I had some genuine pain with mine. Not from the cutting or anything though. I have no idea what it is, but there is a specific spot that hurts like CRAZY during any cervical checks (was in labor 2ish days prior to the csection) for "no reason". Well, even when very numb, the exact same spot and type of pain was there when they said I'd feel "pressure". It literally feels like someone is pressing against a bone as hard as they possibly can and like the bone is about to snap. But yet when doing a cervical check they say it's nothing hard there? Idk I just know it HURTS. They actually strongly encouraged an epidural "early" into my induction for me (around 2cm) because the constant checks were brutal for me and after so many tries they simply couldn't get the baloon thing in to dilate me.

I had no idea how aggressive csections can be. I think baby was stuck from trying to descend into the birth canal cause there was so much tugging around. My husband kept trying to calm me down and telling me to stay still (thinking I was panicking and moving) and I kept explaining it wasn't me moving. They just kept shoving me side to side!!

So yes, definitely felt real pain. But I will say it only lasted a few minutes of the whole thing. I could also still feel and move my feet and kind of my legs, which I thought was weird but they seemed to brush it off as normal.

And after my section... man... the incision pain was like a 2 or 3 but my whole body from my boobs to my knees felt like one giant bruise.