This Won't Last Forever!
I may be the odd one, but I really enjoyed being pregnant! I felt great and loved every part of my pregnancy. I had "the glow", and relished in feeling my babies move and grow. But, when it came to week 36 of my pregnancy, I felt like I needed to rush it and hurry to delivery day. There are many things I have learned while studying to become a doula and now with all the continuing education I am doing, that I wish I had known when I was having babies. Below is a shortlist of a few of those things.
What I wish someone would have told me is, "enjoy those last few weeks. Go on dates with your husband while it's just the 2 of you, rest, go to the movies, get your nails done, meet with friends and stop trying to rush time".
Do your research on the Midwifery Model of care vs Medical Model of care and see what speaks to you! You have options!!!
You don't have to birth laying down, flat on your back! Trust your body, do what it's telling you to do.
No one tells you ( or they may try but you won't understand till you have a baby) how bad your 'lady parts" will hurt after the baby is here. That soreness is a real thing! Get prepared. These peri-pads are awesome!
Peri pads
Mix 3 drops each of
Frankincense
Helichrysum
Lavender
with 1 TSP FCO.
Wet a pad with water until damp. Then squirt oil mixture onto the pad. Seal in bag and place in the freezer. Use immediately after birth and as needed
I now know that the reason I couldn't breastfeed exclusively was not that " my mom couldn't breastfeed me very long", it was my lack of education and support. Make sure to utilize the lactation consultant in the hospitals, they are there for you! We have several fantastic breastfeeding consultants in our area that will drop everything to come help!
Don't rush " getting back to normal". What is normal anyway?? Seriously! We put so much pressure on ourselves to do it all and to get our bodies back! Guess what? We nourished and grew a tiny human for 9 months, that's a miracle! Our bodies are amazing! Celebrate that!!
Sleep when the baby sleeps. Ok, my Mama did tell me that and I listened and I now tell every new mom the same thing. I know that can be hard to do, but it's SO important to rest in those early weeks!
Take pictures. Take pictures of the mundane. Don’t worry about the Instagram worthy shots. Take pictures of you and your baby at all the stages doing all the things! Get your husband to take pictures and for pete's sake don't say " I'm a mess, don't take a pic". While it may be true you may have not showered in a few days, your hair is a mess, the house is a wreck, You will look back, years from now, and for a second, you will remember every ounce of the way you felt in that moment. It's priceless! Our children's favorite thing to do is to look back at "old" pictures.
You may have times of feeling sad. It's ok! You will feel sad, lonely, elated, in awe, confused and overwhelmed. I had all the feelings! It's ok, that's normal. Trust your self! You are enough!! Quiet the voice inside you that tells you the opposite.
Don't feel like you have to have all the toys, all the clothes, all the... everything. Babies don't need it, it will get in the way, you will get rid of it. All baby needs is you and maybe a diaper or 4,000. It's ok to stick to the basics.
Coffee. You will find it hours after you made it, cold and lonely. It's ok. It's not going anywhere. ( I can't believe I just wrote that) Please, whatever you do, don't just warm it up! Make a fresh pot and try again!
Ask for help! Just do it!
