What's worse? Tattoo or labour?

***LittleMissSummer*** · March 9th, 2012, 04:58 PM

A status on my FB has sparked a very interesting question.

For those who have tattoos and who have given birth, what would you say is the worst pain?

I myself don't have a tattoo yet so am kind of curious to know where people place a tattoo compared to giving birth.

**zap** · March 9th, 2012, 05:07 PM

For me pain of my tattoo only lasted three hours. Both my labours lasted 12+ hours one resulted in a very bad tear and the second an excruciating episiotomy with no anistetic (sp) both of which took weeks to heal. Needless to say I won't be having another baby but am booking in for my third tattoo.

**Traveller** · March 9th, 2012, 05:11 PM

For me, labour was not really painful and the effort I had to put in was manageable and controlled by me. When I needed a break my contractions paused. When I had strength so did they. My tattoos on the other hand were a pain that started high and gave my endorphins no chance to catch up. I thought I was going to be sick with the pain. Yet it kept going and going. Yeuch.

Anyway I much prefer labour pain, but I can guarantee you I will only be submitting myself to tattoo pain in the future

**Lisa** · March 9th, 2012, 05:11 PM

Giving birth. Tattoos are mostly relaxing.

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**Rouge** · March 9th, 2012, 05:11 PM

Birth definitely. But not in a bad way just different.

***EJ*** · March 9th, 2012, 05:42 PM

Very different pains really. I would say birth, the 'pain' is much more intense, the pain of a tattoo is only on the surface.

**~Serenity~** · March 9th, 2012, 05:47 PM

depends all my births except #3 cos i didnt feel his, my tattoo only took 1.5 hours and i went into a zone were it was tolerable

**Party-of-five** · March 9th, 2012, 05:48 PM

I couldn't really compare the pain at all...they are so different. Depends were you get the tattoo too some places have hurt more than others.

**CKJ** · March 9th, 2012, 05:58 PM

Labour! I've got 5 tattoos and fell asleep through a few of those but 43 hours of labour was the worst pain ever!

**Feijoa Mum** · March 9th, 2012, 06:10 PM

I have 5 kids and 5 tattoos and I would say hands down labour is by far the worst pain.
The tattoo pain stops once they take the needle off and is very dependent on where you are having it.
Top of foot, back of neck didnt hurt at all. Side of foot was a bit ouchy, my tramp stamp was more painful in some bits than others but it is the biggest. My inside wrist was the worst of the lot. Very sensitive area.
No where near as sensitive as my Kooka though!!!

Everyone of my labours hurt like hell and although some more than others give me a tattoo anyday

**loulabelle** · March 9th, 2012, 06:14 PM

they are too different to compare. although if you had asked this before my last birth I would say labour is far more painful, but after my recent birth I wouldnt. labour is intense and takes work but it comes with a high that's indescribable. tattoos just hurt.

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**sushee** · March 9th, 2012, 06:31 PM

Tattoos are nothing compared to childbirth imo, and I once got tattooed on my back for almost 7 hours straight, and towards the end, almost passed out from the pain. I have tattoos on almost every part of my body.

Nothing even comes close to childbirth, I think, and I've had a lower body lift as well (removed 3.5kgs of excess skin from my front and back). Even that doesn't come close, and that's supposed to be one of the more painful of plastic surgeries around.

**Ms_Fi** · March 9th, 2012, 06:47 PM

Having spent over 100 hrs at the tattooists (most of it asleep) I'm going with labour being way more painful.

Even the tat on my ribs didn't come anywhere near the pain of childbirth.

**TeniBear** · March 9th, 2012, 06:49 PM

My tattoo in memory of Ianto took about as long as my labour with him, and... Well, I had gas for labour and was reading magazines through te tattoo. What do you think?

BUT my wrist tattoo was heaps worse than my labour with Amelia. If that labour had been that painful, I would've asked for an epidural LOOOONG before I did!

That said, they're both pains I'd love to go through again and again (I know what you're thinking, but you know what I mean!)...

**Jakabella** · March 9th, 2012, 06:56 PM

Labour. Iv got 5 tats and even the spine tat and the foot tattoo ( 2 of the most painfull spots) didn't come close to labour! I'm going back for my second foot tat soon so can't be that bad, certainly not going back for labour ever!!

**e_p** · March 9th, 2012, 07:03 PM

tattoo on my ribs hurt a lot more than my labour....but the first 1-3days after the birth trumped tattoos and labour by about 50bazillion in the pain stakes.