things we werent told

[lrxjessica]

Things I wasn't made aware of:
1) pointing his little wee wee down in diaper so he doesn't wet outside it and leak
2) That my first period could turn into two periods a week apart in one month(I freaked out thinking I tore my inner cut from the c section)
3) The possibility of nipple blisters from breast feeding

 

[jenkins]

that recovery from labour can be a trillion times worse than the actual labour

that even if you are laid back and happy and relaxed - doesn't mean your baby will be

no matter how much you've ever loved anyone or anything absolutely nothing compares to the love for your baby

even tho above is true at times when colic strikes you feel like throwing yourself or baby or both out the window

 

[Mrs Dot]

All I can say is thank the lord for this forum! You guys never fail to come up trumps for everything!

 

[peanut56]

No one told me:

-How painful the recovery after the birth would be. Someone said they said no when offered pain killers after birth - I did the same thing, and really regretted it. Thankfully my recovery took only about 3 weeks.
-How much I would bleed for the first few days after giving birth!! Holy crap!!
-How unbelievably exhausting the first few weeks are. Although I'm sure if someone HAD told me, I wouldn't have believed it.
-How much I would LOVE this little person who did a huge number on my poor body, barfs all over me, keeps me awake when I'm dying for sleep, poops out her diaper, and pulls my hair!

 

[ducky1502]

I wasn't aware....
1.) How much labour would actually hurt! Back to back labour and it hurt so much more than I was expecting (maybe a blessing I guess)
2.) That being stitched back up after labour would hurt just as much as labour itself.
3.) That once the baby is placed on your chest all the pain is forgotten.....NOT! This certainly wasn't the case for me lol.
4.) That not everyone is hit with that wave of instant love, in fact I was in numb daze for at least the first few days.
5.) That your heart would literally break when they were in pain
6.) That colic/reflux existed

I could go on and on

But most importantly that being a mummy is AMAZING and it really is true that your life has SO much more meaning. Every little thing makes me smile, from a trump to him splashing in the bath and it totally outweighs any bad points

 

[vaniilla]

You don't have to Fairy washing up gel at all - non bio is advisable (any make) but lots of people use bio.

You also don't have to get your baby weighed very often unless there's an issue.

what I was going to say

we were advised by the gp and health visitor to only get lo weighed 4 times a year at a max as their weight goes up and down (unless there is a problem with them) and that as long as they're feeding well and getting enough dirty/wet nappies, generally well its not something that needs to be done


no one told me :
to take more than 4 dressing gowns to the hospital - I was sooo hot & clammy I kept needing to change and needed more maternity pads than I took in (I took 2 packs in )
how important ear muffs are, I thought I was going mad for the 3 days I stayed there
the importance of a rocking stand, saved my sanity for the first weeks!

 

[hivechild]

that recovery from labour can be a trillion times worse than the actual labour

I would go through pregnancy and labor/birth 10 times over if I didn't have to go through the 6 weeks afterward!

It's so completely worth it all though. I love my little man, even when he still wakes up in the wee hours of the morning and I'm utterly exhausted but then he snuggles into me and gives me a sleepy smile when I cuddle him and my heart just turns to mush.

 

[lovealittle1]

No one told me:

1.that I have flat nipples maybe I should have known but I didn't.

2. How difficult BFing would be and still is.

3. That I would have to fight off the hospital staff to not give m baby formula.

4. That I would become so un-shy about my body. Finally!!!

5. That baby's can fart so much!

6. That I would cry so much.

7. everything you thought mattered doesn't anymore - all that mAtters is your baby.

I'm sure I could add more and more but I'll stop there.

 

[~RedLily~]

No one told me:

I would heavily bleed for 8 weeks pp

It was possible to function after a week of no sleep (labour/newborn) and that you would end up hallucinating. I thought I lost LO in the bed covers and actually undid the buttons looking for her (she was in the moses basket btw)

That you may end up being a totally different parent to how you imagined. I thought I would be a lot more relaxed than I am.

That rushing to an appointment 4 days pp is a bad idea and you end up in so much pain. Same with standing for 2 hours for guests less than a week pp.

 

[peanut56]

No one told me:

I would heavily bleed for 8 weeks pp

It was possible to function after a week of no sleep (labour/newborn) and that you would end up hallucinating. I thought I lost LO in the bed covers and actually undid the buttons looking for her (she was in the moses basket btw)

That you may end up being a totally different parent to how you imagined. I thought I would be a lot more relaxed than I am.

That rushing to an appointment 4 days pp is a bad idea and you end up in so much pain. Same with standing for 2 hours for guests less than a week pp.

I did the same thing!!

 

[pinklightbulb]

I got told that you bleed less after a c-section: well, I bled for 6 weeks and every time I did too much I started again over that time. Then I thought I had a hernia when it was just scar tissue on my pubic bone-- waaaay away from the scar itself and the HV scared the shit out of me because even she didn't know what it was. Thankfully it went away and was just scar tissue although I have no idea how it got down there?
I wasn't told you couldn't use normal washing power/fabric softener so I did and still do... LO hasn't had any problems from it though so maybe I was lucky?

 

[Seity]

I got told that you bleed less after a c-section: well, I bled for 6 weeks and every time I did too much I started again over that time. Then I thought I had a hernia when it was just scar tissue on my pubic bone-- waaaay away from the scar itself and the HV scared the shit out of me because even she didn't know what it was. Thankfully it went away and was just scar tissue although I have no idea how it got down there?
I wasn't told you couldn't use normal washing power/fabric softener so I did and still do... LO hasn't had any problems from it though so maybe I was lucky?

You don't need to use special soap for washing a babies clothes unless they have sensitive skin. I never have and would never considered it unless my LO had a reaction.

 

[pinklightbulb]

I got told that you bleed less after a c-section: well, I bled for 6 weeks and every time I did too much I started again over that time. Then I thought I had a hernia when it was just scar tissue on my pubic bone-- waaaay away from the scar itself and the HV scared the shit out of me because even she didn't know what it was. Thankfully it went away and was just scar tissue although I have no idea how it got down there?
I wasn't told you couldn't use normal washing power/fabric softener so I did and still do... LO hasn't had any problems from it though so maybe I was lucky?

You don't need to use special soap for washing a babies clothes unless they have sensitive skin. I never have and would never considered it unless my LO had a reaction.

Oh that's good to know, thanks Seity I panicked for ages when he was a new baby thinking I would give him eczema or something!

 

[2016]

I've had hallucinations too!

Nobody told me how easy labour and birth can be! (you can start throwing things at me now)! I realise it's not that way for everyone and I know I was so lucky...but it really was the easiest and best part of the whole pregnancy. My periods are WAY more painful. I was in labour all day and pushed for 40 mins with a 2nd degree tear but it didn't hurt any more than stubbing my toe and I had no pain relief!

How my not into preggo details/squeamish husband would decide to watch the whole birth from the business end and cheer me on the whole time!

How I would be made to feel like I didn't know my baby just because it's my first time and be ignored/pushed around by HV and doctors.

That your bewbs fill up like watermellons when your milk comes in and engorgement is terribly painful!

That a baby has different cries and they don't need picking up and feeding every time they squeak!

How I could make friends with strangers on a forum, some I may never meet, that will become as good as any of my friends IRL.

 

[newmommy23]

- female babies can have periods (I almost died)
- peeing still feels funny sometimes
- that my memory of the birth would get all fuzzy
- bfing is reallllly hard

 

[newmommy23]

oh and I just use normal tide for baby clothes lol. And I never knew it was possible to be in labor as long as I was, or cradle cap? I thought my baby was a lizard!
Plus she was peeling skin FOREVER

 

[XfairyhopesX]

No one told me that there is always something...

Growth spurt
Regression
Colds etc after jabs
Virus's
Teething trouble - one after another just as sleep appears for a day or so lol xx