[janerose]

Thinking back to when I was pg with DD I would have loved a thread like this. So, for all us experienced mamas, what is the best advice you can give everyone doing this for the first time. It can be pregnancy, labor & delivery, or just general parenting advice. Whatever you found helpful when you were a expectant and new parent, or even stuff you *wish* you'd know the first time around.

My biggest advice for labor & delivery is to educate yourself about how your body works. This was so, so, so empowering for me. Nobody believes that I had DD naturally & never once asked for medication. Can't even tell you the number of people who've said to me, "Oh, come on you must have at least *asked* for something!" But honestly, I didn't. It did cross my mind at one point, but I immediatly recognized the doubts were a sign that I was actually progressing & going into transition which meant that drugs would have been mostly useless at that point anyway since the baby was almost here.

Also, I'd enourage everyone to not get caught up too much in how you THINK the labor & delivery should go. Almost nothing about mine was how I'd pictured it and yet is was perfect.

For example, I never would have imagined I'd end up pushing DD out while laying on my side, but that's what felt right in the moment so that's what I did.

Holly

 

[Zaxmama]

my biggest thing would be to remember Woman have been birthing and raising babies since the dawn of time... you don't NEED as much baby gear as you think.especially AP mamas.if you BF, cosleep and babywear. you barely need a thing trust yourself and your instincts and use common sense. and most importantly ENJOY ever second.. it goes by so darn fast..

:

 

[leximom]

Honestly, you can plan all you want, but anything can happen that day. I had a doula and had been working with her for 12 weeks by the time I went into labor and wouldn't it figure that she had the flu that day in the middle of the summer

I still had a beautiful birth and my dh did a wonderful job supporting me through. So you can make plans, but be prepared for anything.

Also, write your birth story as soon as you can. It's amazing how quickly you forget those little details. I wrote mine about 3 days after I had her and it makes me cry each time I read it still

: