From the minute you pee on the stick and receive a positive reading, you know your life is about to change forever. But noone ever tells you exactly how GREAT that change will be. There may be a number of reasons for this.. and nothing will truly ever prepare you for the journey you’re about to embark on, but here’s my list of things noone tells you about pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
1. Morning sickness doesn’t just happen in the morning and it doesn’t always miraculously pass after 12 weeks. It also doesn’t just mean vomitting and sometimes if you’re super lucky it doesn’t even happen at all.
2. You will have dreams when you’re pregnant. Weird dreams. Scary dreams. Crazy dreams.
3. You may or may not have any cravings. Not even weird ones. Just none at all.
4. Heartburn is a bitch. So is hair loss, hair growth, swollen feet, swollen hands, stretch marks, cellulite, dietary restrictions, cramps, sciatica, back pain, seat belts, weak bladder, hormones and at times just breathing in general.
5. You will never sleep comfortably again. Never. Save your money. All these pregnant pillows and gadgets won’t make a difference.
6. You will find people are rude and invasive. Maybe it’s your hormones or maybe just MAYBE you should stop touching my stomach and telling me how huge I am.
7. Your body will morph, change and do things you never thought were possible.
8. You will be tired and lazier than usual. Carrying and growing a human is hard work, plus you’ll think twice about whether or not you really need that object you dropped on the floor.
9. You will google like you have NEVER googled before.
10. You will be scared. Terrified. Frightened. Stressed. Anxious. Nervous. Alot more than usual.
11. You will never be prepared enough for the birth. So just try and relax and go with the flow.
12. Take the drugs if you need to. Do what ever you have to to survive the process.
13. Everything will leak. Like… EVERYTHING.
14. You will cry and scream…alot during birth.
15. You might shake uncontrollably during labour.
16. You will be poked, prodded, harassed, & violated by hundreds of different people. They’ve seen it all before so leave your dignity at the door.
17. You will have pains after the birth. In your stomach, down below, your boobs, your head, your entire body will ache. Don’t get me started on the after birth poo 🤕
18. Your stomach won’t always instantly deflate. Your body will change in someway or another forever.
19. You will want to give up. You will swear to never have another child again. But odds are you probably will.
20. You will fall in love. With your baby, with your partner and with yourself for what you’ve just achieved. Maybe not all 3 at the same time. And maybe not all 3 instantly. But eventually.
21. You will be high in the first few days after the birth. High on life. On adrenaline. You will also be delusional and in shock, as well as weirdly happy for probably 2 days.
22. Day 3 is the worst. Sometimes day 4, 5, & 6 too. Sometimes longer. But be prepared for day 3. Your baby is adjusting to the world. To life outside the womb. To air. To food. They will be hungry and you will most probably have no milk yet. So they will cry. And cry and cry and cry….
23. The only conversations you will have will be about:
-The birth
-Who the baby looks like
-When the next one is
-How tired you are
-If the baby is a ‘good baby’ (seriously)
24. You will never sleep in again. Or sleep comfortably. Or peacefully. Or just sleep in general. Therefore you will be tired. Really effing tired.
25. You will fight with your partner. Alot. Who’s more tired, who works harder, who’s turn it is to feed/change/settle/cook/clean/shower.
26. You will feel like giving up. You will feel like you have failed. Like you’re not good enough or doing enough. You will question everything you do.
27. You will receive “advice” from everyone. Everyone will become a parenting expert.
28. You will miss your old life. Your old self. Your own time. The silence. The freedom. The sleep. The long showers/baths. The privacy. You will finally realise how you took all these simple things for granted. Then you’ll feel guilty for feeling this way.
29. You will be forgotten. Sometimes totally. Sometimes just for a while. But people will always look for the baby before they acknowledge you.
30. You will survive. No matter how bad your day is. No matter how many times you’ve cried or screamed or lost your cool. You WILL get through it. It will be hard but it will be worth it. And even when it feels like it’s not, you will still get through it.
You can do this mumma.
Sending you love,
MBS
Xx
