Things They Didn't Tell Me About Pregnancy/Birth/Momming

Or maybe someone did tell me, but I didn't listen, or didn't fully appreciate it until I experienced it myself.


*When they "check how dilated" you are, it's not just a look and see. It feels like a semi truck is being shot up your hoo-ha. 
 I experienced this joy when I went to the hospital, in labor, and they checked me. Holy balls, I thought the contractions were bad...
{via}
*That after an epidural, you reeeeally can't feel your lower half (and thank goodness for that during!), but even hours later when things are wearing off and you feel like you might be ready to go pee....that bladder is full and you may pee all over the floor when you stand up. 
I don't know this from experience or anything (but I do) #realtalk
{via}
*Post Partum hair loss. Ok--this one I knew about, but I did NOT know that it lasts months and months and it is legit LOSS. I brush my hair, and there's hair on the floor. Everytime I look down, there's hair on my shirt, in Ella's hand...all around. Almost 6 months post baby, and it's still happening. 
I originally thought this was kind of a short term, week or two kind of thing. Nope!
{via}
*If you have Gestational Diabetes, they check your blood sugar every hour while you're in labor. Finger pricks every hour in addition to labor pain. Blah. And after you give birth, they check baby's blood sugar with heel sticks. Most heart breaking thing ever.
{via}
*Breastfeeding is hard, even when it's not horrible. Another one I "knew" people said could be hard, but I never realized HOW hard. I don't think I've met one person who breastfeeding just worked for right off the bat. 
Ella latched right away and I thought we were good. And then she latched again, and again, and again...and my nips! Ohhhhh my nips! They hurt touching your bra, a shirt, the towel after a shower...
{via}
The majority of my post-partum tears were surrounding breast feeding. For something that is supposed to be so natural and ingrained in nature...it sure as heck can/does have a LOT of hiccups associated with it!

*Mastitis. I never heard about this until I started breastfeeding and I'd only hear rumblings about it. You didn't want it, it was awful, etc. Well, let me tell you, IT IS THE WORST! You feel like you have the flu, your boob hurts, and the best thing for it is to have baby nurse, which hurts reeeeeeeally bad. 
{via}
It's even more fun when you get it on vacation. Ask me how I know this.

*Leaving the house with a newborn is tough. I remember thinking "I'm gonna go out all the time and take baby with me" and basically just live my normal pre-baby life, just with my baby alongside. WRONG! Getting out of the house with a newborn is TOUGH. You try and schedule it around eating, you're nervous about baby crying, or a plethora of other things that could go wrong. It was (and sometimes still is) more stressful than I ever thought it would be.
{via}

All of this seems negative, but it's not, I promise!
The whole experience of having a baby is new and uncharted territory. And I'm sure if/when we have a second, that will be uncharted as well, because we will be doing it with more than one.
Even though there are some really tough things, it gets easier, and you just adjust to always being on your toes, because every day is different, and each stage brings its own challenges. I'm thankful for other mom friends to text/call/hang out with because  they help get you through the bumps in the road, offer advice or things to try, or a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes it feels lonely when you look on Instagram and all you see is happy mom/baby photos and you're in the thick of it. So for all of you new, or soon-to-be mamas, you're not alone. 

Ella has been our greatest gift, by far. And I'd do all of this all over again in order to have her :)
(See, I ended on some sap for you! haha)
What were the things they didn't tell YOU about babies/pregnancy/giving birth??

12 comments:

  1. These are so interesting! Another thing I didn't realize was that some women poop while pushing. I had no idea until one of my best friends had a baby when we were in our early 20s and she didn't know either until she did it haha!
    Sarah at MeetTheShaneyfelts

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes to all of these!! It gets easier to leave the house as the get older but I still feel like we need 100 snacks, a change of clothes and 50 toys each to even get in the car ;) I remember one of my doctors telling me the pregnant/breastfeeding/postpartum hormones can stay in your body for up to 18 months!! Because after I had Matthew I sort of had delayed hair loss, hormone crazies etc and I was like no way, my baby is almost a year!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just remember most people of course only post the happy pictures on instagram, you don't see the rest of the their day..haha The hair loss thing drove me nuts because it lasted months..ugh!! It did finally slack up but at that point I just didn't care anymore, I was over it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I feel like there are so many things they do not tell you - I have learned a ton from friends pregnancies. I always wondered why they did not cover all this in health class in school.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amen amen amen!! It's like they only cover the basics in the birthing classes! I mean, thank goodness I had an honest friend have her baby before me, because I would have never known about any of that stuff they never talk about if it wasn't for her. Pooping (which thank god I didn't do. Haha), tearing, mesh undies and ice packs on your hoo-ha afterward. LAWD. And THE HAIR LOSS. OMG. My hair fell out in clumps the entire time I nursed. I nursed Olivia until 9 months so I literally lost hair for 9 months straight. Once I stopped nursing I stopped losing hair, but then it took YEARS for it to grow back. Do you know my hair stylist finally told me just like 3 months ago that my hair had finally all grown back?! And Olivia is three and a half! Lol.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I lose hair like crazy. I can't imagine it PPtm. Some of my friends have not stopped losing it two years later.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So silly question, if you're already numb from an epidural, why can't they do the diabetes pricks in some place you won't feel it?! I can't imagine going through so many of these things - good thing Ella is absolute the cutest!!!

    Meg, Borrowed Heaven

    ReplyDelete
  8. Haha - these are SO good!!! Getting checked is TOTALLY like that! AAAAAH!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm over a year postpartum and I'm still experiencing extreme hair loss. Ugh! It's the worst!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I feel like you're my pregnancy/new mom twin but four months ahead of me. I also had GD. It was so sad to see my baby get pricked constantly. So thankful her sugars were all great. And the nipple thing!!! Omg. I knew breastfeeding would be rough on nipples but thought it would abate somewhat quickly. I'm 10 weeks in and just got referred to a wound specialist for one of my nipples. I can't wait to be able to put on a shirt or use a towel without pain!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've heard some of these from family and I hope to remember them when we finally have a baby! haha

    ReplyDelete
  12. Girlllll I had no idea about the "check" either to see how dilated you are. It's no joke especially while in labor, oh sweet sweet epidural! Breastfeeding was also one of the hardest things I endured, but so so worth it. And the post partum hair loss has finally subsided, and I'm left with what I call a post partum mohawk :-P
    Green Fashionista

    ReplyDelete

I LOVE hearing your thoughts and comments--so, make my day and leave me some lovin'!