10 Childbirth Secrets Straight From a Delivery Nurse

"I don't even think about it anymore. It's just part of my job. I just want to do everything possible to make my patients extremely comfortable so they feel at ease," she explained. "Labor does not define a person. My patient is human, and I try to be as nonjudgmental as I can because I'm dealing with different cultures, pasts/experiences, and expectations that I have to tailor my approach."

"I wish expectant moms would be more understanding of the scenario and realize that it may not go according to the birth plan. It's important to have realistic expectations," she assured. "It doesn't happen like you see in the movies. You have to be prepared and ready for anything. Also, be an active listener during pushing, and rely on your doula/nurse to give you valuable feedback in order to push more efficiently."

"I don't like photographers in the room since sometimes nurses feel they have a hidden agenda (like what are the really trying to photograph)," she said. "Also, they often interfere with the workflow or are in the way when procedures need to be performed, especially during emergency situations."

"Be open-minded. You may want to control the situation, but ultimately your baby will tell us which direction we are headed," she explained. "We often have to continuously monitor the baby during active labor to ensure the baby is tolerating the stress of labor. For example, you may have wanted to deliver vaginally, but your body may have stopped dilating at five centimeters when it needs to be at 10 centimeters in order to deliver. In that case, the patient will have to go for a C-section. Another example is if a patient is laboring, and the baby has a deceleration in heart rate that does not come back up after a few minutes. That would be an emergency C-section. Again, our main concern is safety for the baby and mom."