Advice to my pregnant self...

[a5swanson]

Hey ladies! Now that I have an outside baby and this shiz is real, I keep thinking of all the advice I would have given my ghost of pregnancy past! Let's hear it!

[a5swanson]

Biggest and first piece of advice...breastfeeding is so much harder, time consuming, exhausting and painful than you can ever imagine. Watch lots of YouTube vids on great latching, buy nipple shields and lanolin. This is NOT for the faint of heart. Also, buy more Kleenex. You'll be crying a lot for no reason and because of love.

[mnp48]

Ditto on the breastfeeding being hard! My boobs have been manhandled by the nurses and the lactation consultants that it doesn't even phase my usual bashful self. Ugh. And, anyone who tries to shame you for not doing well with breastfeeding are just straight-up aholes.

Also, you know that "sage advice" when people tell you to enjoy your sleep before the baby. They weren't kiddin'. DH and I are running on fumes.

[mcp6286]

Agree with a5swanson...so many happy love tears! Bring ALL the Kleenex or the hospital staff will have to keep bringing more!

Be prepared for some insane shoulder pain during c-sections...I was not expecting to feel anything way up there and it was super intense/painful when they pulled her out. Other than that, c-sections are not as bad as their rep (at least I don't think so), so don't stress out!

[wegrowsheep]

Jun 17, 2015 14:29:33 GMT -5 @littlechivette said:

Jun 17, 2015 13:56:18 GMT -5 mnp48 said:

Ditto on the breastfeeding being hard! My boobs have been manhandled by the nurses and the lactation consultants that it doesn't even phase my usual bashful self. Ugh. And, anyone who tries to shame you for not doing well with breastfeeding are just straight-up aholes.

Also, you know that "sage advice" when people tell you to enjoy your sleep before the baby. They weren't kiddin'. DH and I are running on fumes.

Is your DH helping with MOTN? Mine is sleeping through it like a champ. I wake at the first sign of peanut making a noise. DH doesn't even wake if he's screaming bloody murder

I'm a little ashamed to admit DH and I are the opposite... He has to wake me up to feed baby!

[laurenlou83]

Enjoy the pregnancy, even the bad shit, embrace it..... Even though I had back pain, acid reflux and was SO ready for it to be over, when my water broke 3 weeks early, I was sad I had been so miserable the last few weeks of my pregnancy. It really is an amazing time.

Enjoy alone time: read a book, take a walk, take a long bath, whatever! Because alone time with be non-existent eventually! Enjoy time alone with DH, too!

[wormgerm]

Take more belly pictures. Take pictures of the view from your hospital bed. Don't worry when the blood drips on the floor in the bathroom, they've seen it a million times. Stop apologizing for being slow and sore after birth, you're a warrior princess. Cry when the urge comes. Don't have expectations of yourself having a big emotional reaction when baby is born. Stunned silence is ok too. Let your husband love on you and help you and praise you. Cling to the encouraging words of every sweet LC and nurse, those words are powerful.

[mnp48]

Jun 17, 2015 14:29:33 GMT -5 @littlechivette said:

Jun 17, 2015 13:56:18 GMT -5 mnp48 said:

Ditto on the breastfeeding being hard! My boobs have been manhandled by the nurses and the lactation consultants that it doesn't even phase my usual bashful self. Ugh. And, anyone who tries to shame you for not doing well with breastfeeding are just straight-up aholes.

Also, you know that "sage advice" when people tell you to enjoy your sleep before the baby. They weren't kiddin'. DH and I are running on fumes.

Is your DH helping with MOTN? Mine is sleeping through it like a champ. I wake at the first sign of peanut making a noise. DH doesn't even wake if he's screaming bloody murder

DH actually has been good with MOTN only because I had to pump around the clock to get my milk in.  And, DH sees I can't feed the LO, change his diaper and pump without taking up so much time.  

[tulips114]

Jun 17, 2015 15:30:06 GMT -5 laurenlou83 said:

Enjoy the pregnancy, even the bad shit, embrace it..... Even though I had back pain, acid reflux and was SO ready for it to be over, when my water broke 3 weeks early, I was sad I had been so miserable the last few weeks of my pregnancy. It really is an amazing time.

Enjoy alone time: read a book, take a walk, take a long bath, whatever! Because alone time with be non-existent eventually! Enjoy time alone with DH, too!

This is exactly what I would have told my pregnant with DD1 self! There's no time as special as your first pregnancy. The subsequent ones are special too, of course, but much different when you're already chasing a little one or two.

[leenziepops]

Recovering from a Csection is full on. Be prepared to take on all the help. You need all your energy (what little yiu have ) to look after your baby. Everything else can be left to others. Let DH even feed you if that means it's one less thing to do. Be kind to yourself and don't push yourself too hard. Make a small goal and congratulate yourself when you get it done, no matter how small. E.g. put on a touch of makeup or do you hair today. Walk to the letterbox.
Its okay to sleep with your baby after the 6am feed and even the 9am feed. Getting out of bed at 11am is completely okay.
+1 for the BF pain. It's not all cute and snuggly. It hurts! Do what you need to do to successfully feed. I have used bottles, syringe feeding and nipple shields. It's totally okay because LO still latches .
Be gentle with yourself. You are doing an amazing job.

[megd893]

I still have an inside baby and this is the greatest thread ever... thank you ladies. Keep it coming!

[ombradellarosa]

Oh my gosh. My friend just told me this and I am so mad she never told me before.

LADIES! Start putting lanolin on NOW. Don't wait until you have a baby sucking on and possibly shredding them with a shallow latch. Start putting it on before you have a baby. I wish I had known that because I have to use a nipple shield now thanks to my left nipple cracking and bleeding. Nipple shields are a pain.

Also, this thread is making me sad and nostalgic for being pregnant. I love my baby, and I am so excited to watch her grow and get to know her, but being pregnant was comparatively simple and luxurious and while I did enjoy it I don't think I appreciated it enough.

[gilder40]

I would tell myself to document my pregnancy more. I loved being pregnant and I had a good pregnancy. I just wish I had taken more photos....maternity shots and weekly bump pics. I love my little one and I am so glad she's here, but I do miss the flutters and kicks and knowing she was snuggled up with me.

The other day I was holding her as she slept, and she wiggles down and curled up on my tummy right under my chest...just where she was while I was pregnant. It was super cute.

[dogmama22]

Jun 17, 2015 21:43:59 GMT -5 @badwolf321 said:

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Anxiety will eat you up inside if you let it. You need sleep to take care of your little one. You can't stand over his crib all night watching him take breathes. When you can't see you can't poke him to see him stir. He needs sleep. If you need to get a super expensive monitor that you said you'd never get just so you can do this.... Do it.

This is why I love my Snuza monitor so much. It clips right on him and let's me know if he stops breathing or if it's too shallow. I don't think I'd sleep nearly as well if we didn't have it. $80 well spent!

[baileybaileybne]

I'm going to play the 'it's hormones' card and admit that I'm teary just reading this thread because it makes me so reassured to see we're all going through the same things eg CS recovery, BF issues/surprises and I'm not just an entirely incompetent parent having failed the first 3 day exam!
I'm going to have to toughen up: there is quite the long road ahead here! Thanks for this thread.
My advice to my pregnant self would be to be prepared for anything to happen and change during labour, and agree CS isn't as bad as I had feared.