Loose bowels and broken bones: Women share the unspoken realities of childbirth

We all know that childbirth is no easy feat and a recent Reddit thread has encouraged women to open up about their personal experiences.

From the realities of labour injuries to the likelihood of post-birth sex, these are the unspoken truths we learned:

Your birth plan will probably change

Although not every expectant mother chooses to write a birth plan, some find it comforting to let their doctors and midwives know what they expect to happen. And experienced mothers took to the thread to share their own personal experiences.

One user took to the site to write: “It’s ok to have a ‘birth plan’ but expect that plan may change. Don’t suffer if you need pain killers/epidurals. You may end up in the operating room getting a C-section.”

She continued, “Be vigilant and aware and your own self-advocate but the situation may change instantly and you have to let go and go with the flow.”