10 Things They Don't Tell You About Labour & Delivery...dur dur durrrrr

I've been a bit slack with my posts the last week or so! Because it's December we are just so busy with Christmas parties, birthdays and lots of Christmas fun! It's all systems go at the moment and of course I've celebrated my birthday for about a week!

So the post about what they don't tell you about being pregnant went down really well.. its so nice when your out and about and people come up to you and say they enjoy reading it, some can relate to bits and some like reading as they might have it coming up! I love doing this blogging as its abit of a distraction for when my anxiety likes to make an appearance. So this one is the next part.. labour!!! Arghhhh! I actually enjoyed my labour - well I say enjoyed when I had the epidural it was all fine and dandy.. still don't know why they didn't tell me about that at 7am. I think I was too entertaining on the gas and air. Anyway again not trying to scare anyone and everybody has completely different labours.

1. Your waters don't break like they do on TV - so don't worry about going out near your due date. There wont be a mini tsunami in the middle of Tesco. Mine was just like I'd peed myself and couldn't stop- such a lovely experience - naaaat. Once that happens you probably wont need to rush to the hospital either. I managed to stay at home after my waters broke for about another 2 hours then the pain was unbearable. When I got to the hospital I was more worried about another sweep. Still sticking by that was worse than labour or my midwife hated me haha!

2. Maternity pads are your best friend from when your waters break and after birth. TMI coming up but nobody actually warns you about the amount you bleed after having the baby! You go 9 months not having to worry about the monthly visit from mother nature but it sure makes up for it in them few weeks after. I was lucky and it lasted only about 3 weeks.. some people have it for soo much longer! Not for me thank you! But the maternity pads are a bit like wearing a nappy but your grateful for that nappy.

3. You probably wont eat for hours and hours - PACK SNACKS even if it's just for your other half ! But if your like me it will annoy you when they're eating and your not allowed because of the epidural ha! I took some crackers and cereal bars. Barely touched them on the day I went in but when I was still in the next day and they give you your wonderful hospital food you don't like the look of these come in handy. After you've had the baby you get rewarded with the offer of tea and toast - TAKE IT! It will be theee best tea and toast you have ever eaten. I decided to try and drink a can of coke that I literally been thinking about from start to finish. Made me sick within about 3 minutes - wasted the incredible tea and toast haha!

4. All your dignity goes out the window as soon as you step foot in that hospital and a lot of people will be looking between your legs! We all know that's going to happen but my god for me it was something else. The amount of people coming in and out because Albie was being a terror and changing position all day and not moving etc just meant that more and more people would be coming in. When I first arrived I went to town on the gas and air which made me sick. As I was being sick in the sexy hospital gown about 4 student nurses came into the room just staring while I was being sick which was nice. I made my mum stand in front of me for cover this time. By the end I think the pain takes over so much you don't care who is in that room and what they can see!


5. The bath and shower actually help with contractions. For me it was holding the shower head on my bump for a good hour! I was distraught when I got to the hospital and was on the wires so there was absolutely no chance of a shower again. Also when they start they don't expect you to go to the hospital until the pain is unbearable and then even then they can send you home. Thank the lord that when I went it wasn't busy and I was allowed to stay! I think I would have chained myself to the hospital doors if  they sent me home.. The speed bumps on the way to the hospital were horrendous there was absolutely no chance I was doing that trip again!


6. An epidural (for me) was the most incredible thing in the entire world despite the horror stories. Why nobody told me about this at 7am I don't know. I was pretty adamant that I wasn't going to have one of these because of what can go wrong.. Dr google working his magic again. Albie ended up being back to back and the pain was unbearable luckily I had the doctor that was in charge of doing anaesthetic do mine so I was at ease a little more. When that kicked in it was like I was on a cloud! I felt nothing from my boobs down, and every 30 mins had a button to top myself up. It was like I wasn't in labour anymore I managed to sleep and drink some water! I can't describe how good it was. You didn't even feel pain when pushing just like a pressure build and that's when you knew it was time to push! I'm all for reading up on things but I think you definitely need to ask more questions so your not convinced your never going to be able to feel your legs again!


7. You might have to have stitches. I had to have a few as I had a small tear (when someone says that word in regards to labour it still makes me cringe slightly and cross my legs!-LOL). Again because I had the fantastic epidural I didn't feel this at all.. wouldn't have even known if they didn't tell me. By this point all I cared about was this new little beautiful human I was holding and not the lady stitching me up still with my legs in stirrups haha!


8. ERM YOU HAVE TO DELIVER THE PLACENTA - but you probably wont even know this is happening. So I knew this happened but I think I forgot about that. I had an injection which started contractions.. the midwife gave my tummy a press (CRINGE AGAIN!) and voila it was there. She asked me if I wanted to look but I politely declined. Ash was lovely enough to tell me it looked like a raw piece of meat, so that was nice! But yeah I don't even think most people even know its happening. Some like to take theirs home, declined again ha!


9. Birth plan will most definitely go out the window. I mean there must be some lucky people that it all goes to plan for, some that don't need any pain relief (you absolute heroes!) but for me and I think most of my friends that have had babies they just went out of the window as soon as we stepped into that hospital. The midwives know what they are doing and know whats best for you so no need to panic if things go in a different direction. I wanted a water birth with minimal pain relief. I couldn't cope with the sweep so no idea what actually made me think I could cope with childbirth 😆


10. You will forget it all when you have that precious little bundle of joy in your arms.. and it is the best feeling in the world. I can't even describe it. I think my epidural helped with my pain as well though haha!

ps. STILL would take any of this again over that sweep!