Do you all remember how your contractions felt?
By cynddvs
@cynddvs (2948)
United States
May 1, 2007 8:38pm CST
I just went to a friends baby shower tonight. Just as she was opening her gifts she started going into labor. Her contractions started getting so strong and close together she couldn't tell when one would end and one would begin. As I was leaving the shower her husband was picking her up to take her to the hospital.
As I was sitting there watching her as she was in labor I started thinking back to my labor. 18 months later I honestly can't remember how my contractions felt. Maybe this is a good thing lol. All I remember is when I first started getting contractions I just thought they were like menstral cramps and my "cramps" just gradually got worse. But I really can't remember what it felt like.
Do you remember what your labor pains and contractions were like?
6 people like this
15 responses
@Darkwing (21583)
•
2 May 07
I think the joy of having a healthy, beautiful baby placed in your arms, enables you to forget all the pains of labour. It seems like a miracle, and you feel so relieved that everything went alright and the pain stopped, that you just put it all behind you and get on with the task of caring for your little "miracle".
I had a really bad time with my first, but I can't remember the pain. I was just so happy to have started my family successfully.
Good discussion, Cyn... I'm rating it with a +. Brightest Blessings.
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
2 May 07
I remember it being such a relief when I held my daughter. I do remember the little bit of time I spent pushing I remember with every push I could feel her going back in a little. It would get discouraging for a moment but she eventually came into this world after 15 minutes of pushing. I remember being so relieved and so happy to see how healthy and beautiful she was (yes I know newborns are icky and cone headed when they are born but to me she was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on). Thanks for the positive rating. : ) I just love talking about childbirth. Brings back so many wonderful memories.
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
2 May 07
My youngest is only 5 1/2 months old. I've been through labor 6 times. I remember but at the same time, I don't remember. I know it hurt at times but I also know that wonderful feeling of holding my baby finally. It's like that one touch erases all the physical feelings of the prior few hours. My s/o would tell you a different story so I guess it doesn't have the same effect on the dads. He turns green if I just mention having my IV started!
2 people like this
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
2 May 07
I think our significant others do tend to think of childbirth differently. They just see us in pain and want to fix us and feel so helpless. Luckily my fiance did really well during my whole labor and delivery. If he ever got grossed out he never let it show.
@steney (1418)
• Philippines
3 May 07
Yes, I quite rememmber how it went. I had contractions on a Wednesday morning more like menstrual cramps then we checked into the hospital. The contractions stopped, or so I thought. The doctor said that I was already having regular contractions but I don't feel any pain at all. They had to 'tickle' my tummy every now and then because my baby was sleeping and the contractions are not progressing. I had painful contractions after my bag of water broke the next morning and delivered at 8:25 am Thursday. I had normal delivery and I remember that after all I went through I don't want to have a baby again! But of course now, that has changed because I have already forgotten all the pain.:)
1 person likes this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
2 May 07
I remembered mine very well, because I kept thinking how all those women who say that you forget as soon as your baby is born are all liars. After my first son was born, I thought that the bravest women in the world were the ones who had more than 1 child, because they knew what you have to go through. I was in hard labor for 16 hours, and in a Catholic hospital. I remember hearing other women screaming with labor pains. It was really scary. My other labors and deliveries went much faster, and were not that bad at all. I think the first one would have been better if I had gone to childbirth classes. They didn't have them back then.
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
2 May 07
That reminds me of when I was having my first. The woman in the room next to me was in labor for her 5th child. The part of my labor that I do remember the most was listening to her screaming (and I do mean blood curdling screams) every couple minutes and being terrified that that was normal. And then the nurse scared me even more by apologizing about it and saying the woman had been in labor for over 24 hours already! Mine thankfully was just under 11 hours and I didn't scream once. The woman next to me actually walked over to visit me herself to apologize after she finally did have her baby. She said she was surprised when she found out I'd had mine because she never heard a sound from my room. I guess she was used to hard labors though, I always wondered if she had any more.
2 people like this
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
2 May 07
Childbirth classes are a Godsend! I don't think there is anyway I could have had a natural childbirth if I hadn't gone through my class. I couldn't imagine how scary your first labor would have been. I would have been terrified if I had heard a bunch of women making the noises I was making lol. I had my daughter at a birth center so I was the only one there. I may have scared some of expectant mothers that had checkup appointments that morning though lol.
1 person likes this
@tshirtscene (491)
• New Zealand
2 May 07
The last time I had a baby was 13 years ago. I do remember the labour pains, but can't remember how they felt, just they hurt, lol. It is true that you do forget all about the pain once your baby is born, there is no other feeling like it in the world. :)
2 people like this
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
2 May 07
Oh I agree! I had my daughter all natural and while I know it was painful I honestly have to say all that pain was worth it the second I held my precious baby girl. It's like the whole world just faded away for that moment and it was just me and my precious family.
@amydawn11 (906)
• Canada
2 May 07
I can remember having one and the nurse saying ok it's done now and I was like yah right it still hurts! Too me it hurt all the time even between contractions the only difference was the actual contarctions hurt more. I was really lucky though, they broke my water at 7:30pm and I had my daughter at 9:36pm and only the last hour was hard labour so I guess I shouldn't be complaining.
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
2 May 07
We can remember having pain but we have built in protection that we cannot FEEL it again. If we did no one would want to have more than one baby.
1 person likes this
@wmaharper (2316)
• United States
2 May 07
I do remember that they were intensly painful. I had a baby 8 months ago, but i was induced and they had to give me an epidural early, or I may not get one, so I didn't even feel any contractions with him, but with my first, 2 1/2 years ago, I remember those very clearly. I even remember what my stomach felt like, that it would get rock hard.. that was pretty cool. (:
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
2 May 07
I have heard many people say that you forget the pain of childbirth. I disagree. It was worth all the pain but I did not forget. LOL My daughters are now 25 and 27 and I remembe the nights that I went into labor and the long hours of pain. I had totally natural childbirth. I would not take anything for pain or anything to numb when they stitched me up from the tears. Yes, I remember and I remember it well.
1 person likes this
@retardedrugrat (4791)
• Canada
2 May 07
Well, I only labored with my first and second lol, and my second ended in an emergency C Section anyway.
I don't really remember the pain in terms of how bad it was. I just remember that it f%@!*&g hurt! LOL.
I think it's true that while you don't forget the pain, your memory and the sight of your baby, makes you forget how bad it hurt, and exactly how it felt.
It's funny because when you go into labor with your second and later babies, you always make mention of not remembering the pain feeling that bad the first time round LOL
1 person likes this
@us2owls (1681)
• United States
2 May 07
Well I had 3 daughters and each birth was a littkle different. My youngests birth is the one I remember the best. I had a dull backache and a very slight show. We called the Doctor - he said for us to meet him at the hospital and we did - he admitted me - took me into delivery - broke my water. Thtee massive contractions later I had my baby. Boy was that an easy one. LOL
1 person likes this
@jojogirl (289)
• Philippines
2 May 07
my contractions started at 10 minute intervals with a stabbing pain on the lower back that lasts for about ten seconds, just a little more painful than normal menstrual cramps. then the contraction interval downed to 5minutes, and about three hours before the baby came out, the contraction interval became three minutes. i was so relaxed when i gave birth. i even had the luxury of sipping coffee in between contractions.
1 person likes this
