Pure Ladies Stuff so any comments from Boys/men are not welcome:snooty:
Okay, I learned so much with my first pregnancy, the second one wasn’t nearly as bad, because I knew what to expect. This is what I wish I’d known the first time around:
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When you have nausea at the beginning of the pregnancy, never let your tummy get empty. That makes it so much worse. Starchy things like pasta and bagels are soothing on your stomach. AVOID MILK PRODUCTS if you’re throwing up a lot during the day, because milk products taste sooooo horrid when you throw up.
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Stay active and don’t let yourself gain more than the recommended amount of weight!! It really is harder to lose weight once you’ve had a baby.
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Evening Primrose Oil capsules!!! I would swear by these things. I don’t want to give medical advice, so I won’t talk about doseages or anything, but a midwife friend told me about these things, and when you take them from 35 weeks on, they help to soften the cervix and help dilation progress much faster and with less pain once labor starts. I was at 8cm and still walking the halls at the hospital in labor, and having VERY little pain at all.
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When you’re in labor, keep walking. Don’t let them hook you up to an IV as soon as you get there. It’s not always required in a lot of hospitals, although many times they’ll automatically hook you up without telling you that. You can request a “HEP LOCK”, which is just the iv catheter and a short piece of tubing taped to your wrist, but it’s not hooked up to the IV fluid bag. That way you’re not tethered to the bed for the duration, and you don’t have to drag an IV pole around with you if you do get up.
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Speaking of IVs, if your labor takes a long time but you’re not in distress or anything, don’t let them keep pushing fluids into your body if it’s not necessary. They gave me 15 liters of fluid during my labor with my son, and I swelled up like a balloon. I was miserable. My feet actually squished when I walked, because there’s no way your kidneys can handle that much fluid and get rid of it.
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Try to go as long as you can without an epidural. Keep walking!! Walking helps to bring the baby down and helps you dilate faster. Once they hook up the epidural, you can’t move.
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If the hospital allows it, take a nice long shower once you get settled into the hospital room. It helps you relax, and speeds things up.
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Breastfeeding… it’s gross. I wasn’t able to do it with my first, because I was too scared that he wasn’t getting enough to eat. I did it with the second kiddo for nearly 9 months, and I hated every minute of it! It’s a wonderful thing to do for your baby, and that’s the only reason I did it, but it’s very tiring and stressful, and I think in a lot of ways it made me depressed. I wouldn’t do it again if I ever had another child. Don’t feel bad if you can’t or don’t want to do it, and don’t let anybody make you feel guilty. I don’t think it does as much for “allergies” as they say, because my 2nd has much worse allergies than my formula fed kid.
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Your first baby will be like a science experiment, and thank God, babies are very forgiving. LOL The first few days, you won’t know what you’re doing. That’s okay. Just go with what feels natural, and don’t read too many books like those “What to Expect” books. Well, read them, but take them with a grain of salt. I still think they make womean paranoid. You’re a mom now. Use your instincts.
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When people offer to come help you after the baby is born, take them up on it! It won’t last, believe me! LOL And when they get there, don’t just let them hold the baby while you do the housework. Let them help you with the laundry and cooking!
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Be prepared for the longest “period” of your life. LOL I had no idea that women bled THAT long after having a baby! Seriously, just ONE of the pads they give you at the hospital could be used to line the bottom of a canoe!