Here is a short list of what I wish someone would have prepared me for after I gave birth. When you're pregnant, you're like the queen, everything is about you, then once baby is here people forget to ask how Mum is getting on.
1. Swelling -
Oh my days, the swelling. I thought I was swollen during pregnancy (I was), but postnatal swelling was out of this world. It was so bad that after giving birth, I literally couldn't stop staring at my hands, they were twice the size and didn't even like like they were mine! It was a constant topic of conversation on the day my baby was born! My feet was swollen for weeks afterwards to the point that soft slippers left a ring around my foot..... I was under the impression this would all go once the baba was out of your belly!
2. Stitches -
They hurt more than labour. They hurt more than any physical pain I have ever known. I was in so much pain, I found it incredibly difficult to care for my baby, to walk, to sit on anything other than a pillow.
3. Pushing Longer Than Expected -
1 hour and 40 minutes of pushing when 'One Born Every Minute' makes it look like 3 pushes and pop. I was exhausted.
4. Lack of Sleep -
Visitors all day and nocturnal baby up all night. Next time I would limit the visitors time and they won't be invited around on the first day home.
5. First Night Home Screaming -
Baby comes in to the new surroundings of their home and William screamed unconsolably for 4 hours. The midwife nodded her head and said it's really common.... I was not expecting it!! He didn't let out a peep in the Hospital.
6. Adrenaline -
This really can keep you going on for days. I had 12 hours broken sleep in 5 days.
7. Postnatal Rage aka Hormones -
This is real. How I'm still engaged I would never know. There was genuinely times that I just wanted to be around my baby and that was it. I didn't want people's advice or people poking there noses in.
8. Weight -
This doesn't fall off quite as easy as expected! Next time I might miss the Ben & Jerry Ice Cream!
9. Breastfeeding -
This is reeeally really hard. Hats off to all the women who manage it. I still suffer Mum guilt for not being able to do this.
10. Self Care is a thing of the past for a short while.
It's been a week since I washed y hair and took 3 months to paint my nails. You're busy all day and tired all night.
11. Fear of the toilet.
I was terrified. Face the fear or it gets worse!
12. The sooner you learn to adjust to life one handed, the sooner you can do normal day to day things again.
No explanation needed!
But in all honesty, it is worth it all a million times over.
No comments:
Post a Comment