Labor tips/info

I absolutely love my job as a Labor & Delivery nurse! And boy have I learned a LOT very quickly. There are some things I've learned along the way that I feel I should pass along...

1. No, I don't know how much longer it will be or how much worse it will get. Chances are good that it will get worse.
2. Yes, you will probably poop. No, it's not as big of a deal as you think it is. Yes, almost everyone does it, especially if you are pushing correctly.
3. If you insist upon having your mom's cousin's brother-in-law's uncle's family there for the delivery, make sure they do not touch the sterile table during delivery.
4. Don't let people take "crotch shots". The first reason being it's against our policy, the second being- why would you want those pictures anyway!?
5. Yes, you will "leak" amniotic fluid after your water breaks/is broken until you deliver.
6. Losing your mucus plug mean nothing to us- you don't need to show it to us.
7. If you come in to be induced, we most likely will use a labor inducing drug, and we will have to put an IV in.
8. No, we still do not know how much longer it will be. We can take an educated guess, but that might very well be many hours off.
9. It might be in your best interest to stick to clear liquids once in active labor, it will most likely all come back up shortly before delivery.
10. If you ask me if you can go out on a smoke break while you are in labor, I will tell you NO.
11. Your baby will be monitored at some point, continuous for inductions and high risk labors, while you are in the hospital. We are not trying to inconvenience you, we really do want what's best for you and your baby.
12. If it's your first baby, it is likely you will have to push for 1-3 hours.
13. Your nurses care about you and your baby very much and will do everything in their power to make your experience the very best it can be :)