1. "the ring of fire!"..the feeling you get when baby comes through
2. you will poop
3. labour land really does exsist!
4. your husband will panic no matter what he says
5. never say never!

lol..next?

1. Your whole body might start shaking right after you deliver. I've heard it's from the rush of hormones. It freaked me out because no one told me it might happen.

2. If you have any kind of IV in @ all, a hospital WILL give you pitocin & won't even tell you about it, even if it's in your birth plan.

3. If you don't tell them, your doctor will pull on your cord gently to get the placenta to separate from your uterine wall instead of just letting it come out when it wants to.

4. Some hospitals give the new Mom AND the new Dad a special dinner, ask to see if your does if you do a hospital.

5. Follow my hypnobirth teacher's advice (and really truly don't be afraid to follow it!!): Ask for forgiveness, not permission! They are here to support YOU, not to bully you into doing a birth like everyone elses!

Disclaimer: I obviously gave birth in a hospital! If you aren't in a hospital, you can probably ignore most of these!

I had an unnecessary c-section with my first so my second child--(homebirth with a midwife) was much simpler and easier for me.
Compared to surgical birth the Lochia was chunkier! I guess the surgeon takes the big chunks out for you!

I also felt better quicker!
Anyway--My chiropractic work during pregnancy, Pilates before conception and early pregnancy and lots of protein (Brewers Diet) and fluid helped this time

That you may get super dizzy and get numb fingers from heavy breathing!

And what an incredibly spiritual experience it truly is!

It will complete you as a woman in a way you never knew you needed and didn't know you were lacking.

1. if you plan a ubac expect everyone to freak out and to avoid asking or mentioning your pregnancy or impending birth

2. birth is bloody and that doesnt mean you need to go to a hospital

3. if you fear the pain it makes it unbearable. if you believe in birth and the ability of your body even 38 hours of back labor au natural is totally do-able.

4. other people may try to undermine your decisions by telling you its okay to do xyz, it takes alot to ignore those things when youre vulnerable and birthing so choose who you have at your birth wisely.

5. if your water breaks its not immediately an emergency. so long as you keep all items out of your vagina, even fingers to check the cervix(germs dont care what your intentions are), and drink lots of water you should be fine. i have heard stories of women in labor for up to 13 days with broken waters who have been fine. i understand its only a problem unless you develoup a fever or have meconium and birth is not imminent. *this is the thing i wish i had known the most in my births.*

1. Contractions and delivery really doesn't have to hurt and won't be painful for everyone.

2. Try to get chiropractic work done early in labor -it helps the body and the baby so much.

3. The placenta is really cool to look at and examine.

4. Orgasmic birth really is possible.

5. Those post-baby full body shakes can last more than 24 hours. And can reoccur every time you use the bathroom for the first week.

1. natural childbirth hurts way less than an epidural
2. you will scratch and claw anyone who gets near you during contractions, and that doesn't seem like a bad thing at the time
3. all of the stuff that you requested to help with the labor (oils, candles, aromatherapy) you will throw across the room because they bug you so much.
4. for the first week after labor you will sweat like a beast (so expect to change bed sheets every day, if at all possible)
5. natural childbirth rocks more than anything else God or man every thought of.

Cliche

I know it sounds stupid but expect to be surprised. I loved every moment of my labor and birth but it was nothing like I thought it would be. So just keep an open mind and a very fluid plan that allows different eventualities.
If at all possible don't even consider hospital birth without a doula or midwife present. They are God's gift to pregnant women.
Don't fear the pain. Pain is not suffering. Suffering is involved when your attitude gets in the way of your experience.

i wish i knew that not everyone has the ring of fire. not everyone even feels birth as pain.
with my first vaginal birth it felt like gushing water coming out of my vagina durring a contraction then resting. little did i know the gushing water was my new baby girl!

I didn't have ring of fire either. Pushing felt sooooo good after the intensity of the contractions.

OK......feeling a bit defensive about the whole ring of fire thing here...

I did have the ring of fire but I did not perceive it at the time as "painful"...it was a very amazing feeling and very intense but not something *terrible*

I am sorry I mentioned it so lightly and did not put the feeling everyone else did into my post.

I guess I was coming from a lighter side with fun with my OP.When I think of "the ring of fire" I am reminded of the movie Nemo and the scene in it and it makes me smile......to think they used a phrase that is also used in child birth...

i have known alot of people who very definitely had the ring of fire so its totally not made up or anything. i thought of it as the rule as opposed to the exception. just thought id mention...
no reason to feel defensive

thansk Layla
I was having a bad day yesterday so I should have not taken it all so personally...UGH!
sorry again....