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12-23-2012 at 6:29 PM
Runaway22
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Stomach virus and second thoughts

So, I had the most painful stomach bug of my life last night, that I'm getting over today. It started out with excruciating mid-back pain and ended up with stomach pains that literally kept me up all night. Not to be a drama queen, but I didn't know if I had ever been in so much constant pain in my life. Truly.

I remember literally thinking, "If this is how painful labor is, screw Natural Birth - I am SO getting an epidural." I felt like I would have done anything just to make the pain stop. That thought was actually pretty discouraging!  So, I got to thinking... most people aren't in *constant* pain while they labor, and it's definitely a different kind of pain than that of an illness. This is probably a stupid question (so, flame away lol), but should I take my inability to deal with the agony of last night as a clue that I am SO NOT READY for what I'm about to get myself into, as far as med-free birth goes? Or am I psyching myself out needlessly? 

Just wondering what some of you think. Thanks :) 
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12-23-2012 at 6:48 PM
ReichleyMa...
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I went through the same thing with my first pregnancy.  Then I got stung by a bee and cried.  I thought between these 2 things there was no way on earth I could survive a natural labor.  I was wrong.  The pain is completely different, you can't even compare them.  Don't psych yourself out.  The difference is that the baby is SUPPOSE to come out!  The mouth is an 'in.'  It's not an 'out.'  Don't worry about it, seriously!!!  I would rather be in labor then pregnant with the flu or even bad gas for that matter!  I hope this helps!
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12-23-2012 at 7:44 PM
oliversmom...
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I went through the same thing. I had a stomach bug and thought there was NO WAY I was going to be able to do it. Then I did. You're just in a completely different mindset. It's pain with a purpose. It's indescribable to someone who has not experienced it before. For the record, I am the biggest wuss ever. I don't even suffer through a headache without medication. If I can do it you can too!
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12-23-2012 at 8:02 PM
Runaway22
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Thanks, you two! I was actually starting to get pretty worried lol Glad to know you both went through the same thing, and still succeeded at natural birth. Gives me hope :)
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12-23-2012 at 8:37 PM
KateLouise
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Definitely try not to psyhce yourself out. You cannot compare labour pain to anything else.

You also have hormones working with you to help your body deal with it.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with cramp in your calf? You know that agonising pain that only lasts a few minutes? I would take hours of labour, over that calf cramp agony, any day of the week. 
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12-23-2012 at 8:45 PM
pantherRN
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I obviously haven't given birth yet, but I think you're psyching yourself out :)

I'm sure the pain itself and the situation will feel much different. 

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12-23-2012 at 9:26 PM
jinnymb
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lol I think this from time to time as well.  When I had the flu a couple of weeks ago and when I stubbed my toe I was thinking how am I going to make it through labor again med-free??

Honestly, it is such a different situation and I am a total wimp when I'm pregnant as far as regular bumps and bangs or stomach troubles.  However, in labor you have a purpose and you are thinking for two people, it is a totally different mindset.

Try to think of labor as more as running a marathon.  Your legs are going to hurt, your muscles will ache and you will acquire pains and struggles but you have a an end result in mind and know you feel that high.

Obviously when you are sick or hurt yourself with no end purpose you just want it to be over : )  Good luck and you can do it!!!


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12-24-2012 at 6:48 AM
AmyRI
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KateLouise:

Definitely try not to psyhce yourself out. You cannot compare labour pain to anything else.

You also have hormones working with you to help your body deal with it.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with cramp in your calf? You know that agonising pain that only lasts a few minutes? I would take hours of labour, over that calf cramp agony, any day of the week. 

This. 

It's pain with a purpose, and your body has natural, hormonal coping mechanisms that you don't have when you are actually ill. I like this article for it's explanation of endorphins during labor:

http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10184
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12-24-2012 at 7:47 AM
BostonGayG...
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One difference is that you never have an end point when you know it will be over with the flu. If you knew it wouldn't last for more than two days, you would cope better. Also, knowing that the pain is not the sign of anything going wrong makes a world of difference.
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12-24-2012 at 8:53 AM
aylafsu88
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A stomach bug is nothing like labor.  You are right, labor is not a constant pain.  It has times of intense pain during a contraction and then a resting phase between.  During this resting phase you can regroup and prepare for the next contraction.  Remember it is pain with a purpose and you will meet your LO soon.  I keep telling myself these things and they really helped.  You can do it!
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12-25-2012 at 9:47 PM
rochella
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BostonGayGal:
One difference is that you never have an end point when you know it will be over with the flu. If you knew it wouldn't last for more than two days, you would cope better. Also, knowing that the pain is not the sign of anything going wrong makes a world of difference.

For me, this was the difference.  I kept telling myself "I will do this.  I can do this.  I need to get my baby out.  I need to get my baby out to me.  This won't last forever, and soon I'll have my baby."

Productive pain feels different.  Worse in terms of severity, but better in the sense that you have such a determined goal for yourself. 
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12-25-2012 at 11:03 PM
Runaway22
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Can we nominate this board for most supportive posters EVER? Thank you all SO much for all the positive comments :)

I ended up in the hospital Christmas Eve and stayed overnight, because it wasn't a stomach bug... it was an inflamed gallbladder. Some women there who have both given birth and had gallbladder issues said that labor is NOTHING in comparison. So, I'm done psyching myself out. Yes, I think I *can* do this :)  
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12-29-2012 at 12:43 AM
kathleen02
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Here are my thoughts...labor is natural. It *usually* comes on gradually so it isn't an immediate "pain". There is discomfort during a contraction which builds and dissipates. There are things that can make labor difficult. One, being that it goes on for a long time. Not only are you uncomfortable, you can get tired, especially if you can't sleep. And another thing that I dealt with was back labor which didn't kick in till I was about 5cm and my water broke (supposedly accidentally when my midwife checked me). Things changed for me at that point. I could labor just fine with my water intact but without that cushion it triggered my back labor so there really wasn't much relief between contractions. I know it's not the thing to say here but do what feels right to you. I tried for 5 hours without any progress and being well over 30 hours into labor that I needed the epidural for rest. If I didn't get it, I know I wouldn't have had the energy to push for nearly three hours. All our stories are different though, as will yours.
 
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