I had a hard fast labor, about six hours from first knock me off my feet contraction to birth. I mean I had been in labor for a day by then, but it was just uncomfortable, I even got my eyebrows waxed during soft labor. The real labor, you know it when you get that first slamming contraction. It hurt and it hurt bad. I was too far gone for any real pain relief by the time I was begging for it. They gave me some shot in my spine that didn't help in the least for pain, but numbed my pelvic wall just enough that I wasn't sure if I was pushing effectively. In retrospect I'm glad I didn't get full blown relief because just the little numbness I had in my pelvic wall was extremely annoying.

They say you forget the pain but I haven't and it's been five years. It hurts. Imagine the worst menstrual cramps and multiply them times infinity.
BUT. Pain doesn't last forever (my favorite thing to tell my kid after he wipes out.) Pain goes away. And women have been doing this forever, it's what we do. One thing that's good about it is all other subsequent pain pales in comparison.

I'm not trying to scare you but I asked myself what I would tell my best girlfriend if she wanted to know, and the answer is I'd tell her exactly what I've told you. Anyway, labor is the least of it. The real pain is the sleep deprivation for a year after.
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By the time I recognize this moment, this moment will be gone.