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If people ask me about it in public I wont go into the gory details of how bad it is because firstly I dont want to scare other people and secondly because its not really a topic for light conversation. If someone approaches me one on one and really wants details then i will tell them more

I had a pretty easy childbirth..... compared to many. I didn't have complications, and I had an epidural. And it still really, really sucked. I still had to suffer through the really painful contractions until I could have my epidural. I very clearly remember telling DH that I would not have another baby because I could not handle that ever again. And really, I didn't even have to go through it for that long! Maybe I'm just wimpy.

And then there is the "pressure" that you have when you push. It's not just pressure, it's pain. It hurts, and it hurts bad. Does it hurt as bad as it would if I didn't have the meds? No way, not even close. But it's still not fun, and it's still not easy.

DH likes to tell people that I had an easy birth because compared to others, yes, it was easy. But I still would not describe it as easy.

@sweetchic: My birth experience was very tough, even though I didnt have a natural birth. I had a semi- emergency c-section after a failed induction due to complications and it was a very hard and sucky experience with a lot of pain and discomfort. Childbirth is no joke, no matter which way you have the baby.

Also the epidural will only help with pain during the labor and labor never lasts more than a few days, unlike the recovery which lasts weeks for some people. so even if you get an epidural you might still have stitches, and other things to deal with after the fact

olive's birth wasn't that bad honestly. my contractions started at 5pm and by the time I got to the hospital around 7, it was already so painful that I couldn't walk to the labor ward and needed a wheelchair. but I got my epidural within the hour, so I really only suffered for an hour and a half. the epidural took maybe 30 min to fully kick in. once it was in full effect, i felt fine. then i pushed for 40 min and olive was born. so the labor itself for olive was pretty easy overall. the recovery however was a different story!

with charlie i suffered way more even though i got an epidural. the hospital was so busy i couldn't get an epidural for hours and was 8cm by the time i got one. it was hours upon hours of pain where i was just sobbing and sobbing. then i pushed for 3 hours and ended up with a c-section because he was big and posterior (facing up). charlie's labor was not easy at all!

i think some women do have fast, easy labors, and fast, easy recoveries, but certainly not everyone does.

when i was experiencing it, it didn't seem easy, but looking back olive's birth was pretty easy. the pain of charlie's though.. i will never forget. i've had two completely different experiences with two kids, so you never know what to expect!

My labor and delivery were really, really rough. My birth story is posted if you want to find it.

I kinda think it's both. Yes, it's tough because it takes awhile, you will experience some pain/discomfort. But if you and the baby remain healthy and you're progressing well, it won't be so bad. I was nervous about it too. But when I was actually in labor the nerves just went away and the pain wasn't as horrible as I anticipated. In the end, I remember thinking, "huh, I could totally do that again!"

I think it really depends on the person because everyone is different! Although I was in labor for 49 hours the first time I can honestly say it wasn't all that bad. Yes it hurt and yes it was tiring but I remember my husband asking me if I wanted pain meds towards the end (even though it wasn't really an option) and I had absolutely no desire to have any. The only time things were difficult for me was the moment I lost control and stopped breathing properly. Now that I have had the experience of a completely natural birth and a c-section I personally would never choose to have another c-section because for me that process was a lot harder than giving birth.

Like most experiences in life, giving birth is different for everyone. I had a pretty easy childbirth experience. My contractions were painful, but bearable. I got an epidural after 12 hours of contractions and dilated from 4-9 cm in two hours. I only had to push for about a half hour and only required one stitch. I realize I'm lucky and I wouldn't walk around saying that childbirth is a breeze for everyone, there are way too many stories of people who have had difficult births out there. I feel like when you're pregnant other women want to share their horror story, but try to remember that not everyone has bad experience. Prepare yourself the best that you can and try not to let everyone's stories worry you too much.

I was induced 10 days past my due date and after 24 hours of pitocin contractions without en epidural, gave birth to a 10 pound 9 ounce boy who chest was bigger than his head. I had a serious episiotomy to get him out and was actively pushing for 3 hours before he was born.

And looking back, I'd say it wasn't that bad. I know time has faded the pain. In the moment it was awful. But for most of it I was just in a zone. I wanted relief and nothing seemed to help, but I got through it. Pushing was exhausting more than anything else.

I depends on your perspective. I think all you have to do is show a couple of childbirth videos to your husband and he will realize that it is much more difficult than someone might say publicly, but also time dulls the painful side of the experience for most. It will be hard and painful, but what that translates to is different for everyone.