"ring of fire question"

[~Megan~]

I've not given birth vaginally and this question just came to mind (better ask now or I might forget!)
Does it hurt when the head is in the vagina or does it not hurt until its crowning?

Basically is the stretching pain from the moment it passes the cervix?

ETA:
Well, since I now have had a baby vaginally thought I might come back and answer my own question.

To me it was painful as his head was moving down through my pelvis. It felt like the bones were grinding or something. Part of the reason I didn't push, it seemed more painful when I pushed, so I just let my uterus do the work.

I didn't really have a ring of fire. It really only hurt on my left labia and in the front even though I was upright. I tried leaning back to take pressure off the front because I really didn't want to tear there.

[Pandora114]

it burns a little bit when the head is at the perineum. *however its' spelled I'm about to go to bed LOL*

it just feels REAL cool when the baby makes it's journey down the birth canal. I was one of those rare ones who had an "orgasmic birth" so I think the "ring of fire" was clouded by the "Holy this ain't supposed to feel GOOOOOD"

lol

[Itlbokay]

It's been quite a few years for me, I seem to recall the crowning being when I felt that.

I remember it being a very vague, burning sensation.

I'm curious to read what others have to post on this.

[AngelBee]

I didn't feel any burning but I felt my pelvis spread when they crown.....kinda funny feeling

[Lucky Charm]

I dont remember feeling the burn until the baby's head was right there at the opening. Being in the vaginal vault in and of itself did not hurt me, and pushing was not at all painful.

And to be totally honest, the burning i felt was minimal....i felt like my kids heads were emerging from my butt!

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by sweetbaby3

i felt like my kids heads were emerging from my butt!

:

[Lisalee2]

For my ds' birth, I definitely felt a little burning. I actually said out loud "Now I know what they mean by the 'ring of fire'." My midwives and family got a kick out of that. But in all actuality, it didn't burn too much.

With dd, she was born underwater and there was no burning sensation.

I agree with SB3, both of my children's births felt a lot like a big poo.

[karinasampeibrown]

I agree with SB3, both of my children's births felt a lot like a big poo. [/QUOTE] :LOL I completely agree...

[scheelimama]

Okay, I felt like it was extremely painful when they passed the cervix and came down through the birth canal. For me, that was the most painful part. I was extremely relaxed throughout the labor of my second child and did not feel any pain really until this part. When they crown, it's actually a nice feeling b/c you know it's almost over and it gives you the courage/desire/inspiration to push with all your might. It hurts like h***, but it's empowering.

[MamanFrancaise]

I also experienced intense pain... it wasn't so much burning as a ripping/tearing feeling (which I did). But I was NOT relaxed and was laying flat on my back in a hospital hooked up to an epidural that didn't work so it was crappy all around.

[katja]

The crowning part hurt the most for me, and was the most frightening part. I had a pretty painful labor, but I got through the contractions okay and wasn't freaked out or anything. Ring of fire, though, I was screaming. But it was pretty brief, and a few seconds later, there was dd, cute as the dickens, who is turning 2 on Sunday!
I guess it's a surface pain rather than internal, and for some of us it's harder to deal with. Just the head sitting inside the vagina wasn't painful.

[mandib50]

all my births were different but the baby's head sitting in the vagina did not hurt. the contractions hurt. pushing was the worst for me, i hated it. it hurt so much. i remember a ring of fire with my son,it really burned, but it lasted so briefly and you knew it would be over so soon (okay, except with my daughter who had sticky shoulders ugh) and then it's over. the burning is from the baby's head on the perineum stretching it to it's fullest. you can get that sensation somewhat by stretching perineum with your fingers until it starts to hurt if you were ambitious (or if you and your hubby want to fool around together ).
just remember it can be completely different for you than what everyone wrote here.
mandi

[dukeswalker]

Buring just as my dd crowned - no biggie - just some skin streching....

[Aura_Kitten]

i got the Ring of Fire with both right as they were crowning ~ with my son, it felt like someone was slicing up my yoni with razorblades that were on fire. (also tore very badly with that birth)... with my daughter, i didn't feel the ring of fire until right before she emerged, and i *knew* she was coming... it was very painful, like, excrutiating, but it only lasted a couple of seconds.

really i think the pressure was more intense ~ i, too, felt like i was about to poop out a baby... although really i thought something along the lines of, "so THIS is what happens when you eat a watermelon seed..."

[pamamidwife]

I honestly believe that the "ring of fire" is your body's way of slowing your pushing down - or stopping it altogether for just a while. This allows the skin to stretch all around the baby's head, then ease out.

Watching a woman birth undirected, she will often gasp when this sensation occurs - and not push. Then, with the next contraction, it's almost like she'll be hesitant to really push, so her body will push the baby out slowly.

This is not always the case, for sure, but I think it's designed perfectly for a reason.

[MamaTaraX]

With baby #1 I had the classic Ring Of Fire right as his head popped out. It's very obvious in the video, the primal yell and whatnot. With baby #2, I honestly don't recall any burning but do recall the neat feeling of him squirming in thebirth canal.
Namaste, Tara

[Artisan]

Originally Posted by sweetbaby3

i felt like my kids heads were emerging from my butt!

:

I had read so many times that pushing didn't really hurt, so I thought it would be a welcome relief for me. But pushing was painful for me, so your experience could be nearly anything. I do think it is best to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised.

The thing that surprised me the most was how much the contractions spaced out in between pushes. I actually got a good 1-2 mn rest (seemed longer) in between contractions, where I felt mostly pressure. So for me, the pushing contractions and the pushing hurt, but during the rest periods, I didn't feel any pain, just pressure.

[babybugmama]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

I honestly believe that the "ring of fire" is your body's way of slowing your pushing down - or stopping it altogether for just a while. This allows the skin to stretch all around the baby's head, then ease out.

Watching a woman birth undirected, she will often gasp when this sensation occurs - and not push. Then, with the next contraction, it's almost like she'll be hesitant to really push, so her body will push the baby out slowly.

This is not always the case, for sure, but I think it's designed perfectly for a reason.

Hmmm...interesting. That will help my thought process for the next one...

Dd's birth was rough for me but mostly because it was a speeding bullet that I was trying to hold onto and I had no clue what was going on. The ring of fire was very memorable for me but it was right at the very end seconds before she popped out. I just remember hollering "it burns, it burns..." But then it was gone soon as her head emerged.

[KiwiZ]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

I honestly believe that the "ring of fire" is your body's way of slowing your pushing down - or stopping it altogether for just a while. This allows the skin to stretch all around the baby's head, then ease out.

Watching a woman birth undirected, she will often gasp when this sensation occurs - and not push. Then, with the next contraction, it's almost like she'll be hesitant to really push, so her body will push the baby out slowly.

This is not always the case, for sure, but I think it's designed perfectly for a reason.

I totally agree with this. I remember when I first heard about the "ring of fire" and wondering what its purpose was. This makes perfect sense!

[Spark]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

I honestly believe that the "ring of fire" is your body's way of slowing your pushing down - or stopping it altogether for just a while. This allows the skin to stretch all around the baby's head, then ease out.

Watching a woman birth undirected, she will often gasp when this sensation occurs - and not push. Then, with the next contraction, it's almost like she'll be hesitant to really push, so her body will push the baby out slowly.

This is not always the case, for sure, but I think it's designed perfectly for a reason.

I haven't been directed on how to push and I also haven't experienced that ring of fire that just sounds awful! What I have experienced is laughing as the baby crowns and then reaching a point, where I either ask for or perform perenial support. But, that lasts for about 2 secs and then the head is out. That's just been my experience. Oh, and I do hypnosis for childbirth, too.

Edited to add: I've never torn in the least. And, my son was born posterior with his hand beside his head, so that was a little tricky.