Ignore all other mum's stories! (Preparing for Birth)

Member Name: yesidoo

Product:	Preparing for Birth
Date:	29/01/01 (210 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Read on

Disadvantages: Read on

If you are a nervous first time mum, or indeed a second time mum, then here are a few of my tips and anecdotes on what you can do, or not do, to make things a little easier.

Well, needless to say, if you're baby is due soon, you will have had your bags packed for several weeks!! (if not shame on you lol)
No doubt you will have read all the magazines on pregnancy and birth, and so are more than practically sorted out. You've got the layette sorted, the prams brand spanking new, the cots ready, the car seat's installed into the car, the steriliser ready, yup.... everythings ready for baby.

But is mum mentally prepared? No doubt, as your bump has grown steadily bigger, and you can no longer remember what your feet look like, (except that they feel twice as big as they used to) you will have had every man and his dog, tell you what will happen to you.

There's something about a bulging belly, that makes total strangers want to come up to you and give it a tap, and then pour out thier horror stories.
"oh....your first is it?" they ask, and you can almost see the evil glint in thier eye, and hear the cackle in thier head "ummm....yes actually" you reply, slightly nervously. "well....MY GOD, I don't envy you, I can still feel the searing, wrenching hideous pains now, Oh my god, WHAT HAVE you let yourself in for?"

By now you are wondering, SHIT, what HAVE I let myself in for? And the stranger goes on, and on. It doesn't matter if it's male or female, both sexes will feel obliged to tell you of thier horror, and your impending doom.

They will gleefully tell you how, they would NEVER do it again, and if you had any sense, that you would NEVER do it again. They say this, as child No 3 is running around the living room. Hmmm, so you might wonder, if it was that bad, why did they do it two more times? Well, you see that's where you have to switch off.

The b
est peice of advice I can offer you, is to not listen to anyone elses stories. You will have Grandma, who will tell you how it was different in her day, and they have it easy these days...... Then their will be your best mate, or the girl from work. They will advise you to have EVERY painkiller going, they will tell you, it's going to hurt, like you never thought possible. You WILL turn into a demon, you will hate every man alive, and swear and shout at anything that moves. They will tell you to have Pethidine, Gas and air, an epidural. Then you will have another who tells you of thier horrific caesarian section, how they were whisked away without any notice.

You see, all you have to remember, is that each and every birth is different. Just because your freind had an epidural, doesn't mean it's right for you, or wrong for that matter. If your mum did it without any pain releif, doesn't mean you have to be brave and do that too. Just go with the flow. If you have made a birth plan, be prepared to say "the heck with it" things dont always turn out how we planned them, so be flexible.

The truth is ...yes....it will hurt, but I think it's important to try to understand what type of pain it will be. When it's your first people just say PAIN, and because you've never experinced that type of pain, you can only think of the pain you have had. But trust me, it's not a "ouch, my hands just been cut off with a very sharpe knife" type pain, it's more of a very bad, dull ache!(like the worst period pain you ever had......only much worse) Don't get me wrong, it does hurt, but it is manageable (just) Don't forget that you will have breaks, however small, in between each contraction, and when they are right next to each other your baby will be imminent anyway.

Don't get yourself wound up imaganing every thing that could go wrong. Yes, things can, and do go wrong, but who's to say it
will be you, and worrying endlessly the whole pregnancy will ruin the joy of being pregnant, and could have an adverse affect anyway.

I have two children, and with the first had every pain killer going, and I took at least a month to recover. With my second, I had gas and air, and was up and about within half an hour. So you see, EVERY birth IS different. A good thing to remember is this. When I was in labour with my second child, I didn't realise I was literally within minutes of having her, and I was desperate for a break to the pain, I was literally beggging the midwife to let me have an epidural as I was exhausted, she told "look, you've done so well, and you are coping, it won't be long, and it won't get any worse, it's like it's reached it's plateau" That gave me so much encouragement. You see, I think I was expecting it to just keep getting worse and worse, until I just couldnt bear it, but she gave me the strength to carry on. And I'm so glad I did. I recovered much quicker.


Every mother or father will tell you in minute detail of thier experience, but all you have to do, is nod and smile, and know that in a few months time, your time will come, when you are walking down the street, your beautiful new baby alseep in the pram, and you sit down in the park. A weary, heavily pregnant woman, will sit by you, and you will turn to her.......with an evil glint in your eye.....and you can hear yourself cackling in your head.......

Summary: