what do you wish you had known

[isabelsmummy]

... About labour delivery and the early weeks of parenting beforehand?

 

[Supermaiden]

That my baby was breech and I would need an emergency C-sec to get him out! If I had known it would have made life easier afterwards. I wish I had known it would be bloody hard work in those first few months too! Also wish that I had known I would one day love my son, as I didnt know if I ever would, but I do! I love him love him love him

 

[tommyg]

I wish I knew that it would be ok! And that the brusing would be worse than the tear.

 

[mummy2lola]

For labour I wish I had known-that my baby was back to back and my epidural worked wonders on my belly but did nothing to my bum where all my contractions were and felt like my bum was going to explode.

Afterwards-when people say babies r hard,I just assumed they meant the getting up at night and the crying but I handled that fine.I wish I'd known what a shock to the system having a baby was,I felt like I missed my old life coz it's all just baby baby baby,feed,change,sleep and repeat but it gets soooo much better xx

 

[cherryglitter]

another one here for internal bruising. i didn't realise how long it would last and how sore it would be.

 

[Loui1001]

I wish I'd known how good the paracetamol drip would be for pain relief during labour and taken it earlier, I thought it would have been useless but it was better than anything. Except the spinal block

 

[scoobymum]

For labour I wish I had known-that my baby was back to back and my epidural worked wonders on my belly but did nothing to my bum where all my contractions were and felt like my bum was going to explode.

Afterwards-when people say babies r hard,I just assumed they meant the getting up at night and the crying but I handled that fine.I wish I'd known what a shock to the system having a baby was,I felt like I missed my old life coz it's all just baby baby baby,feed,change,sleep and repeat but it gets soooo much better xx

WSS!

I loved my baby and was 100% ready to start a family, bu nothing could have prepared me for how hard those first few weeks- dare i say- months are!!
It is ever ending, there is no break and i found caring for him/ breastfeeding and generally day to day life relentless.

Before I was preggers, I could have a good night out and cope being tired for the day knowing I could chill out the following night and catch up on my sleep. After having a baby, you are more tired than ever but there is no catch up time!

BUT- it is soooo worth it!! I love my DS more than i though possible. And now at almost 6 months, breast feeding is a doddle and I genuinely love spending all my time with my DS as he is such a pleasure to me

Don't be too hard on yourself if those feelings don't come straight away, you need time to get to know your baby xxx

 

[Waiting2Grow]

Ive only gotten through the 1st month, hard doesnt even begin to describe it!

 

[supertabby]

That newborns are hard. I knew it would completely change my life and be really really hard. I just didn't really KNOW it. And that it it isn't always that hard, eventually its hard work but wonderful instead of just hard work.

 

[XJessicaX]

I wish I had been more assertive during my labour. I am a nurse goddamit and I KNEW there was something up but regardless of my profession I was labelled 'first time neurotic mum' and was sent home twice. LO was stuck back to back with an escalating heart rate, I was bleeding heavily, I had fierce overlapping contractions and sending me home TWICE saying "take some paracetamol" while I cried for help was a completely ****y thing to do. (don't normally use very rude words, but i'm still angry over it) Ruined my experience completely. I should have demanded to stay (the ward was empty but night staff are lazy) and the only reason I returned for the 3rd time was because of the excessive blood loss, that I thought I was actually dying with the pain because there was no gap and because I finally lost my temper. Baby never dropped, her heart rate spiked suddenly and then (after reading notes) it plummeted which was why I was whizzed to theatre and given a spinal as the on call doctor thought I would need an emergency section but luckily the suction cap was enough to get my LO out.


Oh, and to top it all off. I wish I had been more assertive about my stitches needing re-stitching after they burst. I asked 2 midwives and a doctor and was fobbed off with "let it heal by itself" and one nurse actually asked me what I was doing looking down there anyway!! Next time...if the stitches come out, I want them put back in properly. I am not waiting 14 weeks next time to heal!!

 

[HungryHippo]

Wish I would have listened better to everyone who told me to sleep while I could. Was too enamored with LO to want to be away from her and the sleep deprivation caught up with me. Went a tad nuts for a few weeks until my sleep cycle got back on track. Get your sleep!!

 

[MrsH86]

During labour I wish I'd gone for an epidural so I wouldn't have needed to be knocked out with general anaesthetic for my emcs. I really regret no one got to see my baby be born! As for life with a newborn...I think even if someone had described how hard it is I wouldn't have understood until I experienced it but I do wish I'd known how hard breast feeding would be. Those first 6 weeks were so hard, baby feeding every hour, latch problems, bleeding nipples eek!! Worth it though x

 

[BabyN2010]

I wish I was told about the rush of hormones that leaves you feeling completely overwhelmed, its a life changing realization coupled with outrageous hormones which make you feel totally unprepared. I have never been a hormonal person - even when I was pregnant but after my son was born it took 3 days exactly for them to rush in.

Luckily it took just a few days and I was back to normal.

I think its funny how only after you have your baby do other moms confess the same feeling.

xx