please tell me induction is way worse than natural childbirth - Page 3

[amandaleigh37]

My first labor was induced with pit, no pain meds, and yes I know what you mean! TERRIBLE STUFF!

My second birth (5 weeks ago - at home) was obviously without pit or anything else, and yes it was easier! The contrax still felt about the same, but the huge difference was that they had breaks inbetween. It wasn't one big huge slamming freight train feeling like on the pit... I had moments of peace to regroup & rest in between.

You can do it!!!

[DocsNemesis]

I've had 2 induced labors, no pain meds, 2 natural labors, no pain meds.

The induced labors were much much worse for me. The contractions were much painful much earlier, which I think makes it more difficult to intigrate and also doesnt allow the body to build up endorphins properly.

Now, as to natural labor, that varies immensly, even from pregnancy to pregnancy. My 3rd was my first non-induced delivery and I couldnt even tell I was in labor. The contrax were so mild I could talk through them. Yet I dilated to 9cm's like that. Finally after we broke my water and she shifted, about 30 mins later, I had a REAL contraction and after 15 minutes of hard labor, she was born.

My 4th was very fast and intense. The contractions built in strength quickly. My water broke before labor with her and it was still only 3 hours from then to birth. Anyway, they werent too bad until the end, when I hit transition.

Transition in natural labor is usually when you lose it. It gets much harder to keep a grip. However, those contractions are similar to some of the pit contractions earlier on (at least for me). I couldnt tell as much of a difference between the two, induced and not, when it came to transition-BUT transition is generally pretty quick and then you start pushing, which usually feels better. If it doesnt at least itll be over soon :P Anyway, I usually start cussing and thinking WHY DIDNT I GET AN EPIDURAL in transition...but then I know its transition and I'll deal with it.

[~LadyBug~]

I was induced the first time at 40weeks because I had such bad sciatic back pain I could not even walk. The pitocin was HORRIBLE and I tried, really tried, to go natural. The nurses kept upping the pitocin and thus hyper-stimulated my uterus and I had contractions on top of each other. It was horrible so I gave in at 7 cm and had an epidural. My second was natural and the contraction built up slowly and I had time to adjust to the pressure and the feelings. It still hurt, but I could deal with it.

[Dahlea]

I was induced and went natural. It was only really bad during transition.

[Mandynee22]

My first was induced, my second was natural.
The first hurt more (no epi but I had stadol). Part of it though was that it was my first time and all new to me.

[Fujiko]

This thread is very interesting to me. I've only had one birth so far. I was induced at 38 weeks for pre-e. When I arrived at the hospital, the doc did a VE and asked me how long I had been in labor...I was all like, "I'm not!" I was dilated 3-4 cm. So I must have been ready (or close to ready). He ruptured my membranes but it didn't do anything, so they started me on pit. I was on pit all day and the contractions only got difficult to deal with when I was in transition, and then I'd only call it a test of endurance than actually suffering through them, although my doula told me later that I asked for an epi several times. LOL I don't remember that. At one point, right at the beginning of what I would consider transition, my midwife (who didn't have hospital privileges but was with me as a doula/friend, and who has nearly 30 years of experience) was saying that my uterus was "hyperstimulated", but I was still on top of them. In the end my dd was OP and asynclitic, and I ended up with a c-section. (The labor was easy, the pushing, not so much.) I'm not typing this to brag, I'm just very interested in what my experience with natural labor will be like since I didn't find pit augmented labor so horrible.

[tofutti]

hm, i hadnt even thought about transition...if it would be different for induced vs. natural.

even though i finally had an epi at some point in there, it only worked on the left side! i remember transition as being just mentally terrifying.....panic and so insane feeling. like, asking/wanting to die, but not cause of the pain, because i really felt like i was going crazy?

not sure if this was the pit or what?

so weird.

[XanaduMama]

Transition was intense with both my births (during my HWB, it was the only part I'd consider "hard" at all--the rest was easy as pie). But that awful hysterical panicky feeling I had with my pit cx's (and I guess I pretty much went straight into transition, as my labor was only 3 hours from the first cx) did not exist at home. It was hard, and it took much more mental effort to stay on top of the contractions, but I felt way more in control. At one point I caught myself arching up out of the water at the peak of the contractions, realized with my brain that this was making it hurt more, and consciously controlled myself. It was awesome. And even in between transition cx's, I was chatting with the MW and my mom, laughing at ds, having a drink...totally manageable. With my pit labor, I was literally unable to speak, let alone laugh.

You'll be great. I found my HB amazingly healing...I'm sure you will too.

[ChristSavesAll]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Wel...I hate to not reassure you. But I was induced the first time and yeah, hell on wheels.

The second time I did it naturally and I got back labor. Hell on wheels. The pain was different, but absolutely just as painful. Maybe if you don't have back labor it's better.

I was induced the first time with ds and had a few contractions before requesting the epi.

When having dd at home I was excited to go into labor, I'd felt like I really missed out when I had ds, so I was looking forward to knowing what birthing was really like, pain and all.

I also had back labor but even still, I found it much more bearable than the pit contractions. The worst were during active labor (5 hours) but I had about a 5-10 minute break in between them so I managed just fine, now the pushing that was hard but my body took over and shot her out.

[mija y mijo]

Originally Posted by XanaduMama

I was augmented with pit the first time, and had an all-natural home birth with #2. Though I managed without an epidural my first time, I think it was only because I had a very fast labor. The contractions...really the whole experience is incomparable to natural labor, IME. The rhythms feel much more natural, you get space to breathe and talk and smile in between the cx'es, the peaks are much less jagged and overwhelming. The hardest part of the pit contractions was just feeling overwhelmed, panicky, like I was going to lose it at the peak. I never felt anything like that in my natural birth, which felt gloriously peaceful and manageable.

This is exactly how I would describe my experience, though my second babe was born in a hospital. My two births were like night and day. I actually didn't think I was really in labor the second time around, because I kept waiting to feel something close to what I experienced when I was induced. I decided to head to the hospital because I was GBS positive and knew I would be required to get the antibiotics, and I wanted to make sure I had enough time to get the required dose in me so they wouldn't freak out and take DS to the NICU for a bunch of unnecessary testing. It's turned out to be a good thing I did, because when I arrived at the hospital I was already close to 8 cm. Like I said, night and day!!!

[tofutti]

oooooohhhhh that post really comforted me, thank you

[*04Mom07*]

Originally Posted by radicaleel

The way she describes a natural contraction is like hearing a train coming from the distance--you know it's coming, and it builds and builds and finally peaks and then gradually recedes into the distance again. It's intense at the peak but it's manageable because you can work with the waves of sensation.

She says a pit contraction is like you're sitting there and then you suddenly get HIT by the train with no warning and no time for your body to prepare. You go from zero to the peak all at once, and your uterus gets slammed with it. It stresses your body out and you quickly get exhausted from the pain.

This describes the difference perfectly IMO!

[notjustmamie]

Originally Posted by radicaleel

She says a pit contraction is like you're sitting there and then you suddenly get HIT by the train ...

I love it! Please tell your mom this is a great analogy and I'm stealing it.

I had pit-augmented back labor (worst of both worlds, anyone?) with DD. I'm hoping and planning for a natural labor with the new babe. I'm counting on it being easier than last time.

[Natsuki]

The support you get in labor changes how you experience the contractions as well. I never would have believed that before I experienced it myself during my last birth (all natural).

When my mom or DH would touch me during labor, the contractions were so much easier to handle - but there were a few times when they weren't in the room and I could barely handle that one contraction, it was sooooo bad (and this was just regular active labor - but how the ones 'alone' felt in regular labor was far worse than how transition, the most intense part, felt with their active physical touch and verbal support).

I now understand how a doula affects birth outcomes so positively, b/c it was night and day for me.

[Ruby2]

Tofutti - have you thought about taking a HypnoBirthing class? I'm taking my last class tomorrow and couldn't be happier with it. We're learning how to use deep relaxation techniques to have a natural, non-exhausting birth. Many people who use the technique say they had no pain at all and both the mom and baby have more energy right after the birth.

[tofutti]

hey ruby - yeah i actually DID take hypnobirthing class, did the whole program, listened to the cd, read the book, and in the end it didnt really help with anything.

well the breathing techniques helped me get thru some of the early contractions, but then it just got too hard to handle

but being induced is probably no match for hypnobirthing, i bet it works well with a more "normal" birth.

[Mamja]

I don't see how natural could be as bad as induced. There was no way I could do it without drugs, and it was too overwhelming to even attempt the breathing techniques I had learned.