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September 2014 Moms
rlyttle
member
What nobody has told you… STMs give advice/stories
rlyttle
member
If you get an epidural it can make you shake like crazy!! I wasn't cold, but my teeth were chattering. It was odd. I wasn't really expecting that, but afterward lots of my mom friends said it happened to them.
STMs…. Give some advice/stories to our FTMs that for some reason nobody tells you when you are pregnant!! GO!
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Re: What nobody has told you… STMs give advice/stories
This is what the nurse told me it was.
The water squirt bottle will be your best friend after you are healing from VB.
Oh I remembered one more - you will feel your uterus contract when you are breast feeding.
And only getting 1-2 ounces when you are pumping is normal.
For a few weeks after delivery I almost never peed. It was like my bladder muscles were made of steel -- even though I was peeing every five minutes while pregnant, I think it was toning and conditioning the muscles. It was pretty crazy how much I could hold in at that point.
I really liked this type of post when I had DS so I am really trying to think of some others.
Don't feel like a horrible mother if it doesn't 'feel' like it is one of the greatest days of your life. It wasn't for me it felt so surreal, it was as if I wasn't even in the room at times. Each day with my DS is when it got real and amazing to me.
I also Ditto LaLa on pre prego jeans, that doesn't happen.
This is for all the caterpillars that never became butterflies. And for all the butterflies that never felt the wind in their wings. And for all the hearts that had hopes and dreams of a wondrous flight together.
Also, I thought it was fascinating that any time any baby would cry near me, I leaked!
If you go on the shower and the warm water hits your boobs....it hurts like hell.
You will loose enough hair postpartum on a daily basis that your DH may think you killed a small animal in the bathroom----all normal but it freaked me out!
Babies make all sorts of noises when sleeping. Don't rush to pick him/her up until you are in a full cry.
Yes, the "norm" is for babies to eat every 3-4 hours but some babies need more than that. Go with your instinct. If they are eating, they are hungry.
C- section moms----the nurses are NOT crazy. Get up and walk ASAP and walk often. You WILL feel better.
Ask for something to help you poop if you need it! Don't try to tough it out. It's worse than pregnancy constipation.
There is a lot of blood that first week....and gross ugly clots. Be prepared. Take pads and chucks from hospital. Take the mesh undies. And buy a supply of extra long extra absorbent pads to have at the ready at home. Your DH won't like shopping for those!
It's okay to sleep even if you have visitors. If you dose off that's okay! Your body just did a remarkable thing!
Your child won't be any less close to you if you have a c- section and don't get to hold him/ her right away. He/she will adore you and need you just as much. Same is true if your child is in NICU and you can't hold him/her for days.... That bond is just as strong. Touch their feet, hands, stroke the chest . That power of touch is strong. My DS still loves it to this day....and I didn't hold him until he was 5 days old!
Also, no one told me but within a day or two of being home know you'll have to take your little one to the pediatrician. Trust me, you'll notice EVERY sick kid there!
Oh the six week check up really isn't that bad. I remember losing precious sleep over it because I was so scared.
One last thing, when you dry up your milk buy a head of cabbage and keep it in the fridge. Then peel off a leaf when needed and stick it in your bra. It feels absolutely amazing and is the perfect shape.
Thank you for posting this. I had a couple of friends who recently had babies and c/s and their babies were in NICU and they were so upset about not getting that "bonding time" right away. My mom had a c/s and was put under general anesthesia, so she didn't even see me for 3 days. She didn't get to hold me for two weeks (I was a preemie). You will never find a bigger momma's baby than me people, I promise!
Cramps every time I pumped for the first week or two. Definitely didn't expect that.
The fact that it takes your uterus a while to shrink back down after you have a baby (that's why the nurses keep pushing on it, plus that's what's happening when you cramp during BFing). I assumed my belly would go down quickly, but it took a while.
Expressing colostrum isn't as simple as hooking up to a breast pump. You really need to learn how to hand-express as well - I thought my milk didn't come in for 5 days, but I was hugely engorged and just not getting it out with the pump (baby was in the NICU). Once I saw some videos on hand expression, I realized I had plenty in there to get out.
Not holding the baby immediately really doesn't affect your attachment to your child, or vice versa, IMO. I held DD for about 30 seconds before she went to the NICU, then it was about half a day before I was able to go see her, and even longer before I could hold her. I have overwhelming love for my baby girl and she's incredibly attached to her mama, so no worries there.
I always thought I'd be really shy about nursing, but when baby was there and needed to eat, I surprised myself by having no issue baring my breast in front of anyone (since I never mastered doing it in any kind of slick way, I'd have to have my boob hanging out while I positioned baby). I did it whenever I needed to and didn't give two shits who saw.
I'll post more things as I think of them.
DD1, born 4/10/11 at 32 weeks
Cooking #2
Mom of Boys!!
Baby #1 - 3 years old
Baby #2 - Born 10/1/14
Some women don't leak milk and that's ok too.
When you stand up and go to the bathroom for the first time after a vaginal delivery you will need a nurse, and she will be earning her money. The amount of blood/gunk that comes out is amazing. I remember sitting on the toilet and the nurse squatting between my legs squirting my lady parts with water. She really must have liked her job.
Also I second the post partum night sweats. I had them for a year after my first & for about a month after my second. Putting a towel on your pillow helps a lot. It helps absorb the sweat.
Bring snacks! I was allowed a fast food burger run when it was clear I wasn't progressing that first night, but that is rare. By the time I ate two mornings later I was so starved that the hospital food tasted like the best food ever.
The nurses will come into your room at all hours... during shift change, to check you vitals, to check push on your uterus, to administer a hearing test, to do birth certificate paperwork, to check how your nursing/pumping is coming along, etc, etc, etc forever.
Do not soap up your nipples in the shower, it will dry them out and hurt.
Speaking of dry, my scalp was VERY dry and itchy for weeks PP. Head & Shoulders did the trick for me.
Yes, babies make a lot of noise in their sleep. You will be up and checking on them constantly, that's ok.
When you nurse baby on one side, your other boob leaks too!
Csection mamas. Get up and walk the next day. It's the best thing u can do for yourself. Try not to punch or swear at the nurse cz it hurts. But it's gotta b done.
Get a compression belt if you have a csection I loved mine. Take the colace.
Even if your hospital is room in don't be afraid to have the nurses take baby for a couple hours. I felt so guilty about it initially but I needed sleep
My best piece of advice is to ask your family to WAIT! Allow yourself to have some kangaroo time (skin to skin). The hospital we deliver at wants skin to skin the first hour after birth and 2 feedings before introducing the babies to family members. I am really looking forward to this time with just the baby and my spouse so we can marvel at the new life we created before the chaos of siblings and grandparents arrive.