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Things you wish people had told you before your first birth!
Hi Girls
I hope you are all well.
I just thought I'd start a discussion aou the things that you wish people ahd told you before your first birth.
I imagine that there are loads of unexpected things that really can't prepare you for your first baby, and I don't know about you but not knowing is quite scary.. especially the birth.
I know from when I got married last August i organised things right down to the finest detail, but there were a few hiccups and things that happened I just didn't consider in the flurry and excitement of the day. For example, mum took off the rose corsage (that was the highlight of my dress) and forgott where it was (it was in the dress bag).. the flower girl and sister in law were very late becasue they got lost on the way, my veil wasn't pinned in properly and kept falling out right through the wedding ceremony.. blah blah, there were loads of little things.
What do you wish people had told you, or what happened you didn't think of?? DISCUSS PLEAE!
I'm really interested. XXX
I hope you are all well.
I just thought I'd start a discussion aou the things that you wish people ahd told you before your first birth.
I imagine that there are loads of unexpected things that really can't prepare you for your first baby, and I don't know about you but not knowing is quite scary.. especially the birth.
I know from when I got married last August i organised things right down to the finest detail, but there were a few hiccups and things that happened I just didn't consider in the flurry and excitement of the day. For example, mum took off the rose corsage (that was the highlight of my dress) and forgott where it was (it was in the dress bag).. the flower girl and sister in law were very late becasue they got lost on the way, my veil wasn't pinned in properly and kept falling out right through the wedding ceremony.. blah blah, there were loads of little things.
What do you wish people had told you, or what happened you didn't think of?? DISCUSS PLEAE!
I'm really interested. XXX
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Replies
I also wish they would have informed me of how many people will come to visit and how many bunches of flowers i would get......make sure you have plenty of drinks in and vases!!!! we had about 20 people each day for the first couple of days.
thats about it really apart from dont worry about cleaning just enjoy the first few weeks because they are so tiny for only a little while and i think you need to make the most of every little second!!!!
lelly
xxxxx
and another thing was walking after birth..like john Wayne lol i remember lying in my bed watching the other lady across the room get up and walk and wondered why she was walking so funny...wasn't until i got up did i realise lol
oh and the other was the checks the midwives do on you when your home,never expected it and being a bit of a prude in a way (more so about my own body and keeping it private,labour was alright as it had a purpose) i found it a bit hard
but saying all that im trying to do it all again
[Modified by: siandonna on July 06, 2010 10:18 AM]
I also (this sounds so stupid) wasn't prepared for my first day or two with a newborn. I'd spent 9months getting used to pregnancy and preparing for birth but had NO idea what to do when I had a baby to care for. I was alone in the hospital for my first few hours or more due to visiting times, and when Evie cried I remember thinking.... ok.... now what do i do?! I didn't know when i should change her nappy or anything. I remember after a few hours seeing one of the other mummys doing a nappy and it suddenly struck me.. maybe i should do Evie's too! good job i did as she'd done her first poo. But in all seriousness, the midwives weren't very helpful at all, it was quite busy, so i was literally on my own and completely niave and clueless. This time round I'll be so much more confident just to take charge with my baby and have a better idea of what to do!
xxx
Also, i wish someone had told me that you can make all the plans in the world for the birth, but when your baby makes an appearance it wont matter how and when or why, but it will be all worth it in the end!
that growth spurts exist! those first 6 weeks he'd go thru little stages of constantly wnating to feed and being so upset, i thought there was something wrong, but each time i called a mw i was told 'it's a growth spuirt', why they can't prewarn u i don't know, would save a lot of panic!
xx
17+5
ps, water birth would be prefectly safe as long as ur considered low risk (regardless of first or fifth pregnancy), not sure why it wouldn't be?
also about going for a wee after ouch and well after that the fear of going for a number to was even worse i recomend baby wipes insead of loo roll lol
OMG why am i doing it again lol
MJ35+3
TBH birth was every bit as painful as I had been told/ expected. A useful tip was take FYBOGEL after birth before you have to do your first number 2. Its not a laxative and am fiarly sure it can be used thorugh pregnancy but anyway it assisted the first 'passing' or three and made it a billion times more bearable .
I second - first babies are not always late. I had my entire last weekend of freedom planned but oh no , it didnt happen. Am still waiting for that night outto the local indiamnresturant as it hapens ! lol
I wish i had been told that for most women their bodys will change forever. eg lady bits I had an episiostomy and although surgeon was fab and sewed me back up again very well things are slighty different down there and for ages I was self conscious, that and the baby weight - 9 months on I am 2 pounds off having all baby weight off but I am no where near the size I was, I have skinnier arms and legs but that tum just will not shift!
All the stuff about BF and how hard it really is and that babys have growth spurts that cause them to eat like a eat , probabley obvious to most but I did ring my friend in tears when lo would not stop feeding only for her then to explain what happens in a growth spurt ! If you had told me before I wouldnt have got upset!
Good luck to all you ladies, it really it so exciting. Am starting to get very broody again ready all these replys xx
Also I wish people wouldn't say how slow 1st labours are- even when I was 10cm and trying not to push the mw's were saying to me "no, no love 1st labours are on average 17hrs and you have only been in labour 6hrs, long way to go yet" shame then that my baby boy was born less than 20 minutes after that comment :roll:
I wish someone had told me just how emotional I would be. Maybe it was because I had a prem baby is SCBU but I cried every day for about 3 weeks (and he was only in hosp for 10 days!) Tears of joy, sadness at the abrupt end of my pregnancy, guilt etc etc. I also was very upset at the lack of visitors as people didn't want to 'put on me' having a new and very tiny baby. I would have loved to see more people- especially when I was in hospital.
One thing I am glad I was warned about by a very good friend of mine was how you may not feel an instant love for your baby and I certainly didn't. I thought he was beautiful and felt protective of him but I didn't get that rush of instant love. I think mostly it was shock but it took a good few days to feel that love. Now we are very close and very bonded so did us no harm!
that despite going for 3 sweeps and eating pineapple, drinking raspberry leaf tea , bouncing on the bloody ball ( which was seriously painfull for me) eating chilly/curries etc till i couldnt do it any more - sometimes the only way your lo will budge is through a having a magic little tablet inserted somewhere . oh and labour can start REALLY quickly once they start inducing you! I had tablet popedin at 3 and was in major pain by 5 and labour ward by 7! The pain was a big shock after not even having one contraction naturally!!!
oh and soon after and for a few months you may find you loose alot of hair - this is cause when pregnant, you loose less ahir cause of hormones and when baby arrives all the hair that should have fallen out naturally starts falling out now. i felt like i had a receeding hair line but he is nearly 2 and you would never know it had happened.
Love fi