Did you forget the pain of birth?

[EmmalinesMom]

I hear people say that women forget the pain of birth. Weeeellll....not me. :LOL I would do it again, and I truly love the procerss of labor and birth, but I remember the contractions, the feeling of my cervix opening, crowning, etc.

Again, I'd love to birth again, but I *do* remember what it felt like for me. Others are different, I'm sure.

Do you remember?

[MamanFrancaise]

I remember that it hurt a LOT but I don't remember HOW it felt. It's hard to explain.... I know I was in a lot of pain and screaming but the actual feeling is a mystery to me.

[Bethla]

I've never "forgotten", but I think with time my memory has dulled the experience somewhat. Obviously, since I've had three children the pain of birthing hasn't deterred me much! However, I remember feeling more uncomfortable with each subsequent pregnancy, the labors were the easy part.

[2+twins]

I remember it pretty well. It's hard to recall the actual sensation of the abdominal-pain contrax bring, but I haven't forgotten that it hurt a whole lot. When I have my period I get reminded with a mild version of the pain - feels like back labor (labor always feels at least in part like back labor to me even if baby isn't posterior). I also distinctly remember the feeling of the babies descending - I get that during my period too. Lots of pressure. Think I need to do more Kegels.

[heldt123]

Heck no!! I remember it, but it isn't like it keeps me up nights thinking about it. I remember the pain, but forgot a lot of the other things that went on: like spitting on the doctor , pinching my husband's love handles soo hard that I left marks:LOL, and a lot of the other surrounding activities. Not sure how anyone can forget about pain, but I guess it is just something I don't dwell on....sort of intentional forgetfullness, if that makes any sense?

[Quickening]

I think our bodies tend to "forget" or "blur" pain when it is traumatic to us. Some of us feel childbirth pain but it is not on a traumatic or intense pain/stress level to our bodies. I think those people are more likely to remember what it felt like.

Whereas the others that experienced traumatic or stressful intense pain are more likely to remember that it REALLY HURT but less likely to be able to actually remember the feeling and experience ... until they go through it again!

I remember everything I felt, but what I felt wasn't pain, just amazing sensations! I know I felt pain when the mw gave me an internal but I can't really remember what it was like just that it HURT and I was feeling resentful with her for doing that!

[lorijds]

I don't remember the pain, but I remember the emotions and intensity of the birth, though probably not as vividly as I experienced it. Does that make any sense?

[amydidit]

I remember that it hurt but I don't remember the *specific* pains, just a general memory of being in pain at that time.

[mightymoo]

I did not have a normal labor. My uterus clamped down and I went through a 45+ min contraction that felt like someone was trying to saw my hip off - I remember that very clearly.

It ended in a c/section and strangely, the recovery pain is a lot less clear to me, though it was not fun in the least - but I think because I had my DD to focus on I don't remember it as well.

[Dwmama]

Originally Posted by EmmalinesMom

I hear people say that women forget the pain of birth. Weeeellll....not me. :LOL I would do it again, and I truly love the procerss of labor and birth, but I remember the contractions, the feeling of my cervix opening, crowning, etc.

Again, I'd love to birth again, but I *do* remember what it felt like for me. Others are different, I'm sure.

Do you remember?

I am the same way. It was the worst pain I had ever felt and at one point I thought I might just explode from the pain. So I really do remember that it was painful. But I will do it again because having another little baby at the end would be worth it.

[hubris]

I remember that I didn't like it, so it must have been very painful, but within moments after my son was born I had already forgotten exactly what a contraction felt like, and now...pretty much no memory. My memory of labor is very patchy, small flashes here and there. I remember the fact that it was painful but not the sensation. Endorphins are pretty cool!

I'm sure our new little one will remind me how it feels soon!

[PancakeGoddess]

I remember thinking, all three times, "never again." but here we go, probably at least one last time.

[Maman*Musique]

I remember the pain vividly. My MW prefers the term "intense" , when referring to birth, but I had a difficult time switching words

What I remember more than the pain, though, is the feeling I had after both my children were born. After the hospital birth of my first, I vowed never to have children again. After the homebirth of my second, I said I wanted to do it all again just to experience homebirth. We won't be having more children but I am so glad I got to experience a wonderful, gentle, homebirth with my second Both my children's births were equally as painful and long but the location and the love in the room, made all the difference.

[scrapadoozer]

OT: Great quote Mama*Musique!

I remember the pain very clearly. If I close my eyes & concentrate I can recall exactly what my contractions felt like. I had all back labor so I don't know if that makes any difference. Yes, my labor hurt but I really enjoyed the whole process. It probably helped that I have a very high pain threshold and I am used to living with intense pain due to a chronic illness. My labor pains just felt so productive and powerful! I really look forward to reliving the labor and birthing experience...it's just so darn cool!

[quelindo]

Uhh...I'm pregnant with my first, and I'm not sure I should be reading this thread!

[streetkitty]

I hadn't really given it much thought really. Once it was over and I had my babe, I just had fond memories of labor day. But as I near the third trimester again and this pregnancy gets harder and harder (didn't have to chase a toddler the first time and every new issue was a novelty- not so much this time!) and it gets hotter and hotter...well...let's just say it's all starting to come back to me. Nothing I can do about it now though!

[PancakeGoddess]

Originally Posted by New Mama

Uhh...I'm pregnant with my first, and I'm not sure I should be reading this thread!

:LOL

aw, well, it's not useful to pretend it doesn't hurt. For some, it doesn't, but for most, it hurts a lot.

That said, you can definitely do it! You've got thousands of years of mama-sisters within you. Go mama.

[LoveChild421]

I remember that it hurt a LOT but I don't remember HOW it felt. It's hard to explain.... I know I was in a lot of pain and screaming but the actual feeling is a mystery to me.

This is how it is for me- I definately remember feeling worn out and I kind of recall the stinging sensation of crowning but other than that I don't recall the sensations

[Messac888]

Honestly, the word that comes to mind when I think of what the pain did to my mental status at the time is "traumatized." I don't think I was prepared for how painful labor was going to be- and it never helps when labor stalls at 9 cm for 2 1/2 hours. (By stalling, I don't mean it slowed or stopped, I mean that there was no more progression because my dd's head was crooked coming into the birth canal.) Major ouch.

As for delivery, I loved it with my ds, probably because it's the only thing I could feel b/c of the epidural, but I loved it again with my dd. No ring of fire, the tearing felt GOOD with my ds (no tears with dd), just a great, great feeling. Ds was out in 39 minutes, dd in 3 contractions, so maybe 5 minutes? I remember pushing really hard the third ctx and when the ctx was past it's peak I thought to myself, "Oh, no way, I am getting this baby out NOW, I refuse to have another one of those horrible contractions!" and got her out about 15 seconds later. Whew. Course, the afterbirth pains had me dropping to the floor cuz they were intense, I actually had to breathe through them!

[doctorjen]

I don't have much conscious memory of pain. I do have though, what I'd call "body memory." Sometimes I dream about birthing my babies and the sensations feel very, very real, so that I'm shocked to wake up to no baby.
During my 3 subsequent pregancies after my first, towards the end I always have more and more BH contractions. I'd wonder and wonder if they were labor, because I couldn't remember exactly what labor felt like. Yet, every time I started real labor, within a contraction or two, I'd think "Oh yes, THIS is what it feels like." My body remembered, even though my mind couldn't.
The end of my last labor was more painful than some of my others. The sensation of crowning, and having my dd kick me for the last time after her head was out were very intense. After she was born, I'd concentrate on remembering exactly how it felt every day, trying to keep the memory conscious, especially since I knew she'd be my last. Despite, that, though, the memory has softened and faded. I can remember that it was intense and amazing, but I can't fully recall it anymore.
Does that make sense?