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

M2T - ooooouuuuccccchhhh!!!!!

Use the hairdryer next time

Hurt for a month - you'd probably ripped them out!!

I never did that, I rubbed!!!
Now I'm seeing the reason why my stitches hurt for a month!

I was told the same about the hairdryer thing - you can't exactly rub dry with a towel (Ouch - the thought)

I was also told to hold the shower head between my legs when I had a wee - obviously the shower was on...

M2T - drying yourself down there with a hairdryer after going to the loo/ showering. Midwife told me it was very important to keep the stitches dry!

All my NCT group did that - or were we just really wierd!!!!

jmg - VERY lucky.

Hairdryer thing???

I also learned that the feeling of the urge to push was so strong that it completely overtook the pain of the contraction.

Also that my DP was an absolutely amazing tower of strength and his voice was all I could hear at the end and when I think about how he was telling me how beautiful our baby's head was just before that final push it makes me so happy with the memory. I am sitting at work fighting back the tears now....

Maybe I'm lucky then!

Had 3rd degree tear with DS and midwifes spent much time discussing whether to get doctor in to mend it - which was what hospital policy was for 3rd degree tears. I said to them that I thought they would be likely to have much more experience of stitching up the perineum than some hospital registrar and told them just to get on with it.

Never had so much as a twinge afterwards - although did worry the first time I went to the loo. I did do that thing with the hairdryer though as I was paranoid about getting them infected!!

I had episiotomy with DD, that was a bit more stingy afterwards but still nothing worse than say a paper cut.

Oh well - just goes to show - we're all different and no two labours are the same

Both stitches and piles for me I'm afraid. Both extremely unpleasant. But stitches cleared up quicker.

Oh yes.... must depend on what needs stitched! I watched in the mirror as ds's head crowned.... my perenium BURST OPEN! It didn't hurt at the time, but I remember thinking "Holy sh*t thats gonna hurt!"....

There wasn't an option of not being stitched. Or the bottom would have literally fallen out of my world! lol

Stitches bothered me - my sister told me I didn't have to have them if I didn't want too - the midwife advised against it, she said I DEFINATLEY had to have them. Having them was quite traumatic for me, but when I was asked to stand over a mirror to check them I was even more traumatised!!!(sp?)

No stitches didnt bother me

but piles do/did

Yes jmg I'm like M2T although despite local didn't enjoy having them put in quite a bit of tugging going on and they certainly stung afterwards. I learned how to sit down on half my backside for several days.

Was also shocked at the birth photos how swollen my face looked.

That you expect your front bottom to hurrt (who wouldn't after pushing a baby through that little gap!!) But was not expecting my Back bottom to hurt as much as it did - was frightened to go for a number two for days afterwards.....

That midwives are cruel to be kind....

That your amazed you actually manage to get up every two hours to feed your new arrival

jmg - Are you kidding?????? OOOOOUUUCCCCCH!
Getting them in was a breeze.... they gave me a local aneasthetic and also gave me my gas & air back. I weas lying there being stitched in painless semiconscious bliss thinking "Baby? What baby?"

That the journey from the bed to the toilet on the postnatal ward is several times further than it looked on ante-natal ward tour.

Agree with all the ones about losing inhibitions and body taking ove etc but especially freddiecat's one about the sheer 100% effort of pushing.

I learned the meaning of pure exultation.

this took me three births to achieve though

That having lots of stiches 'down there' doesn't actually hurt that much...after they are put in

LOL M2T! That's so true. I remember being horrified when they wheeled me through to the ward, with ds in his fishtank next to my bed, and I was crapping myself thinking 'what do i do if he cries?'

One bad thing I learned was that everyone doesn't find breastfeeding "the most natural thing in the world".

Ds and I weren't very good at it and we gave up after 4 days.

Oh yes! I almost forgot this one.....

In reality the hospital DO NOT take care of your newborn to let you sleep a few hours!!! Grrrrr!

Message withdrawn

Coddy - especially and egg sarnie IME!

That taking photographs of a woman just after giving birth should NOT be allowed

That in hospital they don't bring you your breakfast the next day - you have to bloody get up and get it yourself!