Pregnancy Info HOME

I can't compare the two as I rarely ever had menstral cramps and when I did, a tylenol was enough. Labor felt like very strong cramps to me. I know that if the baby is positioned differently it can be back pains instead. Everyone is different. My advice to anyone is to do what I did...realise you have no control about how things progress and go in with an open mind. Just go with however you feel at the time. By the time I got to 4 cm I was pretty uncomfortable, though it wasn;t horrific at that point. I went ahead and got the epidural because I didn;t see the point of putting myself through hell, lol. The epidural had ZERO effect. So they asked me if I wanted a redo and I said yes....and OMG I was in heaven, lol. I had no pain at all and was chatting away with family at 9.5 cm. The epidural also wore off twice but they were quick to up the medicine drip when I asked them to. I got the shakes pretty bad which is irritating and I threw up a couple times when my blood pressure dropped. That sucked I was confned to the bed at that point so it is just embarrasing. I also ended up in a c-section after pushing 2 and a half hours. Not because of the epidural but because my pelvis was too small (we had sort of expected it). The epirual was mentally scary (I cried) until I realised they had cut me and I had felt nothing. Then I was totally fine. All in all though, my labor was great because I had very little pain. My recovery was fantastic as well. The pain meds they give you are great. Not everyone has a good experience unfortunately and you don't have much control over what happens. Just go in with an open mind. If you start to hurt too much, by all means ask them to do something about it. Keep an open mind and make sure you like your nurse as they are key to making things easy for you (mine was soooo good to me I cried whenI had to go, haha). Good luck!

Imean t the c-section was mentally scary.....though the epidural is a bit as well, but it was really no big deal.

I had a very very painful labor with both my kids, as well as horible period cramps. I would take the period cramps any day after my kids' labor. I wanted to give myself a c-section with my second, it hurt so bad. My first was hard too but not as much. Still, the period cramps would have been heaven to me, had I been able to trade. Even with the epidural I had with my youngest son, it only took on one side and I wanted to pass out from the pain. Period cramps all the way. LOL.

I had horrible mentrual cramps as a teen also. I was on a muscle relaxer / pain medication during my period until I started birth control pills (those helped make my cramps tolerable). I went through natural delivery with all three of my kids and there is no comparison between the two. In my opinion, the two pains are completely different. Early labor feels a little like menstrual cramps, but only for a little while. Maybe the thought of having the baby at the end of the pain made it easier to tolerate... Keep in mind that there are some other options for labor meds. too. It's not black and white - epidural or natural. You can have a shot in the leg of a mild relaxant / pain releiver that lasts for a couple hours without having to have an epidural put in.

Thanks very much "My answer", that is extremely helpful information. Sounds like you and I have had similar experiences with the muscle relaxants, and with success at containing the pain whilst on the pill. What sort of pain relief did you use at the births of your babies? That was my point in asking the question in the first place. I wanted to know how someone who had experienced the cramps, and needed medication to help control the pain at that time, dealt with labour. It is great information that you say the two are different. See, I haven't been through it, so I don't know! I am hoping I have the same feelings as you did, that the pain is different and somehow easier to tolerate as you meet your long-awaited baby at the end of it.