Top 10 Childbirth Surprises

I've had three babies, and found that childbirth is never quite what you expect. Here are some things that have surprised me during childbirth.

If your water breaks, that doesn't necessarily mean the baby's coming. The first time, my water broke while I was asleep. We went to the hospital, but I wasn't having contractions, just a vaguely uncomfortable feeling. A nurse confirmed that there were no contractions and no dilation. The doctor ordered induction to prevent infection.

Contractions can be painless for quite a while. The nurse gave me a fairly low dose of Pitocin. I started having contractions, but they were completely painless.

Contractions can become painful very suddenly. Things weren't progressing quickly enough for my doctor, and he increased the Pitocin. The contractions rapidly went from painless to intense!

Even without Pitocin, contractions will be strong and painful. For my second birth, I'd requested no Pitocin, figuring it had made things worse. But as labor progressed, it was just as painful, and I still asked for medication.

Walking or staying in an upright position becomes very difficult. Supposedly walking and staying upright speeds labor and may even ease pain. So for my second birth I tried to keep moving and stay vertical, but the pains were so bad that I couldn't stand standing. Lying on my side felt much better.

The epidural can get out of place. When the first dose of medication wore off and I wanted more, they discovered that the catheter was out of place! So I had to sit on the edge of the bed while they fished around in my spine, and at the same time I was getting into the really hard pains of transition!

It's easy to let other people take over. I had a birth plan each time, but in the throes of labor, plans often fall by the wayside. A doula can help with this, if you can afford one. Since she's not physically and emotionally involved, she can remind medical personnel (and even you and your partner!) of what your wishes are.

It feels crowded in the delivery room. Once you start pushing, it feels like everyone on the floor is suddenly there. You've got at least your nurse and a doctor or midwife, but often there's an extra nurse or two and maybe a resident or student if you're in a teaching hospital.

I was so tired by the end. Especially with my first birth - it was only 6:00 p.m., but when we finally got around to pushing, I was not even interested - more than anything else, I just wanted to go to sleep!

Being in physical shock afterward. Immediately after having my first baby, I was shaking with chills, and the nurse covered me in heated blankets. My blood pressure dropped if I was lying down, and rose too high if I was sitting upright. These symptoms are more common with epidurals.