How does Labour and Delivery feel like?

I know the experience differs between every woman, but for the mothers who have given birth vaginally and naturally without an epidural, can you explain in words how that pain felt for you or is it indescribable? Did you tear? If so how bad and how many stitches did you get? Did you poop? (I know tmi) I just really wanna know. But just know you guys are champs for such hard work! Thank you mums!

Can't be as bad as being kicked in the balls.

I know people who have gone through labour and have chosen to go through it again, in some cases multiple times. I've never heard a man asking to be kicked in the sack again.

Please don’t come here with this crap, being kicked in the balls is not as bad as labour and delivery, sorry.

How would you know, you haven't had either

it feels like hell.

Yikes, how do the contractions feel like?

Can't be as bad as being kicked in the balls.

I know people who have gone through labour and have chosen to go through it again, in some cases multiple times. I've never heard a man asking to be kicked in the sack again.

i feel rlly bad now lol sorry! I haven't acc exp it, but i've seen quite a few episodes of ''one born every minute'' as well as hearing birth stories of fam/friends so got the idea tht it feels hellish which it probs does.

Honestly man, I don't know what baby balls you've got, but being kicked in the balls isn't even that bad. I've had poos that were more painful.

They say its like period pains but 10x stronger

According to many other accounts I've read some women say that the pain mainly really came when it was time to push and the contractions themselves were more uncomfortable rather than painful.

There are labour 'simulators' out there that you can use to help you acknowledge what the pain feels like

But above all else just remember this vital piece of information for what you do become pregnant - ASK FOR AN EPIDURAL.
Its an injection they give you in the back and apparently the entire contraction pains go away. I am most definitely going to opt for an epidural if I ever have a child.

Another thing to remember is that labour pain - whilst horrible - never last forever. Eventually it will stop when your baby comes along and according to almost every woman the overpouring of love you get when your child is finally placed into your arms completely overshadows all the pain you went through to bring them into the world. You will forget about the pain as soon as the child is born. That has to be something. An normal labour lasts anywhere between 8 hours to a couple of days. Can we really not handle a couple of days of pain in order to win the best prize at the end of it? Nahh of course we can!

It’s agonising, not going to lie. The contractions are relentless, sometimes lasting days, depending on how long you are in labour for. It’s weird cos for a few moments you are literally feeling the worst amount of pain ever and then it stops and gives you a small reprieve before starting all over again! This can last hours. Your pelvis is literally moving in order to accommodate a baby’s head and body. Once the pushing starts it’s a bit of a relief as it’s a very different feeling. The need to push is indescribable but it’s such hard work trying to push the baby out over the cervix. It’s exhausting but worth it all in the end. Everybody poops, you can’t help it. You are pushing so damn hard that if anything can come out it will! As for the stupid comment about it not being as bad as being kicked in the balls then I’m afraid it most certainly is. Try having the pain of being kicked in the balls continuously every few minutes for hours and hours, even days!! The reason why we do it again is cos we have no choice. In that moment, when you hold that little bundle of joy in your arms, it makes it all worthwhile. You never forget the pain but it is overshadowed by the joy you feel in your heart when you realise the reality of creating that perfect little baby in your arms. Hope I didn’t put you off!! 😬

Honestly man, I don't know what baby balls you've got, but being kicked in the balls isn't even that bad. I've had poos that were more painful.

Awhh thanks for this. I’ll never be put off birth, I just find the miracle of it all so fascinating, my ultimate focal point on birth is to just finally get to hold my baby in my arms like you said. I’m not really phased by the pain, the only thing I’m actually scared of is ripping, because that sounds so painful and surreal, like there are some women that rip up until or even past their taint, I pray my baby doesn’t have a massive head like I did when I was born, my mum had to have a snip to accommodate my big head since I was already coming out- yikes.

You don’t feel the tearing. I had to have an episiotomy(cut) in order to deliver both my babies. My first one was 8lb with an 18 hour labour (3 hours pushing) which is far too long and she was transverse soI had to have a vontouse delivery. The second one was 11 hours induced with an epidural at literally the eleventh hour and he was 9lb 9 and he was delivered by vontouse as well! Honestly, you don’t feel the cut or the tearing. It’s more sore afterwards when you have the stitches in and need a wee or poo!!! That is a trial in itself. My advice is to keep a jug of warm water in the toilet with you when you wee and pour the water down you as you pee. Helps dilute it and is less painful. The poo on the other hand is “slowly does it”!! 😬

I'm a man but I've seen maybe ~100 ladies give birth? And far more than that in labour?

Honestly people just respond to pain very differently. Its hard to say more than that. Except: First baby vs subsequent babies is just worlds apart - mums who have done it before are far calmer, and it all goes far more quickly. Either they've had their pain threshold permanently adjusted by the experience from first baby (and there is evidence that that happens), or their body is more used to it and its genuinely less painful. Probably both.

Fatigue is a genuine problem for first timers too. The waves of pain (labour pains come in waves right - I assume you know that) can be ongoing for 24 hours or more. That's a long time to go without sleep. Maybe some ladies can sleep in the early parts but later on they'll really struggle, unless epidural of course.

Not everyone poops themselves - by going to the toilet regularly you can avoid it sometimes. Same with emptying the bladder. The midwives might use a catheter though if for any reason the woman can't do that - you want the bladder as empty and out of the way as possible.

The majority of women get at least some tearing. Its more common these days as our babies are bigger. Most tearing doesn't need stitches though - just small scratches that will heal no problem. Problematic 3rd degree or heaven forbid 4th degree tears are pretty rare these days.

And finally: there seems to be some natural phenomenon where women don't really remember their labour very well. Seriously - they seem to pretty uniformly describe it as far less painful and easier than anyone else there would ever describe it as! You can see why such an effect would be useful evolutionary of course!

If I were a women I'd 100% have an epidural. Or maybe just a c-section