Advice I'd Give To New Mummies...

Written by Amy Jones

Advice I’d give new mums and new mums to be….️

I’m going to share some little tips and things I found out before / during / after I had my boy that I feel like every expectant mum needs to know….

1- Go into labour with an open mind. There are so many things that can happen and there’s no such thing as a birth plan to be honest. I had planned a water birth but my heart rate went too high and I had to be took into another room to deliver normally and be monitored.

2- The drugs….. I went into labour fully expecting to take the morphine, gas and air and epidural from the get go… but no word of a lie the gas and air is GOOD SHIT! I could feel the contractions, but was that high I couldn’t moan about them… the tube also makes great biting. (That’s not to say that if you do end up having the drugs you failed…)

3- I spent half my pregnancy obsessing about the pain and how terrified of labour I was… Was I going to tear? Was I going to need a caesarean? Will it be the worst pain imaginable? The truth is in the moment it IS painful.. I won’t lie. But it’s manageable. Listen to your midwifes, inhale that gas and air like no tomorrow. I had a second degree tear and to be 100% honest with you I didn’t even realise I had until I’d asked the midwife. You don’t care about anything once you’ve had your little babe, you’ll literally let the midwives do what they need to do whilst you admire your new creation (and maybe have a few chugs on that gas and air).

4- Afterwards you will be exhausted and just want to sleep. But one thing that concerned me that everyone seemed to go on about was your first wee after you’ve given birth. Two things I did meant I had absolutely no issues with this thank god (you’d think we’d been through enough). The hospitals have water and ice machines and give you a cup and jug. From the moment I got on the ward I was drinking the ice water constantly (it was December but the wards are kept really warm) this meant all the acidic stuff was out my wee so no sting, TMI, I know but this stuff ain’t pretty! Another lifesaver has to be tucks medicated pads… if you pack ANYTHING for yourself in your hospital bag, please let it be these!! They are little miracle workers… they’re little circle pads which you put on top of your maternity pads after you’ve given birth… they are all natural and have cooling and healing properties in them and smell amazing… meaning no pain to sit down and if you have stitches/grazes a quicker healing process!

5- The lack of sleep is horrendous… I shouldn’t complain, I know but it’s something you can NEVER be prepared for. The last few weeks of pregnancy are hard to get comfy so you lose a bit of sleep then but it’s unlikely you’ve ever experienced or will understand until you do, the getting up every 2 hours for your little babe… that and at 5 days postpartum when your milk comes in and your hormones completely unbalance it is likely you’re going to be a hormonal mess… please know this is normal and be kind to yourself. Let your partner/parents watch the baby whilst you get a few hours in the day.. you’re going to need it and no one will think any less of you.

Baby blues…

6- When I bought my boy home I was in absolute awe of him… he was mine, he was perfect from head to toe and I wanted to protect him from everything and anything. But I didn’t have a bond with him. I didn’t feel the unbelievable sense of love that rushes over you. I didn’t feel the way I knew my parents felt for me. But that’s fine and normal… most new mums feel an element of this and do you know why? Because you don’t know this little baby yet! You need time to get to know them… to cuddle and bond and the love grows daily… if you get overwhelmed by visitors put them back a few days, don’t worry yourself about hurting their feelings… anyone who’s been through it will understand, you need this time to be Mummy /daddy & baby. That being said if you feel you need the help and enjoy having visitors then do it! Whatever makes this hectic hard emotional beautiful period easier for you then that’s what you do. Even be cheeky and ask people to bring you something to eat in exchange for a hold of the newbie!