Having a baby is very exciting and scary and weird. But mostly, having a baby in real life is pretty much nothing like it appears in the movies. Here are a few things that no one told you about having a baby.

1. Water breaking in movies and television shows is usually a sudden burst that warrants an immediate rush to the hospital. In real life, it’s rare that it’s a sudden burst. Usually, it’s more of a slow leak that feels more like you’re peeing yourself. And in some cases, your water doesn’t break, so your doctor does that for you. If your water does break, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the arrival of your baby is imminent. But once it does break, your baby isn’t protected, so you can get an infection.

2. Although most people fear pushing out the baby as the most painful part of having a baby, the contractions can actually be much worse. Like the most bizarrely evil menstrual cramps ever. For others, the baby coming out really is the bad part.

3. It does feel like you need to evacuate your bowels. Once you start feeling like you have to poop, it means that the baby is trying to push its way out.

4. Your doctor may not be in the delivery room with you. The doctor that you bond with during pregnancy may or may not be present with you in the delivery room, depending on the hospital’s schedule. It may seem like a big deal, but by the time you’re ready for the baby, you won’t care who it is helping you out, as long as the baby comes out.

5. You might vomit. Vomiting is pretty common for women in labor, either before or after, so pack some mouthwash and lip balm in your hospital bag to feel more comfortable.

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