Re: How painful was childbirth?
I was always right in thinking that these VS models are not humans and here’s another proof.
[Miranda Kerr had natural birth, without drugs or painkillers](http://Miranda Kerr had natural birth, without drugs or painkillers)
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Enigmatic... are you taking child birth classes? I have been to only one and it gave me tons of information.. also, squatting is the best way for child birth and to prevent tear or so I was told! At the hospital where I will be delivering, they have birthing stools and water birth opportunity available too so I will be taking advantage of that as well.... the worst position to give birth is lying on your back, you are working against gravity!
Honestly I am not so much afraid of labor and delivery but the afterpains.. I want to hold my baby and want all the pains to go away! that is it.. I wish it happens.. I dont want tears and for that I am willing to do anything during labor and delivery that will prevent me from it!!
Also, have you heard about perineal massage.. I dnot have the courage yet but I still have time.. apparently that prevents tearing too!!
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Homebirth+waterbirth…I’m not surprised. :k:
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Is it supposed to be easier?
Re: How painful was childbirth?
from what I have heard, waterbirth reduces the pain to 50% or less!!!
I may try it!
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Is it supposed to be easier?
I had a homebirth with my 3rd one and whenever I felt the contractions coming I sat down in warm bath....it does miracles and takes away all the pain so I guess it's easier for ladies who give birth in water.
In hospitals in UK, you can't have warm baths nor can you move around or try different positions so it makes it worse.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Enigmatic... are you taking child birth classes? I have been to only one and it gave me tons of information.. also, squatting is the best way for child birth and to prevent tear or so I was told! At the hospital where I will be delivering, they have birthing stools and water birth opportunity available too so I will be taking advantage of that as well.... the worst position to give birth is lying on your back, you are working against gravity!
Honestly I am not so much afraid of labor and delivery but the afterpains.. I want to hold my baby and want all the pains to go away! that is it.. I wish it happens.. I dont want tears and for that I am willing to do anything during labor and delivery that will prevent me from it!!
Also, have you heard about perineal massage.. I dnot have the courage yet but I still have time.. apparently that prevents tearing too!!
Am currently 24 weeks GTG. Haven't taken any antenatal classes. Would discuss this with my midwife for sure. Appointment's due tomorrow IA. Yup I heard about perineal massage too right here on GS. But you don't start that till 36 weeks right?
Yes I too want to enjoy my baby as much as possible without any afterpains IA. May Allah make it easier for all of us :)
You have just a few weeks to go now. How's third trimester treating you so far?
Re: How painful was childbirth?
I had a homebirth with my 3rd one and whenever I felt the contractions coming I sat down in warm bath....it does miracles and takes away all the pain so I guess it's easier for ladies who give birth in water.
In hospitals in UK, you can't have warm baths nor you can move around or try different positions so it makes it worse.
this isn't fair..at least they should let us adopt the squatting position if nothing else. Am yet to discuss my complete birth plan with my midwife yet. Just hit the 24 weeks mark Alhamdullilah. Pregnancy so far hasn't been much difficult. I had a few days of bad nausea but it went away pretty soon :)
Re: How painful was childbirth?
from what I have heard, waterbirth reduces the pain to 50% or less!!!
I may try it!
Labour pain is so weird, it starts as a period pain and when you're near giving birth it turns into a pressure, the same feeling when you're constipated and trying your hard, water helps reducing that pressure.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
I had a homebirth with my 3rd one and whenever I felt the contractions coming I sat down in warm bath....it does miracles and takes away all the pain so I guess it's easier for ladies who give birth in water.
In hospitals in UK, you can't have warm baths nor you can move around or try different positions so it makes it worse.
how about the third option, delivering in a midwifery led units? They say those do have birthing pools etc.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
this isn't fair..at least they should let us adopt the squatting position if nothing else. Am yet to discuss my complete birth plan with my midwife yet. Just hit the 24 weeks mark Alhamdullilah. Pregnancy so far hasn't been much difficult. I had a few days of bad nausea but it went away pretty soon :)
They have to monitor baby's heartbeat all the time so that's why they want mothers to stay in bed.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
In hospitals in UK, you can't have warm baths nor you can move around or try different positions so it makes it worse.
eeek thats a pure torture!!! no wonder you chose homebirth for the third one!
Enigmatic... I will be 33 weeks tomorrow and I guess youstart perineal massage around 34-35 weeks! I have an appt with midwife tomorrow.. will inquire more about it!
my third trimester.. has been nothing but uncomfortable and painful.. I have no problems saying that I love my baby but I hate my pregnancy.. I had a horrible nausea/vomiting until about 17 weeks, then I got the restless leg syndrom taht I still have and for last 13 or 14 weeks I havent slept more than 4 hours in 24 hours.. and a few weeks I was diagnosed with gallstones so I am on a strict diet, losing weight, and just wanting this to be over!!!
I cant wait to hold my baby.. it's all worht it but I will not do this again! :-)
Re: How painful was childbirth?
how about the third option, delivering in a midwifery led units? They say those do have birthing pools etc.
If you're going for a waterbirth then you'll have a birthing pool reserved for you.....once you've delivered the baby in water, you come out of the water and on the bed, then you push for placenta.....
I should've gone for a water birth for the 1st baby but I was kinda scared of it. hehe
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Oh you will. 
Re: How painful was childbirth?
The worst part of labour lasts only for 30 minutes....the rest isn't too bad.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
From what I've read, it seems that if your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you don't want an epidural, the best option (in UK) is a midwife led birthing centre (they try to make a natural birth as comfortable for you as possible) or home birth. Apparently much less traumatic. As people have mentioned, regular hospital births, lying on your back seem to be the worst option in regards to ease of labour and tearing. And if you have an epidural, there is no control, no way to stop tearing etc... yeh it might get rid of the pain but if you are having a lying in bed hospital birth where they want to get it out asap, then no wonder you'd go for the epidural.
Scares the crap out of me really. Nothing else does.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
to be honest I am scared of water birth. Seems pretty weird to me for some reason In Pakistan there isn’t a concept of water birth. Maybe in some extremely OTT private hospitals.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
From what I've read, it seems that if your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you don't want an epidural, the best option (in UK) is a midwife led birthing centre (they try to make a natural birth as comfortable for you as possible) or home birth. Apparently much less traumatic. As people have mentioned, regular hospital births, lying on your back seem to be the worst option in regards to ease of labour and tearing. And if you have an epidural, there is no control, no way to stop tearing etc... yeh it might get rid of the pain but if you are having a lying in bed hospital birth where they want to get it out asap, then no wonder you'd go for the epidural.
Scares the crap out of me really. Nothing else does.
Midwives here are so against epidurals and they'd encourage you to keep it natural as much as you can.
Entonox is other option that's available....it doesn't have any major side effects but you might not like it coz it can make you sick.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Hareem thats horrible that your hospital didnt allow you to move during labor. My labor was only bearable because i could walk off my contractions. Also the midwife tried different things during labor and different positions. I used the whirlpool tub too and it was pure heaven but you are only allowed in there till your water breaks.
Btw my labor was just the way you described it: period like pains when it started, then got worse to lots of pressure down there. I never got the urge to push but had to push anyways. I wish i had though, maybe wouldve made things easier.
Re: How painful was childbirth?
Hareem thats horrible that your hospital didnt allow you to move during labor. My labor was only bearable because i could walk off my contractions. Also the midwife tried different things during labor and different positions. I used the whirlpool tub too and it was pure heaven but you are only allowed in there till your water breaks.
Btw my labor was just the way you described it: period like pains when it started, then got worse to lots of pressure down there. I never got the urge to push but had to push anyways. I wish i had though, maybe wouldve made things easier.
I'm glad you didn't, with my 3rd one I just wanted to get it done with so when felt the urge I started pushing it out but started bleeding, I saw the blood trickling down my legs, that was quite stressful even the midwife was scared....so she called paramedics but in 10 or 15 more minutes baby was already born. So I learnt that always listen to your midwife and when she says "push", push.
I think unless you are fully dilated the midwife won't let you push, or may be after the dilation and crowning then she'll tell you to push.