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pamiesue22 (73.1 days ago)
When i was in labor i had no idea i was having contractions because it was just a constant pulling/tightening feeling that did not go away. It was just so uncomfortable. Then it moved to my back and would alternate. But I myself could not time them because like i said it was constant. But later on when i got to the hospital they started to have intervals of about 3 minutes... To me it felt like someone had tied a drawstring to my stomach muscles and pulled them from behind. And i felt it all over my stomach... not just in one place

Jo-Mama (76.6 days ago)
It didn`t feel like a menstrual cramp to me at all. It was more like what shmylii said. It felt like an intense pulling apart inside. It feels a lot worse when you tense up. When my contraction was done, I felt 100% normal. I actually was posting on this site in between contractions. Then the contraction would come, I`d breathe through it, then go back to chatting! It felt a lot better when I was distracted: I watched movies, talked on the phone, danced with my husband, and laid in a tub. It is intense, but it`s manageable. I had a 26 hour labour without medical pain relief and I`ll do it the same way next time.

2nd baby (77 days ago)
i think that it feels like a menstral cramp but 1000x harder. you can feel them in your feet! and your belly will get hard as a rock. i had bh for a long time like since i was 5 months- they didn`t hurt for me- i could just feel my tummy getting really tight and hard, sometimes shortness in breath, then go away, but the actual contraction hurts!

minmoo (77.8 days ago)
I have never had a natural contraction. But Pitocin is crazy. They don`t tell you it is liquid hell being shot into your veins. If you get pitocin and you don`t dialate quickly you may want to consider getting an epidural, you will only be about to take about 4-6 hours max of Pitocin contractions. I wish I get normal ones this time. I would love to see what they feel like.

tiredmommy (78.5 days ago)
I already commented earlier, but I see many people talking about the breaks in between contractions. Just to let you know, if you get induced (especially with Pitocin) they often come on very quickly and very strong with little or no breaks in between. I had hard labor from the beginning after being induced.

ginger (78.7 days ago)
Imagine a period cramp and multiply the severity by a thousand. Then, multiply it by a thousand again. This is my 3rd baby and I am praying it wont be quite so bad. Good luck!

kathleen (78.8 days ago)
omg its not that bad at all, they feel like bad period pains and a tightening around your belly towards the end u will feel the need to push with them. they can be painful but on the breaks between each contraction use that time to get your breath back and to prepare yourself 4 the next.

KateOhm (78.9 days ago)
jeanette that is not true, I was passing out during labor and they concidered doing a c-section but thankfully I got up enough strength to push. So it is indeed very possible to passout while having contractions.

jeanette (78.9 days ago)
everything inside your body is involuntarily sqeezing down toward your butt. They are intense, but there is a break in between. The break gets shorter and shorter as the pain worsens. That`s when your mind goes to another place. Your body won`t let you pass out during labor, so your brain just goes to outerspace. That`s how it is for some anyway. I remember singing a song from the movie Juno in my head, and thinking about how my dog`s belly contracted when she was in labor. I really enjoyed the expirience of giving birth from start to finish.

KateOhm (79.1 days ago)
They basically feel like period cramps, then they turn into period cramps from hell...lol

coltonsmom (79.1 days ago)
I remember being induced, and waiting and waiting for something to happen. But it was very slow going. Just little cramps that didn`t bother me at all while I dialted to 3 cm`s. Then, the next morning, the Dr. broke my water. Within 5 minutes, I was out of bed jumping around the room saying `Oh, God, this was STUPID!` - over come with strong pains from the belly button down and around my back - it was awful. It just all came on too fast, feeling slight discomfort to hopping around the room with lots of anxiety and like everyone else described, awful menstral type pains. I asked for an epidural right then and never had a moments pain until it was time to push. I had my daughter naturally, and that was a gradual event, it was more nerve wracking because of the unknown, but far more managable (or I should say tolerable).

shmylii (79.2 days ago)
For me personally, Actual labour pains were as they would be imagined they would be. If u think of your cervix is dialating while a baby is being squeezed out, so my pains where of the feeling of the cervix being pulled and stretching out. Along with uteral muscles pushing the baby down further. Yes there were period like pains, but it was more directed pain. Hope this helps. Hugs!

mamacakes (79.2 days ago)
A contraction feels identical to period cramps and gets progressively worse.

tiredmommy (79.2 days ago)
I get BH contractions all the time...from week 18 or so. (This is my second baby.) My whole belly gets hard and I sometimes feel some pressure real low. They get painful sometimes! Labor contractions felt more like REAL bad menstrual cramps. They hurt my back, belly, pelvic area, and legs. This is TMI, but it reminded me of the VERY bad cramps I get when I have a BAD case of diahrea (b/c I have IBS). I could feel my belly tighten up and squeeze. (I`m not looking forward to going through all that again...but it`s coming soon for me!)



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