The Things They Never Tell You

There are lots of things they never tell you about pregnancy and childbirth. I'll be honest about it. After learning I was pregnant, I did the mistake of googling "things." My advice is DON'T DO IT! Biggest mistake ever! I learned too much at 10 weeks along, and all through my pregnancy for that matter. Was it beneficial to know the things they never tell you? Why yes of course. Did it completely blow my mind about what was going to happen whenever I went into labor? Yes.
What was I the most terrified about? Blood, pain, contractions? No. What then? NEEDLES. I have an absolute fear of needles. I somehow managed to put 3 holes in each ear without hesitation, but my gosh tell me I'm getting a flu shot and I'll burst into tears before we even make it to the clinic. No one said they drew blood all the time when you're pregnant and severely anemic. No one said they give you all kinds of shots at the hospital after you have the baby. No one said they come in and draw blood a couple times at the hospital after you have the baby. That is exactly what I was afraid of.

One thing though never crossed my mind when I was sent into labor and delivery that day because all I could think about was having to have a needle in my spine for my epidural/spinal tap if they decide I was going to have the baby that day. All I could concentrate on was the possibility of that ginormous needle. One fear never crossed my mind til after the fact of being home and healthy and up and getting in a routine- what if we went in to have our baby, but left without a baby? That thought never crosses a young, healthy pregnant woman's mind when your wonderful doctor is optimistic you would go into labor on your own and do so well because of such a healthy, relatively normal pregnancy.

After mulling it over a zillion and one times, I am thankful we were able to leave the hospital with a healthy baby girl. I am ecstatic to wake up in the early hours to feed or change diapers. I don't mind the projectile spit up or the 2 minute showers because I think she started crying. I don't mind it at all because what if I never got to do those things that I would have normally taken for granted.