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With both, contractions around 6 cm dilated, before the epi. Feels like someone is literally tearing you in two. I could not get above the pain to control it, either time. Epidurals are great... even though I didn't have good experiences with them either time... I don't know how I could have lived through the contractions!

The hardest part or the most painful part? I felt like contractions before getting the epidural were the hardest part and the most painful part with DD; with DS, the most painful part was the placenta extraction.

Not being able to eat! And since I was induced, being confined to the bed with increasing amounts of Pitocin, continuous contraction/fetal monitoring, and a blood pressure cuff that turned on every 15 minutes.

Two things for me:
1) arrival at the hospital - I was so freaked out that I couldn't calm down until they got me into a delivery room and all hooked up, then I was able to go to my happy place
2) not being able to pee - I am super pee shy and after they gave me a bag of IV fluids I had to pee soooo bad! They wouldn't let me get up to pee in the bathroom because LO's heart rate wasn't responding to the contractions and my labor went to fast they were afraid I'd have him in the bathroom. So they kept trying to get me to pee in a bedpan but I just couldn't do it with everyone watching me and a baby coming down my pelvis! I ended up pushing with a full bladder which caused some UTI like symptoms for a couple months after, but now everything is fine. I wish they would have cathed me before I pushed I stead of waiting til after he came out!

For me it was the two or so hours I labored at home after I got sent home from L&D earlier in the night. I progressed from barely 3cm to a solid 5, almost 6 by the time I gave in and went back. Not only was the pain out of this world but because I had been sent home with a "Probably not for a couple of days" a few hours before I was convinced it wasn't real labor and was petrified of what real labor would be like if this was just early labor.

Besides that, the epidural failing twice sucked. Laboring for another two hours without it after I had already felt it's sweet, sweet relief sucked (although mentally it was easier because I was already 9cm and knew I was getting close). Throwing up so much sucked (but apparently helped him move down and out).

@MusicaV: Same here! I was induced and drinking broth for 20 hours sucked.

Also, getting stiched up hurt... and I had an epidural.

@mungbean wow i can't believe you got to have an epi! i begged for one when i was at a 3, but i transitioned so fast they had to cancel it! went from 2.5 to 10 in less than 2.5 hours!

Trying to sleep. I was induced at 9pm, had LO at 8:45 am (the next day). I scheduled it at night, thinking I'd sleep through most of the ripening phase. Except as soon as my contractions kicked in (didn't even need pitocin) and my water broke, it hurt like a mo-fo. After the epidural, my left hip area never got numb, so I felt every contraction in my hip. All I wanted to do was sleep and it just hurt too much.

Contractions just before getting the epidural. Then recovery. Recovery was hell for me.

I was induced and then had a c-section. Worst thing was recovery especially the 1st 24 hours after the c-section. The itching reaction I had from the spinal was hell not to mention the pain from the incision I couldnt even stand up by myself.

But during actual labor the waiting around was hard, especially since my induction wasnt planned and I was starving from before I was even induced and wasnt allowed to eat anything except ice chips. for over 36 hours. I was starving. My induction started on thursday evening and I didnt get to eat until saturday morning

I had an unmediated birth and had to push for 1.5 hrs. I'd say that from 9 cm to birth was the worst part because I was so exhausted. At 9 cm, I had such stong urges to push, but they kept telling me to wait. So hard! I also didn't enjoy when they kept pushing on my stomach after birth to help my uterus contract and deliver the placenta.

For me it was probably all of the time before I got the meds. Especially having to sit still through a contraction while getting the epi. Not easy!

Pushing was no picnic either..... and they tell you that when they stitch you up you won't feel/notice because you'll be holding your LO. I felt it, and it was not cool.

I have to say overall delivery was a very pleasant experience for me. The hospital staff was top notch and I went in with a open mind so I placed no expectations on myself.
If I had to pick one it will be trying to figure out if my pains were contractions or not. Whether I should call my OB or not.

Not opening this thread again.. eep!

@pastemoo it's kind of hazy but I remember when I went from a 2.5 to 6 in less than an hour and couldn't stop pushing she told me she was canceling it because I was progressing so fast.

I'd say the worst for me was the internal check when I got to the hospital - I'd never had an internal check before and whilst having contractions one on top of the other, it was definitely no picnic! Also, that magical rest you get between contractions never came for me - they were just rolling waves of pain that kept coming until I got the epidural. After that, everything about labour and delivery was wonderful with no pain and just sunshine and rainbows everywhere, lol.

The pain from the contractions and the chaos that ensued after delivery. Blood, stitches, screaming. Ugh.

I think the hardest part was that I wasn't contracting on my own even though my water broke naturally. I ended up on pitocin and then eventually had to have an intrauterine catheter. By the end of the day, I ended up being maxed out on pitocin and eventually had a csection.