What surprised you?

aylafsu88

We spend so much time planning and preparing for L&D.  I know that I spent hours thinking about what could happen, what I would do, and what I may need.  The music post got me thinking of LOs birth.  Most of my labor was a blur but there are several things that stuck out in my mind and surprised me.

-When they placed LO on my chest I remember being surprised at how she smelled.  The sweet smell of amniotic fluid is burned into my memory.

-I was surprised at how labor started out of the blue.  I was laying on the couch napping and then all of a sudden a pop and contractions started.

-I was surprised at how vocal I was, like the yelling, screaming, moaning vocal as I am normally a quiet, reserved person.

Anyone else want to comment on what surprised you about L&D or pregnancy in general?

F47

Great post! I'm pregnant with my first, but definitely interested in what others have to say.

nodito

I was suprised/startled/freaked out by how frequently they upped the pitocin when I was being induced.  I had thought of induction as a one-time event and wasn't prepared for the actual experience.

I was suprised by how slippery DS was when they put him on my abdomen following birth. I could barely hold on to him.

I was suprised by how negative the postpartum nurses were about breastfeeding and by some of the weird information I got to "help" me.  Sorry, nurse, LO does not need sugar water to "whet his appetite."

I was suprised by how absolutely giddy it made me when someone complimented DS, even on things neither of us had any control over.  (E.g., Them: "What beautiful little fingers he has!"  Me, in my head: "Why thank you.  I grew him myself.")

pdilly2b

I was (pleasantly) surprised at how normal I felt between contractions.

I was (unpleasantly) surprised I felt the contractions almost exclusively in my rectum.

I was also a moaner. Did not expect that.

aylafsu88

nodito said:

I was suprised by how absolutely giddy it made me when someone complimented DS, even on things neither of us had any control over.  (E.g., Them: "What beautiful little fingers he has!"  Me, in my head: "Why thank you.  I grew him myself.")

This is so sweet!

KateLouise

Really great post.

- I was surprised at how blue my girls were at birth, and that no one was worried as it's of course completely normal.

- I was surprised at the smell too. I remember thinking, "so that's what my insides smell like."

- I was surprised at how useless my stomach muscles were post birth. In hindsight it's obvious that when you stretch something it's gonna take a while for them to be useful again, but when I couldn't role over in bed without using my arms to help push myself over I was surprised.

-I was surprised that I wasn't all screaming and yelling like a lot of labours in the movies, and also unlike a lot of hollywood births, I was surprised that labour was very gradual.

barista411

I was surprised by how calm I was when my water broke. My husband was rushing around the house in a complete panic and I was cool as a cucumber.

I was surprised that the pain actually did take my breathe away.

I was surprised by how difficult transition was. I knew it was going to be bad but it was a whole other level of pain I had never experienced.

I was amazed at the complete euphoria I felt when DD was placed on my chest and I realized she was here safe and sound and that was done with labor and had gone completely natural. It was the craziest high I had ever experienced.

aylafsu88

I have a couple more.
-I was surprised at how bad the stitches hurt. They were painful even with lidocaine.

-I was surprised that my body would start pushing when I was only 8.5 cm.  I never knew something like that could happen.

-I was surprised that I never felt LO drop.  I always thought I would feel something change/different to know laboring was coming.

sschwege

I was surprised:

By how much stitches hurt and how unpleasant it was to have my ute massaged

By the fact that I did not have that immediate love everyone else seems to describe.

By how calm my first birth was.  I just remember the MW sitting on the edge of the bed while I pushed.  My second was born in triage and so I was surprised in the opposite way of how quickly everything seemed to be happening.

Lastly and probably everybody will hate me for saying this and I'm probably jinxing myself for the next go around, but how labor and pushing weren't as hard as I expected.  I don't know what I was expecting, but was pleasantly surprised both times.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a walk in the park or anything, but I guess I thought I would feel like I was dying, or be begging for an epi, but those thoughts never entered my mind.

sschwege

I have one more, how I never felt that overwhelming urge to push everyone describes.  I labored DD down for 1.5 + hours and I'm pretty sure I was fully dilated with DS before we got to L & D, but I never had that, "I've got to push NOW" feeling.

tokenhoser

I was surprised that I just don't follow the "norm"  of labour progression. I went from 10 minutes apart to no minutes apart and pushing. My doula's theory is that even a little movement once my labour is going pushes me over into birthing.

The pain of stitches and how LONG it took to get those done with.

That labour really did start out of the blue, and that I did know this time that it was labour pretty much from contraction #1.

MariaKeegs

Oh my gosh, I'm so nervous!!! **sigh**

cbear47

Keep going ladies... As a FTM I'm living this post!!!

jamrosj

I was surprised how unsure I still was when labor started for real (early on)

I was surprised how it was not the pain that got to me but the exhaustion.

I was surprised that even though I had watched and cared for babies before, I was so worried about DD all the time.

WolFox

nodito said:

I was suprised by how absolutely giddy it made me when someone complimented DS, even on things neither of us had any control over.  (E.g., Them: "What beautiful little fingers he has!"  Me, in my head: "Why thank you.  I grew him myself.")

hah! I love it!

hamiltks10

I was surprised at how much hair DS had!

I was (pleasantly) surprised that the pain of contractions went away once I began pushing.  I'd heard that happened for some women, but didn't really count on it happening for me.  And I was surprised that I only had to push for about 10 or 15 minutes before he was born.

I was (pleasantly) surprised at how I was able to stick to my birth plan and have the natural, intervention free birth I had hoped for (so many people try to tell you that it is a waste to make a birth plan because they never go how you expect...but mine did).

I was completely blindsided by the "baby blues".  I'd read about it, but I had no idea it would hit me like it did.  I would start crying just thinking about how I cried earlier in the day.  It was totally uncontrollable, but only lasted a few days.

I was surprised at how difficult and uncomfortable breastfeeding was for me.

I was surprised at how painful the recovery period was.  I'd spent months preparing for labor and delivery, but didn't really think about being in pain after my baby was born.  I wasn't mentally prepared for that like I had been for the actual act of giving birth.

kellyk17

This is so insightful, thanks all!

nodito

hamiltks10 said:I was completely blindsided by the "baby blues".  I'd read about it, but I had no idea it would hit me like it did.  I would start crying just thinking about how I cried earlier in the day.  It was totally uncontrollable, but only lasted a few days.

This!  Baby blues caught me completely off guard.  I remember crying because I didn't like DS's name (the one I had picked out weeks before), because the nurses took him to the nursery, because it was night time, and for a million other trivial reasons.  Though the worst of it was early on, I can remember a definitive moment around 3 months when the sun was shining through our kitchen and it hit me that I would survive this and I would be okay.  

cwm11985

I was surprised at how "out of body" I was.  I felt like I was in the air looking down at myself screaming through the contractions.  Also, how freezing cold I was surprised me.  I went through 8 warm blankets.

aylafsu88

hamiltks10 said:

I was surprised at how painful the recovery period was.  I'd spent months preparing for labor and delivery, but didn't really think about being in pain after my baby was born.  I wasn't mentally prepared for that like I had been for the actual act of giving birth.

Me too!  I was surprised at how hard the postpartum period was. 

-I  was surprised at how terrified I was to have my first postpartum bowl movement.

-I was surprised to have the shakes after I delivered LO, I never knew that could happen and was normal.

-I was surprised at how much pushing hurt, I thought it would be easier.  LO had a nuchal hand and pushing was a nightmare. 

MariaKeegs

@nodito I don't know about you, but there's something magical about that 3 month mark. It's like all is right with the world again!

theforce2

Greetings from a lurker! I am not pg, t-ttc, but I love love love this thread. Its so refreshing to hear the good (and bad) things no one tells you about labor and postpartum. 

Abs211981

cbear47 said:

Keep going ladies... As a FTM I'm living this post!!!

SECOND!!  I know that no two births are the same and every single person's labor is different, but when you've never been through this I like hearing about all of the surprises that are different for everyone.  It makes it easier for me to prepare for different outcomes.

Abs211981

WolFox said:

nodito said:

I was suprised by how absolutely giddy it made me when someone complimented DS, even on things neither of us had any control over.  (E.g., Them: "What beautiful little fingers he has!"  Me, in my head: "Why thank you.  I grew him myself.")

hah! I love it!

Best line EVER

CallMeAl

I was surprised by how much blood there was. I was up and around through my whole L&D, and I wasn't expecting the blood trickling down my legs the whole time.

I was surprised at how well my DH did throughout labor. I didn't have high hopes, but he blew me away.

Great post!

CallMeAl

I have another one...

I was surprised by how weak I was for the first few days. I could barely shower without help. It was like I had been run over by a tractor trailer.

I was surprised by how hungry I was in early labor. I ate a foot long turkey sub about 5 hrs before I delivered DD and it was GOOD.

robyn2201

I was surprised by how swollen everything was down there after DD1 was born. 

Also, how exhausted I was at the very end of transition. I was falling asleep in between contractions with DD1.

Surprised when my water broke while sleeping and how much there was. It was like a flood of amniotic fluid and it was everywhere, including in my hair.

With DD2, I was surprised by how purple she was when she was born. She came so quickly (2 pushes) and she had major bruising. She was totally fine, but did develop jaundice because of it.

mb314

I was surprised that I went into labor about 4 hours after scheduling my induction for a few days later.  About an hour before early labor started, I bought castor oil as a last ditch attempt to induce labor naturally, but I never needed to use it. 

I was surprised that I didn't feel normal in between contractions.  My labor started with cramping, and once the contractions started, I always had a baseline of painful cramping.  I never had relief from the pain, even in early labor. 

I am surprised I didn't ask for an epidural during transition (DH was instructed not to give it to me, but I'm surprised I didn't even mention it).

I was surprised that pushing didn't really hurt and was easier for me than labor.

I hate to admit it, but I was surprised that I wasn't immediately in love with DS.  It took me an hour or so for it to hit me that I was a mom now and to be infatuated with him.  I made it through labor without drugs and afterwards, I kind of just wanted to be alone and relax.  We did the whole Golden Hour/Skin to Skin, but I felt in shock. 

tokenhoser

The second time, I was surprised that I didn't know if my water had broken. The first time, it was a FLOOD and there was no doubt. The second time, she was so low her head corked the exit and it was practically nothing until she was born.

AmyRI

FTM: I was surprised:
that I didn't punch the nurse who wanted a copy of my insurance card right.this.second despite having pre-registered with the hospital.

at how fast labor went. It felt too fast. Only 1 person even knew we were in the hospital. Mostly we woke people up with the, "it's a boy!" phone call. I had a hard time processing everything emotionally.

that it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be, and that pushing felt downright good.

STM:
I was surprised she came out butt first. (TIC, sort of.... I was surprised to find out she was breech when I was in labor. When she actually came out, I knew to expect her butt first).

rooftop

I was surprised how long it took... 75 1/2 hours labor
I was surprised how often I had to pee! seems like after every contraction
surprised how easily the body came out after she turned which felt really weird btw
and surprised how quickly I forgot the pain

chiquitamomma

Hello you warrior women, I am just today lurking over here as im not a huge computer person and oh my goodness am I glad I did. OP YOU ROCK with this post! As a momma who is having her 3rd come october and it  going to be a VBAC after 2 sections not to mention a home birth naturally, this post was what I needed to read. Labor sucks, its hard ( I have labored just never delivered) but you all prove natural is the way to go and is worth it! I totally needed to read this! Thank you!!

supersarah77

- I was surprised labor was 42 hours from the time I first felt a contraction to the time she was born. I was expecting the 12-18 hours they told us was the average in class.

- Like a PP said, I was surprised that I bled so much the entire time I was in labor. Very messy!

- I was surprised how great my squeamish DH was through the whole thing. Even watched the placenta come out!

- I was surprised and amazed the moment DD came out of me, flailing and wailing and eyes wide open. That beautiful baby had been inside me the whole time!

- I was surprised I didn't have that overwhelming urge to push. Not at all. I was just like, "it feels like she's coming out of me" and it was time to push!

- I was surprised how much easier the pushing was than the rest of labor.

- Like a PP said, I was surprised that the pain wasn't the hardest part it was the exhaustion. Then again, I was in labor for 42 hours!

- I was surprised that, try as I might, I couldn't eat a thing once I was in active labor. I could even swallow solids. Thankfully I was able to get down lots of water and Gatorade.

- I was surprised that as soon as I saw my daughter I knew I'd do it all over in a heartbeat, even right then!

mrssamarataylor

I was surprised by...

1. How polite people said I was. I guess in even in the middle of transition I was still able to say please and thank you. Along with the F-Bombs  

2. How natural pushing was; as soon as I felt the urge it was like primal instinct took over.

3. How sweet he smelled coming out. Like PP said, it smelled so nice. I'm wondering if AF smells like that to everyone or just the mother of the baby. 

4. Lastly how much I was NOT aware of! I didn't know the TV was on, or where people were...the only people that mattered was my DH, my midwife, and my baby. 

gracete

FTM - due in January and I hope to be able to stick to my birth plan. So nervous but so excited! Hats off to all if you!!

erb82

Love this post!
I was surprised at how quiet I became as labor progressed.
I was surprised that I got terrible shakes- it's so common but I'd never heard of it in all my research.
I was surprised that an epidural was never pushed on me by the hospital nursing staff. I was prepared to fight for an unmediated birth and they never brought up drugs at all.

CLLDLL

First Birth:

- I was surprised at how long it took (23 hours).

- I was surprised that labor started by a bloody show rather than my water breaking.

- I was surprised by how long PP bleeding/lochia lasted.

-I was surprised by how much the stitches hurt afterwards.

-I was also surprised that I didn't feel that overwhelming love right after birth that everyone talks about.  I didn't feel it until after we got home from the hospital and I had a chance to emotionally process everything.

- I was surprised a how small DS was, and how scared I was to change his clothes.  I thought I might break him.

- I was surprised at how good DH was with DS right away.  He was so calm & just awesome.

Second birth:

- I was surprised about how completely different my labor was than with my first.

-I was surprised a how awesome my body was & how I was able to handle back labor!

- I was surprised at how emotional it was holding LO for the first time. I did feel that overwhelming love this time even though I didn't with my first.

- I was surprised at how much I loved that first breastfeeding experience.

- I was surprised that I was able to get up and walk around just a few hours after birth.  Also we left the hospital after around 24 hours & I walked up to school to pick-up DS1.  I felt amazing!

 

ec0983

i love this post  

- i was surprised by how fast labor was.  8 hours start to finish!

- who said they felt their contractions in their rectum?  feeling all my contractions down there was a surprise for sure.  it also surprised me how intense the feeling was.  not necessarily painful, just very intense.

- i was surprised by how much of my labor i spent on the toilet.  i think i pooped off and on for 3 hours during early labor.

- i was surprised when i delivered my bag of waters.  didn't know that could happen!

- i was surprised by how panicky i got while i pushed.  the urge to push started suddenly and was very overwhelming, and once i started i was terrified he was going to get stuck.  DH had to keep telling me to breathe, and he had to reassure me that each push was making progress.

- i was surprised by how much blood came out afterwards.  like, a lot.

- i was surprised by how swollen i was, and how painful it was to recover.  

i'm very curious to see what my second labor/delivery is like if/when the time comes!

Snufflyfluffy

I was surprised by:

-How short the whole thing was (only 10 hours from start to finish)

-That I had back labor in addition to normal labor which made it more horrible beyond words

-That I felt like throwing up so much that they had to give me Zofran(spelling?) when I was neer that bad during the pregnancy

-That I was able to get up and walk around within half an hour

-How badly I did with labor (everyone says I did great but I don't really believe them)

-And I wasn't surprised by this but I know my mom and my doula were, how great DH did.  He had no interest in helping me prep so everyone except me assumed he would be pretty much useless but when I was hurting he was there for me to hold onto and was the one whispering in my ear how beautiful and amazing I was.  I couldn't have done it without him

joyfultrex

Overall I was surprised at how easy it was...
I was surprised at how there was no pain between each contraction
I was surprised that I didn't care who was in the room when I gave birth
I was surprised at how I didn't complain about the pain or mess once during labor or delivery, but when they asked me to cut the cord (DH missed the birth since I didn't think I was in labor and sent him to work) I said "eww no" and made my mom do it because it freaked me out

headgear03

Each of my labors had surprises.
1st - I was surprised at how out of it I was . My birthing instructor had mentioned you could be in a daze through labor and everything looks fuzzy but going through it was strange .
I was surprised that even though I was in transition I could still fall asleep in between contractions.
I was surprised that after our daughter was born I never got the high everyone always talks about.
Everything about pp was a surprise . My placenta never detached so 20 minutes after the birth I had to hand over my daughter and have my midwife manually remove the placenta . ( labor was nothing to this . I went natural so I had no pain meds to help with it either )
I was surprised I had to be transferred to the hospital and agian surprised it took two hours for anyone to see me by which time I had hemorrhaged to the point my hair was was covered in blood.
I was surprised I needed a blod transfusion .
I was surprised that because of the swelling it felt like there was a Mellon between my legs for days and that I couldn't stand up or take a shower for a week.
I was surprised that my milk never came in and my daughter never latched .
2nd- I was surprised that labor was so quick , only four hours start to finish.
I was surprised that I didn't feel pain at all while pushing .
I was surprised that pp contractions hurt worse with the more kids you have . It took me off guard .
I was surprised how fast I was up and moving around . 2 hours after her birth I was taking a shower and three days pp I was at the park for a play date .
3rd - I was surprised that I went into labor early ( 36 weeks 4 days) my first two were late .
I was surprised it took so long 29 hours . My first was 10 1/2 and my second was 4.
I was surprised I could feel him descending through the birth canal.
4 th- I was surprised I progressed so quickly . Went from contractions at ten minutes apart for 2 1/2 hours to BAM 3 minutes apart.
I was surprised that after calling my midwife to let her know she informed me there was already someone at the birth center and I was looking at a home birth. I was so upset. All three of my other kids were water births born at the birth center . My house wasn't cleaned and my kids were home , I didn't have a tub and this wasn't what I wanted , not to mention my midwife most likely wouldn't have been there .
I was surprised that 20 minutes after hanging up with my midwife my contractions got closer and more intense and she wasnt answering her phone so against everything I have ever wanted and everything I believed was best for me and my baby I had to make the best choice I had and head to the hospital . I wasn't willing to risk an unassisted home birth.
I was pleasantly surprised when I got there I was 8 cm and that 30 minutes later I was fully dialated .
I was surprised at how open they were to my plans for a natural birth and that they let me labor they way I wanted and not on the standerd on your back position .
I was surprised they were so nice and caring at the hospital ( there not known for being that great)
I was surprised that the pp uterine contractions were not as intense as I thought they were going to be which leads me to my next surprise . I was surprised that a week after my daughters birth I had to head back into the ER where I learned my uterus was not clamping down and I needed a D&C and a blood transfusion .
All in all there's been many surprises some I haven't even mentioned . Just expect to be surprised every time !