Posted by Rebecca T (207.225.144.243) on May 11, 2000 at 13:59:07:
Because I am the type of person who tends to deal w/pain by withdrawing and getting very quiet, my husband and other s around me didn't seem to think that the pain I experience w/CH was really that bad. I finnally got my hubby to kind of understand CH by using the following explantion: I explained that a bad CH is very similar to the end part of labor where you start going "I don't want to do this anymore! Make it stop!" and are on the very edge of panicing. Having been through labor w/me he understood what I was talking about. Then I explained that they sometime head past that point to where you do panic and lose control and yell and bag your head and wish you were in labor rather than having a CH. Now if he says something stupid like "Why don't you go lay down until it goes away" or "couldn't you at least pick up the living room" I respond, "Would you tell a woman in the very last part of labor to go to sleep until she feels better of to just pick up the living room before she pushes the puppy out?" and he shuts up. This has also been very effective with my mother and some of my friends who try to be sympathetic but just don't get it. The direct labor analogy seems to make it more real for them and gets me some of the space I need when I'm in pain. I can now say t`o my mom, "I can't talk because I have a HA" and she thinks of someone trying to call her on the phone while she's in labor and realizes how innappropriate that is. I hope this helps someone out there dealing w/people who don't get it!