To the poster who mentioned "our bodies are designed for this". That is true to a certain extent, however, you seem to ignore the fact that you had access to a c-section, most likely for a medical reason since you weren't hoping for one. What would have happened to you had you had no such access? Childbirth is still very dangerous for women in many parts of the world.

I didn't have pain, but had severe dizziness for 2 years after my son's birth. It has pretty much gone away though I do occasionally have dizzy spells. (He's 3 and half now.) Been to many doctors and had every test imaginable but never been able to find out the cause.

Had severe gall bladder pain that lasted for half of both of my pregnancies.  It went away after my first child, but stuck around after giving birth to the second child.  After about a year of attacks, I finally found a chiropractor who helped me a lot.  Was able to avoid surgery to have it removed.  But yes, pregnancy can be really painful for some of us.  And those pains can linger even after the baby is born. 

Our bodies are designed for this? LOL--yeah...to an extent. I was diagnosed with cephalopelvic disproportion and was forced to deliver my first child vaginally anyway due to having a crappy uninformed doctor....and she almost killed both my son and I. The second time was a c-section due to the condition and a breech baby. I will never be able to deliver a child vaginally again thanks to the CPD, so, is ALL women were designed for child birth....I guess my blueprints got screwed up somewhere. LOL

My pelvis and hips never went back into place after my first child. My second made it worse. I have constant back and hip pain from this. I have also developed problems with my sciatic nerve because of the bones not being in correct place.

After my first child was born, I had severe back pain, reportedly from the epidural.  During the delivery of my second child two years later, my tail bone was broken.  Forty years later, every now and then it gives me trouble.  The doctor who delivered my son said, "You'll be reminded of this day for the rest of your life."

I ended up with an ovarian cyst. My daughter was about 6 months old when I had it removed, it was the size of a grapefruit!

I had pain from gallbladder which was removed later after my son was born. Painful sex resulted for months from scar tissue. My daughter had extreme pain after her 1st child and had to have hers removed about 2 months later. She is still dealing with back pain. My mother had severe depression after my birth for almost a year and had to be hospitalized. As great as having kids are, there is almost always a "payback" that is not so much fun.

Not everybody is designed for this... I was "prepared" too, but it didn't make an ounce of difference. I suffer every day. To those who think they 'prepared' themselves better than I did or were 'designed' for it, you weren't, you were just LUCKY. I'm lucky to be alive at all I suppose. So thank the Lord that you were luckier than me to have recovered so well, because i've never recovered.

 I have a thin wall, so I tear internally. Had to have 1st child pushed back up to get his head unstuck.The doctor acted surprised that it happened again,8 years later with the second boy . Because, it ruputured on the old scar. Second boy was also backlabor. Both my boys were all natural, nothing for pain or for the stitches. The doctor concluded I should have had a c-section.  Four years ago had tubes tied back pain now worse. My back hasn't stopped hurting for 12 years.

Got hit with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), which put me in the hospital for a week when my son was six weeks old; developed because I had not healed completely yet after childbirth.

Saw first hand how women acted during labor while I was in nursing school and decided to never act that way. I did not!! I just kept thinking to myself, how ridiculous. Endured 18 hours of labor (sans pain meds or epidural), including final stage right before my first was delivered via emergency C-section. Was up walking within 2 hours of recovery, and not a problem in the world. Baby #2 came along 2 years later with vaginal delivery. No problems with either delivery. I was lucky, because I was informed. I knew the best thing for me was to get up and get moving. I wish more doctors would explain this to mothers-to-be.

My first child is 34 years old, but I had hyperemesis throughout the pregnancy, and due to an old-fashioned doctor who decided it was "all in my head", I weighed a grand total of 87 pounds the morning after she was born. (I'm 5"5" tall). I never went into labor naturally with her, was induced via pit drip, and due to the problems I had carrying and delivering her, I had to have my second child (6 years later) via C-section, then got my tubes tied.

I have a rib that is permanently displaced from three rapid pregnancies with babies over eight pounds...it will flare periodically in a spate of discomfort and pain...my bladder muscles were stretched permanently and I had to have a bladder suspension, this ended up with a urinary tract infection that took two years to completely eradicate...and my abdominal tone will never be the same. All that being said, it has been many years since I birthed my three daughters and they were worth every pang then and now.

I've had three pregnancies that each resulted in a healthy, baby boy - the most recent was two years ago. I recovered very quickly from all three and have had no problems. My theory is that recovery was rapid in part because after the first delivery, I refused an epidural. The other two natural births were painful but quick, and I was up and taking a shower shortly after each. After reading others' stories, I realize how blessed I was. Two of my sons were born at 36 weeks, but were healthy. My mother decided we just can't carry babies to term (I was born a month early as well). But genetics worked in my favor in other ways - not one stretch mark and I have the abs of a 20-year-old and I'm the same size I was in high schoool (I'll be 38 this year). Sadly, I have the breasts of a 38-year-old who breast fed three children. Oh well, you can't have it all! On a more serious note, I believe it's a priviledge to bring a child into this world and I know there are women out there who are going through a lot to have the blessing of being pregnant. Every ache and pain was worth the beauty of feeling my sons growing inside me and bonding with them even before birth.

My son is 11 and I still have back and hip pain. My wrists are still weak and have not been able to pick up a plate without pain since I was 6 months pregnant. I've not been able to have any more children which makes me a little sad, but it's probably just as well as it is, because I don't think I could survive another pregnancy and delivery.

My kids were 9 lbs 3 oz, 9 lbs 3 oz, 8 lbs 7 oz, 10 lbs 3 oz...the first 3 were all born in 3.5 yrs (#2 and #3 are exactly 14 mos apart), all delivered vaginally. My boys were all face up, which cracked my tailbone with #1 and that did take several mos to recover from, but by 6 mos pp I was back to normal. After #2 I had severe pelvic pain with each subsequent pregnancy but it went away within 6 wks of delivery. With each I was up and around as soon as we were released from the hospital. They are 10, 7, 6 and 2 now, only remaining issue is when I have to pee I have to pee NOW!!

Since my first child was born 29 years ago, I've struggled with a prolapsed uterus. For years, this caused bleeding when I lifted anything heavy including my children. I was told that insurance would not pay for repair of my prolapsed uterus, but would pay for Viagra for men. Now, I avoid lifting anything over 20 pounds. When my second child was born, the doctor and nurse in attendance decided to leave me because they decided my baby wouldn't be born for a couple more hours even though my husband and I told them birth was imminent. Thirty minutes later, another doctor at the hospital caught my daughter as she came out when I could no longer hold back her birth. I tore badly and had to have some of my labia cut off because it was irreparable. Nerve damage to the left side of my vagina meant no more feeling there (reduced sexual pleasure). The site of the labia removal has remained painful and raw ever since. The male doctor who abandoned me when my daughter was born has avoided me and never spoken to me since. I switched to a female doctor after that experience. Are male doctors less sensitive towards their patients than female doctors? I don't know, but I wasn't willing to take any more chances.

 1st child, son, was with the Lamaze method and no medication.  We all did wonderful.  After that, delivery (daughter) was at home with a Mid-Wife and the experience was even greater.  The third child (daughter) was to be with a Mid-Wife, but alas, was in a rear end accident and she came earlier (premie) so had to go to the hospital, but delivery was natural, again no medication.  I would recommend Mid-Wifery to all what a beautiful and exciting time.

At the time of delivery I developed hemorrhoids. I was told it was like watching a fast-action sequence of a blooming chrysanthemum. 13 yrs. later and it doesn't take much for them to come back. Other than that, I guess I was lucky, since I didn't have morning sickness, ate peanut butter and drank 1- 1 1/2 gal. of milk every day and only gained 13 lbs. (half was the baby). Reading what some of you wonderful moms have gone through, I realize I was very lucky...too bad I was only blessed with one. :( I had a few miscarriages before her, and I was almost 37 before we were blessed, but I'll take one over zero any day!

Happy days to all of you!