LapLap

Oh you poor, poor thing!!!

If I have any further complications I'll be sure to take them VERY seriously.

swise

I'm off to get a glass of water to drink while re-thinking my decision to go the unmedicated labor route when the time comes.

jabrams72

My partner's comment has always been that in childbirth, she had the psychological advantage of knowing that there would be a child at the end of it, whereas with the stones--kidney, gall, and liver--no such luck!

CDTraveler

I've been through both, and I'd rate childbirth as worse. The kidney stones are hell for a relatively limited time once they are on the move, but after 9 months of pregnancy with some complications, childbirth and then post-partum complications, I'd take kidney stones any day!

Especially because after the stone passes, you're not sleep deprived for the next 6 months.

VideoPaul

Well, it generally doesn't take 18 years to get rid of kidney stones...

--PP

climbermom

Here's my $.02:

First baby, the doctor kept telling me how "doable" giving birth without drugs is. (Like he somehow knew this firsthand?) Four and a half years later, new doctor kept telling me, "Why endure the pain when you don't have to?"

I think childbirth differs for all women, just as does tolerance to pain. There is no right or wrong way. Do what feels right for you. They don't give out medals to women who go through childbirth drug-free, and after the first time, I really wished I had taken something to at least take the edge off the pain and perhaps remember something other than being miserable for 30+ hours. The second baby's deliver was induced, with some pain relief, and I can honestly say that for me -- it was a better experience.

midwife1021

You have to realize that the sensation of normal labour and birth are NORMAL functions of the body. The pain has a normal, non-pathologic function.
In passing a stone, the body's pain response is due to something NOT normal.
When you are dealing with contractions, the pains usually last for around a minute and there is time between contractions. The stone pain is generally kind of a colicky pain, but it isn't really something that you can think to yourself "OK, 30 seconds--this is the peak of this pain and now it will start to go away for a few minutes".
IME, gallstone pain (the only "stone" pain I know) is MUCH worse than unmedicated childbirth pain.

masonpips

So yours moved? I've done both and my kidney stone got stuck. 2 trips to the ER (2nd on while throwing up uncontrollably from the pain) and full sedation under Demerol until they could get the dr. in to push it back into the kidney (and then lithotripsy 2 days later, plus stent removal 2 days after that)and I'd have a fully-medicated labor anytime.

Recovery from kidney stone was much easier/faster however (4th level epiosotomies are not for the faint of heart/bum)

swise

There should be a warning at the top of this thread: "Do not read this until after you have had children".

Actually, it's nice hearing that one can endure the process and make it through okay. That's sort of encouraging...

but still. there is cringe factor.

In the meantime, my water consumption is much higher than normal (no stones for me, please!), and I'm glad the childbirth experience is still a couple of years off.

Baby61212

I second that!

I'm not planning on having my first child for at least several more years...but this thread might have pushed me towards the adoption route...

rkt10

Great great description.
Rita

wma

I've had both. And I had no idea that the kidney stone was a kidney stone, I thought it was a compressed disk or back problem. The pain was quite intense and lasted for 24 hours. The good news was that vicodan every few hours really helped.

Now childbirth (had 3) was different, as I was totally unmedicated. It was much more intense pain, but for me it was significantly shorter than my kidney stone.

The benefit of childbirth is the prize at the end - the baby. There is no benefit to a kidney stone, and then there is always the fear of making another kidney.

brendamc

Vicodan took care of kidney stone pain??? I wasn't somewhat relieved of pain until they gave me morphine - and I still could feel it after that, just didn't want to be put out of my misery permanently as much.

LapLap

I doubt anyone could imagine what a source of strength and comfort the opinions that were shared on this thread were to me just recently.

Everyone who contributed provided a huge amount of support and assistance and this really helped me get through a childbirth where an epidural was never a real option (from previous back surgery).

Of course, it's different for everyone, but...
for me kidney stones were worse than childbirth.

I'll expound further in the future, it's not really the time to explain now. But this is a perfect example of how valuable the information in a thread can be and I very keenly wanted to express my gratitude. You all made an enormous difference at a key moment in my life.

Again, thank you!

(wish I'd fully realised how bad the pregnancy itself could be - THAT was the real kicker! )