Labor and delivery curiosity!

[anyakitty.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have always been SO curious about the nitty gritty details of labor and delivery. I am fascinated by those shows that come on TLC sometimes depicting natural and home births. I don't ever plan on having children but I just simply must know:

1. Is it really as bad as it is in the movies? Do people really scream/go crazy from the pain? Can you compare contractions to menstrual cramps to give me an idea of how much worse they are?

2. This is the big one... do a lot of women tear? How does THAT feel? Do they stitch you up or do you have to just let it heal or does it just simply depend?

3. After you give birth vaginally, is your vagina really never the same ever again? Is this only a physical, inside thing but also a visual, outside thing?

Please, don't spare me any details, I want it all no matter how questionable. It's either this or asking my boyfriend's sister who is pregnant for the second time and I'd rather not, haha. Thanks in advance!

Comments

[shil.livejournal.com]

Check out the lj community called "pregnant"... I went through a phase of being fascinated by the birth process as well and found that community. They have tags for "birth stories" and those are often really detailed descriptions of peoples' birthing process. Interesting stuff. One thing to note is that natural/home birth people are probably overrepresented in that community but it makes for more interesting reading with all the different birthing styles.

[shil.livejournal.com]

Also, from what I've read on there, it seems like some people scream whereas other people are pretty quiet/calm, it all depends on the person and the labour. Most women tear, but more often than not they seem to either not notice at the time or not care because they have a new baby very shortly after. Whether or not you get stitches depends on the size of the tear (and probably also on where you give birth - if you do it at home, you're probably not getting stitches for obvious reasons). As for the post-birth vagina thing, I have no idea, they never seem to mention it!

[stormwindz.livejournal.com]

Actually, if you have a midwife in attendance they can/will stitch you up whether you give birth at home or in hospital if you tear badly enough to require it, and will bring a local anasthetic in case you require it. xx