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June 2015 Moms
aliciaspinnet
member
Just for fun - Advice for your past self
aliciaspinnet
member
Hard to believe it's already August, which means we've all been parents for at least 1 month. Maybe we're all still getting our sh*t together, but we've survived! I thought it'd be fun to look back and see what advice we'd give to our former selves back in those early days of parenthood.
For me:
- Get that epidural sooner! (They wouldn't believe I was in active labour and refused to give me any pain relief or even reexamine me for 12hours by which time I was 7cm. Man, I loved that epidural after that)
- Ask for more help in hospital - I was badly sleep deprived and had a lot of blood loss, I was in no state to look after a newborn.
- If breastfeeding hurts, stop and take the time to get the latch right. I was so exhausted that I put up with pain to try and get feeding done sooner, but I just damaged my nipples that way, which took weeks to heal.
- Get a swing sooner. Screw the expense, that thing is magic!
For me:
- Get that epidural sooner! (They wouldn't believe I was in active labour and refused to give me any pain relief or even reexamine me for 12hours by which time I was 7cm. Man, I loved that epidural after that)
- Ask for more help in hospital - I was badly sleep deprived and had a lot of blood loss, I was in no state to look after a newborn.
- If breastfeeding hurts, stop and take the time to get the latch right. I was so exhausted that I put up with pain to try and get feeding done sooner, but I just damaged my nipples that way, which took weeks to heal.
- Get a swing sooner. Screw the expense, that thing is magic!
Re: Just for fun - Advice for your past self
Don't have any visitors over the first day back from the hospital. I was so exhausted and tired and did not feel like entertaining people.
- Get help RIGHT after birth from a LC (and one who knows what the heck she's doing). I feel like my desire to breastfeed was immediately squashed by all the latch mistakes. It still makes me feel sad and guilty.
- Limit home visitors and visit times during the first few weeks. The hormone crash is real and you will have separation anxiety from LO when others are holding her and from your husband who is actually sitting right beside you. Weird hormones. It will pass.
- Put that baby in the crib! LO won't hate it and you shouldn't feel like she should sleep in your room for a month...unless you just want her to. But you will sleep better using the crib!
-Swaddle the baby! Even if he doesn't like it, wait until he's tired and swaddle! He'll sleep better!
Pay for the freaking birth prep course. Picturing your body "opening like a rose" is NOT a birth plan!!!
Tell DH to shut it, and buy waaaay more clothes when you find a church yard sale where baby clothes are $0.50/each
Wait a little longer to be induced. Patience woman!
& I fourth the visitors. Get out of my house & give me my baby. Wait until hormones level.
& I second sleep when baby sleeps those 1st few weeks. You need it to be a good momma.
Sleep more.
Sleep more
Don't worry about the house. (Is never going to be spot on)
Introduce a pacific! I didn't and he is 6 weeks and I wish he had. To late now. He won't take it
Don't feel guilty that the house isn't clean.
Go grocery shopping every week to make sure you're stocked up (I went into labor the week we were going to stock up
I know you are disappointed after your ultrasound revealed you are having a boy. You may have even shed a tear or two. However, the second you meet your little guy you are going to think it was so silly that you were ever upset he is not a girl. Being a boy is part of who he is and he is the most amazing, fantastic baby on the planet and you wouldn't change a single thing about him. You will be so freaking in love you will laugh at your former self.
Smile! He's great!
Set a routine for the sharing of baby duties before baby comes
I know you're tired, and don't know how to cook well, but make your damned freezer meals
Like MK above, don't be disappointed you had a boy (even tho you didn't find out until the big moment). And don't feel guilt that you weren't immediately in love with him, or with being a mom in general. He's gonna be an awesome little dude, and even tho you are tired all the time and frustrated some of the time, you're gonna spend a ton of time just looking at him. And imagine all the bugs you're going to get to collect!
I wish I would have been more aware of my health during pregnancy. My body was healthier when I was 19 and I didn't realize how hard it would be to get going PP this time. My big butt should have been walking and eating right. Junk food was just SO good.
...and don't worry about shaving your girl parts the night before labor, SLEEP!