While the experience is different for everyone, labor can feel like extremely strong menstrual cramps that take your breath away, get progressively more intense, and become so strong that you might be you unable to talk through them.
Most women will feel increased pressure in their perineum, rectum, and low back at this stage. For many women, the rectal pressure feels the same as having a bowel movement. As the baby's head begins to appear, you may feel a stretching or burning sensation.
And almost every pain you can imagine is compared to the pain of childbirth. However, there are some things that women who have experienced both say hurt more than giving birth. Everyone experiences pain differently, so what might be more painful for one person may not be for another.
Compression in the birth canal
What is undeniable is that babies feel lots of pressure (understatement), and that pressure probably alternates between comfortable, uncomfortable, and highly uncomfortable, depending on the intensity of the contractions.
For some BabyCenter moms, the pain was bearable, while others recall giving birth as being excruciating and all-encompassing. There were some similarities, though. Many moms said that contractions feel like lots of pressure paired with cramping and tightening.
With no epidural or narcotics on board, most birthing parents rate active-phase labor a 10 on the pain scale of 1 to 10. With pain management techniques taught in childbirth education, however, laboring parents can greatly reduce the intensity of the pain they experience.
Every woman experiences labor differently, and there's some evidence that a handful of people do climax while giving birth. Practitioners who work with these women say that the intensity of the feeling is about love related to feelings of relief as well as euphoria at welcoming a baby at long last.
Pain During Labor and Delivery
Pain during labor is caused by contractions of the muscles of the uterus and by pressure on the cervix. This pain can be felt as strong cramping in the abdomen, groin, and back, as well as an achy feeling. Some women experience pain in their sides or thighs as well.
Common options for coping with pain include massage, water therapy, and breathing exercises. Music and calming smells (aromatherapy) can help relax you. Consider taking short walks and changing positions during labor—moving around can reduce pain.
Second Stage or Active Labor
The second stage, also called active labor, is the pushing stage of labor. The second stage is the most painful stage of labor. The baby passes through the cervix, through the pelvis and birth canal, and out through the vaginal opening.
How painful is childbirth? Does getting an epidural really help? While the experience is different for everyone, labor can feel like extremely strong menstrual cramps that take your breath away, get progressively more intense, and become so strong that you might be you unable to talk through them.
What's the ring of fire in pregnancy? The ring of fire refers to the burning, stinging sensation you may feel when your baby's head presses on and stretches your vaginal opening. (You may not feel it if you have an epidural.) Though it's painful, the ring of fire lasts just a few minutes.
But if you're close to 10 centimeters dilated the research suggests it's not an issue. Evidence suggests it's more of a theoretical fear that just adds additional stress and in some cases results in an epidural (or a higher dose of epidural) to mask that urge.
As the baby drops into the pelvis, the pressure in this area may increase. This may cause a woman to feel like she is waddling when she walks. When the baby drops, some women may experience flashes of pelvic pain. This may be due to the baby's head pushing against ligaments in the pelvis.
Fainting during labor is extremely rare. Nature created the female body in such a way that it mobilizes all its forces when giving birth to a baby. Passing out is not a typical reaction of a woman's body to childbirth. If you are prone to fainting, you should inform the doctor in advance.
Some people describe the feeling as being like intense period cramps, others say it feels like a tightening or pounding feeling in your uterus or across your belly, others describe the feeling as being like very intense muscle cramps, while still other people describe contractions as being like the sort of wrenching ...
Laboring in water is a less painful experience since endorphins or happy hormones are released. The females feel relaxed and even the duration of labor is reduced. The warmth of the water is soothing and helps enhance the flow of oxytocin thereby making contractions all the more effective.
Petite women can absolutely have safe vaginal births; body size is not the only factor that weighs into a woman's ability to safely deliver vaginally. Watch OB/GYN specialist Evelyn Minaya, MD, dispel this myth and share a relevant anecdote.
Vaginal delivery can result in persistent feelings of vaginal laxity. This laxity can reduce vaginal sensation during intercourse and diminish sexual satisfaction of both partners, which can in turn lead to decreased sexual self-esteem and a drop in sexual intimacy.
Your cervix needs to open about 10cm for your baby to pass through it. This is what's called being fully dilated. In a 1st labour, the time from the start of established labour to being fully dilated is usually 8 to 12 hours.
Delivering the placenta
This helps the placenta to come away. At this stage, you may be able to push the placenta out. But it's more likely your midwife will help deliver it by putting a hand on your tummy to protect your womb and keeping the cord pulled tight. This is called cord traction.
Transition phase of labor
The end of active labor is sometimes referred to as the transition to the second stage of labor. It's when the cervix completely dilates to a full 10 centimeters, and is the shortest – but generally considered the hardest – part of labor.
Most new moms experience postpartum "baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues usually begin within the first 2 to 3 days after delivery and may last for up to two weeks.
While slightly more than half said having contractions was the most painful aspect of delivery, about one in five noted pushing or post-delivery was most painful. Moms 18 to 39 were more likely to say post-delivery pain was the most painful aspect than those 40 and older.