instantaneous. I was able to drink some juice, tape a quick nap, and just relax. Pushing was a breeze because again, I didn't feel a thing. Three pushes and out he came. Next time, I will call-in the epi from the car. Ugh.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

My wonderful doctor topped off my epi before I pushed so I seriously felt nothing but a bit of pressure. The hardest part was pushing for the whole count.

It was a great experience for me although I don't have anything to compare it to. I was hoem in 36 hours and driving the day after I got home. I already told my doctor that I would very much like this second delivery to be vaginal.

Re: Moms... who had vaginal births... please...

It's not that bad at all! I had one by c-section & one vaginally. I would do the vaginal birth all over again in a heartbeat. I went about 18 hours with no pain meds. I gave in & got an epi then at 5cm because my midwife told me I could be looking at another 20 hours of labor & I needed sleep. I still kinda regret the epi, I got it out of fear that I'd be in labor forever & I'd be too tired too push not because of the pain. The epi took the pain away for about 2 or 3 hours, and I was 7cm by then. At that point, the epi wasn't working well on one side anymore so I could feel the contractions & pressure on one side. The pressure that came on with the contractions was definately intense, maybe moreso than I was expecting, but still survivable. My epi was turned off before I started pushing so I felt everything. The pressure was the worst of it. I honestly felt that pushing was nothing after 25 hours of labor. DS was out in 30 minutes. I was walking within an hour or so. I was swollen like crazy (I advise you to not look down for a day or two ) for a few days, but that was it. Recovery was a breeze.

I agree 100% with shorty, the worst pain was the stitches. I had two minor tears that required a couple stitches. I handed DS over to DH during the stitching because I honestly thought I was going to jump off the bed & drop him.