Honestly, this is not how I expected my maternity leave to be but at least we are healthy.
Anyway to the point of this blog, this is what I learnt during pregnancy.
1. Individuality
Although many women are pregnant, each woman is different, no one is another a like.
So don't compare yourself. E.g. size of belly, cravings, weight, exercise etc.
Personally my belly was small, at week 27 majority didn't even notice. Even some people didn't even notice at week 38, then again I think they talked to my face and not my body.
I needed compression socks from week 20 ish.. and I needed to wear them 24/7!
But with those I managed to walk a lot. ok slightly heavy at week 37-39 but until then I walked a lot.
I was in Japan during week 21ish and walked 20-35 000 steps a day!
Until the day before water broke I was out for lunch with a friend and buying things.
2. Don't be afraid to ask
Ask friends, ask nurses, doctors, search! However don't trust it all.. take it with a grain of salt.
But remember individuality, see above! We are all human but not the same.
3. Prepare + secondhand
You don't know when your little will come, so prep!
Buy clothes, stroller, bed, linen, car seat etc.
If you are scared that something could happen, ok don't buy too much, but I can tell you once your little is here.. you won't run to the store!
I bought a lot secondhand / hand down, honestly babies don't use clothes a lot before they change size. You can check quality but if only used for one or two babies before you, don't worry. your baby will grow out of the clothes within a few weeks!
Also don't be afraid to buy baby gym, baby chair, car seat as used. You don't need all new, think about it. A baby isn't cheap.
Also good to have at home - diapers, baby oil, nail clipper, ointments etc.
For yourself as mummy - nursing pads, pads (you will bleed after delivery), comfy clothes, bras.
My hubby was like... You bought more? With COVID booming just a week after we checked out of hospital and the busy life hubby told me he now was happy that I had prepared so much and bought all the various things.
4. Delivery isn't what's most painful!
I had labor pains for 16 h, it took around 1 h to push our little baby out.
To me, the pain wasn't joke but if i compare to the pain I had after delivery for 6,5 weeks! yes you read right six and a half week!
The pain I had to recover was worse, of course I expected some pain after all I gave birth to a human but the pain wasn't a joke! I didn't tear a lot either that's why I didn't expect it.
I could barely move for the first 4 weeks! on 5th I could start!
No one mentioned this to me and I couldn't find too much info that matched what i felt but well.. again women are individual!
5. Boys pee and poo unexpectedly!
At first it was a circus, I don't know how stressful it was to change a diaper because you couldn't know when he would pee or poop again! I have been peed on, I have been pooped on!
After 8 weeks it settled and he doesn't pee or poo like crazy, we can change diaper without stress.
6. Unconditional love
Everyone says..the love you get from your child.
Yes this is soooo true! The love you will get from your little bundle of love cannot be explained it's just pure joy and wonderful!!!