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

[missierae.livejournal.com]

I also have 4 kids and I concur completely.

I've never screamed and I've never had pain meds other than half shots of narcotics way to early to last through. My first labour (6 hours) I told my mother I didn't want to do this anymore and I wanted to go home. LoL. About half hour later, she was born.

My second labour was ungodly long (23 hours 45 minutes) due to incompetent doctors not realizing the baby was posterior (facing up instead of down) and her head was cocked crooked ... ear first. 5 hours of no progress and a whole lot of pain. Once they figured that out, 15 minutes later she was born.

Third was super easy. 2 hours long.

Fourth was an emergency c-section due to a failed version (to turn the baby from breech to head down) that resulted in distress.

My first three were all post-term inductions. I've never went into labour on my own barring at 7 months with baby #2 that landed me in the hospital for awhile.

I tore with my first one and they cut me with my second. With my third they noticed the tear/cut hadn't properly been sewed (student doctors delivered the first two) so they cut and restitched properly during his birth. It hurts, but the pain is nothing compared to birth. It feels like a pin prick comparitively. Your dealing with a tremendous amount of pain so that is nothing.

I haven't noticed any changes from having the kids. :)