I'm sorry for thieving this from mamakaikai on the July 2010 DDC (lots of good answers to her thread check it out) but its a great idea and I believe it can be just as helpful when being applied to the entire pregnancy through birth experience for first time moms here!
Basically, list the things that surprised you about pregnancy that no one told you about... or birth/afterbirth if you have had babies already!
Mine -
*no one told me that feeling like AF is knocking at the door for the first 8 weeks after you find out you are pregnant is totally normal.
*no one told me that morning sickness doesn't happen just in the morning. Or just in the first trimester.
*no one told me that while breastfeeding I will get two very distinct feelings I have never gotten before. The first - having a waterfall come out of my nipple when I am engorged and baby is not hungry. The second - the feeling of let down is not always pleasant for every woman, for me it sort of stung. Wasnt really painful but 5 years later I still cringe every time a baby cries, waiting for letdown.
*no one told me that when I have normal pregnancy aches and pains, being in water is like heaven.
*no one told me that you get the restless nights BEFORE baby comes. I actually sleep better in their first month after birth than I do in the last four months of pregnancy.
*no one told me that the number one most important thing in the delivery room for me would be to feel safe and supported, and yet that was the one thing that stuck most in my mind about the whole thing... that it didnt hurt because I felt safe and supported. I had a quiet first birth, short of my mother constantly telling me how proud she was of me and of course my grunting and various phrases that came out of my mouth (surprisingly not including swearwords, but rather things like Is he almost out!?) and the second birth was loud, with FIVE nurses in the room amazed that I had no pain meds and cheering me on. First was dark, second was bright... in both cases I didnt need pain meds to get through, because i felt like I could really do it, I could really make it without them.
*no one told me that the afterpains with the first are nothing compared to the afterpains with the second. Having been reminded of that by the original no one told me thread, I fear how it will be after the third!
Basically, list the things that surprised you about pregnancy that no one told you about... or birth/afterbirth if you have had babies already!
Mine -
*no one told me that feeling like AF is knocking at the door for the first 8 weeks after you find out you are pregnant is totally normal.
*no one told me that morning sickness doesn't happen just in the morning. Or just in the first trimester.
*no one told me that while breastfeeding I will get two very distinct feelings I have never gotten before. The first - having a waterfall come out of my nipple when I am engorged and baby is not hungry. The second - the feeling of let down is not always pleasant for every woman, for me it sort of stung. Wasnt really painful but 5 years later I still cringe every time a baby cries, waiting for letdown.
*no one told me that when I have normal pregnancy aches and pains, being in water is like heaven.
*no one told me that you get the restless nights BEFORE baby comes. I actually sleep better in their first month after birth than I do in the last four months of pregnancy.
*no one told me that the number one most important thing in the delivery room for me would be to feel safe and supported, and yet that was the one thing that stuck most in my mind about the whole thing... that it didnt hurt because I felt safe and supported. I had a quiet first birth, short of my mother constantly telling me how proud she was of me and of course my grunting and various phrases that came out of my mouth (surprisingly not including swearwords, but rather things like Is he almost out!?) and the second birth was loud, with FIVE nurses in the room amazed that I had no pain meds and cheering me on. First was dark, second was bright... in both cases I didnt need pain meds to get through, because i felt like I could really do it, I could really make it without them.
*no one told me that the afterpains with the first are nothing compared to the afterpains with the second. Having been reminded of that by the original no one told me thread, I fear how it will be after the third!
.
I didn't have ANY afterpains with #6 which completely freaked my midwife out-she sent me home with methergine 'just in case'.
It really can be that bad and I wish we'd talk about it more openly (in general, thank goodness for MDC).
Like, I was so freaking scared of that first post partum poop, and it was fine. Actually, that's not 100% true- I wasn't prepared for how sooooorrre I was that first night and couple days after, but that really depends on your birth.
BTDT.
