Things about childbirth that weren't as expected

Like most women I have heard things about pregnancy/childbirth/babies most of my adult life, but it really is something that you have to experience firsthand to understand. I had certain expectations or an understanding of some things that turned out to be not at all what I expected.

Contractions - Didn't feel like I'd expected. Somehow I thought it would be a pulsing or, well, contracting sensation but mine just felt like plain old pain! I knew they started off as similar to period cramps and get more intense but I was surprised at the feeling of very low and very intense period pain.

Waters breaking - I had been told for many people it is just a trickle or a small gush but you have time to rush off to the bathroom. Not in my case. My waters broke spectacularly and I am thankful it happened in the early morning at home and not while I was out in public. If I had been out at lunch or something, people's feet would have got wet! Also, it didn't stop leaking until the baby was delivered. I had a little gush of fluid with each contraction throughout my labour, I really don't know where it was all coming from. It was pretty tiresome.

Breastfeeding - Somehow you would think it would be the most natural thing in the world but I was surprised at how tough nursing is. I had been warned by friends who had difficulty so I wasn't completely unprepared but it was still a surprise when it was such a learning curve for both me and baby. My nipples are taking a real battering but I keep telling myself it's worth it.

Signs of labour - You're told in late pregnancy what the signs of labour are and what to expect but you really can't know until you actually experience it. But it's true what they say, you will know when it happens. I had quite a few times when I would go, is this it, is this the start of labour? Like, feeling a little wet down there and wondering if it was my waters, but when my waters actually did break there was absolutely no mistaking it. Feeling cramps and wondering if it was a contraction, but when the real contractions start there is no doubt that's what they are. You get the picture.

Delivery - The one thing I really did not know about having a baby was how close it is to having a pooh!! I spent all that time doing pelvic floor exercises thinking it was all about trying to control my lady bits, I did not expect labour to be so much about feeling like I needed to do a huge pooh! And then being told to push into my bottom as if I am doing exactly that. Nor was I prepared for just how uncomfortable that pressure feels when the baby is descending and how much you can feel it despite the epidural. In fact, I asked the midwife to unhook me from the monitor so I could go to the bathroom and she refused, telling me I didn't need to go, it was the baby I could feel and that's a good sign. I totally didn't believe her and was almost in tears thinking I would soil myself. Grim! And I can't even begin to tell you how traumatic it is needing to go number two ever since, I think I am going to push out a baby!

I'm sure there will be many unexpected things about raising a baby too. I'll keep you posted!