What did you learn from giving birth? - Your help needed

I learnt that nature and the human body are truly amazing.

That there is little point worrying and fretting - in the end you just have to get on with it. And none of it really matters the moment you hold your son or daughter for the first time.

I learnt that childbirth, no matter how painful, is the most incredible experience and one I wouldn't have missed out on, even if it meant missing out on the pain.

I learnt that having children changes everything. The moment you hold your baby, life changes for ever. You suddenly understand what life is about.

Feeling quite emotional reliving it all. I second the stitches thing - I remember being terrified of having to go to the loo.

And discussing things like your bowel movements or blood loss with a stranger, and being able to look someone in the eye who has seen you in such a position, lol

ps: I never heard the hairdryer thing, before!

I felt like I'd joined a magical club, of women who had done this AMAZING thing and survived.

Angeliz - know what you mean about not feeling 'lost'. Not that life gets any easier, but it does seem to have more meaning.
Marthamoo, can relate to your comments as well.
And Ghosty, completely agree with it not mattering how, but in the end ending up with a healthy baby and surviving it as well.

That waters breaking isn't just like having a 'little wee' as a friend told me!!

That the anticipation is worse than the actual event (and I had a 4 day labour with back to back baby, - hence horrendous back pains as well as contractions, 9lb 13 oz and born ventouse after 2 and half hours pushing).

I worried and worried about it beforehand and envisaged every scenario but in the end you just go with it.

I haven't read all of these so forgive me if this has been said ...

I learned that it really doesn't matter how your baby comes out ... (naturally or c/section) ... just as long as you and the baby are well and healthy ........ and not to beat yourself up about NOT being able to give birth naturally ...

Not politically correct I know but I learned that a c-section was much more preferable to a traumatic natural birth (having done both)- much more civilised

lol MT2 at the "thats gotta hurt bit"

I also learnt that after all the questioning in my life about ,'the meaning of life', i found it there and then and have not felt lost since.

ThomCat - I wish I had known that with ds1. I wasted so much time trying to push towards the middle with him (was trying to simultaneously clamp my bum muscles shut 'cos I was so worried about doing a pooh!) With ds2 I just bore down hard like I was doing the biggest pooh in the world, two pushes later and there he was!

.....that a dark red nightshirt was a good choice for the delivery room (honestly, I used the same one for all three)!

butterfly

That it will be NOTHING like your expectations, but that it's no use worrying because it's going to happen anyway.

Thomcat, I think that was me? Horrible description, but accurate, I think. I wish someone had told me it felt like that - if not, I might've given birth to DD whilst sitting on the toilet.

I learned that being induced doesn't mean that you are going to have a baby in the next day, two days or even week!

And I learned that it is possible to have 8 drips in your body at once and still be alive.

On the subject of waters breaking I learnt that it is possible to give birth to them still intact!

I also learnt with regard to the feeling of waters coming out still in the sac, that it won't be as pleasant as that when the head comes out!!!!!!!

Massively agree with whoever said about learning that it feels as if you are having your baby out of your backside and not your nunny at all!

Well, I didn't 'give birth' myself, but had a section....so I hope this counts

I learned that you don't give two hoots who sees you naked, when you are in labour.

That the vagina is no more designed for giving birth than the penis is

It is only a day or so in your and dc's lives and the birth itself is almost incidental. It's what you do afterwards that realy counts. All that matters is that you are both OK.

I also learned that there is such a thing as love at first sight. The first time I saw dd I was instantly smitten.

When you are still at home, get someone else to time your contractions. Never estimate '5 mins'

Also, don't expect pain relief as soon as you arrive at hospital. You will probably be asked to 'give a urine sample' - bloody difficult when you find it hard to walk let alone pee in a tiny vessel!

Discovered that my first husband was a total dipsh*t and that my second cared about me more than I thought he did.

Some of the things you girls have written are so lovely.
I know it may seem barmy to some people but reading them has made me look forward to the next time I'm lucky enough to know the pain and pleasure of childbirth.
And let's face it, no matter what our experiences were and what our memories of that time are, we are all so lucky to be mothers.

An episiotomy was not as bad as I had thought it would be. That DH was truly useless during the process, but bless him for trying to be helpful. As you've been told, all the pain and misery of pregnancy/giving birth is worth it for the best moment in your life, which is when you see your baby for the first time.

That no matter how long or painful it was for you, someone else will ALWAYS have suffered more. I bet when that poor woman gave birth in a tree during floods, her neighbour said something like " Well I gave birth in a burning holly bush!"

that the maternal instinct is way stronger than diamorphine for getting rid of pain....ready to do it again 2 minutes later!

me too i had stitches and was so frightened to go to yhh loo i thought everythink was going to fall out! i learnt from giving birth that its the most sccary and the most wonderfull thing i have ever done in my life we made a perfect little girl and i bought her into the world it herts like hell but as soon as you see your little baby the pain just goes away (untill you have to pee! owwww stitches)