Totally weird question I thought of tonight

[anne1140]

I know this is really weird, but bear with me. This evening, I had (TMI!) really awful diarrhea/cramping/nausea while riding in a car for an hour. It was miserable. It got me wondering if labor is worse than that, because OMG, that was horrible.

I will be relieved if most of you say labor is more tolerable.



...I'm embarrassed I'm even posting this! But it really did get me wondering...

[Belle]

nak,
labor is a different state of being for me. i'm there, but not there. hard to explain now because i have sleeping toddler on lap.

[SunShineSally]

My labor with Ds was more out of body than anything else I was talking and saying oww ohhh ahhh but the whole time I was thinking "am I lying do I really feel this pressure or force?" then when I felt the need to push I thought the same thing "do I really feel this" it was very odd and that is the only way to explain it is an out of body feeling. But everyone is different.

[broodymama]

For me, I would prefer labor. I get into a different mindset during labor, withdraw more into myself. I've heard of lots of people going into "laborland", but never heard of anyone being lost in "diarrhealand".

I had a gallbladder attack a little over a week ago and that was the worst pain I've ever experienced, way worse than labor. In the middle of it I remember thinking that if labor felt like that, I'd be birthing in a hospital with a needle in my back in a heartbeat.

[XanaduMama]

The pain is much worse but labor is much more "tolerable", IME...as long as it's unmedicated and intervention-free. I never felt miserable like one does when your stomach is upset--it HURTS, and it's overwhelming, but it's not as miserable.

[Dabble]

It's possible that you had the worst diarrhea cramps known to man, and that they could be compared to labor ... but they would have to be some pretty wicked cramps.

The thing with labor is that you know that it will progressively get stronger and stronger, and only end with an entire human emerging from a delicate, sensitive area. So, ya know..., that's kind of constantly on your mind as the contractions progress.

But the other thing about labor is that you get the best ever consolation prize at the end of it all! Diarrhea can make no such claims!

[kltroy]

Well, at the end of labor you get a BABY!! In my mind, that makes it much much better. I did lose my lunch during labor, though. :P

[thefreckledmama]

I think that's really subjective, person to person. Thinking back to the worst stomach bug I ever had, I have to say it one was about equal to the other. The stomach bug lasted way longer than labor though.

[aims1029]

I voted that I couldn't compare the two. Labor was much more intense but I was on Pit and it was a completely different feeling. I'm hoping natural labor will be much better this time!




And ! I didn't know you were on MDC, you're on the other forum with me.

[mamatolevi]

The only comparison between the two I could make is the cramping sensations in early labor. Once you're really in active labor though, there is no comparison.

[major_mama11]

Other than the very last part of labor, I think bad GI upset is worse than labor- mainly because for most of labor, you at least get breaks between ctx to regroup.

[Smokering]

Dunno. The sickest I've ever been was probably a baddish flu (I know, coddled much?!). It was psychologically ver different to labour. Labour has that whole culture of PAIN and DOOM built up around it, so you have 9 months to kind of psych up for and yet expect agony. People mention the flu like it's nothing, and then it's worse than you could imagine. And labor has that very trippy "I'm supposed to want this to get worse" aspect, because you know the next contraction coming is a good thing and yet you wish it wouldn't... whereas flu, you just want it to be over. I hated labour, but I don't think I got to the point of actually wanting to die; I did with the flu. It lasted longer.

So yeah, I dunno. I should probably have said "I" up there, not "you", because it really is vastly different for different people. I know some women who found labour less painful than menstrual cramps, but they had wickedly painful cramps, so... And then, other women experience no pain at all. So there you go!

[Sk8ermaiden]

OK. I feel that labor hurts much worse, but is more tolerable. I think the diarrhea/ cramping sensation is one of the most unpleasant feelings ever, and so while contractions hurt more, I'd much prefer them.

But also the breaks. Even though my contractions were less than a minute apart from beginning of labor to the end, the breaks were what set it apart from normal pain.

[Delicateflower]

I'm sorry, but contractions are kind of like bad gas until you hit transition. Then they're like gas x1000.

[Honey693]

I thought the first few hours of labor was diarrhea . Labor for me was better b/c at least there was a break in the pain and I knew I'd get a baby out of it. Pushing was worse, but at least I knew it was the end.

[anne1140]

Okay, thanks! That's all I wanted to hear! I am not scared if someone says it's more painful, but also more tolerable. The worst part for me with diarrhea/vomiting is the out of control/I'm going to die feeling.

I also imagine with labor, I won't be fighting against it, where with this, well, I am kind of fighting against it.

(Not pregnant, but I hope to have a home water birth, btw.)

[ScarletBegonias]

labor is like an out of body experience!

kidney stones hurt worse than un-medicated labor and for me, anyway, i had such horrible engorgement when my milk came in that it was more painful than labor for me.

i had a hb with dd, and between tearing and engorgement, the first week postpartum was waaaaaaaaay harder than labor.

labor was fun! and although i in no way had an orgasmic birth, i had pain, it was a different kind of pain than being *hurt*. it was productive pain.

my last m/c before dd was more painful than her labor, because i had the force of full term labor on a 12 week pg body/baby. i had to be transported for pain and blood loss, and when i went through that, i was worried i wouldn't be able to birth. but, my utter and complete fear of ever birthing in a hospital won out over the pain, and i had an awesome homebirth!

[Brisen]

Originally Posted by Red Sonja

For me, I would prefer labor. I get into a different mindset during labor, withdraw more into myself. I've heard of lots of people going into "laborland", but never heard of anyone being lost in "diarrhealand".

I voted that you can't compare them, and I tend to get diarrhea and vomiting just before transition, but it's usually quick and not like having a stomach bug, IME. I've had some horrible vomiting/nausea/gas/diarrhea this pregnancy, and it happens because I'm pg. I remember thinking I would prefer being in labour. And being in a car while having those cramps would be miserable, mentally as well as physically.

[hapersmion]

I think my labor was about on par with the regular stomach bugs I've had. The time I got food poisoning, though, that was definitely worse than labor - thank goodness it didn't last as long! Ugh.

For me, migraines are also significantly more painful than labor, and I don't think my migraines are even as bad as some people's. But then, my labor was on the easy side too, from what other people say.

[etsdtm99]

i have had stomach cramps in the car that were worse than pit contractions/labor. in my own home, i have not had stomach pains worse than labor.. but i've also never really labored at home.. hmmm