9 things they don't tell you (before you have a baby...)

9 things they don't tell you (before you have a baby...)

9 Things They Don’t Tell You (Before You Attempt Breastfeeding) Reading 9 things they don't tell you (before you have a baby...) 4 minutes Next 9 ways Motherhood makes you stronger

 

 

1. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed.

If you feel like you’re drowning, you’re not doing anything wrong. It really is just that hard. It is totally normal to feel as though you’re overwhelmed by it all. Postpartum produces a melting pot of emotions. Joy, sadness, guilt, intense love, fear and even anger and sometimes these feelings can all happen in the same day. It’s a lot. But it is normal and you’re not alone. Trust us. It gets better

 

 

2. You may wet the bed, but not how you think.

In those early postpartum days your body needs to regulate your hormones and rid itself of all that retained fluid you built up during pregnancy which can result in night sweats. Add midnight milk leaks to the mix and you may wake up some mornings with your PJ’s and sheets soaking wet.

 

 

3. Everyone has an opinion.

Your Mom, your Mother in law, your bestie, the neighbor or just a random at the checkout. We can guarantee that anyone who has had a baby and even some that haven’t will have an opinion on how you should care for yours. Do your own research and ask the opinions of those you trust. After that, make your own decisions and stick to them without feeling any guilt.

 

 

4. Some days, you will wish you were still pregnant.

While it has its challenges, being pregnant can be a wonderful time. People are nice to you, they ask about you, they make you cups of tea and offer you a seat. You can take a nap without feeling guilty, leave the house whenever you like and your partner will happily (mostly) be at your beck and call. In the depth of post-birth sleep deprivation, you will find yourself looking fondly back at this time. You may also simply miss your round belly and continue to rub it, just as did when your little bundle was inside.

 

 

5. What works one day may not work the next.

One day you discover a magic trick that solves that pesky problem and all is well. But a day or two after, a week tops, your tactics get shattered and you’re back to square one. The problem is, that when you have a win, you raise your expectations that things will always work this way. But tiny humans never operate in an orderly fashion. Understanding this from the outset may help ease your inevitable frustration.

 

 

6. Back pain doesn’t end when your pregnancy does.

If you have nagging stiffness and soreness in your back post-delivery, you’re not alone. The culprits can be; pregnancy hormones that loosened your ligaments and joints, strained abdominal muscles that were used to support your bump which may have thrown your posture out of whack. And of course bending over, baby lifting and breastfeeding which often involves holding your fussy feeder at the perfect angle for them but ultimately a back straining position for you!

 

 

7. There’s tired, then there’s mom tired.

Pregnancy fatigue is real but after you have a baby there is nothing in this world that can prepare you for what you feel after having such little (and disrupted) sleep. And no, you can’t simply ‘sleep when the baby sleeps!’. Know that the intense sleep deprivation stage isn’t forever and invest in good coffee

 

 

8. Your luscious locks might seem a little lackluster.

Hair growth has phases and while you’re pregnant, the shedding phase is on pause. So what happens once Mother Nature presses play? Postpartum, all the hair you would’ve shed over the past nine months comes out relatively quickly, which can make you feel like you’re losing your hair.

 

 

9. Nobody is happy if Mama ain’t happy.

Whatever makes you happy and whatever you need to do to get through it – do it. Don’t let ‘Mother guilt’ always be the boss. Self-care may seem indulgent at the time, but is ultimately a gift to your children if the end result is a happier and more engaged Mama.

 

 


1 comment

Candice

Candice

Haha I felt and went through all of those things TIMES TWO! Twins are beautiful but boy are they a ton of work! It does gets better for a while – then it’s on to teething, crawling, then walking (at seven months yikes ) and eventually talking…. Sigh some days I miss the calm of pregnancy even the nausea 😉

Haha I felt and went through all of those things TIMES TWO! Twins are beautiful but boy are they a ton of work! It does gets better for a while – then it’s on to teething, crawling, then walking (at seven months yikes ) and eventually talking…. Sigh some days I miss the calm of pregnancy even the nausea 😉

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