What I wish I had known - Page 3

[nald1]

Exaclty how i feel - hoping this time ill have the perspective that I will survive and I will someday have the ability/opportunity to sleep again :)

[Fireflyx]

I wish I had known that you would not need tubes and tubes of lanolin.  I just used the samples from the hospital and returned all of the tubes that were given to me or purchased.  I still even have hospital samples.

Oh, and for sore, cracked nipples - I wish I had known earlier that a simple saline solutions sprayed on (from and extra peri bottle) after nursing really helped with the healing.

[Beckily]

Originally Posted by Fireflyx 

I wish I had known that you would not need tubes and tubes of lanolin.  I just used the samples from the hospital and returned all of the tubes that were given to me or purchased.  I still even have hospital samples.

Oh, and for sore, cracked nipples - I wish I had known earlier that a simple saline solutions sprayed on (from and extra peri bottle) after nursing really helped with the healing.

That's very good to know!

[SynEpona]

Originally Posted by Fireflyx 

I wish I had known that you would not need tubes and tubes of lanolin.  I just used the samples from the hospital and returned all of the tubes that were given to me or purchased.  I still even have hospital samples.

You can use the same lanolin to re-waterproof wool diaper covers :) My ONE tube from DS 4yos ago got us through all the early BF'ng ouches, and 3 years of cloth diaper with 1/3 of our covers being woolies, and there is STILL some left! I do keep the sample size ones that are really really tiny in all my travel bags still, b/c they've never been opened!

[myorianna]

For those with a colicky baby...

I wish I had known:

- Much earlier that my birth ball could be used to bounce the baby and me while simply sitting on it to ease her to sleep instead of all those hours spent walking up and down the hallway.

- That colic and/or reflux could be caused by food allergies through my breastmilk (hers was dairy protein) and that going on an elimination diet right away could relieve things within 2 weeks. I didn't know this until she was almost 4 months old!

- That not all car seats are created equal for babies with any gastric discomfort...the typical infant "tub" carseats (aka Graco) are the worst position for the baby to be in who have that - much relief when switching to a straighter back carseat such as Britax Roundabout.

Other random things:

- A hot water dispenser at the changing table was so convenient for diaper changes- just fill with warm water and dispense onto cotton square swab or cloth for an instant warm baby wipe that is all natural.  Follow with a quick blow-dry (hairdryer) and walla - goodbye diaper rashes.

- Even if you can't lift your leg at all after labor, its surprising that 6 weeks really is the magic marker- it will pass!  Buy a small step stool if your bed is high cause in case you wont be able to climb in by yourself.  If you don't end up needing it, it will be handy to have for your toddler.

- Let the baby be watched by someone else even for 1.5 hours between feedings from the get-go, so that they are used to other people (even family) taking care of them...otherwise when they are 6 months old separation anxiety will hit much harder.

- Don't bother looking at your STUFF after birth- wait until your 6 week postpartum.  There's no point to freaking out prematurely...give yourself time to heal.

[Italiamom]

Originally Posted by myorianna 

- Don't bother looking at your STUFF after birth- wait until your 6 week postpartum.  There's no point to freaking out prematurely...give yourself time to heal.

I made that mistake and was HORRIFIED!  Called my midwife in tears, practically hysterical, at about 4 weeks postpartum.  Myorianna is right though...  Just leave the hand-mirror alone until 8-12 weeks postpartum.  Your vagina will still be there after all that time, I promise!

[Agatha_Ann]

Bumpity! I thought of a few more over the last couple weeks...

-Don't be surprised if/when your hair falls out after birth. I'm talking handfulls and having to clean your brush daily. It really scared me after my first baby and no one had told me it was natural. It is!

-This is silly and another one that some people know, but no one really tells you...nipples have many holes, not just one in the middle, and they spray in all directions!

-If you end up with a c-section, there will be days in the first 6-8 weeks when you feel pretty good and may be tempted to overdo it. DON'T! It will catch up. You are feeling better because you are healing, not because you are healed. Don't be afraid to take the pain medicine they give you. Sure most of us don't like to take anything, but you just had major surgery, it is ok to not be 100% crunchy all the time and it is much easier to stay on top of pain than to catch up to it.

-Get yourself a great big water bottle and keep it filled with ice water at all times. You will be so thirsty the first few weeks especially it will blow your mind how much water you can put away. I highly recommend teaching your DH to automatically refill you each time he walks by.

[Italiamom]

Originally Posted by Agatha_Ann 

-Get yourself a great big water bottle and keep it filled with ice water at all times. You will be so thirsty the first few weeks especially it will blow your mind how much water you can put away. I highly recommend teaching your DH to automatically refill you each time he walks by.

Nursing in those first weeks is a battle of extremes.  I was thirsty like never before, hungry like never before, and NO ONE told me that my baby would nurse 24/7.  They do.  It is TOTALLY normal to only have 15-20 minutes between feedings.  Slap on some nipple butter, and stay well fed and well hydrated!

[Inali]

Oh boy!!!  So many things so little a baby!!! 

I can't wait for the madness to just start hearing all these things to keep in mind makes me want to get on it!