Sometimes, delivering your baby goes nothing like you’d planned. Below, reader Cymone M. shares her delivery story and what we can all learn from it.

When did you give birth?

I gave birth March 3rd, 2016.

Tell us about your delivery. How long were you in labor? Did it go as you planned?

My delivery was long and went nothing how I would have planned. My water broke sometime while I was asleep Monday night/Tuesday morning. I woke up wet, but did not think too hard on it because I never felt a pop, a gush of water or was even soaked like I was led to believe would happen.

I went all of Wednesday in pain with contractions but none that were close enough to warrant going into labor and delivery. I was in labor all of Wednesday and when I wasn’t progressing by 9 pm, I was induced.

It wasn’t until around 3 pm on Thursday that the urge to push finally happened. But after pushing for four hours, we didn’t seem to be progressing much. After tears and disappointment in myself for not being able to do what I felt my body was made to do, I resigned to the fact that I would be having a c-section. My beautiful angel was born March 3rd, at 8:31pm.

What expectations did you have of delivery before you went through it?

The expectations I had about delivery were the TV expectations. I thought my water would break and after maybe a few hours, I would have a baby. I expected to at least attempt a natural delivery.

What do know now that you wish you’d known before you went into labor?

There are a lot of things I wish I knew about labor, that I now know. I wish I knew that it’s possible for your water to break and it not be a big thing. I wish that I knew that sometimes things don’t go as planned and it’s completely alright.

Like many other mothers, I had a birth plan. And after everything happened, I realized that absolutely nothing went as planned and for a while that really got to me. Every time I would think about my experience, or hear my friends experiences I would tear up. And it took me realizing that it’s okay that everything didn’t go as planned. Because regardless I brought a beautiful little soul into this world, and that I can live with.

Any advice for the moms-to-be?

My advice to moms-to-be would be, don’t get hung up on the small things. Being a new mother is hard enough without fretting about tiny unimportant things. I joined a lot of mom groups/mom support pages while I was pregnant and after I had my baby.

There are going to be so many people and so many opinions on everything you do, on every action and belief. Moms will shame you if you cloth diaper, moms will shame you if you use disposables. Moms will shame you for breastfeeding, moms will shame you for formula feeding. Moms will tell you to baby wear, but only if you can afford the most expensive carriers. Moms will shame you regardless of what you’re doing, but no matter what you are doing the best for your baby. And you are doing great.

Want to share your own story of delivery, pregnancy or life with a new baby? We’d love to hear it here!