So did anyone else know that babies regress at 3-4 months? That seems to be a fabulously well kept secret. I think it's unfair of the world not to have warned me!
After finally enjoying full nights of sleep again with Baby sleeping through the night, he has now gone back to the same patterns from over a month ago. This means no longer having evenings back, as well as having to wake up for night feeds once again. I thought sleep would be a linear progression and got lulled into a false sense of security when our little angel started sleeping through the night so soon. Foiled again!!
Showing posts with label Things they don't tell you. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Things they don't tell you. Show all posts
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Things about childbirth that weren't as expected
Like most women I have heard things about pregnancy/childbirth/babies most of my adult life, but it really is something that you have to experience firsthand to understand. I had certain expectations or an understanding of some things that turned out to be not at all what I expected.
Contractions - Didn't feel like I'd expected. Somehow I thought it would be a pulsing or, well, contracting sensation but mine just felt like plain old pain! I knew they started off as similar to period cramps and get more intense but I was surprised at the feeling of very low and very intense period pain.
Waters breaking - I had been told for many people it is just a trickle or a small gush but you have time to rush off to the bathroom. Not in my case. My waters broke spectacularly and I am thankful it happened in the early morning at home and not while I was out in public. If I had been out at lunch or something, people's feet would have got wet! Also, it didn't stop leaking until the baby was delivered. I had a little gush of fluid with each contraction throughout my labour, I really don't know where it was all coming from. It was pretty tiresome.
Breastfeeding - Somehow you would think it would be the most natural thing in the world but I was surprised at how tough nursing is. I had been warned by friends who had difficulty so I wasn't completely unprepared but it was still a surprise when it was such a learning curve for both me and baby. My nipples are taking a real battering but I keep telling myself it's worth it.
Signs of labour - You're told in late pregnancy what the signs of labour are and what to expect but you really can't know until you actually experience it. But it's true what they say, you will know when it happens. I had quite a few times when I would go, is this it, is this the start of labour? Like, feeling a little wet down there and wondering if it was my waters, but when my waters actually did break there was absolutely no mistaking it. Feeling cramps and wondering if it was a contraction, but when the real contractions start there is no doubt that's what they are. You get the picture.
Delivery - The one thing I really did not know about having a baby was how close it is to having a pooh!! I spent all that time doing pelvic floor exercises thinking it was all about trying to control my lady bits, I did not expect labour to be so much about feeling like I needed to do a huge pooh! And then being told to push into my bottom as if I am doing exactly that. Nor was I prepared for just how uncomfortable that pressure feels when the baby is descending and how much you can feel it despite the epidural. In fact, I asked the midwife to unhook me from the monitor so I could go to the bathroom and she refused, telling me I didn't need to go, it was the baby I could feel and that's a good sign. I totally didn't believe her and was almost in tears thinking I would soil myself. Grim! And I can't even begin to tell you how traumatic it is needing to go number two ever since, I think I am going to push out a baby!
I'm sure there will be many unexpected things about raising a baby too. I'll keep you posted!
Contractions - Didn't feel like I'd expected. Somehow I thought it would be a pulsing or, well, contracting sensation but mine just felt like plain old pain! I knew they started off as similar to period cramps and get more intense but I was surprised at the feeling of very low and very intense period pain.
Waters breaking - I had been told for many people it is just a trickle or a small gush but you have time to rush off to the bathroom. Not in my case. My waters broke spectacularly and I am thankful it happened in the early morning at home and not while I was out in public. If I had been out at lunch or something, people's feet would have got wet! Also, it didn't stop leaking until the baby was delivered. I had a little gush of fluid with each contraction throughout my labour, I really don't know where it was all coming from. It was pretty tiresome.
Breastfeeding - Somehow you would think it would be the most natural thing in the world but I was surprised at how tough nursing is. I had been warned by friends who had difficulty so I wasn't completely unprepared but it was still a surprise when it was such a learning curve for both me and baby. My nipples are taking a real battering but I keep telling myself it's worth it.
Signs of labour - You're told in late pregnancy what the signs of labour are and what to expect but you really can't know until you actually experience it. But it's true what they say, you will know when it happens. I had quite a few times when I would go, is this it, is this the start of labour? Like, feeling a little wet down there and wondering if it was my waters, but when my waters actually did break there was absolutely no mistaking it. Feeling cramps and wondering if it was a contraction, but when the real contractions start there is no doubt that's what they are. You get the picture.
Delivery - The one thing I really did not know about having a baby was how close it is to having a pooh!! I spent all that time doing pelvic floor exercises thinking it was all about trying to control my lady bits, I did not expect labour to be so much about feeling like I needed to do a huge pooh! And then being told to push into my bottom as if I am doing exactly that. Nor was I prepared for just how uncomfortable that pressure feels when the baby is descending and how much you can feel it despite the epidural. In fact, I asked the midwife to unhook me from the monitor so I could go to the bathroom and she refused, telling me I didn't need to go, it was the baby I could feel and that's a good sign. I totally didn't believe her and was almost in tears thinking I would soil myself. Grim! And I can't even begin to tell you how traumatic it is needing to go number two ever since, I think I am going to push out a baby!
I'm sure there will be many unexpected things about raising a baby too. I'll keep you posted!
Monday, 19 October 2009
A stunning comeback
My pregnancy sickness decided to make a sudden re-appearance today. After throwing up for 10 minutes and completely emptying my stomach I smelled vomit afterwards and figured I must have splashed myself so I had to leave early to come home and shower and change. I'm lucky my bosses are supportive. I guess I spoke too soon about forgetting how miserable early pregnancy was, and I needed to be reminded! I've had a couple of restless nights and I suspect that doesn't help. Maybe along with another hormone surge and the fact that my stomach is being squashed and crushed by my growing uterus? Anybody else had this happen to them? I'm 32 weeks now.
I'm also getting some abdominal pain but a quick google tells me that's pretty normal at this stage and is the ligaments being stretched a lot more again. Man, I can't wait to stop work and put my feet up!
I'm also getting some abdominal pain but a quick google tells me that's pretty normal at this stage and is the ligaments being stretched a lot more again. Man, I can't wait to stop work and put my feet up!
Sunday, 18 October 2009
A dirty secret about pain relief in labour
We attended our second and final antenatal class, the one that's kind of scary, where we talked about pain relief and intervention. You know, the one that makes you kind of nervous and apprehensive and makes the voices in your head scream "you have to get a BABY out of you!!!"
Anyway, one thing did amuse me somewhat. I was curious to learn about pethidine, as it's one thing I don't know that much about. I learned that it's an opiate, and interestingly, that a lot of hospitals are now replacing it with its relative, diamorphine. Wait a minute. Isn't diamorphine the clinical name for heroin??? So, you spend your whole pregnancy avoiding alcohol and cigarettes and a heap of foods, and then in labour they shoot you up with heroin??? Come on guys, that's pretty funny!
Anyway, one thing did amuse me somewhat. I was curious to learn about pethidine, as it's one thing I don't know that much about. I learned that it's an opiate, and interestingly, that a lot of hospitals are now replacing it with its relative, diamorphine. Wait a minute. Isn't diamorphine the clinical name for heroin??? So, you spend your whole pregnancy avoiding alcohol and cigarettes and a heap of foods, and then in labour they shoot you up with heroin??? Come on guys, that's pretty funny!
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