Every woman experiences labor differently, with pain ranging from mild to severe. It’ll start with waves of contractions, which are often described as more intense period cramps that can also affect your lower back (called “back labor”). Others describe them as feeling flu-like, having gas pains in your stomach, or getting a bad muscle cramp, as well as a tightening or pounding feeling in your uterus. Sometimes you can even see the contractions across your belly.

The baby crowning can feel like a burning, stabbing, or pressure on your groin area, vagina, and rectum. Many women say that the act of bearing down and pushing feels like having a bowel movement. In fact, it’s pretty common to actually havea bowel movement during labor. Pushing itself can be extremely physically tiring, like a tough workout requiring intense focus.

When your baby is finally delivered, you’ll likely feel a strong sense of relief brought on by a big release of the calming hormone oxytocin. It’ll likely last about an hour before beginning to fade, when you’ll really start to feel all that your body’s been through. Soreness, pain, and bleeding are common.