If you have done both, which would you say was more painful, giving birth or passing a kidney stone?
I’m male so I’ve only had stones. Seems to me stones are much easier to take care of once you have them (I have many of mine in a little bottle, saving up for a necklace or something). On the other hand, children are much more rewarding, no question.
But how does the pain compare?
This question came up at work a couple of weeks ago. Only one lady had had both. She said that kidney stones were worse.
How do either of them rank with shingles? I’ve had that.
Sorry, can’t compare both, I’m male and have had stones. But I will say the first episode was the worst pain I have ever experienced(damn you to hell Linus Pauling).
My mother says stones are worse than childbirth.
I submit that pleurisy is also worse than childbirth.
My wife has experienced both and confirms that the kidney stones were worse. She explained that it was because labor contractions, though bad, abate from time to time. Conversely, the passing of kidney stones stays painful until it finally passes.
Count my mother in as another who had both kidney stones and babies (one natural, one epidural) and says the stones were worse. She told me she’d rather have another baby than another stone.
I’ve had numerous female patients who’ve had both. The majority of them have stated unequivocally that stones were worse. The remainder said they were both equally unpleasant.
Oh Please! Child birth is not a disease! Its uncomfortable at times. but the sensation is NOTHING compared to kidney stones. Yes, I’ve had both. I’d have another child any day over another kidney stone! (and the thought of having another child makes me break out in a cold sweat)
Also, child birth seems to have a mild amnesia surrounding it. Not so with kidney stones.
Never had kidney stones, but I’ve had two babies without pain medication, and I’ve had headaches that hurt worse than those. And childbirth is considerably more rewarding!
Shingles? 
I’ve had shingles and they hardly hurt at all. Itched a bit and a little subcutaneous ache, but that’s it.
Shingles are an outbreak of herpes from the measles virus that is still in your system since childhood. I’ve never had them, but they’re pretty hideous. Dave Letterman missed 5 or 6 weeks of his show because of them. President Nixon also had a bad bout with them. They are incapacitating.
Kalhoun, you’re correct on everything, except it’s chicken pox, not measles.
I’ve had both.
I’d rather have a baby again. They’re cuddlier than kidney stones.
I had a kidney stone. Women (who’ve never had stones) tell me they are sur it’s nothing compared to childbith. Those who have tell me it’s worse.
One woman I knew had three kids and five stones. She said the stones were much worse. Sadly, she was dying from MS at the time. That made the stones seem like child’s play.
I’ve heard kidney stones are much worse. I’ve had 2 kids but no stones to compare them too.
OTOH, about a year after my last child (born via c-section with poorly-functioning epidural) I had an electromyleogram / nerve conductance test on my legs (basically they jab you with wires and run current through them). I found it MUCH more painful than the c-section. Dunno how that compares with shingles or kidney stones but none of these sound like a whole lotta fun.
I had a stone a few years ago and one of my nurses (I was in the hospital after fainting at school from the pain) wisecracked “Hey, look at the bright side! After living through this, if you ever have kids, you’ll think labor is a piece of cake!” She had experienced both and told me that a stone was much more painful, and the pain lasted much longer.
Funny story: I had appendicitis about 2 years before that stone incident. I was in extreme pain, sweating like a hog and shaking like a leaf! They pulled that appendix out post-haste and I never heard anything more… until they X-rayed me for the stone incident a couple of years later and the doctor asked me if I had a history of kidney stones. Apparently I had a couple of little ones on both sides. So my appendicitis was most likely a kidney stone. Nobody thought to check that the first time. Oh well. Better safe than sorry, I suppose. At least I got a cool scar out of it.
I’ll come back with a “what hurts more” update when I finally have kids. Chances are I’ll have time for a few more stones before I get to that part of my life, though. 
In re roxx222’s story, I went to the ER in Houston circa 1980 with bad pain, and they sent me to the Durham Clinic. This was a huge place with IIRC its own exit ramp from the beltway. So I get shuttled from building to building and floor to floor of this huge Durham Clinic seeing all kinds of people, till they say maybe appendicitis and we want someone else to see you. Then I wait for the longest time, and suddenly the doors burst open and in marches a whole troop of white coats, parts and stands on either side of the room, and this ugly little old man about 5 feet tall waddles in, and everybody’s perfectly quiet. He pokes me for about 15 seconds and says Kidney stones and walks out.
And they say Thank you very much, Dr. Durham.
I’ve had both shingles and a kidney stone.
Shingles were a birthday party compared to the kidney stone.
I thought I was dying.
Morphine became my closest friend.
I never did pass it. They had to go get it. The repercussions of having a stent placed in your ureter via your urethra weren’t too cheery, either.