5 Things I Wish I Knew About Labor & Delivery
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We welcomed our first baby just a little over three months ago. It’s been an unbelievable experience becoming a mother and the two of us becoming a family. I felt pretty prepared, but there were a few surprises in the several days we spent in the hospital. While I had read all the books and chatted with other moms, there were some things I just didn’t expect about labor and delivery. I wanted to make up a list and share those with you. I hope this list will get you just a little more prepared to welcome your new baby. Once you’re done reading this, check out my post about postpartum recovery too!
#1 – You will be very tired:
I hope you’re thinking “Uh, duh!”. But for whatever reason, I sort of ignored the idea that labor was hard work. For me, labor and delivery meant an induction 5 days after my due date and being in the hospital for five days total. I was certainly tired after our little peanut arrived, but I was tired even before she showed up! Unfortunately there’s no tips here to make this part any easier – being 9 or 10 months pregnant is tiring and so is birthing a baby. Take advantage of any rest you can and look forward to that cute baby face, but be especially sure to give yourself plenty of rest after baby arrives. Everything else can wait.
#2 – You will forget the details:
I was sure that every minute of our labor experience would be etched into my mind permanently – both good and not-so-good. But even before we left the hospital, some of the details started to get fuzzy. Maybe this is a little bit of grace for a new mom – labor is hard work, but before too long, you’ll be foggy on the details and too busy with your newborn to remember. My tips to help you recall more details is to take notes and photos. I snapped a few photos and made notes in the notes app in my phone in the early stages of labor. Once I was in more active serious labor, my husband picked up on the note taking. I’m glad now to have those little details to look back on and remember how things progressed.
#3 – Things may not go as planned:
I hoped for a birth with as few interventions as possible but ended up being induced, receiving antibiotics, and asking for pain relief. It wasn’t what I expected, but I’m happy with the choices I made that helped me move through labor and delivery. (A lot of this was dependent on good nurses and doctors – check out #4 for more on that) That being said, don’t drive yourself crazy thinking of all the things than can happen to you and your baby. Instead educate yourself on the various pain relief and coping methods as well as common interventions and types of birth. That way if your birth doesn’t go according to plan (which is pretty likely), you can make decisions without fear. Don’t forget to give yourself grace for whatever will happen. Your goal is a healthy baby and healthy mama – see #5 on that.
#4 – Trust your doctors and nurses:
There can sometimes be prejudice against medical professionals in regards to their role in labor and delivery. It is easy to blame them for issues with pain relief, interventions, and other facets of the process. At the end of the day, your nurses and doctors are your partners in birth and they can best help you when you communicate with them clearly and honestly. We were very blessed to have the same nurse all three nights (yes, three) I was in labor and she made the whole experience even more special. We even liked the hospitalists we met. I learned quickly that being honest and clear about what I needed made everyone’s job easier.
#5 – Everyone’s experience is different – and special:
As I mentioned earlier, my baby’s birth didn’t go the way I expected. Two of my close friends also had their babies the same month and had completely different experiences. It’s easy to compare how you felt or what you did to other moms, but it’s a waste of time. At the end of the day, you made the choices and did the things you needed to do to bring your baby into the world. It’s something that you will only experience one time and that’s special! Enjoy it and don’t let comparison and disappointment steal your joy.
These are just a few things that I wish I had known before we made our way to the hospital for labor and delivery. Pregnancy and childbirth is amazing! But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be tough, challenging or surprising in all sorts of ways. What are some things you wish you had known before you had your baby?
