how to explain to dh how painful labour is

[Mum2SweetCs]

So dh often asks me how painful labour is.

Usually I respond with, imagine tying your weights to your balls, thats how painfull it is.

But now im thinking, is there a better way to describe the pain? Lol

[Santosha]

For me what was most painful and overwhelming was the sheer power of it. My body was exerting forces that were far beyond any strength I thought I had within me. Can't think of a great analogy for you, but I guess something like being pounded by a powerful surf or pushed along by a truck...??!!

[blessedatlast]

CAN"T POSSIBLY EXPLAIN IT!!!! Just (insert expletive here) AGONY!! Then show him all the replies in this thread and let him see how many women try to explain it, but just can't

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Oh i wish there was a way... DP missed DD1's birth but was at DD2's he says to me "it was the easiest 8min of your life"
If only they knew.

[Calluna]

Like when you have really bad diarrhea. It's like the cramps you get with that except about 50 x more painful, comes in waves and lasts for hours. That's how I described it to DF anyway.

[Mum2SweetCs]

The only issue is cos he thinks I have a low pain tolerance lol so I need a bettwer way of expolaining it to him

[~Hestia~]

It's tough! I didn't have to elaborate too much to DH as he saw how much pain I was in, but I do remember trying to explain the feelings. I think I said contractions for me felt like a vice in reverse, like a vice was inside me but was pushing, pushing, pushing against my skin. Crowning I said felt like someone had just ripped me open!

[*Beema*]

The biggest hardest No.#2 that you have ever done, that takes xx hours to come out

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Maybe we should get a balloon, rip a very small hole in it and then get one of those kids sized footballs, try stretching the balloon OVER the football and then as you do it set his balls on fire and say it burns like hell, it hurts like hell and it stretches like this!

[Anise3]

tell him to pull his bottom lip out.... and then stretch it over his head all the way to the back of his neck.

[*Efjay*]

For me I think its closest to describing the same pain you get with cramps when you are constipated. Obviously a lot worse but my DH has bowel issues so this was something he could relate too.

[Mum2Romone]

I screamed like a primal animal, hubby said I sounded like some sort of dinosaur, he certainly saw how much pain I was in and for how long, but to be honest he could never understand , he's such a suds anyway, he whinges over a headache

[Glamourcide]

Somewhat like pooping out a lump of concrete the size of a 2L softdrink bottle, while a sadist with a baseball bat takes great pleasure in beating the base of your spine for about 7 hours.
Oh, and right at the end, the crowning bit? Like sitting on hot coals with no pants on. Overall - OUCH.

[Kazbah]

For me it was incredibly bad back pain, like I just ripped muscles in my back, and still had to pick up something. And definately like the worst constipation EVER coming out!

[Loula]

Tbh I find this hard to explain. I don't know if it's because I did calm birth classes but I didn't have much pain. Sure my labour ended in EC but I was fully dilated in 4 hrs (thanks to the drip) and was for nearly 40 min before anyone picked it up but DS was too high to come down. I did have back ache almost like I had done a big workout for a week straight lol

[*LittleMissSummer*]

Somewhat like pooping out a lump of concrete the size of a 2L softdrink bottle, while a sadist with a baseball bat takes great pleasure in beating the base of your spine for about 7 hours.
Oh, and right at the end, the crowning bit? Like sitting on hot coals with no pants on. Overall - OUCH.

Definitely this but in my experience the bastard hit me with a baseball bat for 18 hours!!!

Usually when i am in pain i am deadly quiet and DP knows this and so when i was screaming through every contraction he knew i was in ALOT of pain so he never asked what it was like.

[Lisa]

I told my DH that contractions are like bad constipation/dihorreah cramps. Then, it is like there is a bowling ball shoved up your butt that you have to somehow push out... and in the end, it would be like him being kicked in between the legs a few times for good measure.

[Muffy]

Like when you have really bad diarrhea. It's like the cramps you get with that except about 50 x more painful, comes in waves and lasts for hours. That's how I described it to DF anyway.

exactly. everytime i get diarrhea it reminds me of labour.. ohh those cramps