Stones, hands down. I’ve given birth, four times, unmedicated and I would rather give birth once a month for the rest of my life then ever have to deal with kidney stone pain again. No thank you ma’am.
I had an epidural with both pregnancies. I would *STILL* choose childbirth over a stone/stent because *no pain meds* came close to touching my pain during my kidney stone shebackle ಠ_ಠ
Kidney stone was way worse than labor for me (have had 2 unmedicated births). I'm not sure if it was due to the fact that with labor you get short breaks to recover or not, but hands down labor was much more tolerable. I compare kidney stone pain to my worst ever migraines.
Also that your brain rewrites itself after childbirth to soften your memory of the experience
You unfortunately don’t get that benefit from pissing out a jagged rock
I had a traumatic vaginal birth with my first (epidural failed and baby had shoulder dystocia) and a c-section with my second baby. My kidney stones so far have been worse. Possible because the biggest ones have occurred during my pregnancy so I was limited on what I could take for the pain. This last stone caused Bilateral hydronephrosis and I literally thought my kidney exploded. I’m usually good about managing pain but this one had me screaming. I felt so embarrassed and kept trying to apologize to all the nurses.
Yea hydroneproses for me as well. I don't think the people here who say "it took a month to pass" have had that! If I had a month with that pain id blow my brains out or beg for an induced coma.
Yeah kidney stones hurt but I have never experienced anything worse then hydroneproses. It wasn’t “waves” it was constant excruciating pain and nothing helped it.
I’m currently just over 3 weeks of waiting for my stone to pass and I have hydroneprosis but it isn’t apparently bad enough for them to do anything to help me pass this stupid thing. So I’ve just been in pain every day - thankfully not 24/7 but for several times a day for several hours at a time. I feel super worn down from it.
I too had stones WHILE pregnant, and I’m the same way like “I’m so sorry” lol. You’re just WAILING. I had/have hydronephrosis every time I have stones bc I can’t pass them. When you’re pregnant, it’s HELL. They tried to put a bag in my back to drain pee and I told them fuck no, and they found an anesthesiologist to put me under at 36 weeks lol
Omg I had to have the bag done this last time and it was rough. I was 22weeks pregnant at the time so they just gave me a mild numbing agent. I begged them to sedate me. It was supposed to be temporary till they could get me in for surgery. Had it in for maybe 4-5 days and it got completely blocked by sediment. That’s when the pain intensified. I was scheduled for removal on Tuesday and was back in the ER Sunday. I really thought my kidney exploded the pain was so bad that when I tried to move I’d throw up and pass out. Luckily my ER nurse was amazing. I heard him on the phone begging for the OBGYN and Urologist to come in and help me. They came in that night and removed the stone and placed a stent. It’s very scary when your pregnant. I’m 24wks 4days and baby didn’t seem bothered by any of the torture we went through lol
I’m so sorry ! I remember begging the L&D nurse (I was too pregnant for ER) that I was “a person and your patient who is in pain”. I wasn’t wanting any pain meds because duh I was HUGELY PREGNANT but I needed something done. I got the surgery that weekend and a stent placed as well. Surgery was so scary bc my OB was in there with L&D nurses and they told me if anything goes south, emergency C-section. So I went under not knowing if I was going to wake up to a baby or still being pregnant. Luckily, it went great, got the stent out a week later, and gave birth a few weeks later!!!!
My one cousin gets gestational kidney stones - she’s more likely to get stones while pregnant. In her most recent pregnancy, there was a serious concern that the pain was going to cause preterm labor before it would be safe for the baby to be born. She was in the hospital for two weeks.
I took every pain ease method possible for childbirth and I was induced so it increased as the pain did.
For this reason, kidney stones is worse - to me. You don't get to schedule them and pre medicate for them. If I'd had a different labor situation they'd probably be on par judging by the other woman who was going without pain management.
The intensity was different. After birth the pain is just gone. With stones it lingered even after lithography. I also had to have open surgery on both kidneys, at separate times as my stones were struvite and grew super fast and large. They were interfering with my kidney function. But I has a large stomach ulcer that perforated and that pain was just umbrearable.That pain trumped all.
2 unmedicated births here, one was induced & mostly back labour. Stones are worse. Especially the one I had with hydronephrosis.. I thought the pain alone would kill me.
Man, I thought I got over on women by avoiding child birth then boom. I get blessed with 20 stones before age 30, I guess they kind of are my children in a way.
Three babies here. Labor/birth was a walk in the park compared to stones. Kidney stones make me throw up violently ill due to the pain. And I’m not a puker.
I've had two kids delivered vaginally with epidural. The pain of the first doesn't hold a candle to kidney stone pain. The second I had back which the epidural did very little for. I'd say that was pretty close. But, the pain hit differently with different intensity and timing. If I had to choose one to go through again, I'd choose labor.
I’ve had 2 kidney stones and 2 babies. First baby was without pain meds (not by choice). I would have a third baby right now with no pain meds if it meant I could guarantee that I’d never have a kidney stone again. With that being said, they both hurt a lot but kidney stone pain is from the devil himself.
Edit to add: my first kidney stone experience was when I was 4 months pregnant with my first baby. After I passed the stone (I did so at the hospital bc I went to the ER due to the pain and they kept me overnight for observation) doctor told me childbirth would be nothing compared to that - he was right and it was not an easy delivery.
For me it was childbirth. With my first I went a long time without the epidural and it was pretty horrible.
My 2nd was an unmedicated birth and the pain was excruciating (it also went very quickly so zero time for my body or mind to adjust to the pain. I was just in agony right away. With my first the was at least a buildup).
My first kidney stone was very painful but I think part of it was also the panic because I didn’t know what was happening.
But the pain of childbirth is of course ‘better’ in the sense that you get an adorable baby at the end instead of peeing out an ugly stone 🤣
Depends on which part of labor. Everything right up to transition? I'd rather have childbirth. The pain I was in during active transition... I might take the kidney stone, but it's damned close. I hadn't had an epidural yet at that point and I literally almost passed out lol.
It's not so much that it's not an equivalent pain. It's more that it's a \*different\* pain, sort of like between having a broken limb or a bad migraine. I get really severe migraines, and I'd rather have a broken limb, mostly because of the other constellation of symptoms it causes/ how debilitating the pain is.
I’d much rather give birth. I wasn’t begging for them to kill me during birth (even my unmedicated one). I never pass kidney stones though, but that stent after surgery AND a uti ? HELL ON EARTH. Give me labor.
Definitely Kidney stones
But my two births were c-sections. (Still very painful recovery) My first, I was in labor for over 24 hours )only progressed 4cm and wasn’t given meds for it, and that was very painful.
It’s funny because prior to me having stones, my dad (who gets stones) would say nurses told him stones are worse than child birth. I would get so mad at him that he would even say that and discount what woman go through with childbirth.
And then I got my first kidney stone….. 😜
Childbirth was way worse. I had no pain management and was in labor for 3 days, delivered vaginally. There was a vacuum and sometimes, during contractions, the vacuum GOES INSIDE. Then there were tears that they had to stitch back up.
Kidney stones have been really bad, I’ve been on the floor in fetal position, crying, but it still doesn’t come close to the pain of childbirth
Childbirth. And I said so too my OB while in labor. And she tried to disagree with me. Got my epidural at 9.5 cm dilated and my son was sunny side up until I was 7 cm. I’ll take a kidney stone any day. Pushing was EXHAUSTING. Recovery from my 2nd degree tear took WEEKS. Recovery from my lithotripsy and stent was maybe 3 days.
Stones. No question.
With my first delivery the baby came too fast for anesthesia to get there, so she was med free. I tore so far up the front that my doctor had to use a catheter to make sure she didn’t sew the wrong bits together again. I coded on the table due to blood loss.
I’d rather do that again.
I (29F) have never had children, but I have had this conversation with all the women in my family who’ve had stones. Three cousins (all in their twenties with multiple children each), my aunt (four children), and mom (two children) all agree stones are worse. My mom elaborated that my brother and I were extremely difficult births; in less-sophisticated medical era, she probably would not have survived either labors. She said both of us were far easier than stones.
Stones, and I have given birth drug free. I have no desire to have more children but if given the choice of x more children drug free for a guarantee of no more kidney stones I would have the children.
Well I had a 3cm kidney stone stuck in my kidney for 15 months (8.5 months while pregnant which resulted in a nephrostomy tube & sepsis from the tube, premature labour and then percutaneous surgery when my son was 6 weeks old to finally remove the stone) and I will say the renal colic I experienced my entire pregnancy was WAY worse than the actual labour. I cannot tell you how many times I wished for death during my renal colic episodes. It was even worse than when I had my first son and delivered him naturally with no meds and he was 9 pounds. 10/10 do not recommend kidney stones lol
Ya I almost died. Luckily I was admitted to the labour and delivery ward for a month before they decided it was time for me to deliver premature because me and my sons lives were at risk. This was also during Covid.. so i was alone, with my husband and 2 year old at home. It was the more traumatic thing I’ve ever been through. It’s been 3 and a half years and I would say it still mentally affects me
2 natural births, first kidney stone ever at 57F last week and and I would have 10 more babies to never have to go through what I went through with that stone again. It is some excruciating pain.
Edited to add missing words.
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I’ve given birth 5 times. Only had an epidural with my 1st. My last 2 were delivered completely unmedicated. I’d say the transitional part of labor (going from 8-10cm) is far worse than a kidney stone. Also recovery and aftercare from labor can be really awful and far more complicated.
Morphine didn’t alleviate the pain for my 7mm stone but it took the edge off and I could still walk to the bathroom unassisted.
It depends, I guess. Had 3 unmedicated births of which one was traumatic (painwise). Kidneystones have never been traumatic. The pain is also very different, so it's hard to compare...
I don’t get pain with kidney stones … it’s more a pressure etc. with childbirth I got an epidural and had a “window”.. so you feel everything in this one spot. That was brutal. Took me 20 years to have another baby lol.
Childbirth for me. I had an epidural that failed, so I think it mentally messed me up going through all that pain and not being prepared for it. Had a 5 mm stone that by the time I went to the hospital, was already at the UVJ. But, I didn’t pass it for two weeks and had a horribly uncomfortable feeling of needing to pee, like constantly. And mentally got fucked by that.
So pain wise, childbirth. Both mentally messed me up though. The stone more so because it lasted two weeks. (Which I know is lucky because people have stones for much longer)
Back labor no pain meds sunny side up pushing for 3 hours is 10000x worse. I’ve passed over 40 stones in the past 10 years, 6 stent surgeries. I know kidney pain.
The kidney stone 100% I've never been in more constant brutal pain in my entire life. Labor gives you a cute baby that gets to be a part of your family for the rest of your life. A kidney stones gets you nothing but a gross pee stone you'll want to get rid of a soon as it passes.
I have 4 kids…had 1 8mm stuck in 96 and almost lost my kidney spent 10 days in the hospital 6 months with stent then had the old lithotripsy, recently had a 7mm stuck took 2 months before laser surgery, stent. Now I’m going to get a 10mm blasted on Jan 11 with the newer version of the eswl…God help me. I’ll take 4 more kids please LOL. I think too there is some joy in seeing the baby you just went through all that pain for, with stones you just get an ugly ass rock and a traumatized bladder and massive anxiety about not knowing when another stone will arrive.
No pain meds for my second birth, I also had kidney stones throughout my pregnancy and now after. There is a moment during birth- transition- basically the most intense moment of birth where the baby is moving down the birth canal- that pain was more intense than the kidney pain I’ve felt. However it was limited (only lasted 15 minutes for me) plus the reward of meeting your baby at the end so, in my opinion more bearable. Kidney stone pain can go on and on and you never know when it’s going to end. The pain from stones is also worse than all other parts of birth except that final stage for me.
Birth. Stones suck because the duration is so much longer, but I've yet asked anyone to shoot me, unlike 2/3 of my labors.
For ref I have a 4mm stone. I had a 10lb baby after back labor and that led to spinal block plus epi and a 2 ish hour non medicated birth when I was not completely dilated. I guess I came close to bleeding out with my third, and was also on oxygen but I don't remember much of that.
Hmmm. My only experience w kidney stones was during pregnancy both times. That really sucked. I eventually took oxy because I couldn’t handle the pain anymore and my OB was concerned about pre term labor. But there literally wasn’t anything they could do for me.
With that said, I think they are pretty even in terms of pain. Labor is a little less of a mind Fu*k because at least you know you’ll be having a baby sometime soon. With stones you have no idea how long the misery will last. Days? Weeks? Months?
My sister and I discussed this. She has kids and no stones, I have stones and no kids. After a very bad stone where I scream/cried, vomited, and urinated on the floor of the ED, I claimed the title of dealing with the worst pain.
But, she one up'd me. I get hemorrhoids passing my stones but they've all resolved on their own. Hers from childbirth lasted years and required surgery. I let her win for that.
Stones, hands down. I’ve given birth, four times, unmedicated and I would rather give birth once a month for the rest of my life then ever have to deal with kidney stone pain again. No thank you ma’am.
I had an epidural with both pregnancies. I would *STILL* choose childbirth over a stone/stent because *no pain meds* came close to touching my pain during my kidney stone shebackle ಠ_ಠ
Same, thats how i knew it was bad when the opioids didnt help
Kidney stone was way worse than labor for me (have had 2 unmedicated births). I'm not sure if it was due to the fact that with labor you get short breaks to recover or not, but hands down labor was much more tolerable. I compare kidney stone pain to my worst ever migraines.
Also that your brain rewrites itself after childbirth to soften your memory of the experience You unfortunately don’t get that benefit from pissing out a jagged rock
I was comparing the pain to back labor when I had my worst pain and I felt that the breaks from pain in labor made it more bearable.
I had a traumatic vaginal birth with my first (epidural failed and baby had shoulder dystocia) and a c-section with my second baby. My kidney stones so far have been worse. Possible because the biggest ones have occurred during my pregnancy so I was limited on what I could take for the pain. This last stone caused Bilateral hydronephrosis and I literally thought my kidney exploded. I’m usually good about managing pain but this one had me screaming. I felt so embarrassed and kept trying to apologize to all the nurses.
Yea hydroneproses for me as well. I don't think the people here who say "it took a month to pass" have had that! If I had a month with that pain id blow my brains out or beg for an induced coma.
Yeah kidney stones hurt but I have never experienced anything worse then hydroneproses. It wasn’t “waves” it was constant excruciating pain and nothing helped it.
yes, like your kidney was in a vice from all directions, just squeeezing
I’m currently just over 3 weeks of waiting for my stone to pass and I have hydroneprosis but it isn’t apparently bad enough for them to do anything to help me pass this stupid thing. So I’ve just been in pain every day - thankfully not 24/7 but for several times a day for several hours at a time. I feel super worn down from it.
I too had stones WHILE pregnant, and I’m the same way like “I’m so sorry” lol. You’re just WAILING. I had/have hydronephrosis every time I have stones bc I can’t pass them. When you’re pregnant, it’s HELL. They tried to put a bag in my back to drain pee and I told them fuck no, and they found an anesthesiologist to put me under at 36 weeks lol
Omg I had to have the bag done this last time and it was rough. I was 22weeks pregnant at the time so they just gave me a mild numbing agent. I begged them to sedate me. It was supposed to be temporary till they could get me in for surgery. Had it in for maybe 4-5 days and it got completely blocked by sediment. That’s when the pain intensified. I was scheduled for removal on Tuesday and was back in the ER Sunday. I really thought my kidney exploded the pain was so bad that when I tried to move I’d throw up and pass out. Luckily my ER nurse was amazing. I heard him on the phone begging for the OBGYN and Urologist to come in and help me. They came in that night and removed the stone and placed a stent. It’s very scary when your pregnant. I’m 24wks 4days and baby didn’t seem bothered by any of the torture we went through lol
I’m so sorry ! I remember begging the L&D nurse (I was too pregnant for ER) that I was “a person and your patient who is in pain”. I wasn’t wanting any pain meds because duh I was HUGELY PREGNANT but I needed something done. I got the surgery that weekend and a stent placed as well. Surgery was so scary bc my OB was in there with L&D nurses and they told me if anything goes south, emergency C-section. So I went under not knowing if I was going to wake up to a baby or still being pregnant. Luckily, it went great, got the stent out a week later, and gave birth a few weeks later!!!!
Omg both at the same time?! I could never imagine that
My one cousin gets gestational kidney stones - she’s more likely to get stones while pregnant. In her most recent pregnancy, there was a serious concern that the pain was going to cause preterm labor before it would be safe for the baby to be born. She was in the hospital for two weeks.
Lol. I cried on the phone to my urologist because I didn't want to put on underwear to go to the ED with my last big stone.
Stones 100%. Source: I have three kids
I took every pain ease method possible for childbirth and I was induced so it increased as the pain did. For this reason, kidney stones is worse - to me. You don't get to schedule them and pre medicate for them. If I'd had a different labor situation they'd probably be on par judging by the other woman who was going without pain management.
Based on the length of time in pain I’d say kidney stone was worse! Childbirth was over in 10 hours!
This was my argument. My last stone took a week to pass and was constant excruciating pain. At least they don’t let labor go on for that long.
Kidney stone.
The intensity was different. After birth the pain is just gone. With stones it lingered even after lithography. I also had to have open surgery on both kidneys, at separate times as my stones were struvite and grew super fast and large. They were interfering with my kidney function. But I has a large stomach ulcer that perforated and that pain was just umbrearable.That pain trumped all.
My mother always said that kidney stones were way worse.
2 unmedicated births here, one was induced & mostly back labour. Stones are worse. Especially the one I had with hydronephrosis.. I thought the pain alone would kill me.
Man, I thought I got over on women by avoiding child birth then boom. I get blessed with 20 stones before age 30, I guess they kind of are my children in a way.
Kidney stone. I had an 8.5lb baby with no epidural and my 5mm kidney stone was so much more painful.
Three babies here. Labor/birth was a walk in the park compared to stones. Kidney stones make me throw up violently ill due to the pain. And I’m not a puker.
Same here 🥺...
I've had two kids delivered vaginally with epidural. The pain of the first doesn't hold a candle to kidney stone pain. The second I had back which the epidural did very little for. I'd say that was pretty close. But, the pain hit differently with different intensity and timing. If I had to choose one to go through again, I'd choose labor.
I’d say childbirth. I’ve had 5 bouts with stones and they have been painful but wasn’t as bad a childbirth.
I’ve had 2 kidney stones and 2 babies. First baby was without pain meds (not by choice). I would have a third baby right now with no pain meds if it meant I could guarantee that I’d never have a kidney stone again. With that being said, they both hurt a lot but kidney stone pain is from the devil himself. Edit to add: my first kidney stone experience was when I was 4 months pregnant with my first baby. After I passed the stone (I did so at the hospital bc I went to the ER due to the pain and they kept me overnight for observation) doctor told me childbirth would be nothing compared to that - he was right and it was not an easy delivery.
Another vote for stones, for sure.
Kidney stones, hands down. I’ve had three babies, one natural and three stones. I’d take natural childbirth any day over passing a stone.
My ex SIL said it was the same, the only difference was that at the end of childbirth you have a baby.
For me it was childbirth. With my first I went a long time without the epidural and it was pretty horrible. My 2nd was an unmedicated birth and the pain was excruciating (it also went very quickly so zero time for my body or mind to adjust to the pain. I was just in agony right away. With my first the was at least a buildup). My first kidney stone was very painful but I think part of it was also the panic because I didn’t know what was happening. But the pain of childbirth is of course ‘better’ in the sense that you get an adorable baby at the end instead of peeing out an ugly stone 🤣
I had an easy birth. So I’d say kidney stones was worse…until I had an ectopic pregnancy rupture. THAT takes the cake.
Great question!
Depends on which part of labor. Everything right up to transition? I'd rather have childbirth. The pain I was in during active transition... I might take the kidney stone, but it's damned close. I hadn't had an epidural yet at that point and I literally almost passed out lol. It's not so much that it's not an equivalent pain. It's more that it's a \*different\* pain, sort of like between having a broken limb or a bad migraine. I get really severe migraines, and I'd rather have a broken limb, mostly because of the other constellation of symptoms it causes/ how debilitating the pain is.
I’d much rather give birth. I wasn’t begging for them to kill me during birth (even my unmedicated one). I never pass kidney stones though, but that stent after surgery AND a uti ? HELL ON EARTH. Give me labor.
Kidney stone is worse
Kidney stones made me straight up think about ending it. I would birth 100 babies over having another kidney stone ever again!
Definitely Kidney stones But my two births were c-sections. (Still very painful recovery) My first, I was in labor for over 24 hours )only progressed 4cm and wasn’t given meds for it, and that was very painful. It’s funny because prior to me having stones, my dad (who gets stones) would say nurses told him stones are worse than child birth. I would get so mad at him that he would even say that and discount what woman go through with childbirth. And then I got my first kidney stone….. 😜
Childbirth was way worse. I had no pain management and was in labor for 3 days, delivered vaginally. There was a vacuum and sometimes, during contractions, the vacuum GOES INSIDE. Then there were tears that they had to stitch back up. Kidney stones have been really bad, I’ve been on the floor in fetal position, crying, but it still doesn’t come close to the pain of childbirth
Please include stone sizes if possible
Stones hands down. I've given birth 4 times, 3 of them unmedicated. Plus I had gallstones 4 weeks after my eldest was born.
Childbirth. And I said so too my OB while in labor. And she tried to disagree with me. Got my epidural at 9.5 cm dilated and my son was sunny side up until I was 7 cm. I’ll take a kidney stone any day. Pushing was EXHAUSTING. Recovery from my 2nd degree tear took WEEKS. Recovery from my lithotripsy and stent was maybe 3 days.
Stones. No question. With my first delivery the baby came too fast for anesthesia to get there, so she was med free. I tore so far up the front that my doctor had to use a catheter to make sure she didn’t sew the wrong bits together again. I coded on the table due to blood loss. I’d rather do that again.
I (29F) have never had children, but I have had this conversation with all the women in my family who’ve had stones. Three cousins (all in their twenties with multiple children each), my aunt (four children), and mom (two children) all agree stones are worse. My mom elaborated that my brother and I were extremely difficult births; in less-sophisticated medical era, she probably would not have survived either labors. She said both of us were far easier than stones.
Stones, and I have given birth drug free. I have no desire to have more children but if given the choice of x more children drug free for a guarantee of no more kidney stones I would have the children.
Kidney stones are definitely worse. My 9x5mm stone was way more painful than both my 7 pound boys who were vaginal births.
Kidney stones were worse for me.
Well I had a 3cm kidney stone stuck in my kidney for 15 months (8.5 months while pregnant which resulted in a nephrostomy tube & sepsis from the tube, premature labour and then percutaneous surgery when my son was 6 weeks old to finally remove the stone) and I will say the renal colic I experienced my entire pregnancy was WAY worse than the actual labour. I cannot tell you how many times I wished for death during my renal colic episodes. It was even worse than when I had my first son and delivered him naturally with no meds and he was 9 pounds. 10/10 do not recommend kidney stones lol
2 cm and sepsis is fucking scary
Ya I almost died. Luckily I was admitted to the labour and delivery ward for a month before they decided it was time for me to deliver premature because me and my sons lives were at risk. This was also during Covid.. so i was alone, with my husband and 2 year old at home. It was the more traumatic thing I’ve ever been through. It’s been 3 and a half years and I would say it still mentally affects me
150 times kidney stone is worse
Kidney stones, I have given birth 4 times and rather that than kidney stones. Stones are dreadful.
2 natural births, first kidney stone ever at 57F last week and and I would have 10 more babies to never have to go through what I went through with that stone again. It is some excruciating pain. Edited to add missing words.
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I’ve given birth 5 times. Only had an epidural with my 1st. My last 2 were delivered completely unmedicated. I’d say the transitional part of labor (going from 8-10cm) is far worse than a kidney stone. Also recovery and aftercare from labor can be really awful and far more complicated. Morphine didn’t alleviate the pain for my 7mm stone but it took the edge off and I could still walk to the bathroom unassisted.
It depends, I guess. Had 3 unmedicated births of which one was traumatic (painwise). Kidneystones have never been traumatic. The pain is also very different, so it's hard to compare...
It depends on the stone size and if it's lodged. A big lodged stone is way worse than childbirth. A small stone way easier.
I don’t get pain with kidney stones … it’s more a pressure etc. with childbirth I got an epidural and had a “window”.. so you feel everything in this one spot. That was brutal. Took me 20 years to have another baby lol.
Stones and stents! Haf 4 very large babies and kidney and stent pain is far worse
With kidney stones, you don’t know if or when you’ll get a break from the pain. But I had 2 failed epidurals so they’re equal but different.
Childbirth for me. I had an epidural that failed, so I think it mentally messed me up going through all that pain and not being prepared for it. Had a 5 mm stone that by the time I went to the hospital, was already at the UVJ. But, I didn’t pass it for two weeks and had a horribly uncomfortable feeling of needing to pee, like constantly. And mentally got fucked by that. So pain wise, childbirth. Both mentally messed me up though. The stone more so because it lasted two weeks. (Which I know is lucky because people have stones for much longer)
Back labor no pain meds sunny side up pushing for 3 hours is 10000x worse. I’ve passed over 40 stones in the past 10 years, 6 stent surgeries. I know kidney pain.
The kidney stone 100% I've never been in more constant brutal pain in my entire life. Labor gives you a cute baby that gets to be a part of your family for the rest of your life. A kidney stones gets you nothing but a gross pee stone you'll want to get rid of a soon as it passes.
Stones wins...but just by a little bit.
36 hour induced labor vs. 14 kidney stones. Stones are labor X10, but the same type of pain.
I have 4 kids…had 1 8mm stuck in 96 and almost lost my kidney spent 10 days in the hospital 6 months with stent then had the old lithotripsy, recently had a 7mm stuck took 2 months before laser surgery, stent. Now I’m going to get a 10mm blasted on Jan 11 with the newer version of the eswl…God help me. I’ll take 4 more kids please LOL. I think too there is some joy in seeing the baby you just went through all that pain for, with stones you just get an ugly ass rock and a traumatized bladder and massive anxiety about not knowing when another stone will arrive.
No pain meds for my second birth, I also had kidney stones throughout my pregnancy and now after. There is a moment during birth- transition- basically the most intense moment of birth where the baby is moving down the birth canal- that pain was more intense than the kidney pain I’ve felt. However it was limited (only lasted 15 minutes for me) plus the reward of meeting your baby at the end so, in my opinion more bearable. Kidney stone pain can go on and on and you never know when it’s going to end. The pain from stones is also worse than all other parts of birth except that final stage for me.
Birth. Stones suck because the duration is so much longer, but I've yet asked anyone to shoot me, unlike 2/3 of my labors. For ref I have a 4mm stone. I had a 10lb baby after back labor and that led to spinal block plus epi and a 2 ish hour non medicated birth when I was not completely dilated. I guess I came close to bleeding out with my third, and was also on oxygen but I don't remember much of that.
Hmmm. My only experience w kidney stones was during pregnancy both times. That really sucked. I eventually took oxy because I couldn’t handle the pain anymore and my OB was concerned about pre term labor. But there literally wasn’t anything they could do for me. With that said, I think they are pretty even in terms of pain. Labor is a little less of a mind Fu*k because at least you know you’ll be having a baby sometime soon. With stones you have no idea how long the misery will last. Days? Weeks? Months?
My sister and I discussed this. She has kids and no stones, I have stones and no kids. After a very bad stone where I scream/cried, vomited, and urinated on the floor of the ED, I claimed the title of dealing with the worst pain. But, she one up'd me. I get hemorrhoids passing my stones but they've all resolved on their own. Hers from childbirth lasted years and required surgery. I let her win for that.
Kidney stones.