What does labor feel like for you?

[gem898]

I've been having menstrual like cramping all morning and it got me me wondering if it could be early or pre-labor. I wasn't expecting such a familiar feeling to be associated with pregnancy!

What does your labor feel like? Anyone else feel like AF is on the way?

[Havah]

I've only experienced "real" labor once on pitocin. I'm curious as well ...

[mythik]

With DS I it started as dull aches in the uterine area that then migrated towards my back. The pains were also sharp and low....and got progressively more intense and were consistent when timed that also got closer.

With DD (now) I've had prodromal labor the last 3ish weeks and just can't tell. I think each person and each pregnancy is different.

[bpure8]

For me, it starts out as a tightening and "Cramping" in your belly. Your uterus gets rock hard and feels warm. (Not to the touch but a warming sensation) The pain wraps around the sides and sometimes ends up in your back. Deep breathing while blowing out helps ease the pain while trying to relax through them.

For Back labor (What I had with my last 4) the pain was all in my lower back, with tightening and warmth around front. When they got intense it felt like someone was putting an extremely hot, hot pack, on my bare skin that radiated down to my bones. (VERY unpleasant!!) I had to be standing and leaning against something, having my belly hang, to get the pressure off my back and try to relax.

It's different with everyone but this has been my experience with my natural birthing. I have no Idea what an epidural feels like.

[MomSmoo]

This time it felt like I was going to start AF any second, but that lasted for about a week before the contractions started. This time, my DD was posterior, so it started with a stabbing back pain that would come every 5-7 minutes and last 30-45 seconds. I didn't have any contractions in the front until I could feel her move against my pubic bone.

With my second (only one who wasn't posterior), it was like intestinal and AF cramps combined but it radiated to my back and down my legs.

But I agree -- every labor is different. A lot depends on the baby's positioning.

[smashncakes]

I had only back labor with DS#1 (its so weird to have to add a number now!! ), both when I went into preterm labor (which they managed to stop) and later on when I was induced with pitocin...it was just a super super strong tightening all in my lower back, and like Andrea, I had to be standing and leaning against something letting my belly hang to take any of the pressure off and even remotely try to relax. Sitting, standing straight, walking...NOT tolerable at all. Pitocin ones were much much stronger and intense than the natural ones I was getting when I went into preterm labor...I actually thought my preterm labor ones were some weird muscle spasm that wouldn't go away, went in to the doc to get a referral for a massage therapist so my insurance would pay for it, and was informed that I was actually having very regular contractions I had expected them to be much worse from everything everyone had told me about labor.

With DD, I had prodromal labor for weeks with "regular" contractions in my belly, they just felt like strong menstrual cramps, belly got really hard starting at the top and then gradually kinda going downwards and to the sides. As I got farther along in labor, the cramps got stronger and radiated down to my thighs, I ended up getting an epidural though, so not sure how much worse they would have gotten by the end.

With DS#2 (newbie!), I was on cytotec and pitocin...these suprisingly were the most manageable contractions in early labor that I had with all of my labors. When I got the epidural, I was still just saying "huh, another contraction" but not really feeling much cramping or anything with them though. I think I had two contractions that I had to breathe through, but they weren't very bad at all. Ended up getting the epidural because my bp was still high and we were hoping it would help to lower it some and get labor moving along, which it did.

[hbee]

Originally Posted by megm I've been having menstrual like cramping all morning and it got me me wondering if it could be early or pre-labor. I wasn't expecting such a familiar feeling to be associated with pregnancy! What does your labor feel like? Anyone else feel like AF is on the way?

This was me! About 4-5 minutes apart. I thought it was nothing... Luckily I had bloody show right before they really got going or I may have had a home birth! I didn't have super painful contractions until about when they checked me and I was at 7 cm.

After the epidural I felt nothing... But I was only pregnant for another 20 minutes or so.

[knodceo]

I've never had cramps so it was not like that for me bpure8 said it all! It's not fun! My mil said that her cramps were worse than contractions...so everyone is different...

[keen1981]

Originally Posted by megm I've been having menstrual like cramping all morning and it got me me wondering if it could be early or pre-labor. I wasn't expecting such a familiar feeling to be associated with pregnancy! What does your labor feel like? Anyone else feel like AF is on the way?

Ddc..

For me? It feels like I have to poop at first. In a very bad bad way. Then it's a squeezing and pinching in my lower back. My femurs and hips feel like they are breaking and my back is in a vice. I felt like I was dying. Lol! But!!! I didn't. My endorphins from experiencing true pain, were incredible. All med free!

[z1ggy23]

I have never been in non-pit induced labor...