Here's just a sample of my checklist, how does yours compare?
Pregnancy - diabetes (no chocolate!), pubic symphsitis (crippling pain every time you walk), back ache, iron deficiency (even more tiredness), swollen ankles, endless peeing, inability to sleep, severe reflux and heartburn, restless legs, braxton hicks contractions for 2 weeks, heart palpitations and of course explosive boobs (I'm talking 16DD and not in a good way).
Post baby - pelvic infection (leftover placenta in my uterus), blocked milk ducts (ouch, ouch, ouch!), leaky boobs, the worlds weakest pelvic floor, second degree tearing and the stitches to show for it, more sleep deprivation, insatiable chocolate cravings (ok that I can handle), back ache from pacing the floor with a crying baby and just this week my hair has started falling out in big chunks, and more hormone changes are giving me oily skin and hair - love it!
Of course it all adds to the wonder that is mother nature and it is probably a miracle we even survive childbirth. Even with all of this excitement there's one last little trick that is played on all of us, hormones! These are special hormones that make all the bad stuff just fuzzy enough in our memories so that we'll be brave enough to go through it all again and again.
After the tough time I've had, even I have already had more than one thought about baby number 3.
I know I'm crazy and it's definitely not time yet, but compared to my list above there are countless pluses to having kids. Here's two big reasons below.
What was the toughest thing you went through with your pregnancies or early days with bub?
Oh My Goodness YES!!! It's all true in one sordid way or another.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite two horror stories I bring out to scare young non-mothers are the pool of blood across the floor due to massive tearing, given the lovely clinical name of Post Partum Haemorrhage. And then there was the time that I too had a piece of placenta still stuck inside the uterus, but before they fully realised what was going on, the surgeon decided it was necessary to try and get it cleaned out with...a hand. Not once, but twice. I knew I was in trouble when the midwife came over to me, took my hand, and told me to focus on her eyes... Nuff said.
PS Yes I'm crazy enough to have done it three times; it's a little difficult to describe the amazing range of feeling that opens up when you're blessed with these little people entering your world.
Linda :>
I'm soon to find all this out but can comment on pregnancy. No one really tells you about what goes on during pregnancy and you can't really ask people for advice either until you've decided it's safe enough to let the cat out of the bag. I felt like I'd entered some secretive society and the only way I could find out more about it was to read countless books. So pregnancy so far has been a massive learning curve for me!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the aches and pains as my stomach stretched during the earlier/mid stages, annoyed by acne far worse than I ever had as a teenager, revolted by the reflux in the later stages (still am!) and just can't wait to get my feet and ankles back again and suffer from foot & ankle envy as a result! The Homyped shoes with the velcro fasteners (the only shoes I can find that fit my embarrassingly swollen trotters) will undergo a ritualistic burning ceremony once I get my feet back. I look forward to that ;-)
But, having said all those negetive things, the things I've enjoyed most are the movements! Little kicks, squirms and stretches that remind you why your body is going through all these bizarre afflictions.
Well Linda you deserve a medal for going back 3 times!!
ReplyDeleteAnd anonymous we're not trying to scare you off just let you know that it isn't always smooth sailing and happy times. If you do have a hard time make sure you share it with us because even though no-one talks about it we've all been there and the more we do talk about it the less we will feel alone when we do struggle.
Please share some baby news and pics with us when bub arrives. We're all cheering for you and hope you have no war stories afterwards!