https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:27:35 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515506 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:43:56 +0000 jedeve 515506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hell. I felt like I was going crazy! Though I don't know what regular labor feels like either. I never felt a single cramp in my abdomen. </p> <p>It started out as an occasional back ache. I wasn't even sure it was a contraction. It eventually moved into my hips and felt like my hips were in a vice or something, just being squeezed incredibly hard. I had to get on all fours during each contraction before the epi. My epi didn't work for the back labor though, so I ended up trapped on my back and feeling it. You really feel it in the bones of your back, not like sore back muscles. While I was pushing it just made my hips ache incredibly bad. </p> <p>Agree on the no break thing. Either my contractions were back to back for a lot of it, or there is just no real period when you aren't in pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515451 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:09:12 +0000 LittleFox 515451@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was terrible. The epidural worked at first but eventually failed to dull anything. I pretty much felt it all in my lower back as intense waves of pain. I can't really describe it any better than that except to say it was bad enough I literally screamed and cried. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515301 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:11:54 +0000 cvbee 515301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littleveesmommy: I was so mad about the no break thing. I have kidney stones, and everyone always compares kidney stone pain and labour. They say kidney stone pain is worse because at least with labour there are little breaks in between the contractions; so then when I ended up with back labour and no breaks I was like "where are my breaks from this?!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515093 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 15:52:00 +0000 littleveesmommy 515093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cvbee: the no break part was the worst!!! Ugh I mostly blocked out the pain but now that I'm on the subject, it brings back very very painful memories. Thinking back I don't remember contraction pain - back labor totally eclipsed it!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515041 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:48:07 +0000 Mrs. Tricycle 515041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was agony. I thought my back was going to split open. I never felt a thing in my abdomen. Worst pain ever. Sadly, can say nothing positive about it. Though the epi did make 99% of it disappear. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515039 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:46:05 +0000 cvbee 515039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>also, in my opinion, for back labour from my experience there is no 'break' between contractions, only feeling in terrible pain and then worse pain during contractions </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515036 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:44:41 +0000 cvbee 515036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The way I figured it out was that after my water broke, they hooked me up to a fetal monitor (thing around your belly that monitors contractions) and when I started to get a pain in my lower back, it would register as a contraction. That's how it all started. The rest of the time I would describe back labour as OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515034 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:42:37 +0000 GrapeCrush 515034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was awful! I've blocked it out, but I thought I was dying lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-515015 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:13:02 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 515015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like someone has taken a chainsaw to your back and 15 hours later you're still not dead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-514751 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 07:49:50 +0000 littleveesmommy 514751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A sledgehammer to the back describes it to a tee! It was the worst part of labor - I told DH it was waaaaaay worse than contractions itself. I went sans meds and was able to keep meditating/breathing through it until transition, then it became extremely hard to focus. It just felt like my back and spine were going to break!!! There was no relief from it even between contractions. I really hope the next one isn't sunny side up again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-514555 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:09:49 +0000 BeachMama 514555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Um, it wasn't so much like a sledghammer but sharp pain and like my back was completely seizing up. It was absolutely worse when I was lying down. Like I was completely paralyzed once the contraction started if I was lying down. The best position was standing leaning over the table or kitchen counter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-514150 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:37:18 +0000 matador84 514150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a natural birth and back pain so bad before my water broke at 40 weeks I could barely walk. The pain was so bad during birth I can hardly remember it...I just think the body naturally blocks it out. I was having a hard time breathing and shaking very bad. It's really hard to describe the intensity of the pain! Someone whacking you over and over again in the lower back? Turns out he was sunny side up which caused the horrible back labor!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-514003 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:03:42 +0000 leelee 514003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FutureMrsMcK: exactly this!</p> <p>Plus the epi did nothing to alleviate the pain. They kept giving me higher dosages but nothing helped :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513991 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:58:51 +0000 chopsuey 513991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have back labor with baby 1, but baby 2 i felt it!<br /> feels like a pulled muscle/cramp. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513989 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:58:09 +0000 rachiecakes 513989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Between contractions it felt like a horrible backache, pulled muscle. When I had a contraction it felt like I was being electrocuted/having a seizure, total loss of control. I only had back labor that started immediately after my water broke. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513931 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:36:54 +0000 mrskc 513931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@coacheswife123: I hope you don't get it. If you do tho the butt in the air position was very effective for me. When I was in that position the contractions moved to my lower abdomen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513923 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:34:50 +0000 mrskc 513923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FutureMrsMcK: yep! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513656 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:18:58 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 513656@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@coacheswife123: I hope you don't go through it:) But then again, I can't compare it to "normal" contractions so I can't say which is worse. I'm sure its all just lovely;) But so, so worth it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513624 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:11:46 +0000 pl0508 513624@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@TurtleDoves: 39 weeks 3 days ! So far all I've experienced is cramping in my very low abdomen !!! Nothing in my back. I had never even heard of it until recently ! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513540 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:49:31 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 513540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: Same! I couldn't have answered better.</p> <p>I too, had to sit up because standing was impossible and laying down only happened after the epi.<br /> I felt contractions solely in my back; I felt nothing, ever, in my abdomen.<br /> I also felt like I had to go #2, badly. But, I soon realized that was just because he was moving down the birth canal so forcefully. My contractions never went from mild-strong...They hit me strong from the first hour until the last.</p> <p>How far along are you? Are you feeling anything that you think may be contractions? You can't mistake back labor for much else! It was nothing I'd ever felt before, or even close to it. You know how they say "you will know"? Well, they're right. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513523 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:45:24 +0000 X0X0X0 513523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>While epidural was working, I felt pressure on my back. But when the epidural failed, it felt like my back was being broken in two and like my back was literally on fire. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513522 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:44:49 +0000 lovehoneybee 513522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: You went without an epidural, right? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513514 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:40:15 +0000 LuLu Mom 513514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had it with an epi but still felt most of it, althouthly I"m guessing it would have been 100x worse had I not had an epi, but it felt like someone was punching me in my back/butt. I kept trying to "clench" my butt thinking that would help but of course it didn't and probably made the pain in my back worse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513513 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:39:34 +0000 mrskc 513513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A sledge hammer to the back is a nice description. My whole lower back would tighten up. Only positions that worked was on the ground with my butt up in the air. While I was at the hospital I labored while sitting up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513491 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:34:30 +0000 pl0508 513491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FutureMrsMcK: well that sounds super fun !!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513467 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:30:11 +0000 lovehoneybee 513467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never had any contraction pain in my abdomen/uterus. It was all lower back, and later, when I was pushing, in my hips. It felt like...my lower back was being smashed with a sledgehammer spasm every few minutes. And it still hurt even as the contraction eased. I couldn't lay on my back at all. When the OB was doing the cervical check when I was being admitted I was barely able to stay on my back long enough for him to do it...I was crying and writhing.</p> <p>Before I went to the hospital the only way I could bear it was to be on all fours or to bend over and rest my forehead on the kitchen counter. When my epi stopped working during transition I sat up in the bed and hunched over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/describe-back-labor#post-513428 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:21:01 +0000 pl0508 513428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What did it feel like for you. </p>