Do you like the pain?

[ellymay]

I know this is an odd ? but I just realized that I have friends that think I am nutts LOL but what else is new :P anyways my best friend was giving birth Monday and we weren't allowed in the room but we had our heads stuck in there listening and hearing her push and I had the thought going through my head like man I miss that I love the pushign and the burning and the feeling of my baby coming out of me and just the whole process I would do it a million times over if I could. So do YOU like the pain?

[mothragirl]

i liked the intensity, i'm excited about getting to do it again

[hubris]

I wouldn't say I *enjoy* the pain itself, and honestly, I hate pushing...but labor in general is an amazing thing, and I wouldn't ever want to dull the sensations. It's such a primal, ALIVE feeling.

[teeny_bean]

Like the pain? Not really. LOVE the whole experience, including the pain? ABSOLUTELY.

To me, the pain was an integral part of an amazing, empowering, life-altering experience; I can't imagine being numbed to any part of it. I can't say that I liked the pain itself, but I definitely wouldn't have wanted to deliver without it. Plus the post-delivery endorphin high is just unbelievable.

[MsElle07]

Originally Posted by teeny_bean

Like the pain? Not really. LOVE the whole experience, including the pain? ABSOLUTELY.

To me, the pain was an integral part of an amazing, empowering, life-altering experience; I can't imagine being numbed to any part of it. I can't say that I liked the pain itself, but I definitely wouldn't have wanted to deliver without it. Plus the post-delivery endorphin high is just unbelievable.

Yep.

[NoraB]

Unfortunately, I didn't get to the pushing stage. Sigh. But, I did find my contractions rather amazing. I didn't experience them as pain until I'd been stuck for many hours and had become exhausted and hungry. Before then, they were just cosmically powerful. Sometimes I felt like I was trying to ride a whole herd of stampeding animals. LOL.

I'm looking foward to doing it again, but "going all the way" next time around.

[Marlet]

I labour! I've had more than one person tell me I'm nuts but I am so looking forward to it.

[AugustLia23]

Nope, I did not like the pain. But I realized it's purpose and I did not hate it either. I knew that the sensations were my body working for me and my baby to let him out, to open me up for him to pass through. I wasn't being harmed by this pain, and while the contractions would be so intense when they came on, once they were gone I was able to breath and talk and laugh again. And once he was born it all stopped, or didn't time stop too?, to welcome him into the world.

The stitching up was another story altogether.

[basmom]

I loved the way teeny_bean described her feelings about the experience. I loved the overall experience..the pain, not so much, but the amazing thing about it is...I don't remember the exact pain sensation now. I forgot about the pain literally as soon as DH (he caught DS) put him on my chest and said "We're a family!"

[lyttlewon]

Originally Posted by AugustLia23

Nope, I did not like the pain. But I realized it's purpose and I did not hate it either. I knew that the sensations were my body working for me and my baby to let him out, to open me up for him to pass through. I wasn't being harmed by this pain, and while the contractions would be so intense when they came on, once they were gone I was able to breath and talk and laugh again. And once he was born it all stopped, or didn't time stop too?, to welcome him into the world.

The stitching up was another story altogether.

: For me personally the pain made it that much better to see DD. It was a reward for all of that hard work. I think I appreciated the outcome more because of the effort I had put into it. I don't look forward to it nor do I *love* it but I feel I need it as part of the process of mothering and prepares you for the journey ahead. That sounds kind of cheesy but I don't know how else to put it.

[teeny_bean]

Originally Posted by basmom

I loved the way teeny_bean described her feelings about the experience. I loved the overall experience..the pain, not so much, but the amazing thing about it is...I don't remember the exact pain sensation now. I forgot about the pain literally as soon as DH (he caught DS) put him on my chest and said "We're a family!"

Yes, that is exactly how it was. During labor, it hurt, but as soon as he was delivered and in my arms, I felt like I was ready to get up and run around. I kept saying, "I feel great! That didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would!" As soon as it was over, the pain completely stopped and I just forgot it.

The nurses were surprised when I was getting out of bed, sitting cross-legged, and walking around. (I mean, my perineum was still sore for weeks after delivery, but... you all know what I mean.) I wonder if it takes longer for women who've had pain relief to recover from labor, since they don't have that endorphin rush to help them deal with it? Does anyone who has experienced both natural and medicated childbirth have an opinion on that?

[luckymamato2]

I'm definitely looking forward to a second chance at pg, labor, delivery, including the pain. I felt extremely lucky to have been able to experience it that I didn't want to dull any part of it.

[mchalehm]

I will not have pain relief next time. (I was pushed to induce labor this time and it made everything so much worse. I wouldn't do it again unless there was danger to the baby.) I had back labor and eventually had the epidural. I was afraid I was going to have a c-section--I wasn't dilating despite the contractions--and I knew that if I didn't have the epi, my husband would not be allowed in the OR.

Anyway, the pain, in the hours before the epidural, was somehow cleaner--if that's the word--than the awful numbness (although still with pain) that I had afterward. I hated the feeling that I'd lost all control.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Originally Posted by teeny_bean

Like the pain? Not really. LOVE the whole experience, including the pain? ABSOLUTELY.

To me, the pain was an integral part of an amazing, empowering, life-altering experience; I can't imagine being numbed to any part of it. I can't say that I liked the pain itself, but I definitely wouldn't have wanted to deliver without it. Plus the post-delivery endorphin high is just unbelievable.

: You said how I feel perfectly.

[SusanElizabeth]

Did I like the pain?

Um, no. Not at all.

For my first daughter, I ended up being given an epidural because I was in labor so long that the doctor thought I should have a c-section. As they wheeled me in for the c-section I was bumped by an emergency, and while I waited for the emergency delivery my daughter was actually born vaginally.

My second I had without any drugs at all. Whoa.
What a difference.

If I had a third, I might seriously say, "Get out the epidural." After doing it both ways, I have to say, "No, I'd prefer not to have the pain." And I can't say that I can point to any negative consequences from the epidural.

[AbbieB]

Pushing totally rocks!!!!!
I can't wait to do it again.

I had a 51 hour PAINFUl back labor. The dilating part sucked. But I am all "bring it on" this time. I know what to expect this time. I will not fight the pain. I know it will be better this time.

I really hope the pushing part will be as good the second time around. Sometimes I worry that the reason it was so good with DD was the 51 hours of endorphin building just had me really high .

[UmmIbrahim]

Actually I hope that when dh and I are ready to have our second baby that I WONT hafta be induced on pitocin so I can feel real labor contractions and not the crazy pitocin ones. Though I did do my labor drug-free, the seconds or minutes??? between the intense rushes...felt like bliss in paradise...hated the feeling of the rushes coming on, hated the climax but really really loved the feeling of coming down from them and the calm space between.

Oh and what is up with that space of time between contractions and actual pushing...that was insane...it was like rush, after rush, after rush...a really weird feeling.

Nothing like it in the world...
though maybe im weird and according to my midwives in the hospital i must have a incredibly high pain tolerance...LOL...I donno.

Umm Ibrahim

[hubris]

Originally Posted by teeny_bean

the post-delivery endorphin high is just unbelievable.

Absolutely! My second birth was the first time in my life I can actually remember having an endorphin high. WOW. I told somebody that now I understand why some athletes do what they do - if they're experiencing THAT, no wonder they enjoy it!

Originally Posted by basmom

I forgot about the pain literally as soon as DH (he caught DS) put him on my chest

Immediately after my first son was born, I had this strange moment when I realized that I had already forgotten what a pushing contraction felt like. Once the pain was gone, it was GONE. I know intellectually that it was intense, but have no sense memory of it.

Originally Posted by teeny_bean

I wonder if it takes longer for women who've had pain relief to recover from labor, since they don't have that endorphin rush to help them deal with it? Does anyone who has experienced both natural and medicated childbirth have an opinion on that?

Well, I had two unmedicated births, but the first was traumatic and I don't remember having a high at all. After the second birth, I was euphoric for hours, high-energy, it was just amazing. I wouldn't say that it helped me to recover better in the long term, but it certainly cast my memories of the first few hours of my son's life in a rosier glow.

[pookel]

I remember thinking, "So this is what it's like to be tortured" and "I don't care if the baby dies, if the pain would just stop."

So no, I didn't enjoy it.

[hunnybumm]

I did not enjoy the pain, I remember telling my DH over and over that I couldn't do it and wishing for an epidural. However, I enjoyed the pushing period. I was exhausted after being in labor for 33 hours, but when I felt that need to push, and the pushing felt good and natural and no one had to tell me when to push for and how long, it was wonderful. I was able to sleep between contractions during the pushing stage. I loved feeling the "ring of fire" and told the midwife "RING OF FIRE".

I also enjoyed the recover period after my natural birth compared to my epidural, on my back for 14 hours, pitosin to help me progress after stalling for an hour at 7 cm, forced to push when I didn't want to, every push was more painful than the last, 3rd degree tear, couldn't walk or sit right for months, couldn't hold my baby standing, yadda yadda hospital birth.