Okay, since we have a few mothers on here, I thought it'd be time to get down to brass tacks and ask the question that's about as old as time: How painful was the childbirth?

Mine was not fun at all--until they finally gave me an epidural then I felt nothing! I kept going in and out of labor for 2 weeks prior, and when the real thing hit--Jesus Christ! It was like trying to shit a watermelon through a hole the size of a grape!

My daughter just wouldn't come out, so they gave me an episiotomy to make more room and that still didn't work, so they got out this vaccuum-thing and sucked her out. Ick. Lo and behold, no wonder I had a hard time--she was 9 pounds after they got her out and weighed her and I'm a pretty small person--about 120 pounds usually! My crotch just wasn't the same for months! LOL

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

Mine was not fun at all--until they finally gave me an epidural then I felt nothing! I kept going in and out of labor for 2 weeks prior, and when the real thing hit--Jesus Christ! It was like trying to shit a watermelon through a hole the size of a grape!

My daughter just wouldn't come out, so they gave me an episiotomy to make more room and that still didn't work, so they got out this vaccuum-thing and sucked her out. Ick. Lo and behold, no wonder I had a hard time--she was 9 pounds after they got her out and weighed her and I'm a pretty small person--about 120 pounds usually! My crotch just wasn't the same for months! LOL

Sorry to hear that. I think my brother was about 9 pounds too, he was late, and my mother TINY woman, even today she's only about 95 pounds.

Now one woman I think must've had a VERY hard time was Leo Gorcey's mother. Don't know if anybody's familiar with the name but Leo Gorcey was the leader of the Dead End Kids, East Side Kids and Bowery Boys from 1937 through 1955 when he quit.



This guy was 5'6, his dad was 4'10 (Louie Dumbrosky in the Bowery Boys movies) and his mom was only 4'11 and I think about also 95 pounds, and Leo was born 12 pounds, 3 ounces, and she didn't even have him in the hospital, she cleared the kitchen table and had him there that night!

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

Mine was not fun at all--until they finally gave me an epidural then I felt nothing! I kept going in and out of labor for 2 weeks prior, and when the real thing hit--Jesus Christ! It was like trying to shit a watermelon through a hole the size of a grape!

My daughter just wouldn't come out, so they gave me an episiotomy to make more room and that still didn't work, so they got out this vaccuum-thing and sucked her out. Ick. Lo and behold, no wonder I had a hard time--she was 9 pounds after they got her out and weighed her and I'm a pretty small person--about 120 pounds usually! My crotch just wasn't the same for months! LOL

Sounds similar. Over 24 hours with my son. He would start to make his way & then disappear again. They used that suction cup thing too. It was just ridiculous.

Is that a common procedure, Cece? I had never heard of that before, except in the very late term abortions where in fact they remove the child, so it's born and alive, but then immediately kill it anyway.

Supernova wrote:

Is that a common procedure, Cece? I had never heard of that before, except in the very late term abortions where in fact they remove the child, so it's born and alive, but then immediately kill it anyway.

I think it was a new thing back then. I think he said it was some Swedish type of contraption. He tried forceps but nothing worked until he brought out this thing that looked like it had a big suction cup on the end. Like popping out a dent on a car.

I think the suction thing is less invasive than trying to pull with forceps, but when it gets to that point, they should almost opt for a C-section, I think. The baby's obviously too big, so push it back in and get it out by section! (although I hear that isn't much fun, either. .. )

So no matter how you look at it, childbirth just sort of blows! Once was enough for me!

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

I think the suction thing is less invasive than trying to pull with forceps, but when it gets to that point, they should almost opt for a C-section, I think. The baby's obviously too big, so push it back in and get it out by section! (although I hear that isn't much fun, either. .. )

So no matter how you look at it, childbirth just sort of blows! Once was enough for me!

I've had both & neither is the way to spend an afternoon.

^^I'm glad I had my daughter, but I'm also kinda glad that chemo killed my ovaries so I don't ever have to worry about going through childbirth again! (though not that I would at my age anyway!)

My was short (3-1/2 hours ~ induced) and absolute Hell-agony! My labor pains were all in my back, and the poor nurse massaged and massaged to no avail. Needless to say, I eagerly accepted the epidural. Had the episiomy. Despite my small baby (6 lbs, 13 oz) they had to use forceps. I actually have high pain tolerance (so I've been told), and I cannot imagine someone enduring that for 12 hours like some do.

But even my periods were "back cramps". Always. Don't know why.

Bluesmama wrote:

My was short (3-1/2 hours ~ induced) and absolute Hell-agony! My labor pains were all in my back, and the poor nurse massaged and massaged to no avail. Needless to say, I eagerly accepted the epidural. Had the episiomy. Despite my small baby (6 lbs, 13 oz) they had to use forceps. I actually have high pain tolerance (so I've been told), and I cannot imagine someone enduring that for 12 hours like some do.

But even my periods were "back cramps". Always. Don't know why.

Mine were and are back, stomach, vaginal and even rectal pains. Though I've been told if you have horrible cramps in your life, after you go through childbirth, they're not so bad anymore, can anybody here testify to that?

All I know is is that when I give birth, they better be fully stocked on the Demerol.

Nystyle709 wrote:

All I know is is that when I give birth, they better be fully stocked on the Demerol.

No drugs babygirl....you felt every inch going in, so you gotta feel every inch coming out!

Marc™ wrote:

No drugs babygirl....you felt every inch going in, so you gotta feel every inch coming out!

You'ze a fool.

If only it wouldn't hurt coming out, I wouldn't mind it. You know I don't do pain well.

[quote="Supernova"]

Well. . . .

Mine weren't bad until my last few years before menopause hit. Those were my worst cramps ever. I remember being on vacation and unable to sleep from it, so I tried a hot bath without success, took 4 Advil. . . nothing. I eventually went to sleep from sheer exhaustion, and when I woke up in the morning it was a lot better.

Marc™ wrote:

No drugs babygirl....you felt every inch going in, so you gotta feel every inch coming out!

I went to the hospital to be induced at 5 a.m. Monday. All day and nothing. We finally had to stop trying for the night. Then back to it the next day. The contractions sucked a lot.

Finally Tuesday night, they said that I needed to have a c-section. I did not want that, even though it "saved" me from the pain of natural child birth. But after I had him, and saw him, I got so tired that I didn't even care about anything but falling asleep. And that feeling sucked. I wanted to hold him and be present, but was just so tired and out of it from the drugs. I don't think I will ever forget that feeling. But then around midnight, I got out of that fog and it was better.