A question for those who have had a natural childbirth?
ByI am planning on having a natural childbirth with absolutely no painkillers at all. In fact, I am due in a week so this is coming up pretty quickly. If you experienced natural birthers could help me out I would appreciate it:
Pertaining to childbirth only, and using a pain scale of 1 – 10 please.
How bad was the pain when you first got contractions? When did the pain reach a 10 and for how long? How would you rate the pain after throughout birth and immediately after? How was the pain the next day?
I know it will be difficult – but use the 1 – 10 rating PLEASE!!! I know it is painful, but just consider the scale in the childbirth situation, not other pain experienced in life. I know you can’t compare contractions to a bad headache!
Thanks for your help.
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10 Comments
February 18th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
First contractions that were real contractions, a 4. When did I reach a 10…when he crowned and it lasted about 3 seconds. Throughout birth, a consistent 5 or 6, no more. The pain the next day was about a 3.
Good luck. The pain isn’t so bad that you can’t do it, promise. Good luck and I hope things turn out as you planned.
Edit: I’ve delivered 3 and hopefully a 4th soon without the use of any drugs.
February 18th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I just had my daughter on the 11th. I wanted to go all natural as well but had to have pitocin as soon as i got to the hospital after my waterbroke. I made it to around 5 cm (4 hours of labor) with no pain medicine and i would rate the pain from a 4-6. Then not long after that is jumped to an 8 for me and i had to have an epidural because i was so uncomfortable.
When it was time for me to push (10 hours of labor) my epidural had worn off and i began to have feeling in my vaginal area. So i basically felt everything as i pushed her out. I would say that pain from crowning and pushing the head out is around a 9-10.
That night i was incredibably sore around a 7. and the next day around a 5. since then i have had very little to no pain.
Good Luck…I wish you a safe and healthy delivery.
February 18th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
definetely a 10, but im only 13 so it could be different
February 18th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
it hurts really bad their is now was to know how your contractions will fill to you or how strong i can tell you my labor hurt so bad that i cant remember it i blacked out from the pain
February 18th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Well when my water broke it was like 1-2
afer a couple of hrs it was like 7 then about a couple hrs before i started pushing it was like
98478549!!
it was way over 10 im telling u.
but pushing didnt hurt me, i didnt rip tho.. some of the time i couldnt even feel me pushing, the whole time i was pushing it just felt like takeing a poop LOL!!
i had no pain meds.
good luck =]
stay stronge!! and congrats,
boy or girl?
February 18th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
With my daughter 10 years ago I didn’t have the regular contractions that everyone else does…I did however have contractions in my back…The contractions were only probably about a 6 though throughout the dilation process…As far as the delivery…I was at about an 8 when he did the episiotomy…she crowned and then it shot to a 10…However she “ripped me a new one” as my doctor put it…After she was out I was at a 0…My sisters walked into the room an hour after delivery and I was sitting indian syle (Legs crossed under me) with my lil one in my arms…
Now with my 1 year old son…I was having contractions that felt like he had a hot shot (an electric cattle prod) in my stomach (more than 10)…The contractions got so bad I finally broke down and had an epidural…Only problem was when I moved to the side of the bed to have it I dilated even further so it wasn’t in complete effect on the right side when we hit the delivery process and he started crowning…the crowning was only about a 6 since I couldn’t feel it all…but the contractions this time were definitely a good 9 or 10…After the delivery I was around a 1 or 2…but my physical pain disappeared when they had to transfer my son to a bigger hospital an hour away and I couldn’t go w/him…I was up and walking about 3 hours after the delivery…
If all your having is pain from the contractions it will go in spurts…Both of my deliveries were 6 and a half hours…
February 18th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
My mom had all three of her kids natural. She said that it hurt like your worst menstrual cramps…but they didn’t go away for 10 long hours! The thing that is most irritating is the episiotomy. The pain the next couple of days was just tenderness and soreness, but nothing ya can’t handle!
February 18th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
when my contractions started begining 3
about 20min later 5
when i got to the hospital 9 cm to late for medication 10
started pushing 10+
started crowning 10++++++
babys head finally out 1
babys all the way out 0 all the pain just went all away for me once the baby came out
pain next day felt like period cramps but motrin would help or tylenol i would say 2.
i am 38 weeks with my second child a babygirl and im planning on getting an epidural to see the difference goodluck and congrats hope i helped!
February 18th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
I applaud your efforts…but you need to be physically fit…I will just assume that your are…it’s not so much the pain but the stamina involved. If you don’t plan to have an IV, drink plenty of fluids during labor and eat if you feel like it!
To answer your questions: (I’m averaging my two births)
First Contractions: 1
Pain Reach 10: Never..only hit 8 during transition when it hurt not to push.
Throughout Labor: About 4-5
Next Day: 2
First birth labor lasted 6 hours (anterior presentation), Second birth labor lasted 13 hours (posterior presentation).
TIP: Squatting opens the pelvis by 10% to make the pushing stage go faster.
February 18th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Sorry but I ended up having gas with all three of my kids. But it doesn’t have a major effect just takes the edge of for 60 seconds or so.
For my first from first contractions it was 0 (just a niggling annoying pain that I didn’t even realise was a contraction) and it slowly built up from there. After maybe 8 hrs it was a 5 and then a few hours later a 7.
It was only a 9-10 for the last 30 minutes when you get to the pushing stage. Labor from start to end lasted 17hrs.
Pain after birth was a 1.
For my second again started at 0 for the first few hours and then quickly got to a 4 which was most of the morning. Then by the time it hit 7, I went to hospital and it quickly became an 8-9 for an hour and then she was born. She pretty much slid out! Nurses only caught her just in time! Labor from start to end lasted 15 hrs.
Pain after birth was a 1.
With my son contractions started at about a 2 and then became a 5 for maybe three hours and then a 8-9 for an hour and then 10 when I was pushing him out.
Pain after birth was a 3! After your third the after pains are much worse than your first or second and I had no idea and wasn’t prepared but it only lasted for a few hours and then went down to a 1 which stayed like that for 3 days. Labor from start to end lasted 14 hrs.
Good on you for wanting no pain relief! I think thats great. I tried, but did need the gas to take the edge of once it hit about a 7.