# A question only women can answer \[labor pain vs kidney stone and other pain\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908 "2016-03-23T01:00:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vicsage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e68b1a/32.png) [@Vicsage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicsage)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/1 "2016-03-23T01:00:32Z")
I’ve always heard that labor is the worst pain that anyone can have. I’ve asked a few women who have had both children and kidney stones and all have said kidney stones were worse. So my question to women who have had both, which is worse, kidney stones or labor? ---
**Author:** ![yearofglad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b782af/32.png) [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/2 "2016-03-23T01:02:04Z")
Reported for forum change. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/3 "2016-03-23T01:02:40Z")
Look at the end product. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/4 "2016-03-23T01:06:49Z")
> [@Vicsage](#): > > I’ve always heard that labor is the worst pain that anyone can have. Really? Because I’ve never heard it’s the _worst_ pain, just the worst most people these days experience. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/5 "2016-03-23T01:10:41Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Look at the end product. [![](http://northtexasurologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Kidney-stone.jpg) ](http://northtexasurologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Kidney-stone.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/6 "2016-03-23T01:30:18Z")
I’ve never had kidney stones, but I’ve had a bad concussion. It was worse than childbirth. ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/7 "2016-03-23T01:33:10Z")
I’ve had two kids vaginally - the second one was a nine-pounder born at home. That was not the worst, by far. The worst pain I’ve experienced was a migraine that seriously made me consider suicide. I’m glad I don’t keep guns at home, because I think I would have taken that option. Went to the ER with that one and even whatever they gave me via IV didn’t touch it. Was vomiting and crying for hours. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/8 "2016-03-23T03:02:52Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this is polling for personal experiences, lets move it to IMHO. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ETA: I also edited the title to more clearly indicate the topic. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/9 "2016-03-23T04:10:45Z")
I didn’t have any kids, but one woman told me that physical therapy after a third-degree burn was WAAAAAAY more painful than childbirth. She said, “I would rather have 20 babies in a row than go through that again.” It was only a single joint that had to be exercised, too. Can’t imagine having to do that with your whole body. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/10 "2016-03-23T04:12:40Z")
I’ve experienced both (unmedicated childbirth, large kidney stone). They’re fairly equivalent, I think. I don’t recommend either. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/11 "2016-03-23T04:14:18Z")
When I was in the hospital for kidney stones the second time, my friend Melissa, visiting me, informed me that (a) i was an idiot for not wanting to go in sooner, and (b) having thrice gone through labor (the last time very bad) and twice had kidney stones, that the latter were worse. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/12 "2016-03-23T04:18:01Z")
Everyone I’ve talked to says kidney stones are worse. I’ve never had a kidney stone, but a badly sprained ankle with tearing was worse than most of my labor. Crowning is worse than labor, and worse than my ankle, but it’s over with quickly. I think one reason kidney stone pain is so bad is it can last for days, unlike most labor. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/13 "2016-03-23T04:22:09Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Everyone I’ve talked to says kidney stones are worse. I’ve never had a kidney stone, but a badly sprained ankle with tearing was worse than most of my labor. > > Crowning is worse than labor, and worse than my ankle, but it’s over with quickly. I think one reason kidney stone pain is so bad is it can last for days, unlike most labor. You do NOT want stones, believe me. If I had them again and had to choose between treating them by Vicodin or shotgun, my election would be based solely on which could be delivered more quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/14 "2016-03-23T04:29:09Z")
I’m not a woman, but I think I’m with George Carlin on this one. Nothing is worse than a swift kick in the balls. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/15 "2016-03-23T05:00:24Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m not a woman, but I think I’m with George Carlin on this one. Nothing is worse than a swift kick in the balls. I have heard that men who have experienced both a kidney stone and testicular torsion have said that the former was like a trip to Disneyland compared to the latter. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/16 "2016-03-23T05:09:40Z")
I’ve heard [cluster headaches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_headache) (also known as suicide headaches) [described](http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/cluster-headaches-the-worst-possible-pain/281524/) as the worst pain you can have. > [@](#): > > Cluster headaches are also known, colloquially, as “suicide headaches.” Green confirms that “most headache doctors have had patients with cluster headaches who have committed suicide from the pain…That’s more likely in the chronic form, [when] they know that they’re going to get one or two or three of these headaches, every day, forever. It’s pretty awful to anticipate that.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/17 "2016-03-23T05:45:34Z")
My aunt, who had three kids, said the worst pain she ever experienced was a ruptured appendix. She told me this after my appendix ruptured. I was in so much pain (and delirious from fever), I wanted to die. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/18 "2016-03-23T10:48:11Z")
My wife has said that acute pancreatitis is far, far worse than childbirth. Since I haven’t experienced either, I’ll take her word for it. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/19 "2016-03-23T13:20:18Z")
A friend told me his mom considered gout more painful than childbirth. ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908/20 "2016-03-23T13:24:05Z")
I had a kidney stone when I was pregnant one week before having the baby. I’ve also had other kidney stones over the years. The kidney stones were far, far worse than labor. Seriously, not even on the same scale. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-only-women-can-answer-labor-pain-vs-kidney-stone-and-other-pain/749908.md?page=2)