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Well, I delivered my son completely without painkillers over the course of 25 hours. It was okay enough that I'm trying to get pregnant again so I can do it again. As a general rule, the consensus I get from other mothers (as well as myself) is that it probably isn't going to be the worst pain you've ever had, especially if you've ever broken a limb. It's like cramps that last many hours, making it more of an endurance thing than a pain tolerance thing. I understand if you're induced it tends to hurt more, but I wouldn't know firsthand. The important thing to remember (this is really true) is that you will remember, in retrospect, that there was pain involved in your baby's birth, but you won't really have any recollection of what it was like. During labor, have people around who will help you, and kick out anybody who unnerves you. This includes parents, husbands, in-laws, and anybody else. The more stressed out you are, the more likely you are to find the pain intolerable, if only because it's one more damn thing to deal with during a stressful time. I made my husband massage my lower back during the entire time I was admitted to the birthing center, plus off and on beforehand, because it felt really good and eased the pain a lot. My sister swears by having someone rub her feet. Some mothers swear by painkillers. Midwives refer to a nice hot bath as the all-natural answer to an epidural, especially if it's a whirlpool tub. I also very muchly recommend a handheld shower head aimed at the lower back (cramps up there like crazy for me). Whatever makes you feel okay with life will ease the pain, even if only because it helps you relax. Yes, some women use the opportunity to call their spouse every name in the book. Go right ahead if you feel the need.

So that covers labor. When it's time to push, someone will usually say so. When you feel a stinging, it's the signal to stop pushing for a bit. My midwives used the time while I wasn't pushing to stretch my skin out and make sure I didn't tear. You won't feel the stinging for very long, because at some point you'll be stretched out enough that you go numb. This is good, because then if there is any tearing you won't feel it (yes, this sounds gruesome - it isn't, I had to get one stitch and it healed up fine with minor discomfort). After that it all actually feels kinda good. I've heard some people mention something about a "birth orgasm", but I can't say I noticed one. Would've been nice...

So that's some of what to expect. I used to be worried off and on about the pain as well, but really in the end I was more bothered by how long my labor lasted than by how much it hurt. I hope you're taking a birthing course. I find that answered a lot of my questions, although the lady seemed a little perturbed that I didn't ask more questions than I did. They also usually show you some videos of births, where you do get to see women *not* be a screaming crying wreck. That helped me a lot too.

Your right, It will hurt. But dont be afraid of it now. Especally dont stress it now, it is easiest to have a misscarrage in the first tri-mester and stress can cause that. Just remember when that day comes, pain killers are your friend!

I know it hurt...but I can't remember EXACTLY how it hurt. To be honest I remember more clearly the week afterwards using stool softners and dreading going to the bathroom and using that seriously annoying Peri-Bottle to clean my stitches (I tore).

In my situation I HAD to use painkillers. I was not allowed out of my bed once I was admitted. My hospital had a policy of not letting you out of your bed REGARDLESS of your risk. I suggest that even if you want an epidural the MINUTE you get to the hospital you still be sure your hospital has ALL your options and your decisions in mind.

I don't know how much pain I could have handled since I wasn't allowed to move around (seriously I couldn't even roll over in the bed because of all the monitoring crap and catheter that was forced on me because I wasn't even allowed to get up to pee). Yes, I'm still bitter about how I was treated, I didn't EVEN THINK that a hospital wouldn't let a pregnant woman out of the bed.

So anyway, I took Stadol and got an Epidural. The stadol, is serious s**t. It knocked me out. It was like a black out, I was told I was mumbling and talking about not being able to breath etc. I don't remember any of it. The epidural, made me shake, ended up being uneven so one leg was DEAD but the other I could move and feel a pinching pain in every contraction, but killed nearly all of the pain but I could still feel the pressure and the RING OF FIRE as they call it when the baby's head crowned.

Basically, just know your options and go somewhere and find a doctor that with as much consideration to you and your baby's safety lets you have freedom to try and manage pain HOW YOU WANT, whatever that means.

eek Nopen what hospital were you at! (incase you don't remember I leave pretty close to you)

Oh! no, I was still going to school and living in Jacksonville, Florida. Shands at Jacksonville was the hospital. I sorta was misled about them, I was told, oh they have the best nicu and neonatal nursing staff and they bring women in from all over the south and east who are having risky labors so it's the safest place to have your baby. Too bad that because of their reputation they didn't want to risk liability in ANY WAY.

The hospital had just built a whole new maternity wing with THREE brand new HUGE birthing sweets with labor tubs about three years before I was there, and the lamaze coach who doula'ed at Shands told me that they had NEVER been used.

For this baby Angie, I'll be going to St. Joseph's since I'm currently seeing Franciscan Midwives. I'll end up going to Tacoma General if anything gets dodgy later on this pregnancy. That's where the specialists are. But even TG for high risk, INDUCED pregnancies let you get out of the bed.

I hope you don't worry too much about the pain. I know that when i got pregnant with my first child. I had thoughts about it. Thoughts like how am I really going to do this? Am I really going to push a child out of my body? I tryed not to think about it, and just took things day by day.

I have had four children and I am pregnant with my fifth. Every delivery for me was different. Only one of them the Epidural worked on. In each labor then pains were different. I have had even had a rapid delivery where the nurse didn't believe I was having the baby, and we got into a huge argument. In that one I had the same thing Nopenname had... They call it the ring of fire. That was something I had never had before. Well the nurse change her tune when she checked me... biggrin Had him like five minutes after the argument started.

The main thing is that you forget about the pain after the baby is born. It is an overwhelming and wonderful experience. And when you are in labor, I am sure you doctors and nurses will work hard to help you thru.

Nopenname... I am glad I never deliverd at Shands... No woman should be forced to stay in the bed if they feel they need to get up, especially if they have to go to restroom. I live In Jax, and had had two at St lukes and two at St Vincents. Personally I prefered St lukes, cause they leave the baby in the room 24/7, doctors come to your room to check on baby. In St Vincent they take all the babys in the mornings to be checked by the doctors... I didn't want them to take mine. Plus they make you take an hour long class on taking care of baby no matter how many kids you have. I didn't really want to go to that either. But, they make you... gonk
I will be having this one at St Vincent as well... only because that is where my OB delivers, and I love my OB.


Maddi Asada, try to enjoy the pregnancy and not worry to much.