Is natural labour easier or harder than induced labour?

[misty]

I have only had natural labours. But I don't think you can say that one is easier or harder then the other - because it depends on the person and the labour. I have had 3 very quick labours. Quick does NOT mean easy. The intensity of contractions went from 0 - 10 in about 2 mintues. Nothing made it easier. It was full on the whole time. I couldn't move for most of it, without extreme agony and was constantly uncomfortable even in the very breif moments between contractions.

I have had people who have been induced tell me that that is much harder. Maybe for them it is (although how these people can make that call when they have been induced everytime is beyond me, they haven't experienced anything else). For me, the only way it could be harder would be for the intensity to be the same but the time to be drawn out longer (and then maybe not because I might then have an oppertunity to try some drugs ).

It is no use trying to compare your labour to anyone elses - they will be different, as are own individual pain thresholds. It isn't even that possible to compare your own labours to each other, because these vary depending on a lot of different factors two.

[Anise3]

I have only had natural labours. But I don't think you can say that one is easier or harder then the other - because it depends on the person and the labour. I have had 3 very quick labours. Quick does NOT mean easy. The intensity of contractions went from 0 - 10 in about 2 mintues. Nothing made it easier. It was full on the whole time. I couldn't move for most of it, without extreme agony and was constantly uncomfortable even in the very breif moments between contractions.

I have had people who have been induced tell me that that is much harder. Maybe for them it is (although how these people can make that call when they have been induced everytime is beyond me, they haven't experienced anything else). For me, the only way it could be harder would be for the intensity to be the same but the time to be drawn out longer (and then maybe not because I might then have an oppertunity to try some drugs ).

It is no use trying to compare your labour to anyone elses - they will be different, as are own individual pain thresholds. It isn't even that possible to compare your own labours to each other, because these vary depending on a lot of different factors two.

This is true... I guess I was just hoping that natural labours might be kinder on the body because it's prepared itself for it, rather than being forced to start prematurely making it a bit easier to cope with the pain, even if it is the same intensity.

I'm not trying to compare my labour to others either, just hoping that some women who have had both induced and natural might be able to shed some light onto how they coped with both comparitively. I do understand quick doesn't mean easy as I said earlier, my choice of words when making the title of this thread was wrong.

[Freya]

Ive had two induced labours and one natural labour and for me the natural was oh so much easier and less painful. That said; I didnt find my induced labours ridiculously painful but compared to natural labour they were worse. All my labours were less than 3 hrs and drug free. Odds are your next labour will be a bit easier compared to your first regardless of how it occurs, I think mentally your better prepared. You did a great job having a drug free induction; just remember that youve done it once and are capable of doing it again. Then just take it as it comes

[MrsFabuloso]

I haven't read the other responses. For me, my natural labour was easier by far than my induced labour. I had alot of pre labour with my natural labour and wasn't even convinced I was in labour when I went to hospital. I actually only went in for some panadene and sleeping tablets because I hadn't slept much in days. But when I got there they checked me and I was 8cm dialated and almost ready for my baby to come. With my DD I was induced and went for no contractions or anything to contractions on top of each other in a few hours. I was in the labour room for almost 23 hours in labour it was only that I was sooo determined not to have a c/s that I managed to stay there that long, plus I think it was a pretty busy night for the midwives and ob's so I got away with it! I was threatened with c/s a few times and then after pushing for about 2hours, they threatened me again, and then with a vacuume extraction. It was only that the ob took so long to come to me that I managed to push with ALLLL my might and get her out on my own.

[misty]

I wasn't having a go at anyone.
Just trying to point out that you never know what you are going to get or how it is going to go until it actually happens, and then there is nothing to say that things would have happened the same or differently if you were / weren't induced.

My labours have all gone from nothing to contractions 2mins apart and full on straight away. If I had only had inductions I might think the induction was the reason. But this is just how my body does things (apparently).

So if you had a quick intense labour with an induction. You may have a slower labour without, BUT you may also just have another quick intense labour. You won't know until it happens.

[Anise3]

I wasn't having a go at anyone.
Just trying to point out that you never know what you are going to get or how it is going to go until it actually happens, and then there is nothing to say that things would have happened the same or differently if you were / weren't induced.

My labours have all gone from nothing to contractions 2mins apart and full on straight away. If I had only had inductions I might think the induction was the reason. But this is just how my body does things (apparently).

So if you had a quick intense labour with an induction. You may have a slower labour without, BUT you may also just have another quick intense labour. You won't know until it happens.

Ah but wouldn't it be nice if we knew ahead of time... I think it's a design flaw. I think i'll just tell DH he can birth this one, i've had my turn.

[jlk]

I've had natural & induced labours neither was easier or harder than the other.

[Visitor7]

My first was an induction with the drip. Contractions started 2 minutes after the drip went in, and they were coming every 2 minutes for the entire labour (9 hours). It was a full on labour and I felt I had no control at all at any time.
DD2 was natural. Contractions started pretty much the same as DD1. 2 minutes apart for the entire labour (6 hours). But I felt in control. It was a really nice labour/birth.
DD3 was nautral as well, but contractions were much more intense than the previous 2. I didn't feel in control at all. That was 3 hours.

So for me, my easiest labour was with DD2, my hardest labour was with DD3.

[BellyBelly]

When you say induced labour it's a bit misleading. There are a variety of methods, variety of drugs used (all with different side effects and potencies) and also the dosage used on the woman. A synthetic oxytocin drip (syntocinon) can be much worse than just having your waters broken. First births are generally longer and second births shorter and your body has had a chance to experience birth, so I think it's easier.

There is loads of info, and clips in the induction forum: https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...n-information/

[BellyBelly]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fPauJEy7fc (the references to Pitocin in this clip is just the US name for Syntocinon) Highly recommended viewing.

Induction of Labour - To Induce or Not Induce? (long article but contains women's experiences in it too).

You have to remember, when you're being induced, even if you have an epi (which is highly likely with an induction with synto), your baby still feels it and gets compressed blood and oxygen supply as the uterus works harder than it would naturally, so more likely to go into distress and have a c/s. While you may not feel it, your baby does.

[Indadhanu]

I laboured naturally and also after being augmented with syntocin, and I don't know about the 'easier vs harder' comparison, but the 'natural' contractions were definitely more... natural. They felt different, started-peaked-finished and I had a defined rest (however short it was, it was still a rest!). With the syntocin it was not unusual for me to have three contractions in a row without a break or rest, and a few times through my labour (once the syntocin had been started) the contraction hadn't even actually finished before another one started. It was all very unnatural, and really hard to deal with.
BUT that might not me normal, that's just the way my body reacted to syntocin. Might be because of the stage of labour I was in with the natural contractions vs the augmented ones.

It's really hard to compare, but I think the main thing is that it's not natural, it's not your body, it's something external telling your body what to do when your body (and your mind as well!) may not be ready for it, which can make it harder to deal with. I think that's why the intervetnion rate of induced and augmented labours are so high...?

[MaggiePie]

My first labour contractions started at five minutes apart and quickly came to two minutes apart and lasting for a minute. I did all the 'right' things, eg walked, stayed upright etc and then 15 hours later was still only 3cm and absolutely exhausted. They gave me an epidural and the drip to speed things up and 3 hours later when they came to check the baby had started crowning (ie my body was delivering the baby by itself as I lay on my side resting, numb from the waist down). When I started to push she went into distress and I ended up having ventousse and an episiotomy.

My second time around my waters broke at 38 weeks. After having contractions 20 minutes apart for 36 hours they decided to give me the drip to bring on 'proper' labour to deliver baby and prevent infection. As soon as the drip went in the contractions were very strong, but no stronger than with my first. My son was born 3 hours after the drip started and I recovered so much quicker having a shorter labour. I was never exhausted and managed with the gas for the last 30 minutes.

Given the same circumstances I would do this again (the drip) as I felt that my long intense labour with my first was so exhausting I took ages to recover, and I feel it also stressed the baby. The quick labour was intense but not more so than the first. Hopefully though this time my body can do it all by itself!