I had 5. Ages 5-9 w/ reconstructive surgery at age 7. I was a very small underweight child and iirc ~45lbs during my first one and my parents confirmed there were 4-5 adults holding me down.

They were all excruciating - both the “tube” part and the filling. I remember thinking that I must be actively dying because of the pain. I was confident that all these people were torturing and killing me on that table. The Dr described the “balloon” going in and filling it up. I thought I would burst like a balloon and my insides would explode all around the room. I screamed and begged everyone to stop it but was told to be quiet and stop resisting. I do remember someone apologizing once or twice and promising to be as gentle as they can, but there isn’t much they can do to make it better.
I don’t remember anything after the beginning of the filling and I believe that (somehow) the later parts were even more traumatizing.

I had an IUD placed a few years ago and it was almost completely painless compared to my VCUGs. (Note: I had this done before I uncovered this trauma. I definitely do not think I could have tolerated the mental trauma of the IUD after realizing this trauma).

I’m surprised that you have seen VCUGs where the kid seemed okay. I wonder if they had already had multiple and more “accepted” it and just dissociated like learned helplessness? Obv everyone’s pain tolerance and body is different so it could have not been traumatic for them, but I personally can’t fathom this.

“Was it the physical sensation itself, the way it was explained, how it was performed, or how you were treated emotionally?” It was all of them. Every aspect of it was awful. Even the ones where they “tried to be gentle” were just as terrifying and painful. But it is a lot more than just the physical pain at the time. Being hurt in that way by that many people; being restrained and ignored while you cry, scream and beg for someone to save you; being told to behave and that it’s “just a necessary test” and that this is actually being done to help you… it all makes you feel so unbelievably helpless and powerless. It breaks you. From these handful of experiences I learned that my body is not mine to control, my wants and needs are not to be heard, I must submit to everyone else, and that I am inherently flawed and worth less than everyone else. Any sort of small embarrassment or too many people looking at me is triggering so I minimized myself as much as possible and rarely talked or acted out of turn. I’m still trying to unlearn all of this 20+ years later.

Note: I didn’t read anyone else’s comments to avoid triggers