Giving birth how does it feel

Regional anesthesia. This is what most women think of when they consider pain medicine during labor. By blocking the feeling from specific regions of the body, these methods can be used for pain relief in both vaginal and cesarean section deliveries.

Epidurals , a form of local anesthesia, relieve most of the pain from the entire body below the belly button, including the vaginal walls, during labor and delivery. An epidural involves medicine given by an anesthesiologist through a thin, tube-like catheter that's inserted in the woman's lower back.

The amount of medicine can be increased or decreased according to a woman's needs. Very little medicine reaches the baby, so usually there are no effects on the baby from this method of pain relief. Epidurals do have some drawbacks — they can cause a woman's blood pressure to drop and can make it difficult to pee.

They can also cause itching, nausea, and headaches in the mother. The risks to the baby are minimal, but include problems caused by low blood pressure in the mother. These drugs don't relieve pain, but they may help to calm and relax women who are very anxious. Sometimes they are used along with analgesics. These drugs can have effects on both the mother and baby, and are not often used.

They also can make it difficult for women to remember the details of the birth. Discuss the risks of tranquilizers with your doctor. Some women choose to give birth using no medicine at all, relying instead on relaxation techniques and controlled breathing for pain.

Following this, you may need to get some stitches down below if you experienced any tearing as your baby was born. Soreness and pain throughout your body — most notably in your groin, vagina, rectum, and your uterus — is common, as is bleeding from your vagina.

Essential cookies always enabled These need to be enabled to ensure the website works properly. Analytics cookies These are used to see how people use our website so we can make adjustments and improvements. Advertising cookies These are used to make advertisements on our website more relevant to your interests. Skip to content What does unmedicated birth feel like? Pay attention to your body after giving birth.

Soreness is to be expected, but too much pain could mean something is seriously wrong. There are life-threatening problems related to childbirth that can happen days or weeks after delivery. When you are recovering from delivery, it is best to err on the side of caution if you feel that something is not right with you or with the baby.

You should expect to have some discomfort as you heal. You should not begin to feel worse. Postpartum Support International. Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth. Last Updated: August 28, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

Postpartum preeclampsia is high blood pressure in a woman who has recently had a baby. It is a rare…. Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More. Path to improved health It took the better part of a year to grow and have a baby.

Here is more of what you can expect during your postpartum recovery. Things to consider Pay attention to your body after giving birth. Postpartum hemorrhage is rare but can happen. If your postpartum bleeding is filling more than a pad every hour, you should contact your doctor immediately. Without treatment, postpartum hemorrhage can be fatal. You could be in danger of having a stroke. Deep vein thrombosis a blood clot in a deep vein is a somewhat uncommon problem 1 in every 1, pregnancies that can occur during or after pregnancy.

Symptoms include leg pain or feeling like you have a pulled muscle. Your leg may also be red and hot to the touch. Left untreated, these clots can break away and travel to your lungs. When this happens, it can be life-threatening. Postpartum preeclampsia is rare and can develop within 48 hours after childbirth or as late as six weeks after childbirth. Both preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia cause your blood vessels to constrict get smaller.

This results in high blood pressure and also distresses your internal organs. Sometimes there are no obvious symptoms, unless you are monitoring your blood pressure. When you do have symptoms, they may include severe headache, swelling of your hands and feet, blurred vision, pain in the upper right portion of your body, and sudden weight gain.

If you suspect you may have postpartum preeclampsia, call your doctor immediately. When to see a doctor When you are recovering from delivery, it is best to err on the side of caution if you feel that something is not right with you or with the baby. In general, if you have any of these postpartum symptoms, call your doctor. Heavy vaginal bleeding that soaks more than one pad per hour or vaginal bleeding that increases each day instead of decreasing.

Passing large clots bigger than a quarter. Fainting or dizziness. Changes to your vision or a severe headache persistent. Painful urination or difficulty urinating. Vaginal discharge with a strong odor.

Heart palpitations, chest pain or difficulty breathing. Incision from C-section or episiotomy is red, weepy with pus , or swollen. Abdominal lower belly pain that is getting worse or new abdominal pain. Your midwife will check your baby and your pulse and blood pressure, and will check for vaginal blood loss and the firmness of your fundus the top of the uterus.

After a normal vaginal birth, you will probably stay in the birth room with your baby for about 2 hours. You may have a meal and a shower before transferring to the postnatal ward or going home. If you are going home 4 to 6 hours after birth, you might be able to stay in the birth room until discharge. How you feel after the birth varies. You might feel elated, exhausted, emotionally drained or all of them at once.

This is normal. You will probably bleed from the vagina — the bleeding is known as 'lochia'. For the first 24 hours, lochia is similar to a very heavy period and you might also pass some lochia clots. If some clots are bigger, such as the size of a 50 cent piece, tell your midwife.

You continue losing blood for around 4 to 6 weeks. Some women have after-birth pains as the uterus starts to contract to its pre-pregnancy size.

After-birth pains can feel like labour pains or mild to moderate period pain. A warm pack on your back or belly may help. You can also ask your doctor or midwife for pain relief. Your perineum may be swollen in the first 24 hours after giving birth. You can manage this with the RICE program. If your perineum is painful, ask your midwife for pain relief. If you have stitches in your perineum, they will dissolve in 1 to 2 weeks. Wash the area normally in the shower and gently pat dry.

Eat plenty of fibre and drink a lot of water so your stools are soft.