7 things I really wasn’t prepared for during my first labour
There’s only so much you can prepare for when it comes to labour, and because every birth is different, it’s impossible to really know what lies ahead. When I was pregnant, I did everything I could in the lead-up to my big day. Like many others, I went to my antenatal classes and learned about the stages of labour, the different types of pain management and what an episiotomy was all about. I wrote a birth plan and read up on what to expect when my waters broke. I thought I was clued up and knew what was coming.
But while a lot of things happened during my first labour that I had been forewarned about, there were plenty of things that took me by surprise, despite my careful preparations.
2. Contractions left me speechless
I did what I was told and stayed home during early labour, timing the contractions and noting when they became longer and closer together. But even for early labour contractions, the pain blew me away. For some reason, I couldn’t stand talking or being with anyone when I was in the throes of one, so whenever I felt a contraction coming I went into another room to rock on all fours while the pain took over my body.