things they don't tell you about l&d

abj22

Bear in mind I had a natural birth, no tearing, no major complications...

1. It hurts. Yes they do tell you this. But the pain is in a category all of its own. I read somewhere that a strong contraction could be compared to an orgasm. I thought this meant maybe it was pleasurable. NOT SO. I think what it means is that you lose all concept of reality, feel completely out of control, lose all inhibitions and have no thoughts, just feelings (in this case, pain).

2. Giving birth feels like pooping out a basketball. Literally. It feels more like pooping than anything else.

3. You bleed - a lot! I was shocked by the amount that I bled in the days after the delivery. I did have a hemorrage so maybe I bled more than most? Not sure. But I literally dripped blood all over the floor every time I tried to go to the bathroom.

4. You will need help going to the bathroom at first. And then when you need to do it on your own, it will take you a long time. There is so much cleaning and padding that needs to be done every time.

5. Recovery is painful. That first week really really sucked and I cried every time I peed. But then miraculously it all went back to normal and I feel totally fine downstairs now.

6. The hormones are out of control. I cried because I was happy, sad, overwhelmed, worried and everything else in between. Basically I cried 10 times a day for the first week or so. Then that miraculously just went away too.

7. You will feel like you've been run over by a truck. I was sore from head to toe. I didn't realize it then but I can't believe how many muscles I actually used during labor & delivery.

8. It will be the most incredible thing you ever do and you will fall more in love than you ever dreamed possible. It is all so worth it.

madhatter2003

ditto to all. But it is SO worth it.

I think the hormones surprised me the most. And maybe the bleeding. I laugh when I see women talking about wanting to be 'cute' for visitors. I am for feeling human. 

Aprilsies

Thanks for the heads up - she is soooo cute!

jade_sweatpea

ditto to everything! Labor really did feel like having to crap. It will be all worth it and you forget all of these details until you get pregnancy again lol

pivey

I'm not sure if this helps me... especially the "I think what it means is that you lose all concept of reality, feel completely out of control, lose all inhibitions and have no thoughts, just feelings (in this case, pain)." part- doesn't make a natural birth mama to be reassured...

But thanks.

RHitch

I agree with everything you said.  Also, I didn't know the first 3 weeks I would feel like death!  I was soooooo damn tired.  I couldn't pull my life together.  However, everytime I looked at DD, I realized it was so worth it!!!

JARbaby

With the exception of #8 my c-section sounds SO much easier!

Sephora

That is why you get the epi if you don't want to feel the pain that bad.

 I was up walking around just hours after I had Ava and even went to BRU the day we got home from the hospital...by myself driving.

Yes, the blood flow is a lot and it sucks to have to keep changing pads, etc.

Hormones suck too but I think I handled them OK.  You are sleep deprived for a few weeks but then it gets SO much better.

 

JessiRaye

I had a c-section but labored for a l-o-n-g time beforehand and I totally agree:) Good information!

tigerlillie101

When you say you'll need help going to the bathroom, what do you mean? Like an enema or stool softener or an actual person helping you?

You live on the south shore... did you deliver at SS Hospital?

viola2008

Just my two cents - everyone is different but be ready for anything - I had an epi and was 100% in 48 hours.  Pooping was hard afterwards and I didn't have much bladder control until I did my exercises - kegel away.  My hormones weren't any worse than when I was pregnant.

First timers should be prepared for a little let down.  You wait 9 months for the baby and then they are here but they don't do anything.  A lot of babies are easy and great and not hard at all. I am just saying you will love your baby but it might feel like "now what" and that is completely normal. 

Sephora

Tiger..both a person helping you get to the toilet and they give you tons of colace or MOM.  They like to see you have one stool before you leave the hospital.

Someone only had to help me to the bathroom right after my epi wore off after I had her.  If you have the epi you have to have a cathedar while you are laboring.  They want to make sure things are flowing OK after birth.

After that I regained my balance and was fine to walk myself to the bathroom or ask DH to help.

JARbaby

I did not need any help getting or going to the bathroom after my c-section.

katie110505

Ditto to pretty much all of it!

I didn't have so much bleeding after the first few days, but I was horrified the first time I went to the bathroom after giving birth. Stuff just kept dripping out. I highly recommend baths in the first week pp to heal your girl parts!

The hormones - I cried about 10 times because I worried that my dog felt neglected. I worried that DD hated us. DH didn't quite know what to do with me. Now almost two weeks later the crazy hormones have really subsided.

Contractions - you will know when they are real vs. BH. I was in so much pain at the end of labor it was almost unbearable. But then it goes away once your child is born and it is so worth it.