Whether you're a mother or not, we all know that giving birth is no walk in the park!
Even those of us who will never give birth get at least an impression from watching childbirth unfold on TV and in the movies; there will be pain and blood, followed by a little miracle!
Of course, the real truth behind giving birth is way more complicated! Scenes on TV aren't necessarily wrong; it's just that they skip a lot of the messy details.
For a first-time mama, those simple scenes can be downright misleading. You might get through your whole pregnancy without a more experienced mom chiming in and laying out the facts.
After all, moms who have already given birth are the real experts. Men might think they understand, but we've seen before that labor is way beyond their pain threshold.
The only problem is, lots of moms who have already been through labor and delivery don't share all the surprises that you might experience along the way.
That's why we've assembled a few important details about giving birth that everyone forgets to mention!
Photo Credit: Facebook / Amanda Bacon
#1: You’ll Throw Up — More Than Once
Getting sick to your stomach is a major theme of pregnancy.
We all know about morning sickness, the queasy feeling that typically afflicts moms in their first trimester.
What many people don't realize is that upset-stomach symptoms make an encore performance during labor.
All the pain and pressure during a delivery can trigger nausea and vomiting, meaning most women in labor can expect to throw up several times during childbirth.
According to the holistic birth blog Mother Rising, vomiting during labor can even be a good sign, as it sometimes signals that the mom is about to enter "active" labor and start pushing!
#2: They Might Not Let You Move
During your pregnancy, you'll want to research all the different hospitals in the area and decide where you want to give birth. Some women might also choose to deliver in a birthing center or at home.
If you decide to deliver in a hospital, make sure that you know what you want from your delivery experience.
In many traditional hospitals, expectant moms aren't allowed to leave the bed after labor progresses to a certain point because the baby's heart rate must be monitored, according to WebMD.
For moms who are hoping to walk and change position during labor, this policy can come as a rude shock that they don't discover until it's too late.
Make sure you know your hospital's rules before you're ready to give birth!
#3: You Might, Um... "Enjoy It"
Some women experience orgasmic childbirth. That's exactly what it sounds like: an orgasm during childbirth.
Because childbirth is a famously painful experience, you might think we're crazy for bringing this up, but it really can happen.
According to Glamour, fewer than 1 percent of women have an orgasmic childbirth, and it seems to be linked to being in a safe and relaxed setting during labor, and being very deeply connected to your body.
Women who have experienced it explain that the sensation can help manage the pain of contractions as labor progresses.
#4: You Just... Keep... Bleeding
When you give birth, you deliver plenty of blood and goop along with your little bundle of joy.
Many women assume that the bleeding will stop shortly after giving birth, but that is almost never the case.
Instead, most women will experience postpartum lochia. Baby Center defines lochia as "vaginal discharge during the postpartum period. It consists of blood, tissue shed from the lining of the uterus, and bacteria."
It will continue until all the blood vessels that fed the placenta heal and all the discharge flows out, which means that you will probably be wearing super-sized maxi pads for about two to four weeks after delivery.
#5: You Might Get Sweaty After
Most women expect that they will sweat during the heavy-duty workout of delivery. After all, they don't call it "labor" for nothing!
Still, few new moms realize that they should expect to sweat after delivery, too.
You are going to sweat up a storm, especially at night, as your body tries to rebalance its hormones and chemicals.
According to What to Expect, a lot of this new sweatiness has to do with all the fluid retention you experienced during pregnancy.
Once the baby is out, all the excess water that was nourishing her has to come out, too.
#6: Your Water Might Not Break Like In The Movies
Every time a woman goes into labor in a movie, her water breaks and soaks right through her clothes to signal that it's time to hit the hospital.
The reality is much less cinematic. Your "water breaking" is actually the amniotic sac springing a leak as your body prepares for labor.
Usually, the liquid doesn't all come flooding out in one big gush. More often than not, it's a slow trickle or a feeling of wetness.
According to the Mayo Clinic, many women also enter labor before their water breaks, and the doctor ends up rupturing the sac manually.
#7: You’ll Be Calmer Than Your Partner
Here's a movie plot line that's actually pretty accurate: the delivering mom's partner passing out cold on the hospital floor.
We aren't saying that your partner will actually faint, but there's a good chance he will be a lot more traumatized by the birthing experience than you.
When you give birth, your body provides a cocktail of chemicals to help you through it. You'll be riding a wave of adrenaline and oxytocin, to say nothing of any additional painkillers.
Your partner doesn't get any of that; he just experiences the terror of watching someone he loves in incredible agony.
According to Parenting.com, he may even experience a form of PTSD if he's not prepared for the delivery.
The best way to prevent this is to make sure he's very involved in the pregnancy and birth preparations.
Then, after delivery, hand over that baby ASAP to give him some soothing snuggles while you rest.
#8: You Won’t Be Totally Numb During A C-Section
These days, approximately one-third of all babies are born via C-section.
Some of these surgeries are planned, and some are emergency measures decided upon in the moment.
If you have an unplanned C-section, you might expect to go out like a light and wake up with a newborn.
Not so.
In fact, you're numbed "below" so you won't feel pain, but you can feel what's going on in your body.
According to Verywell, lots of moms report tugging sensations, tingling or tickling, and even some "hot spots" of localized pain.
#9: Breastfeeding May Not Click
If you're not a mom yet, breastfeeding might seem really self-explanatory: give the baby your nipple, then let the baby suck until full.
Many people don't realize that breastfeeding isn't nearly as intuitive as it looks.
It's often very painful when your milk first comes in, and your baby might not pick up on the process right away. Remember, he's new to this, too!
If you want to breastfeed but are struggling to get going, a lactation consultant or a chat with a local representative of La Leche League can be a huge help to get things flowing.
#10: You Get Special Underwear!
After you deliver your little bundle of joy, you'll have a day or two to recover before you're packed into your car with a tiny, living breathing human being.
You won't get to take the nurses or the lactation consultant or the cozy hospital bed, but you will get to take home several pairs of enormous mesh briefs.
They are not the world's most glamorous underwear, but new moms love them.
One New York Magazine article even called them "magical," and new mom Amanda Bacon once went viral with a hilarious photo of the less-than-sexy shorts.
Of course, the light at the end of the childbirth tunnel is your brand-new baby… but the mesh undies don't hurt, either!
If your first childbirth experience was a surprise, be sure to SHARE this for all the moms and mamas-to-be out there!
