we have all received so much (unwanted) advise during our pregnancies! You would think that we wouldn't be surprised by anything at this point. I thought it might be fun to discuss what surprised you during your pregnancy, labor, and or bringing home your new born.
I didn't realize how much you bled after having a baby. People told me that I would bleed, but I didn't realize that it was for weeks! Also the blood clots surprised me.
Nobody told me that I would lose my memory when I got pregnant. I mean I had heard of "pregnancy brain" but oh goodness! Even still if I don't write something down, it is out of my memory forever. It made work a lot harder, and even driving is more difficult. It makes me feel so stupid!
Re: What they didn't tell you
And no one told me how awkward going to the bathroom would be afterwards. Anxiety for bowel movements and just having to change how you normally go to the bathroom. People should really prepare you for that...
And then when I had my c section I wad dad to find out they still did that. So painful for me!
Big thing though.... how PAINFULLLL the cesarean would be!!! The pain was so bad I passed out from it and didn't get to enjoy seeing my baby for the first time.
Yes! Swollen lady parts! Even with my c section... I couldn't believe the swelling! I suppose it could be in part due to the fact that a doctor went dang near elbow deep during surgery to push baby back up and out of my pelvis. Sheesh! There's a pressure you don't soon forget!!
I second the uncontrollable shaking due to adrenaline during labor.
No one told me about the shaking after the baby was delivered. Or how my pelvic muscles would feel so weak still.. 4 weeks pp.
Or that some women don't produce enough breast milk and some babies don't latch on..
Also the awful gas before the 1st poop. My dh thought it was the baby. I looked at him and said nope that would be.
And (STM vent) people saying sleep when the baby sleeps...not so easy when you have a 3 year old who wakes up ready to run marathons!
And my c section didn't hurt at all..? Were you not numb enough and did you let them know you were in pain..?
Labor- I was so surprised that I didn't get to experience labor because I had to have a CS. I kept thinking my breech baby could and would flip (and that the version would work) and I was surprised she didn't. While I know labor is painful I kinda wish I knew what it felt like. I didn't really hear much about babies being breech and the possibility of having to have a CS until it happened to me.
Going home- the hormones and crying the first week totally were more than I was expecting and I hadn't heard about it being like this. I'm feeling much better now but man were those some emotionally intense days!
On a positive note though, no one ever told me how much more I could possibly love my husband. He was amazingly supportive after the surgery. Didn't know he would need to help me put on those mesh underwear and pick up bloody pads I accidentally dropped.
And I knew my hands and feet would swell, but oh goodness! And I didn't know how much swollen feet could hurt!
I agree with the loving my husband more! He was so great! He never left us while we were in the hospital. I kept telling him to go eat, and he didn't want to leave even though he was so hungry!