10 Things I Wish I'd Known
1. It took 9 months for your body to prepare for this baby, and it will take more than a few weeks for you to get it back into pre-baby shape.
I had heard and read this before and thought that I would be an exception. I would workout and run as soon as I could and would do whatever I could to get back to that pre-baby number. Well, it's been almost 4 months and I still have a few pounds to go. I think if I had been more realistic about the weight loss, I wouldn't have been as disappointed.
2. Be prepared to wear your maternity clothes a little longer
As said above, your body will not automatically snap back into shape, so be prepared to sport those maternity duds a little longer. Having to continue wearing the maternity clothes made me feel like I was still pregnant, so I bought a pair of jeans in a bigger size and it was amazing how much better I felt about myself because I could wear normal clothes.
3. Your baby will not always go by the book.
I was adamant about getting him on a schedule. The book that I recommend is Baby Wise, and it worked great. However, I expected him to always do exactly what the book said and of course that isn't the case because he's a baby. Be patient and constantly re-evaluate.
4. Trust your motherly instincts.
You carried this child for 9 months and you will know what to do when he/she comes. It's supernatural how it happens. Your her/his mother and you will know what advice to follow and what he/she needs. Don't hesitate to put your foot down when it comes to other people. You're the mother and you do know best.
5. Let your husband help with anything and everything.
Hopefully, your husband will want to help like mine did. I would let him do a lot of things, but there were some things that I felt like I could do better and wouldn't let him help. If he was holding the baby and the baby was crying, I would swoop in to get him. Not only did that make my husband feel inadequate, but it was keeping our son from learning to be soothed by his daddy.
6. It will take awhile to get back into real life.
After having a baby, just take it easy and don't be too hard on yourself if you don't get out of your sweatpants one day or it's been a week since you cleaned anything. Start adding things back into your life slowly. It took me almost 3 months to start feeling that things were back to normal.
7. Recovery is no joke
You have probably heard and read a lot about the labor and delivery but nobody talks about the recovery. You expect to just be elated because you have this new bundle of joy. The reality is that you will be sore and tired, all while trying to figure out how to care for a new baby. So rest when your baby sleeps and don't hesitate to take the pain medicine they offer at the hospital. Remember that the pain and exhaustion don't last forever, probably just a couple weeks.
8.There is such a thing as too much information.
This kind of goes along with the motherly instincts. While I think it is important to read books and blogs to prepare for baby, once he/she is born, take a step back and just learn your baby. Don't compare your baby to others or your parenting style to others. Figure out what works for you.
9.Babies Change A Lot
Babies change. Once you get a schedule down, it will probably be time to change it up. Once your baby starts sleeping well through the night, he/she will probably hit a growth spurt and start waking up again. If you know this ahead of time, you can prepare to be flexible with your baby. And if something doesn't go as scheduled one day, just begin anew the next day.
10. Your schedule is now baby's schedule
You know this already, but you won't really know what it means until you live it. If you allow yourself, your day can be completely controlled by baby and that is necessary at the beginning. To avoid this continuing, set goals for your day and take time for yourself during nap time. And don't hesitate to ask your spouse to watch the little one while you run errands or just go get a cup of coffee.
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