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I am not pregnant.
Let’s just begin with that disclaimer because I do not want to start any rumors.
But I have been. And I’ve given birth. So I’m pretty much an expert. Humor me.
Last week a close friend of mine delivered a bundle of joy. I’ve been thinking a lot about her lately and how fearful she was regarding the big moment. Just like many of us (or all of us) when you’re pregnant with your first child there are a lot of unknowns. And people aren’t afraid to tell you things that can be downright scary. Thanks for that. Really.
My friend was told that after delivering her baby she wouldn’t be able to poop for two weeks and would be in an enormous amount of pain as a result. Eew. And no. I’m sure that’s the case for some but come on, people. Know your audience. Please. Why dump all your bad experiences on someone who is already nervous and seeking your counsel? The baby is coming. She can’t avoid giving birth to said baby. Don’t pile on with your drama and make things worse.
So the truth is that labor and delivery is hard. For me, it was only really painful during an hour or so. Yes, it was the kind of pain that you can’t even fathom surviving but you know what? I did survive it. When I look back on the day my little boy was born I consider it the absolute best day of my entire life. Do I remember the pain? Sure. Do I remember the rude nurse who talked to everyone else in the room and never me? Yep. Do I remember that the doctor arrived in his {insert college sports team because I can’t remember what it was} game day attire and proceeded to talk at length about the big game while I had contractions? Uh-huh.
Would I do it all again? Abso-freakin-lutely.
Moms-to-be DO want information. I know I spent quite a bit of time online while pregnant and pestering my friends for details of their own labor and delivery. Here are some tips that proved helpful for me.They’re not unnecessarily terrifying and they’re 100% true.
Having had two daughters (30 and 31 now) I can assure anyone scared, worried, or distressed that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in your lifetime that will compare to giving birth and being a mother! After my first daughter was born I knew I was born to be a mother! Rewarding, fulfilling,satisfying, enriching – these are all synonymous with being a Mom! As far as the pain goes – take a coloring book and crayons to the hospital. TRY to color inside the lines during each contraction – it'll help you stay focused. I still have the coloring books from my labors. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! I just visited your website and love it! What a great resource for Christian moms. Thanks for sharing!
Your birth plan sounds like just like mine! Congrats on #2! So fun!
It's so true that every single birth is different. I've had three and the first was an epidural induced numb bliss. The second was natural and I still didn't consider it pain. The third was natural and it was the worst pain I've felt in my life.
*shrugs*
There isn't a rule book filled with guidelines on how exactly it's going to go.
The best thing to do is try to stay as relaxed as possible and understand that yes…the baby is going to come out one way or another….and when you see your baby for the first time everything else goes away.
The coloring books are a great idea. I brought word searches.
I wish I would have known you when my sister was preggers. She heard horrible stories, just horrible. And she was already having so many problems that it just made things worse. AMEN to keeping YOUR drama to YOURSELF and letting this preggo mama enjoy this moment. 🙂 I like this post.
This post is so cute and so perfect and SO exactly what I needed to read. (Some others are SO scary) – I’ll be having my first this summer, so I’m bookmarking your blog as a mama-go-to 🙂
Congratulations! That is so exciting! Motherhood is WONDERFUL and I honestly loved both of my deliveries. So don’t sweat it! 🙂
My mom is really good at scaring the crap out of me…I never had a pap smear until I got pregnant because she described it in such horrifying detail, complete with sound effects (yeah, really. Sound effects.). So now, somewhat sadly, I take what she says with a grain of salt a lot of times, because I know she is probably overreacting, lol!!
I am DYING laughing. You are hilarious. The sound effects! Oh help me, that sounds terrifying!!!
Great list! I think it’s important for more moms to share their birth stories and tips so new moms can see the truths about it. I know I’ve been told some pretty wacky things before, too. I learned from my 3rd baby that it’s okay to stay home for a while, like you mentioned in #2. And #5…poop…LOL!! That happened w/me with my 4th baby (last year) and I gotta tell ya, I still think about that moment sometimes and laugh. LOL!!