5 Lessons Learned From Labor

Hello! I realized this week that I have a lot of soon-to-be mommies who read my blog. 🙂 That makes me so happy and I’m glad I can lend some advice to you.

During the nine months that you’re pregnant you can’t help but feel a little anxious. You have a million questions running through your mind.

“What do contractions feel like, and will I know I’m having them?” 

“Will I tear?” —-> yes you will think that even though you might not say it out loud. 

“Will I be strong enough to handle it?”

…and the list goes on 

All these questions come up, and nobody will give you the answers you want to hear because the reality of it is different for everyone. 

As I take a look back, I want to share with you some lessons I learned during labor in hopes of easing your worry. 

Whether your birth plan is written or it’s stored mentally you have to realize it might not happen the way you envisioned. We all want to have the perfect labor and delivery, but things don’t always go the way we want. Sometimes complications arise, and we are forced to make difficult decisions. I wanted to have a drug-free birth meaning no epidural. When I wasn’t able to open up to 10cm they gave me an ultimatum. I had to choose between the epidural or a c-section. Obviously, I chose to get the epidural and was able to deliver vaginally. Don’t be afraid to get off track from your birth plan. Just remember that your goal is to keep your baby healthy because you’re not the only one that is going through labor. The babies go through a lot of stress as well because they are pushing through the canal. Remember that each contraction is getting you closer to meeting your baby. 

My husband and I went to a birth prep classes and one of the things we did was practice breathing exercises. I felt a little silly practicing them, but let me tell you they work magic. All that practice came into play the moment the contractions became stronger. Don’t underestimate the power of breathing exercises. With each contraction just remember to push through using breathing techniques. Breath in and out, and remember to stay calm. Try not to scream or cry because they’ll feel worse. I remember that I was breathing in and out, and my husband would also remind me when I wasn’t breathing correctly. When you go through the next contraction you have an urge to tense up because you know the pain that’s coming. Just keep breathing though it and riding each contraction using those in and out breaths will help tremendously. Rest in between each contraction and if it helps close your eyes and just focus. 

I feel like this is something nobody wants to share or talk about, but it happens. After I delivered my son they spent an extra 40 minutes stitching me up because I had a second degree tear. I knew it was a possibility, but I never thought it would happen to me. A lot of women tear but man o man the pain afterwards is excruciating. I didn’t share this with you on my birth story post, but after I delivered my son I had a bunch of blood clots. They had to squeeze them all out and make sure I had stopped bleeding internally. The face my mom had as I was going through this was scary. My mom is such a strong person, but when she saw all the blood I was losing her face changed colors. I didn’t realize this can happen, and it did. My dad walked into the room after everything was over and he said he’d never seen so much blood on the floor (and he’s seen my mom deliver all 5 of us). It seriously looked so frightneing, and I didn’t feel anything because I was so overwhelmed with happiness at the moment. But I did feel it the moment I came back home. Also, make sure you have ice packs, tucks, and pads at home just in case this happens. I wasn’t prepared with these things, so my husband went out and bought everything before I came home from the hospital. Luckily, I healed up quickly and am feeling a lot better. It’s been eight weeks and I’m starting to feel like myself again. The things your body goes through is intense and I definitely made sure to take care of myself and not rush the recovery. I’m finally going to start working out next week and I’m excited to also share that part of my journey with you as well. 

I had no idea what to expect with contractions. Every time I’d ask someone what they felt like they would just respond by saying they’re the worst thing ever. It’s an undescribable pain, but when I encountered my first contraction I had no idea that was it. The best way I can describe contractions is that they feel like a really heavy menstrual cramp. That’s what I thought it was when I started getting them. It felt like cramping, and then the pain would get worse and my skin would get the chills. When you’re going through the very first few contractions they will feel like bad cramping, so don’t overlook that pain like I did.  

You can never be over-prepared. My husband and I went thoroughly prepared into that hospital. We made sure we were knowledgeable with the stages of labor, monitoring tools, and with different methods on how to cope with the pain. We took our birthing ball, tennis balls (to massage my back with), heating pad, and we actually used it all. Some worked better than others, but you have to see what works for you during each stage of labor. Don’t feel embarrassed or shy to bring 1/2 your closet if you’d like. It’s your experience and what ever is going to help you deliver that baby bring it with you. 

Wishing all you soon-to-be mommies the best of luck. Remember that your body was built for this and you will gather the strength to get through it. When you’re going through labor we transform into these super humans that are able to withstand the pain that will bring us the biggest joy ever. Pain is only temporary you will get through it. Good luck and if you have any questions please leave them below or if you’d like me to write a specific blog post just let me know as well!

Photography By: Nathalie Bize