The highs and lows of childbirth aren't only reserved for the hospital. When my partner and I took childbirth classes to prepare for the arrival of our first sweetheart, we arrogantly "graduated" thinking we learned all we needed to know. However, learning about labor and delivery and going through it are two completely different things — not to mention everything my mind and body would endure for days, weeks, and even months afterwards. There are many things no one tells you about recovering from childbirth, but I will, because I think every woman should know the reality you're about to deal with before you're recovering from labor.
For us, the birthing classes were great for the overall feel of what was in store but, because every woman and every labor and delivery is different, they left out all the (important) parts about the inevitable healing process. I'm sorry, but I don't want to just watch an old video of a live birth, or hear about how to get a baby to latch during breastfeeding. Sure, the aforementioned was helpful, but I also want (read: need) the gory details of what my body will do in order to find its new normal. I want to know how much pain I'll be in, how to deal with the fluctuating hormones when I'm a new mother, and where in the hell I'm supposed to buy adult diapers so that they can be purchased discreetly. In my humble opinion, that is just as important as any other piece of labor and delivery situation.
Our bodies go through so much during pregnancy and birth, so it only seems fair you know about the parts that follow. Like, will you ever be able to laugh without peeing yourself again? This, sadly, is something I can't give a definitive answer on. With that said, here are some of the things no one will tell you about your childbirth recovery (because you deserve to know).