We all hope our labour will be a little different from those we’ve heard about. Maybe we’ll be the exception; we’ll have muslin drapes gently billowing in the breeze and a serene atmosphere followed by a mildly uncomfortable birth, before baby is placed in our arms and we become World’s #1 Mother.

Doesn’t work that way, but so what? Here are just a few thing that you mightn't have been told about your impending labour. Like everything else, you're going to be fine with these too.

1) You leave your dignity at the door…and you’re OK with that.
So, you’ve probably already heard that you’re likely to poop, vomit or expel so much blood during labour that you’ll resemble an extra from CSI, right? But what you’re not often told is how LITTLE you’ll care. No, really.

2) Your water may break more than once…and you’re OK with that.
That’s not how it goes in the movies, we know. But many women may experience multiple cases of their water breaking throughout the day. It makes sense when you think about it, the ‘water’ is the amniotic fluid that forms the sac around your baby and instead of bursting in one enormous gush, it may just trickle at intervals throughout the day. No probs.

3) There WILL be blood…and you’re OK with that.
Much like the delivery itself can be a bloody affair, its aftermath can be just as gory, but relax you can handle this! You deal with your period like a champ, right? This is just a longer period. Admittedly, a few weeks longer, but who’s counting?

4) It is actually empowering… and you’re definitely OK with that.
You are going to be doing the hardest job in the room and everyone in there knows that.  Not only are you doing the hardest job, you’re doing it so well. You are owning the delivery room like you secretly knew you would.

5) You will forget what it was like…and sometimes you’re NOT OK with that.
It might be hard to imagine now, but at some point in the future, a friend or daughter will ask you what childbirth was like and you will find yourself momentarily stumped. You know there was a hospital, and yeah there was pain. You definitely heard the same song on the radio a few times, but really all you can remember is when you finally met your baby for the first time. That moment acts like an eraser for all that went before. Your friends aren’t going to be happy, you PROMISED them the gory details, but what can ya do?

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