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Pain in childbirth is no exaggeration. Almost every woman has anxieties around the ordeal called labor – be it for a second or the third or the fourth time. Their anxieties are fueled up by others who have horrendous tales to tell them. If some composure is regained in making up one’s mind, “I will do it no matter what,” is again marred by the childbirth portrayals on TV – “How could I ever make it? Do I really have to be in place of that woman?” Might make up for a good reality show, but there is no denying that the pain is there. However, there are other pains that are equally intense. Ask women of other harrowing experience. Ask only women because they would be able to compare the pain of childbirth with that of other intense pains they had. Here’s what a few women think hurt more than childbirth:
1. Migraine Headache
A migraine is not a one-off pain. Several people experience it for days, and many have reported that it is an unrelenting pain. The pain will be accompanied by symptoms like light sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting. If you can carry out a day’s work in spite of it, you have some super endurance!
2. Broken Bones
Apparently it is more painful than birthing according to a woman who broke her ankle. The worse to follow is using the crutches. You don’t use crutches post-delivery. So that puts labor pains in good light. The wear and tear are soon healed off, and you can walk normally again.
3. Kidney Stones
Someone who had kidney stones thought that childbirth was easier than this problem. Some have said that they are equivalent, but one woman went as far as to say that kidney stones were as good as a man giving birth to a baby!
4. Gallstones
How could gallstones be any farther away from pain then! Gallstones can take a long-term toll on you even if pain medications are administered and nutritional advice is sought. Those mothers who have birthed and also have had gallstones said that there could be no pain coming closer to that of gallstones.
5. Root Canal
Somehow dental pain and labor pain coincide. If you had a root canal work without pain relief, you might as well go the extra mile to have a baby without pain-relief! However, pain-relief methods in childbirth often don’t work adequately. But you cannot ignore the fact that a root canal work will have its after-effects in that you might not be able to deal with your regular chores.
6. Bladder Infections
Bladder infections have managed to make it to the list. Some women have described the spiking pain as being ten times worse than having a baby.
7. Surgery
Surgeries are surely more painful than vaginal birth. Yes, you are put under anesthesia at the time of surgery, and you feel no pain of incision. But the pain after the surgery could be pretty much more than a vaginal birth. Again, some surgeries are major, some are minor. A Cesarean section in itself could render heavy pain after the surgery. Thankfully you have the necessary pain-killers these days. On the other hand, you have deliveries that are more painful than others and vary on a case by case basis.
8. Induced Labor
Natural labor builds up slowly, and you muster the patience and the courage to extolling pain of labor. But if it is an induced labor, your body is not given the chance to allow the labor to build up. The contractions are there for a reason. Most of the times interventions used in labor add to the pain by bridling the movement and causing fear.
These are just a few pains that have been placed on a scale more intense than the pain of childbirth by several mothers. So the next time you have your contractions, don’t panic. You will make through your labor if you know that there are pains even worse.
