For those who have gone natural - Page 3

[janellesmommy]

When I first started pushing I thought I was trying to pass a huge piece of poo. I don't know how long it took me to figure out what was happening.

I'm pretty sure pushing was less painful than non-pushing contractions. I did have some first degree tears, but they never hurt.

[thismama]

I had a tear the required repair by a surgeon, and it didn't hurt a bit! Honestly the contractions were *unbelievably* painful, but pushing was waaaay better, and crowning/birth didn't hurt at all. My vajayjay felt numb and stretched, no pain.

Good luck!

[egarcia76]

Transitional contractions for me were WAY more painful than pushing. DP tells me I pushed for about an hour, but my perceptions were such that I can clearly recall only pushing a few times. Everything but the pain is SUCH a blur. I had back labor, & what really helped me was rocking on my hands and knees for about 45 mins during transition. Honestly, I didn't want to stay on my hands & knees, but the mean, old nurse (bless her!) pretty much demanded I do so. Ultimately, though, this rocking is what turned dd into pushing position!

The pushing didn't hurt; my body just had this uncontrollable urge to press down and, quite bluntly, it felt as if I needed to have a b.m. I'd seen a Maternity Ward special on The Learning Channel once where this woman had diarrhea during labor, and, honestly, I was so terrified of that that after the first really good, hard push, I looked up at DP and whispered "Did I poop?" Anyway, I didn't ... it just felt like I had. I read somewhere that the urge to push is so strong that, if someone offered you millions of dollars to stop, you'd turn them down. My experience was like that. The ring of fire? Yep, I had it. But the transitional contractions were so much worse. I tore and rec'd several internal stitches. The doc numbed me, so I didn't feel anything, but I can tell you that I was pretty sore inside for the next 6 wks or so.

GOOD LUCK!!!!! I originally asked for an epidural during this labor, but I was dilated 9 cm by the time the anesthesiologist arrived to administer it. Even though I will never forget the labor pain, I will definitely try for a natural birth w/any subsequent pg. It was awesome & empowering to be so totally aware & to be moving around freely right after childbirth. My friends who visited that night were like, "You're ALREADY up and about?!"

[Peony]

With dd1, pushing hurt far worse then the contractions did, it sucked, really sucked. With dd2, pushing didn't hurt at all, I was surprised at how pain free it was after the first time. Water helped me cope.

[Igraine]

With my ds, I had a low dose of pitocin because of some problems with labor. The contraction pain was pretty tough. But I have to say pushing AND tearing was awful! I pushed for ever. He was stuck and had a huge head! And the stitches afterwards were the most memorable pain from that birth (worst pain I think I have ever had come to think of it). Even though I suffered a lot, I am glad I did not get cut. I healed really well, did not lose any sensation in that area and (eventually) gained the courage to get pregnant again.


Fast forward to last October. I needed no medication assistance with labor, labored at my mom's house for hours, went to the birthing center at the hospital, was almost 6 centimeters, and delivered my dd 1 hour and 45 minutes later. Contractions were tough, but much better than with the pitocin (and previous experience...my fear was much less). I had really bad back labor, but laboring in the tub, walking, standing and rocking, massages from dh and mw really helped. (Pouring water on my belly felt so good!). My dd eased her little head out, no tears, no stitches, just a really lovely birth. Pushing was a breeze with her. I think it took less than six pushes (really good ones).

I hope that helps.

[huggerwocky]

pushing didn't hurt at all really in itself if you ask me....i had all the pain around the tailbone area...

[gardenmommy]

For me, in all three of my births, the contractions have been completely manageable until transition and pushing. People have actually asked me if I'm in labor, because I can still handle talking and whatnot for a long time into my labors.

Transition and pushing are very hard for me. It's much easier if I can do it without anyone bothering. Pushing is really hard, not much of a relief for me. It's like that intense sensation of needing to vomit, but all the force is going down, not up. I never want to feel the baby's head; I can feel the baby moving through me, and that's enough. Pushing hurts more than contractions, IMO.

I've torn all three times, although not badly. I've had lidocaine for the stitching, which helps immensely. By about two or three days after the birth, the pain is usually pretty much gone. Witch hazel pads really help with the swelling and pain.

[CTH3989]

To me, the contractions were worse than the delivery. When I was pushing it didn't hurt at all. I just felt stretching. I was more concentrated on getting my son out than any pain or stretching feeling. It is amazing to feel your child come out of you. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as weird as that sounds. I would do it 1000 times over again.

Good luck with your next delivery! You can do it naturally! Your body was made for this. Find your quiet place, relax, and breathe through your pain.

Chelci

[FreeThinkinMama]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement!

[starlein26]

Originally Posted by FreeThinkinMama

For those who had stitches, did having those put in hurt?

Yes. With dd, the stitch was done without anesthetic. And yowza, that hurt. It was fast though.

Originally Posted by FreeThinkinMama

Also, if it was really painful during the pushing stage for you did it make you want to stop pushing to avoid the pain?

You asked earlier if pushing was worse than ctx...yes and no. Yes, because I felt I was tearing in half...no, because they ctx felt like death. And as far not wanting to push...I got that with dd. I pushed her out very gently. With ds, pushing felt like a relief and I pushed really hard. I guess it depends on the type of labor you have..or maybe how you handle it. I wasn't in a good place with dd's labor so that might have had something to do with my harsh experience...or it was just a hard labor, who knows.

Originally Posted by FreeThinkinMama

One more question (LOL I feel like I've never given birth before I have so many!) What were some of the techniques you used to get through the pain? I know about water, the birthing ball, changing positions, music, massage...any I'm missing?

Grin and bear it!

Being stuck at home...knowing going to the hospital wasn't really an option (the drive would have sucked, ds was with us with no one to watch him...) was how I got through it.

[member234098]

For my deliveries, pushing hurt because of the posterior/deflexed head presentations and the extra work and tiredness from the long labor. Pushing hurt also because, maybe, that is just me.

I has stitiches with only one delivery, my easiest delivery, and the stitches, all four of them, did not hurt because the midwife did them immediately after the birth when my perineum was still numb from the trauma of delivery. Later, the stitches did not bother me at all. They dissolved after 2-3 weeks, and I did not even know they were there.

Attitude is everything. You can do anything you put your mind to.

[LoveChild421]

to me the actual crowning and birth weren't that painful...I didn't feel a ring of fire or anything. Of course I took it really slow. To me the thing that was most painful was the pressure and feeling like ds was going to emerge from the wrong hole! :

[Mizelenius]

Originally Posted by FreeThinkinMama

Did pushing the baby out hurt a lot more than the contractions? Or were they about the same? I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone who had a tear without meds

I tore both times, no meds either time during labor, but local while being stitched.

1st time-- I LOVED pushing. It was such a relief after intense an transition. It was work, but not painful-- not even the tearing. DD was born with her arm up (by her face, waving to the world).

2nd time-- Pushing did hurt, but in a different way than cx. I expected the pushing part to be smooth sailing like the 1st time, but it was painful . . .however, I think it was pretty fast. I found that making noise (for me, that was yellng) helped tremendously. The pain was secondary to the fact that I just wanted to get the baby out.

Take labor one step at a time, one cx at a time, one push at a time. Live in the moment, but know that it will have an end (labor won't go on forever!). Learn to look for those moments of peace and calm in between each cx, each push-- take that as your time to breathe and relax. Relish those moments, and then you will be able to handle it when your body is asking more from you.

Sending you peaceful labor vibes!

ETA: My techniques : My labors have been fast, IMO, but I really listened to my body and did what I needed. I took showers, I walked around-- I was almost always standing. Sitting and/or lying down did not work for me at all. At the intense parts, I would have DH time my cx-- that helped me a lot both times. I would tell him (or he'd see) that a cx was starting, and he'd give me a countdown of how many seconds were left/how far I'd gone for that cx. The MW put her hands on my lower back a few times during my 2nd labor (I was in the hallway, waiting for a room) and that helped, too. For me, staying home as long as possible was the best thing.

[georgia]

To me the thing that was most painful was the pressure and feeling like ds was going to emerge from the wrong hole!

With my last two, home waterbirths, I found using a washcloth to apply pressure on this area was very helpful to lessen that I'm going to explode feeling

[momto l&a]

Crowning it what gets me.

Pushing is fine, just like a BM IMO.

But you must know I have fast births so I am sure that changes my experience of pain.