With my first child, I was in labor for 4 days. Started on Halloween, went to doc, sent me home. Went in the next day, he sent me home telling me they weren't lasting long enough and weren't hurting bad enough. Went in on the 4th of Nov. at 3 am, spinning head, spouting voodoo curses on all who looked at me. They started pitocin to speed labor up, when the nurses left I turned that stuff off. They came back in and said they didn't know the doctor ordered that turned off, I said "he didn't, I did." One nurse told me to practice my breathing, and I looked at her like she'd lost her mind and told her "Are you nuts? I am breathing!" She said, "No like this." And proceeded to sound like a dog panting. I'm 20 years old and cool still mattered. I wasn't going to pant like no dog.

Around noon, the doctor came in and told me if I didn't dilate more soon they'd have to do an emergency c-section as my child's heart rate was decreasing during contractions. Contractions at this point were every 2 minutes apart, lasting for 90 seconds. Hadn't slept in 4 days, so began taking cat naps in between cursing the doctors, cursing the nurses, cursing my husband, begging them for pain meds (lady in the room next to me was begging them to give me pain meds too), and all of that within 30 seconds before the next one began. FINALLY at fricken 2:00 they take me down to do an emergency c-section and knocked my butt out. (Don't know why they didn't do that earlier. Would have made it easier on them if they had.)

They woke me up at 5:00 and I asked how my son was? The nurse looked at me like "How'd you know you were having a son?" I said, "After the hell he just put me through, I know there is a Y chromosome there somewhere because I'm still asking WHY?"

With my second son who is now 5 and my daughter 2 and a 1/2, it was a breeze. They just gave me c-sections without the pain. Whoever said, "No pain, no gain" were liars! However, they gave me the c-sections because I'm high risk and being pregnant can kill me but hey, they got here in one piece without the Exorcist experience.

But honestly, I wouldn't trade the experience of any of my children for anything in the world. My oldest son who is now 21 is a wonderful, intelligent, compassionate man who I am so proud of. And to be honest, it is a pain that you forget. I can look back now and remember that I was in a lot of pain, but it's tempered with something special that wasn't there at that time, until I held my son for the first time and he curled his fingers around my finger. When I held him for the first time, I knew I would walk through hell and back if it meant having him in my arms like that, staring into that beautiful little face. The first time can be painful, but there is also nothing else in the world like holding your newborn child in your arms and feeling that surge of pure, unconditional love pour through every inch of your being.

CinisterCee said:

OK, I mean vaginal sex the doc said there are more than one way to swing a cat.

it's a lot like going to the movies. except, without the popcorn and the sitting down in the theater part. or, the part where the movie is playing

luv4all7 said:

Any more details and she'll be scheduling herself for a tubal ligation.

Thankfully, for me, (whew) you're not asking because you need to know within the next nine months or so...

I had two without medication, both born within three hours of the first contraction.

With my first, my body went into shut-down mode to lessen the pain, I went in a out with each contraction and hallucinated quite a bit, then... the pushing came and what a relief! He was born and the pain was forgotten. Unfortunately, he had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks because he was too premature.

With my second, my body did the shut-down thing, too much, because she was "sunny-side up" and came too quickly, like my first, where my pelvic bones didn't have time to separate. Her heart was shutting down, mine was too... three different forceps came and, like luv4all7, I was blown out, from the quick snatch and grab to save us both, and all was well afterwards, pain forgotten and she could come home, though she was early. With her, my body protected me to the point, or the pain was so great and made me crazy enough, that everyone looked like cartoon characters and had huge smiles on their faces!

Contractions hurt! Pushing is a relief! Contractions can make you vomit(or want to), shake uncontrollably, hallucinate, and break blood vessels in your face, but they never made me scream. I think because it does hurt that bad for those few minutes, then all is well again until the next one comes. When the pusing comes, you know it, you love it, you welcome it, then... you grow tired and want to give up. You can't. You hate it. You. Are. Done. Then, you do it anyway... and you have a child. If you're like me, you send them away from you... if they aren't taken away in an attempt to save. If you are like others, you will hold that baby close to you and instantly fall in love.

No matter the pain... it is instantly forgotten, seriously, and you will never be more happy in your life, even if it isn't instant. This does not mean that you can allow that sneak attack of his. Not yet! For me?

Compared to ruptured cysts, childbirth is a walk in the park. I would give birth every hour, every day, if I never had to endure another cyst rupturing!

Mazurack said:

i didn't scream either. i would have conversations between contractions-every so often i'd pause until the pain would subside. but it hurt like a mutha. never had a ruptured cyst but i have had a toothe ache and that pain is right up their or almost worst than contractions.

brownsugar said:

I didn't scream either, I didn't really make a sound. I just went into a zone, closed my eyes and breathed while I shook. The only time I spoke was to tell people not to talk to me or touch me because it would bring me out of my zone when they did...and that made me very angry,

And I agree, an abscessed tooth is unbearable!

I had to count breaths to get through the contractions, and the master thought he would let me think the contractions weren't so long by repeating some numbers, but I got really mad at him it messed it up for me!

It wasn't THAT bad. I had two types of drugs , so it was a breeze



Smooches;)

I have got three kids and they were big babies, over 4 kilos each, but after the birthgiving you don't even remember the pain when you look at the baby. I must say that after third delivery the after contractions were much worse than the real birth-giving contractions thou.

Kayleigh said:

oh yeah! the after pains! I forgot about them! all my 3 were 4kg+ too

irrisistableB said:

I had three c-sections and all through the same suprapubic site. You can barely see my incision. I bellydance as a hobby and my tummy looks fine. The incision is below my costume. You must've had a transverse incision.?

xplnyrslf said:

guess Ill be taking up belly dancing than after this one.