https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:58:09 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-234635 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:25:35 +0000 HabesBabe 234635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LAGS: ditto exactly! Early labor pains hurt a lot more than I thought they would, and everything else was about what I expected. pushing/pressure was such a weird sensation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-234626 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:21:45 +0000 mediagirl 234626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Labor was easier. Yes, it was freaking painful but I never had those moments you see on TV where the woman curses out her husband or yells at everyone. I just moaned my way through my contractions until I got my epidural. Don't get me wrong, it hurt like a mother but I guess I handled it better than I thought I would. </p> <p>The epidural was easier than I thought it would be. It didn't hurt to get it (yeah, like a bee sting) and it took my major pain away after a while. </p> <p>The catheter was as gross as expected. I was so glad they pulled it out when I started pushing.</p> <p>I don't think I ever let myself think about pushing, so I can't give a good response on that. Pushing suuuuucked. Not only did the pressure hurt but my mind and body were not working well together. I was exhausted from holding my legs up so long and just couldn't get into the positions they were telling me to get into to push the baby out. It took about 2 hours and it was miserable. </p> <p>The recovery was easier than expected. It lasted longer than I thought but I only needed the squirt bottle and tucks pads for a week or so after I got home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-234616 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:11:19 +0000 Ree723 234616@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was easier than I expected overall. I thought the early contractions would be a lot more painful than they were, although they did of course eventually progress to excruciating! The epidural was a piece of cake and gave me 100% relief from all pain, which was wonderful. With the aid of a mirror, I was able to push effectively, despite not having any sensation to push, and our LO was born after about 50 minutes of pushing. The recovery also wasn't bad and despite a second degree tear, I didn't require any pain medications in the post partum recovery. I was more anxious about the recovery than actual childbirth so I was quite relieved that it was much easier than expected. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-234167 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:30:36 +0000 doodlepoodle 234167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @Leelee, I had the same perception. I was induced and was expecting HELL. I had also been watching "A Baby Story" on TLC some and kept watching women who were moaning and crying and screaming. The whole time every time I had a contraction I told myself "It's just going to get worse, keep it together" then the nurse came in and said "You're fully dilated! We need the doctor!" Even with my induction I was only in labor a total of 12 hours and the last 4 hrs was all that was really rough, to be honest. I pushed for an hour and a half before he got here and never made a peep. My husband couldn't believe it. He kept telling me I was doing great and afterward he said he kept waiting for me to start cussing/screaming at the nurses (I can be kiiiind of abrasive) so he thought we weren't to the worst of it yet either, until the baby came out! :) I was VERY lucky. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-234143 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:25:39 +0000 sulli301 234143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it was easier overall, but some parts were as hard as I expected! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-234066 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:58:07 +0000 kokobee 234066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i voted easier but like some mentioned, some parts were hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-234009 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:35:27 +0000 chopsuey 234009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Love the new poll icon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233950 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:08:50 +0000 BeachMama 233950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Other. It was just different than I expected. For induced after having prodromal labor for 5 nights. Had an epidural but labored for 16 hrs to get to 10cm (was at 4 when I went in). But she was face up and still high. I pushed for an hour and ended w a c section. Nothing about it is how I thought it would be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233933 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:04:57 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 233933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsdaredevil: She was sunny side up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233909 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:54:49 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 233909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: what is OP? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233907 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:54:02 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 233907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say as hard. I knew it would be difficult, and it was. The pain was surreal, but I guess I expected that.</p> <p>Recovery was a bit more painful than I thought it would be though. But then again I guess 30+ stitches in your hoo-ha is bound to smart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233888 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:46:51 +0000 autumnlove 233888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was harder than I expected! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233838 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:32:03 +0000 lemondrop 233838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was about as hard as I expected- the one thing that surprised me was how fast everything went! I was expecting to labor for a full 24 hours, but from start to finish was just under 8 hours for me. I expected a marathon and got a sprint. I felt like I was on a runaway train and couldn't get into the mind frame I wanted to be in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233834 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:29:18 +0000 duckduckkristen 233834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was definitely a lot *faster* than I expected. I had LO 1.5 hours after getting to the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233827 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:27:17 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 233827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was freaked out way beyond what I needed to be. Even with an OP baby it was way easier than expected! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233802 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:15:47 +0000 Honeybee 233802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure... Real labor contractions were much more painful than I expected, but once I got the epidural my brith experiences were pretty easy (comparatively speaking). With both kids I had uncomplicated deliveries and super easy recoveries, it was just the strength of contractions that really surprised me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233783 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:08:05 +0000 mrsjazz 233783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was harder than I expected. I had planned for a natural birth so I knew it wasn't going to be a piece of cake. I was in labor for 15 hours before the C-section--the labor part was fine. The C-section experience was horrible. I thought I wouldn't feel anything during the C-section but I felt a lot on one side and had to have my epidural upped twice. And of course recovery was a big pain! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233777 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:04:25 +0000 leelee 233777@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It voted easier. I had to get induced so after hearing stories of failed inductions that resulted in c-sections I was mentally prepared for a failed induction. My SIL was induced and was in labor for 30+ hours before a c-section.</p> <p>My induction was fairly smooth minus the back labor which was horrible since the epi did NOT lesson the pain. I went from 2cm to 10cm within 4 hours, labored down for 4 hours because DD was stationed to high and then pushed for 2. I think recovery has been much harder than labor because it's taken so long. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233766 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:57:25 +0000 Mrsbells 233766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>it was just different than I exected. I knew it would be hard and there would be lots of pain, but I thouhght I would get to experience a natural birth but instead to deal with an induction and then a c-section. So it was less pain during the birth than I expected but much more pain afterwards </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233762 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:54:58 +0000 LAGS 233762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted as hard as I had expected, although its kind of a mix. Parts were easier, parts were harder.</p> <p>I didn't expect the pain earlier on in labor to be as bad as it was. I also never put much thought into that feeling of pressure when you're ready to push. I honestly thought my butt was about to explode.... soo uncomfortable.</p> <p>On the flip side, pushing and the aftermath was much easier than I expected. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-giving-birth-easier-harder-or-as-hard-as-you-expected#post-233734 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:42:30 +0000 Mrs. Bee 233734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With Charlie, it was harder than I expected. I couldn't get my epidural until 8 cm because the hospital was so busy that night, then I pushed for 3 hours only to end up having a c-section. </p> <p>With Olive, it was easier than I expected. I had a planned c-section and ended up with a vbac, but the amount of time I was in actual pain wasn't that long, and giving birth wasn't as difficult was i'd expected (of course she was a small baby at 4 lbs 15oz!)</p> <p>I think you tend to remember things not being as bad as they felt when you were actually experiencing them, but I still remember how painful Charlie's labor was. It was the most pain I've ever been in in my life. And Olive's birth was pretty easy objectively. I mean it wasn't painless and easy and it was still a lot of work, but as easy as childbirth can be I suppose!</p> <p>What about you?</p> <p>ETA: here is a poll i created previously on which aspect of the birth process was the most difficult:</p> <p><a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-the-worst-part-about-giving-birth" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-was-the-worst-part-about-giving-birth</a> </p>