Every mom in labor goes through different levels of the physical trauma of giving birth, but a TikTok mom shared her painless birth story, where she didn't realize she had her second baby because she did not feel anything.
Elimarie, 21, revealed on her TikTok video that she asked for an epidural when she was dilated at four centimeters during labor. She shared that it was her choice to induce the birth because of her experience with her first pregnancy.
But as soon as the epidural kicked in, her labor quickly progressed. She felt her body getting numb because of the drug and then felt something between her legs after 15 minutes. Elimarie reached out and touched the catheter wire attached to her but thought nothing of it.
At some point, however, the nurses had to rush to her because they thought they had lost the baby's heartbeat. Elimarie even managed to joke that it's likely because her baby is already out of her womb.
But when the mom looked down, she was shocked to see that it was true. Her son was right there in between her legs.
@_elimariee Reply to @noemiliar ♬ original sound - Elimarie
Baby Boy's Father Missed the Whole Birth
Elimarie said that her son's father was in the birthing room with her but figured that the delivery would take hours. So, her partner had his headphones on as he watched a movie on his gadget. He had planned on a long wait for the actual birth.
"He didn't even know what was going on," Elimarie exclaimed, as per The Sun. "I was like, 'He's here! He's here!' and he was like, 'What?!'"
The baby's dad quickly grabbed the camera to record what was left of this momentous birth, but he, unfortunately, missed some of the most precious minutes. Regardless, Elimarie is grateful that she had the easiest time and the best painless birth story to share with everyone.
The young parent said even her doctor and the nurses were freaking out but laughing at this unusual experience. The mom and the baby were fine after that very short labor.
Women Describe the Pain of Childbirth
According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), some 45 percent of mothers describe the pain of childbirth as an extreme menstrual cramp, while 16 percent compared the experience to bad back pain.
Some 15 percent of moms said that giving birth feels like having a broken bone, especially the part where they have to push during the delivery. However, the experts noted that most moms between 18 to 39 years old are more likely to feel more pain post-delivery than the actual birth.
At least 73 percent of mothers prefer an epidural for pain management, while a small percentage said they prefer other complementary methods without the drug. Dr. James D. Grant of the ASA said that it's important for expecting moms to discuss their pain management options with their doctor and the anesthesiologist on call during the delivery if they're having a natural childbirth.
Meanwhile, a rare group of women might have a unique threshold for childbirth pain because they have a particular gene variant that works as a natural epidural. A study published in the Cell Reports by experts at the University of Cambridge said that this gene, KCNG4, is only common to one in every 100 pregnant moms.