How is labor, really?

Question

I know that it's definitely not pleasant, but how bad is it really? Like I had to have my first pelvic exam today and it was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever felt (so far). I just don't even know what I got myself into...

Answer

Not gonna lie-- it was REALLY bad, & I generally have a pretty high pain tolerance. Definitely be mentally prepared for a lot of pain in case that's how it goes for you.

Answer

It's going to be different for everyone. For me, I don't want to say my labor was *easy* because it was quite painful. But I got through it without medication and I kept it pretty cool. It's helpful to have people there who want to make it an easy process for you. My boyfriend and his mother were life savers. They helped me labor the whole time. It was an almost 12 hour labor and I kind of enjoyed it. It did hurt. I don't want to make it seem like it didn't. But the feeling afterwards was so amazing. I had this incredible rush of hormones once she was born and felt like the strongest person in the world lol. I needed 16 stitches and didn't even feel them stitching me up because I was just in a euphoric trance.

Answer

Mine was long and frustrating. I don't even feel like I could accurately rate the pain because there was so much else going on lol. For me contractions started at 4am Thursday and my son wasn't born until 9:34pm Friday. I wanted to do it naturally but by 5am Friday I was exhausted so I got the epidural, just so I could sleep. The cartridge ran out at about 3pm (btw didn't know that could even happen, but it did! haha) and I felt contractions at 7cm dilated, I wanna say they lasted about 3 minutes. I literally passed out from pain, so I don't remember too well. I also couldn't eat. 
All in all it was definitely not the experience I wanted or planned for myself. But now I know what to do differently this time around.

How is labor, really?

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