1) I'd heard that pregnancy was like a marathon, but people forgot to mention that at the end of that marathon, you have to run an Ironman. Or at least that's what it felt like to me, and I didn't even have a particularly long labor! The level of exhaustion on all fronts was like nothing I've ever felt before, and I'm incredibly glad that both Trevor and our doula were there, because I depended on their physical and emotional support so much to keep me steady as things progressed. Of course, the reward at the end of all that hard work was one hundred percent worth everything it took to get there - my baby boy finally in my arms after months of anticipation.
2) Whenever people heard I'd had multiple kidney stones during pregnancy, they would then tell me I'd have no problem with giving birth. If only that had been true... Everyone experiences pain differently, and I honestly found labor pain to be much more difficult to cope with than kidney stone pain. It didn't necessarily hurt more, but it hurt differently, and in a way that I couldn't compartmentalize nearly as well. On the plus side, labor pain leads to an adorable baby, rather a tiny chunk of nasty looking minerals. I also found myself craving Trevor's encouraging words and reassuring touch during labor, which was pretty much the opposite of how I feel with kidney stones, and was good for connecting as a couple in those moments.
3) Everyone says that when you first hold your child in your arms, you discover a level of love that you've never felt before, but that wasn't the case for me. Granted, I was ridiculously happy to finally have him in my arms, and snuggling him has continued to be one of my favorite things. But I don't feel like the depth and intensity of the love I feel towards my little boy has changed with his birth - it's been constant since week eight of pregnancy, when I had some bleeding and thought we might be losing the baby. I realized in that moment how much I loved this child that I'd never seen, and while gazing into his eyes right after he was born was a moment of intense joy, it didn't magically increase that love. It simply reaffirmed it, and I'm guessing my understanding of what that love looks like will change and grow as my little boy does - I'm excited for that.
