What do Contractions feel like??

[grandmaD]

I echo KayLady's comments about not letting "horror stories" get to you. I truly believe that your mental attitude goes a long ways toward your pain tolerance. Labor is painful. It is hard work, hence the term "labor." It's different for everyone, but the result is the same: it is a wonderful thing you do for someone you love--your child.

Do what you can in advance to educate yourself about the process including if possible a Lamaze class. Be sure to include your husband. You will need support.

Remember that no matter how unpleasant and downright painful labor is the end result is a child that you will love and cherish the rest of your life. The pain is temporary--the joy is lasting!

[ashley_helstad]

when i went into labor with my first son i had no clue... i went ot the dr and he checked to see if i was dialated and i was at 5 cm already.....he sent me straight to the hsopital where i spent 16 1/2 hours in labor i had an epidural with my first baby...... my second child my daughter i actually faked.... my and my boyfriend at the time ws fighting i didnt feel good and my son wanted to go with my dad so i told him we needed to go to the hospital so we dropped my son off went to the hospital and come to find out i was 6 cm dialiated...... i never felt the contractions till after the dr broke my water. i had no pain meds with my daughter so ive experienced both and to be honest having a baby natural isnt really as bad as they say dont let it scare you it all comes natural to u u know will knowwhat to do when the time comes im expecting # 3 and it still makes me nervous thinking bout labor but in the long run looking into ur babies eyes will make it all worth while
as far as the contractions they feel like ur stomache tightening then staying tight then release they will get stronger as time goes by u will know

[antionettebrown79]

Ok so I just made it to wk 39 and I am ready to get this labor and delivery on the roll. Does walking really kicks off labor pains? Or should I just do some major cleaning around the house? LOL

[panda01]

This is my first pregnancy and I'm at week 37.I'm already dilated to 1 to 2 centimeters. My doctor said I could go within a week or so...but I think I'm already contracting. I'm having back pain that moves into the front of my stomach and then into my pelvic region. They last about 3 minutes and are about 45 seconds apart. Is that normal? I'm debating if I should go in or not..Can anyone help me, I'm lost.

[sarabella01]

hi panda01! looks like you're due about the same time i am. i went in on the 4th and was 4 cm dilated, the doc told me she'd probably see me later that night. sure enough i started getting pretty bad contractions but i didn't think they were bad enough to go in for. they eventually started coming every 2 minutes and lasted anywhere from a minute to two minutes. my mom convinced me to go in and they sent me home. the ob nurse told me to come back either when my water broke or i couldn't focus through the contractions. don't hesitate to go in though if you feel like you should, the worst they can do is send you home and it's always good to make sure because everyone contracts and labors differently

[ANNAJOSEPH39]

I just recently gave birth to my daughter and I wondered the same thing ALL the TIME, i called the doc, asking if i was in labor all because i was 2 wk overdue. Every woman is different. I have came to find out that there are 2 types of contractions the good and the bad. The good contractions feel like strong period cramps and radiate only to the front. It will feel like your stomach is tightening up and releases. The bad contractions will feel like strong period cramps radiating from the front of your belly and then to your back, giving you back pain. ALL OF IT is bearable. Many people will exagerate the pain but remember. IF IT HURTS SOOO BAD, then why are there so many darn kids! GL!

[Jill_at_StorkRadio]

Okay, so now that I have been though labor all I can say is that it will be abundantly clear that you are in labor. And, God willing it won't be back labor like it was for me. I will say that everyone said in early labor contractions are regular and like 5-10 mins apart. I had back labor so they were never regular and anywhere from 1-4 mins apart. Just wish I knew that could happen so wanted to give you an FYI.

[nkrumpfer]

Its going to be different for everyone but with my DD I was having contractions for about 5 hours before my water broke. I sat on the toilet for 5 hours thinking I had a stomach flu and the thought never entered my mind that it was labor. I have friends that said that all they had was lower back pain.

[lauritta]

I'm a first time mom, had my baby 3 weeks ago. It was a natural childbirth, without any kind of anesthesia, as we wanted it. It was hard work.... but it is really all about knowing how to handle the contractions. Yes, they are strong, especially at the end of the dilation (transition). In my case, I took 2 showers during contractions (my water broke and I didn't even notice it, so I could not take a bath), but the showers were so helpful! later, I was on my feet and rocking myself for almost 4 hours (could not take the contractions sitting or in bed, I had to be in an upright position). My labor lasted 12 hours. Pushing was hard, because the baby was really big and got stuck in my pelvis. I did not know what pushing really was until I went into labor!
Mainly, try to keep your mind at ease and take one contraction at a time. Try to relax your muscles when a contraction hits. It's not easy, but you can do it.
Good luck!!

[donnac1107]

My contractions felt like really bad stomach cramps, imagine your worst case of food poisoning where you really need to go to the restroom. Your stomach is all cramped up, and you are dying to just desperate to sit on a toilet to relieve yourself. But then imagine the cramps keep coming back after a few minutes, until they are so close together you cannot take it anymore, that is active labor for me. The pain is not like the pain of being cut, it's more like cramps.