Wild and Precious Life

SOME THINGS I HAVE LEARNED

My good friend Marthie has approximately 40 days to go until the arrival of her bundle of joy. I am so excited for her. In the middle of my two o' clock feed last night I began to think of all the things I learned during the birth of our little boy and afterwards.

So here is my assvice for any preggo ladies who are reading my blog.

Birth

1. Labour can happen all of a sudden, it's not always text book and not always picture perfect. Make sure all your bags, including your own is packed.
2. Buy pamper goodies for yourself, nice smelling shower gel, a new perfume, some easy to apply makeup. It makes all the difference when you can get up in hospital and make pretty. You'll feel like a woman!
3. Buy breastpads, even if you don't think you'll need them.
4. Buy cabbage and keep it in the fridge, you WILL need the leaves.
5. Put a packet of salt in your bag. Bathing your lady bits in it with some cold water will help you heal and give major relief.
6. Buy Cranberry juice.
7. Pack your camera and a lot of batteries. You won't have too many.
8. Pack your cellphone charger.
9. Keep an old towel handy. A maternity pad won't stem the flow of your waters if they break before you reach the hospital.
10. Don't leave your bags in the car when you get to the hospital, you'll just have to go back down to fetch them.
11. Be prepared for a LOT of internal exams.
12. Labour is a pain that you've never experienced, and will never experience again, unless you decide to have another child, but, it's manageable and empowering.
13. If you need to go number 2, do it, don't wait. It becomes really difficult to get off the toilet when you're done and you're contracting every 2 minutes.
14. If it all becomes too much to handle, don't take the pills. They don't help and they make you nausea's.
15. You are not less of a woman for wanting an epidural. They rock!!!!
16. Epidurals hurt when they are administered, and the stuff they spray on your back is REALLY cold!
17. You will have to have a catheter. You wont care.
18. There is a cheat button on the side of the gas mask they give you. USE IT!!!!!!!!
19. Switch the epidural off to push. It helps to feel empowered, and your amazing body knows exactly what to do.
20. When you push, only use the top half of your body, like you're doing a serious abdominal crunch. You conserve energy and it gives you the maximum effect.
21. Baby's head is the worst part. You will know it's his/her head because it will feel like some one has set your vee jay jay on fire.
22. When your baby is delivered and they hand him/her to you, you will cry, you will be overwhelmed with emotion, your body will shake, your mind will race and your heart will swell with love.
23. You will still have to deliver the placenta. You won't care!
24. The doctor and nurses will press on your stomach to get rid of all the other gunk inside you. You won't care!
25. You may need to get stitched up. You won't care!
26. The catheter will need to come out. You won't care!
27. The epidural will need to come out. You won't care!

After the birth

1. Get up and walk as soon as you can.
2. Shower as soon as you can.
3. Walk from labour to maternity ward, it helps.
4. You will need more than 2 packs of maternity pads. Nuff said!
5. Be prepared for stitches and bleeding checks.
6. Be prepared to have your blood pressure and temperature taken a LOT!
7. Drink as much cranberry juice to avoid bladder infection from the catheter.
8. Don't be afraid to say no to visitors. Spend this time, sleeping, bonding with your baby and your husband.
9. Don't be pressurised into signing up for the millions of things people offer you. If you don't want your baby's hearing checked just yet, that's fine.
10. If your hospital offers it, get them to register your baby for you. It's so convenient!
11. If your hospital offers it, get a midwife to come and visit you 3 days after you get home. Her advise will be invaluable and will set your mind at rest.
12. Remind your husband to put the snug 'n safe into your car. A lot of hospitals won't allow you to leave unless you have one.
13. When you get home, sleep when baby sleeps.
14. You will feel like your body will never be the same again. It will, and sooner than you think.
15. Eat when you can, you probably won't eat with your husband for quite some time. Baby's don't keep your schedule.
16. Buy formulae and a bottle just in case.
17. Don't be afraid to say no to visitors.
18. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
19. Don't be embarrassed. Your child is the most beautiful child ever born, and no one can tell you differently!
20. Your baby will turn yellow. It's normal and nothing that a little bit of filtered sun won't help.
21. And most importantly. Spend time staring at your little angel. Watch them sleep, watch them when they're awake. Take photo's, touch them, hold them, breath them in, and know that you, your husband and God created this miracle.

Enjoy every moment, they grow too fast!