Birth Expectations—And Realities—In One Hilarious Comic

If you’re already a parent, take a moment to think about your intended birth plan. Maybe it looked something like this:

Now take a moment to think about your delivery experience.

If they don’t quite line up, we found an illustrator who can empathize. And in a brand new blog started this month called How We Came To Be, she sketches her birth story in a hilariously honest frame-by-frame account.

First, her dreams of a transcendent water birth were dashed thanks to placenta previa.

Then, she was poked and prodded and very confused.

Those precious first few moments with baby were fleeting.

And some conversations with the hospital staff went better than others.

All in all, though, she says she couldn’t have done it without their help.

“I loved my nurses,” she says. “One gave me ice chips when I was feeling dehydrated. One wiped my bloody, clotty vagina when I was writhing in pain and couldn’t get up to the bathroom. And when things were unbearable, I was given lots of pain medications.”

Being discharged was a scary prospect, but she was ready to bring her son home.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.