Im finding it really hard to imagine actually going into labour and having the baby

Can you tell me some of your experiences long or short I dont mind.. Just so I can picture it a little bit more.. the emotions, fears, Practicalities Everything really!! No matter how small it is please tell me how it feels to be a MUM cus i just cant imagine myself being a Mum

Thanks xxx

ps. Positive and negative things Im happy to hear both.. x

Stressful but rewarding x

Its the most amazing and also surreal experience to ever happen to you! Even when baby's head is out you cannot actually believe that you are actually having a baby! Once all of baby is out you cannot fathom how baby fitted in yur tummy or how you managed to give birth to him/her! When i was handed each of my children (i have 3) i felt like i was meeting them for the first time but also that i had known them forever, it was just wonderful :-) One of the things i recommend you do in labour is when you are at the pushing stage and babies head is almost born reach down and feel the top of thier head - its an amazing experience. Labour is the most painful thing you can imagine multiplied by ten but its a purposefull pain and not like a broke your leg pain. Try to stay in control and remember each contraction is one closer to meeting baby - its easy to lose control when in pain. Do what your body is telling you and take what help / drugs etc you need. I had my 3 with no epidural and my 3rd i had with just gas & air and i can honestly say i thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can remember every bit of it.

Hi. My advise, go with the flow, dont think about it Keep an open mind to all options available during ur labor.

I was 1 wk over due when I was scheduled for induction, Water broke before I reached the hospital. Was induced for 20 hrs with no contractions & I only dilated 1 cms. I ended up with an emergency CS as the baby was in distress. I was excited before going to the hospital, but after 20 hrs stress started to build up as I was really concerned about the baby. I was in no pain before the CS. Mine was a bit traumatic, but it's all frm the past.

Just remember the most important thing is going back home safe with a healthy baby.xx

The first fews weeks will be a complete emotional and physical roll coaster. Its all completely normal. One minute you will be looking at the most beautiful baby in the world thinking "I made him/her" and not understanding how you can possibly love someone SOOO MUCH. The next you will be crying and feeling exhausted and wondering if your life will ever be normal again, and if you will ever care about things like, who is going to be kick off X-factor this week ever again.

Its hard work, and even though people tell you this, you still don't realise until you are doing it! BUT IT IS SO REWARDING AND FANTASTIC.



Someone gave me this poem and it really sums up the first few months- for me anyway


A Short, very precious time

For a little while the household must revolve around the baby. Soon enough it will have to learn discipline. For this brief magical hour - let it be the focal point of your lives

Dear Baby,
Just for a little while your place is in my arms,
Snuggled against my shoulder,
Sprawled across my knees- or drifting into sleep
at any angle that you chose,
your starfish hands out-flung.
But even now i feel your little
feet brace against me, feel you twist like a little
fish - getting ready for escape. The time is getting
nearer when you will squirm away
across the floor, then crawl, the walk. Then
run to the furthest corners of the world.
But I will always remember.
And will always be waiting.
Just in case you need me.

Dear Parents....

Do not begrudge me these few months of needing your
absolute attention.
I am busier than I will ever be again - growing
and learning for my future. And I will show you
my gratitude. Every day I'll bring you
something new, something wonderful. A smile,
a bird sound, an achievement. My being small
lasts so short a time. Share it with me.
Before you know it, I'll be grown and gone.

Never rush a baby, Its only going to be this way once - let it enjoy the view.

completely amazing! Its amazing how your body copes with the pain. My body just took over.

But when baby comes out it is the weirdest feeling you cant work out how it was ever in your tummy!!

My waters broke 2 weeks before I was due. The same thing happened in my first pregnancy too and both times I remember thinking to myself OMG here goes, going to meet baby soon, it was an exciting but scary feeling because you are never quite sure what will happen (even felt a bit like that with my 2nd as labours can be different). The most important thing I kept thinking was to not panic, and listen to the midwives. Like others have said aswell go with the flow, if you need pain relief then take it!

Enjoy the experience aswell because it is something you never do alot in your lifetime and it is amazing when you first meet baby, and as soon as the baby is here the pain has disappeared.

Good luck

to be honest the pain was not as bad as i thought it was going to be. yes it "hurt" but not like pain caused when something is going wrong with the body. it was...pain with a purpose. i think that the people that were surrounding me at the time helped a lot, and without a good support team perhaps the pain would have been worse. also she was born at home so i was completely comfortable and i felt secure and safe. so. it was not the worst pain i have ever felt, it was very manageable. it was amazing. it was surreal. it was scary. it was FUN. i was in laborland in my head and time wasn't time anymore, it was just...labortime. and when she came out (12 hours from start to finish) and i pulled her up to my chest (she was born in a birthing tub ) i KNEW i had met her before and i KNEW she was mine.
you are going to be great. before it happened i couldn't really wrap my mind around actually being in labor, it seemed like it was never going to happen! then it did. hehe. and it was amazing. good luck and congratulations!

Hiya.... I really can't sum up everything you've aked for in one post, so instead I'd say have a read of my pregnancy journal (link in signature) from about page 80 for my lead up to labour and birth, and then skip across to my parenting journal if you want to see how our first few weeks have been. April is 6 weeks old tomorrow.

Labour, in hindsight, was a fabulous experience and every day since has brought me a combination of joy, tears, exhaustion and physical pain... but most of all an overwhelming feeling of love, like you just couldn't imagine.

Its one of the scariest and amazing experiences of my life. I was lucky to have two birthing experiences that were exactly what I wanted. Once the baby is there you won't actually believe what your body has done, its quite miraculous!!