What does labor actually feel like?

My water broke, i felt a pop and then a gush. I didn’t have any contractions at the beginning until they gave me meds at the hospital. The contractions were like period cramps, but never ending. I had really bad cramps before getting pregnant, but at least with a period I would get a break in between them.

For me it went from period like cramps to an overwhelming need to poo. The only way I could explain labor pains was needing to poo an actual cinder block out of my body. Sounds weird but it’s the only way to explain it lol.

Got to agree with @Sara on this one. When the contractions started (my water hadn't broken) I thought I desperately needed a poo but when I tried to go, nothing happened. It's like a very strong ache low down in your abdomen that comes and goes in waves and they'll get stronger and stronger. I found they got worse when I got up and walked around and found myself stopping to lean on things. Best of luck mumma, you got this

Agree with @Sara 😆 My contractions took over my whole body but were most intense in the lower stomach area. Like a reaaaally bad menstrual cramp while having to poo. But I also had zero meds.

Are contractions really bad as soon as they start? I'm just worried my water doesn't break in a gush and i don't realise I'm in labour for a while. The doctors aren't sure whether to give me the steroid shots or not so if i go into premature without having had them I'll need to go to hospital asap to get it done then

My waters didn't break in a gush! It just felt like I peed myself a couple of times 😂 I went into my birth center and I was 5cm dilated and fully effaced already.

My water broke and I didn't have any contractions for another 12 hours they start off small so you get used to them and only bad towards the end

Everyone's experience is different so sadly none of us can really tell you what it will be like. For example all these mamas saying their contractions were all abdomen/stomach and needing to poo. I got the needing to poo feeling but not until way later on when my LO was nearly here. My contractions I didn't realise for the first hour and a half that's what they were because they were all in my back, I thought I was having back spasms and then my first waters didn't go for another hour after that and wasnt really a lot, again back waters didn't go until way later on and that was a pop and a big gush. By the time we got to hospital I was around 4cm and then he was born 3 hours later so all pretty quick, whole thing was about 7 hours from start of contractions to birth.

My water broke than contractions started and idk how can I explain that pain. I think depend on the people lol . I’m glad I asked for epidural honestly when I got in the hospital. Cause that pain uhhh I couldn’t handle and I thought I was strong enough to handle pain 😂

😂😂

@Merve honestly best thing ever.

I was so scared of having back pain after the epidural, so I went into it knowing I'd never get it 😅

Feeling really tight around belly and wanting to poop, like someone squeezing your organs 😂

@Susie omg me too ! Because I’ve heard a lot of people have a birth 5 years ago and still having that back pain but I had to get it . And my back pain was so bad and got even worst wverytime I have her a bath but now all gone 😂

@Siobhan I know right my delivery was 10 mint and painless . I didn’t even feel that I was pushing 😂

Yeah I heard about the back pain too. So I opted for a few hours of labor pains full throttle instead 😆😆😆😆

I never have period pains. And my waters had to be broken for me at 9cm. I had a bad nights sleep, a bad tummy in the morning, and uncomfortable waves of cramping started about lunchtime. It just gradually got more painful and the waves were close together until I went to hosp at 3cm at 9pm. He was then born at midnight lol.

It was dizzy waves of cramps in your abdomen area. A comb in my hand, squeezing helped me. As these waves of dizziness and pain keep coming. And can last upto 2 days. So definitely get a comb to squeeze.

Gas and air and a epidural helped me so much

I second the comb! Made it through labor with only the comb and some hip and back squeezing as pain relief

I was induced but contractions just felt like severe tighentings across my whole bump and these ramped up. My waters broke and it just felt like a gush of water and then EVERYTHING for more intense!! Pushing for me was just exhausting mentally and physically and afterwards was just the most amazing feeling of bliss (which wore out to exhaustion 😂)

I had contractions first my waters broke during labour — so all day I had mild cramp on and off every 5 mins or so.. carried May Day on as wasn’t sure if was labour or jot. Happened on my due date so I wasn’t sure if I was just convincing myself something would happen. Then the cramp got more intense and mins a part. Drove to hospital had my show then I was 4cm. Went to delivery room. My waters broken then I started pushing. 4 hours and my girl was here but yes. Feels like a constipated poo lol x

I had really bad back pain with mine but my contractions were actually induced by sepsis which I didn’t realise till I got to hospital 🫣 I knew something wasn’t right as I was having like a dull ache in my belly but I would keep getting pains in my lower back. I also couldn’t stop shaking like I was cold I spent pretty much the whole day in and out the bath till I actually went to hospital and they told me I was 3cm dilated but needed to try speed things up so they broke my waters. Things weren’t progressing so was offered hormone drip and epidural after that I felt nothing till I was being wheeled to theatre for c section as he cord got stuck causing her heartrate to stop. Didn’t feel that either as I was put to sleep 🫣 I’m meant to be having a planned c section at 39 weeks as I got pregnant quite quick after my first 😅 but I’ve also been told there’s quite a possibly I will go naturally early if that happens they’d like me to try vaginal but I still want c section.

I went into spontaneous labour at 32 weeks with both my boys, and symptoms were slightly different both times. With my eldest, as my morning alarm went off to get up for work my waters broke. Then I had mild period pains to begin with - cramping / tightening in lower abdomen lasting a few minutes, with about 15 minute break in between each initially. Then contractions started in my lower back instead - intense sharp pains that came in waves every few minutes. With my second, I was in work when started getting stomach cramps early afternoon. They felt different to my first, more like I’d eaten something a bit dodgy that didn’t agree with my stomach. These came on and off about every half an hourish, again lasting a few minutes each and would be bearable but intense enough I’d have to stop what I was doing for a few minutes until they passed. Genuinely thought it was the sausage butty I’d eaten for dinner, so finished the rest of my shift before phoning for advice. They asked me…

To go up to the hospital, and confirmed I was in labour. As my waters hadn’t broke, they gave me steroids to try and stop labour. Like someone else has said, it’ll be different for everyone so if you start getting any cramping / pains etc that aren’t easing then I’d definitely recommend going getting checked over xxx

My waters never broke I started with bad bad like period pain crams or like trapped wind I felt like I needed a poo but my pains which was actually contractions came on very fast I wasn’t sure at first and I started to time them after 1 hour as they kept coming and they was like 7min a part but then also started to bleed so I called hospital and they wanted me to go in, by time I got there they was 3min a part and was giving birth 😅 but I was in labour for 16 hour as I was at 9cm for a long time and ended in a c section

My first birth… well my water broke at exactly 40 weeks so I checked in at the hospital, and they gave me the epidural before I felt the contractions So I honestly have no idea lol I’m about to give birth my second time in a week, and I hope it goes as easy

@Gemini I am considering getting an epidural! But just scared I’ll be more likely to tear since I understand you can’t feel when to push if you’ve had an epidural and may end up pushing too hard (?) Could I ask if that happened to you?

Trust me. You'll know it. I was worried about this. Had my first 8 weeks ago. My waters went and I knew it. Then my cramps started and they did feel like tummy cramps. Bad period cramps doesn't cover it 😂. And when your waters go they keep coming. I had the 'woosh' and then they kept coming. I went through 3 pads to the point I was leaking into my trousers in half an hour. Then drove over an hour in the car to triage and still leaked all over their waiting room floor. Believe me it got painful way before baby came or was close to coming.

@Priyanka i got an epidural at 4 cm and im glad i did cus the contractions were so rough for me. my water broke before i went to the hospital and i labored for 8 hours before getting the epidural. it helped my body relax a bit and a few hours later and 30 mins of pushing my baby came

@Priyanka i did get a second degree tear though. it took a few weeks for it to heal i wouldnt worry about tearing if the pain of contractions is unbearable to you it will slow down your labor if you are too tense

It's difficult because period pains are the most similar feeling, although my contractions during active labour were more painful than any period pain I've had. It is a deep ache that radiates around your pelvic area, it comes in waves and then at some point I felt my body almost urge me to push. It was weird and I couldn't do anything but push with each contraction. I had strong pain relief with my first so didn't feel it as much but with my second I just had gas and air and was in the pool. Right at the end I thought I couldn't do it, but actually that was because I was just about to give birth. They advised me to stop with the gas and air and I just let my body do its thing. With every contraction, I just pushed like hell and viola! My son arrived!

Same boat as you, (35 weeks tomorrow). I woke up today with hectic back pain and period cramp constantly for 3 hours. Went to the labour ward and they monitored me for an hour. They said my cramping couldn’t be registered as contractions but baby was doing well. Told me to have Panadol and warm compressions on my belly.

omg when i felt my contracts at 5 in the morning.. i kept waking uo and going to sleep because i was thirsty or had to pee. then boom i randomly felt and said oh yea im going in to labor! just sharp cramping pains it felt like someone was tryna dig my baby out themselves lmfaoo! i cant exactly remember but i do remember saying that line as i waited for my mom to hurry up and take me to the hospital . oh! it felt like a band around my stomach kept tightening on certain sides of my belly. it was ok at first , but like an hour into it , it then got worse. the pain is literally in your back too😭😭. after a while into the hospital they put me on the epidural thank god. didnt feel a thing after that, unless i accidentally shifted my body over then the epidural moved onto one side and i kept telling them to come tf back lol! i had anxiety as well and kept asking questions but she kept making sure i was good. didnt even feel myself pushing but they claim i was