# Labor pain vs. IBS pain?



## searchingforacure

Just a question from a woman who is anxious to become pregnant. I am wondering if labor pain is at all comparable to the pain we experience with IBS? You all must relate to the excrutiating pain we all endure with IBS (sitting on the toilet, heavy breathing, sweating, focusing, focusing, on anything but the pain). How would you rate the pain of labor vs. the pain of a bad day with IBS? You see, I am thinking, that-hey if I can handle IBS at the worst of times, then I am gonna be a pro in labor, next to a woman in labor who has never experienced the pain of IBS! Make sense? What do you think? Am I out to lunch-maybe labor is a totally different kind of pain?


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## Mishy

For me labor pain was completely different. It also depends which stage of labor you're in, as to the intensity of it. I found the pain unbearable until it came time to push, where I couldn't even think about it, you become so focused on your pushing and feeling for the contractions.Not sure it that helped at all!


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## deirdre1958

The first thing I thought when I felt my first labor pain was "hmm, this feels familiar". It is similar in the beginning, and in the fact that if comes as a wave and then you go through it, and suddenly you feel it leave. But you know another one is coming. I found the actual cramping to be almost identical to my labor.Marie


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## boxgirl73

Good question! I've always wondered that too. I will soon start trying to conceive but have always been nervous in having to deal with the pain! I guess, if I can deal with IBS and UC cramps, I can deal with labor pains.....


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## erin_jean

My doctor said labor will be a breeze for me. I have the worst case my doctor has ever seen, or so she says. I usually end up in the hospital about twice a year over night full of pain killers. I have just about had enough of this stuff. But what i was wondering speaking of labor, when you start contractions, does your bowl start too?? then you would be in labor and having an IBS "attack" ?? Anyone have any answers...I'm almost afraid to have kids.


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## Mishy

erin_jean, you usually get D before you go into labour, like a natural enema.


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## Kimberley Coulter

Ladies, I have had IBS for 20+ years, and I can relate to your fears. I have it in its most severe form. My experience was my IBS attacks hurts more! Labour hurts like a mother, but not as much as IBS.I don't like to give advice. That is for a doctor, but... RELAX. You are being given a beautiful gift. Enjoy this new life.


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## KatieSlocum

I know that when I went into labor with my first, they couldn't believe that I was up and walking around while dialated to 7 cm. I told them "I've had gas pains worse than this". But I did 3 hours of pushing with no drugs...big mistake. I have forgotten what it feels like. Now if only they could give me an epideral when my stomach cramps from IBS, I'd be all set.


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## Michele

I actually found labor pains easier to deal with than IBS because they were more predictable, and you know that eventually they are going to end! I think I broke all the rules they taught us in childbirth classes though. You're supposed to have a focus object to distract you from the pain, and you're supposed to ignore clocks, and let your partner time contractions. It worked best for me to focus on the pain and block out outside distractions. I walked and counted my way through the contractions. I timed my own contractions and kept a running log of them on a sheet of paper. I guess it made me feel more in control.


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## RitaLucy

I had this standing joke with my Dr. that I wouldn't call and wake him up in the middle of the night. It was a non issue for me because the pain was not a new pain for me at all. I also had very severe IBS spasms during my late teens and 20s and my labor pains were not as bad as some of those bouts that I had. I got to the hospital at 9:00 a.m. and I delivered my daughter at 10:02 a.m. When I got to the hospital I was 10 centimeters dilated already. The nurse's kept saying...that I didn't act a woman who was 10 centimeters dilated. It did get intense towards the end but I ended up with an emergency C-section. My daughter was breech.


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## Michele

I also arrived at the hospital fully dilated. I had called my doctor a couple of hours earlier, and he told me that I could go ahead and go to the hospital, but not to be disappointed if they sent me home. He didn't think I was really in labor because I was too calm!








When I went to the hospital the nurse checked me into a room in no big hurry, even though I told her my contractions were 3 minutes apart. After she examined me she got in a much bigger hurry and said the doctor could be there in 10 minutes!







Apparently they don't believe you're really in labor unless you're moaning and screaming!


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## momwith2boys

Well all i can say was that for my first son it was way worse then ibs.the contractions shoot right down the sides and insides of your legs starting from your stomach and all the way down it was horrible i had no problem with d though threw it all because i had a perfectly good bm when i was in denial that i was in labour at 5 in the morning still at home! i awoke around 4 that morn and the pains weren't too bad but got worse when i went to the hospital around 9 in the morn. i was 7 cm dilated and was too late for an epideral boy did i wish i went in sooner i had my son that afternoon. But my second son was a breeze!! ibs was way worse than that labour!! i had an epideral for that one though helped a great deal didn't even hurt to push it was great now only if they would give epiderals for ibs that would be great!!!


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## boxgirl73

RitaLucy-You make me want to go and get pregnant! I too suffer from IBS-spasms only symptom! Of course I have UP too but.... I've always wondered if IBS spasms were as bad as giving birth. Sounds like my fear should be put to rest now! My husband and I are at the point we'd like to start a family soon. One question-what's the likelihood of me having a spasm due to stress or the pressure both During the pregnancy and DURING labor? I'd hate to have to be in labor AND have a spasm!


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## sabry34

yes, boxgirl73, this is a very interesting question....I always think too, whay can happen if during the pregnancy you get those bad cramps?????I would like to question these ladies with the worst case of ibs and know how their experience was....Thanks for the answerssabry


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## boxgirl73

-bump


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## pmn

Thanks so much all of your replies where very comforting. I am concered about getting pregnant and the pain with my ibs. i have had severe ibs for about 13 years. How will the morning sickness be????? I may not even notice it since I am always sick to my stomach anyway.I feel really good about this site none of my friends or family have it so when I do talk about it, they can just listen not relate! Thanks


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## Killercatt

HiIBS has nothing on Labor. Labor is by far the worst pain I have ever felt in my life, women who do not have epidurals are extremly brave and heros in my book. But labor is different for everyone. My contractions were so bad I had no time in between to rest they just slid out from one into the other, so 4 hours later when I got the epidural, I was in heaven. The pushing for me was the easiest and least painful, even though I had the epidural I still felt everything and even knew when I was contracting, its like your body completely takes over and knows what to do and you are kind of just observing. you are suppose to push like having a bowel movement at the same time the contraction is happening, put all your strength into your butt, not your legs or arms, I pushed my baby out in 15 minutes which according to the Dr was really good for a first time mom. Labor is the most painful thing I have ever experienced, but the second it was over, I was ready to do it again, all it took was seeing my baby. I can't wait until I do it again.


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## Kimmie

everyone is different and everyone has a different pain tolorance. I was in hard labor with my first for 35 hours. It was the worst pain I have ever felt. I told my husband I was never doing it again! Then less than 3 years later I had my second, I was only in labor for 4 hours and still painful, no where near like my first. I also had a much better doctor the second time around...it make a big difference. I didn't have IBS until after my first but I had eaten a salad, big trigger food for me, and then I went into labor. I was so afraid I would have an attack of D, but I was fine. I think my body was too busy for the ibs to kick in. But no matter how much pain labor is....it is so worth it!! And hey no one in my family ever thought I'd do it twice. But one look at your baby and you forget the pain.


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## Homebound

Well they are pretty similar actually. Only I had a 10 pound baby, so I must say the labor pains were actually must worse. Also no IBS attack I've ever had lasted 16 hours STRAIGHT! LOL But yeah the cramping pains is very similar!


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## ataraxia

god there is no way i could go through ibs-like pain for 16 hours. ever since i got ibs i've wanted to adopt!although i am 16 so perhaps i'll feel differently later on.


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## Dabombmom49

Oh my goodness,I was just telling my Doctor I would rather be in Labor again with my son (34 hours) then to have this awful pain and get nothing but a pebble as an end result. I have to really strain sweat scream cry to get that much. my weight goes up and down due to the constipation. Stool softers doesnt work and laxtives makes the pain more than i can bare.So heck ya I vote for Labor.Deborah


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## lily2000

Well, I've had severe IBS pain for 12+ hours and another time nearly 8 hours. I hope these experiences have prepared me well for labor pains. I really want to get pregnant soon, and I'm trying to get over my fears of pain with pregnancy, labor, and delivery.


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## Bathroomqueen

Well, I would say the pains are similar but labor pains end up being worse toward the end. I didn't develop IBS until after my first was born, so I didn't have very good techniques developed for dealing with the pain.I'm hoping that after dealing with ibs #### (pun intended ha ha) I will be able to handle my labor better this time. Baby #1 was 28 hours of labor, 3.5 hours of pushing and ended up back in the hospital with a horrible episiotomy infection. Oh, and as a side bonus.. I ended up with a nasty c. dificile infection (the equivalent of a yeast infection..all good bacteria killed off.. only in your intestines). AHHHH!! So it can't be any worse than that one! I guess I'll find out soon enough.. I'm due Jan 23rd with my 2nd and last peanut.PS: I used steady panting during my first labor.. it helped a great deal. And guess what? It helps with IBS pain too! Oh that's embarrassing to admit.. as I'm sitting on the pot, I'm doing lamaze!


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## stannaw

I'm definitely with most of the ladies here, the pain is quite similar to IBS pain in that it comes in waves. For me, though, once I went into active labor, the pain moved from the front where I have IBS pain, to my lower back. That's how it was different for me. Felt like someone was trying to bend my cocyx bone the wrong way.One good thing the IBS has done for me was in the pushing. Because I have over 20 years of "holding it in" I have really worked out those muscles. My daughter was born with only 3 pushes, my son with only half-a-push. No joking. My doctor calls me the one-push-wonder.


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## Brandi Guidry

Hi! I'm 35 weeks pregnant now with my second child. Every women is different and experiences different things during every pregnancy..I have crohn's disease, which is very painful during flare ups. I also have mild IBS-d.For my first, I went into labor on my own. Was given IV pitosin to make my labor progress. I do remember having very bad, excruciating contractions. It was quite frankly one of the worse pains I have ever experienced in my life. Much worse than my crohn's flare up attacks or IBS. Don't let discourage you now, because the joy of what is to come after experiencing such horrible, horrific pains, far outweighs that pain of being able to hold your little baby. Makes you forget about it all!So, my answer to you is, yes labor pains for me was a lot worse than any other kind of pain that I have experienced. This baby that I'm about ready to deliver will be done by C-Section. So thankfully, I won't have to go through "labor" pains again, unless I go into labor on my own, then it still won't be that bad, because I'll just have a ceaseraean right away!Brandi


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## Tkit

Hi peopleJust giving my views here...now looking back on my labour I would say that the pains are very similar to those i've experienced with IBS....although you're NOT embarrassed to admit that you're having them when in labour!! Towards the end of my labour the pain shifted to my lower back and that was completely different.I was also worried about having to go to the bathroom while laying in that position..being so big you cant just jump down from the bed and run to the bathroom...so I confided in one of the nurses and she told me that the position of the baby's head on the bowels (being so low down) would make it very hard to pass a bowel movement...and even if you do they've seen it all anyway....trust me, you lose any inhibitions you go in with!! At the end all you care about is getting that baby and its worth any pain!!I know now tho that when I've had IBS pain I've used the same labour breathing techniques and they really do help me to get thru the pain. Breathing in thru the nose and blowing out thru the mouth, nobody can see me so I dont care







BUT since I've been taking calcium I've not had one IBS attack!! WOOHOOO...My advice: go for the baby...as IBS sufferers we already miss out on a lot of good times, we shouldnt miss out on the best thing in the world, motherhood!


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## violet.spence61

Mishy said:


> erin_jean, you usually get D before you go into labour, like a natural enema.


Hello. My name is violet. I've had ibs for years. I.im going for an attack right now! The pain is awful 😖! I feel like throwing up, I wish I didn't have to go to work but, have no choice. The pain goes Into my lower back. I wish I could get some relief!


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