There are three moments I always tell my friends about when they are in their final weeks of pregnancy. These are three major moments of instant relief to look forward to when your skin is tight and itchy, your joints are aching from the extra weight, and everything hurts in general.
The first major relief was the moment when my doctor broke my water. It doesn’t matter if your water is broken artificially or naturally, the moment your water is broken, a considerable amount of tension and pressure on your skin around your belly is gone. It wasn’t exactly visible the way you would imagine a leaking water balloon, but the sensation was dramatic and abrupt. Suddenly, the itching and the discomfort of tight skin was gone! I would imagine the only exception to this experience is if you experience an extremely slow trickle rather than a classic gush. In that case, relief would come on a little slower.
The second moment of relief I remember was immediately following the birth of my placenta. The second it came out, my contractions were over and a tremendous sense of relief and joy came over me. I was emotionally relieved, but even more than that, my body relaxed and I felt such physical relief from the strain and pain of childbirth. Like a migraine fading in an instant, I didn’t realize how much the pain had grown (and I had grown accustomed to it) until it vanished. There was no lingering pain. (Don’t worry, that came later. The muscle aches kick in the next day, similar to the way a rigorous workout comes back to haunt you.). It was pure relief … at least for a brief time until I started getting stitches. That’s another topic!
The third major “aahh” moment was the first time I stood up after giving birth. The best comparison I can come up with is the sensation you feel when stepping into your shoes after rollerblading for a while. The ground feels more solid than you can remember. Your feet seem to hit the ground sooner. Your awareness of the impact between your feet and the ground heightens because something has dramatically changed. In the same way, the first time you stand up after giving birth, you can literally feel that you have just lost 12-15 pounds. It feel weird and good at the same time. You literally feel light on your feet. Combine that sensation with the elation of giving birth and you feel as though you could fly. Okay, maybe it’s not that extreme, but I do vividly remember how good I felt. I had been carrying a heavy backpack around for months, so to speak, and someone finally let me put it down.