GETTING pregnant is hard. Being pregnant is harder.

But after pregnancy is the hardest. It goes in so many levels, but the first stage is giving birth. You know why everybody wishes a pregnant woman, "have a safe delivery!" That is because a woman is about to give life to another human being -- the normal way or cesarean.

I am writing 5 out of 10 lessons that I shared from my YouTube vlog. Just a quick background, I gave birth via normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (NSVD) with epidural at 37 weeks in San Pedro Hospital. I was in labor for 16 hours.

I researched everything that I needed to know about giving birth but ended up making another list of those what I wish I knew before my normal delivery.

So, these are the lessons that I literally learned the hard way. LOL!

1. Avoid stressful activities that might preempt labor. Please, just relax.

2. Internal examination (IE) or internal check-up hurts so bad. But, medical practitioners need to do this to check on you!

3. Physical activities (ex. squats) are discouraged during labor especially after your water breaks. The baby might fall from the inside.

4. Push hard like you are having a bowel movement! You know the drill.

5. Invest in good breast pumps, especially for working moms. It's best to start building milk stash a month after giving birth.

Disclaimer: These are based on my personal experience. The level of pain tolerance differs from one mom to another. Every pregnancy and birth story is different. However, the common goal is to have a safe delivery.

I am not scaring first-time moms-to-be here, but this is reality. All you need to do is talk to your gynecologist and discuss everything. Prepare yourself physically and mentally, and pray.

[The writer appreciates story suggestions. Follow her on Instagram at @mommyaracasastumuran. Subscribe to her Youtube channel www.youtube.com/c/AraCasasTumuran.]