Advice for first time moms

Just thought of a few more...

You will be poked with needles quite a bit. If you are scared of needles, you won't be by the time you leave the hospital.

You get used to everyone wanting to check you. It seems like there was someone new each time. "This is so- and- so, he is an intern"

Yeah this one is not so pleasent-Sorry! When you get up be prepared for heavy flows. Didn't know how to put it not so nicely.

Don't feel bad about pushing the nurse call button if you need something.

 

oops......hit add reply too soon.......LOL

I have had 6 c-sections, and while the GAS adds up (like drinking pop, etc)......you have to make yourself fart........it will be painful if you hold it in.......I drank pop after all of my births (as soon as the nurses would let me). As soon as you can pass gas, they will allow you to "eat" a clear liquid diet, until the gas starts to flow, no "food".

Rocking in a rocking chair will help pass gas too.......ask for a wooden chair if you need one in you room.

I did not have a problem showering by myself, I only had trouble putting underwear on (hard to reach the first foot hole......LOL)


The more pregnancies/kids I had the less I brought to the hospital with me.........you truly only need the clothes that you wear there (you get dressed right before you go to the hospital, and change into the hospital gown as soon as you get there), you will not be able to fit in your pre-pregnancy clothes anyway.

Anything that you actually NEED, hubby can get for you and bring up to the hospital.

You can bring an outfit for the baby (for hospital pics, so it is something that you picked out)......each baby we had hubby went shopping and picked out a new going home outfit and a picture outfit.







The baby/ies will get presents while you are in the hospital (have hubby clear out your room everytime that he leaves to go home)...it will save several trips to the car and precious cargo room for the day you actually go home.

 

- The biggest surprise for me was that I was not completely numb from the spinal. I could still feel everything - but it wasn't painful. For some reason I always thought I wouldn't be able to feel anything, but it freaked me out when I felt lots of pulling and tugging. I thought my spinal wasn't working and the anesthesiologist explained to me that it was working perfectly because I wasn't feeling any pain!

- If you're having a c-section everything will happen so fast!! Dh was supposed to be filming and he missed the first baby coming out because it happened so fast! Tell whoever is in charge of pictures/filming to be ready!

- My pain medicine made me itch horribly! If you start to have a problem with itching ask for Benadryl as soon as you can. I didn't know I could have anything for itching and the next day the nurse *finally* asked me if I wanted some Benadryl (after I had scratched a mole off my arm from itching so bad!!)

- The nurses will push and knead on your stomach afterward, don't be surprised if it hurts really bad. I was not prepared for it and my nurse didn't tell me it was going to be painful, I let out a loud scream when she did it! The next few times still hurt but it wasn't as bad because I knew what to expect! (not sure if everyone has to go through this... i had a lot of blood clots so they pushed on my stomach a few times each day during recovery - ouch)

- Last but not least... it is an AMAZING experience no matter how you deliver! Up until a week before delivery my OB and I had planned on vaginal but things changed last minute and I had to have a c-section. I was so disappointed but afterward I realized that I had brought not one, but two beautiful babies into this world - there was nothing to be disappointed about!!!



GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

 

Thanks for all the words of wisdom--I'm getting to the point of anxiety now, mostly about no knowing what to do or what to expect!

 

QUOTE(TrinaP @ Jul 10 2007, 12:10 PM) [snapback]324507[/snapback]
Your stomach will not go back to normal after you have the baby. It will take weeks and your stomach will be kind of gross and feel like jello.


This is a very good point. I was not completely prepared for the look and feel of my deflated bread dough stomach. It lasts for a little while, but it will go away. That first shower at the hospital is hard because everything looks and feels weird, your once tightly stretched tummy is mushy and wrinkly, you are likely pretty afraid to touch your hooha to give it a little scrub especially if you had any stitches or tearing, and if you are lucky you might have some hemmoroids to boot. Don't worry, it will all get better and go away before you know it.

Don't be too surprised or horrified when the nurses come in and push on your stomach after you have given birth and over the next day or so to make sure your uterus is contracting. It is not entirely comfortable and usually there is a pretty substantial gush of blood each time. I was surprised at all of the bleeding for the first week or so, but that too will subside.

My DS was a vaginal birth and they gave me a spray called Dermaplast that I could spray on my hooha to numb it if things got too sore. I found it to be invaluable once I got home and for the first few days. It is also great for removing splinters when your kids get a little older!

 

I almost forgot this on baby boy care! ALWAYS push his penis DOWN in the diaper or it will leak up and out the top. can't tell you how many outfits I went thru before I remembered this from my sister telling me.

Alyson

 

the first day after the section once the catheter is out is usually when they get you out of bed (for me it was because I had to pee!) don't let the nurse pull you up - let her or your dh hold your arms and you get up as slowly as you need to - the nurse started pulling me too fast and I had her stop and just give me her one arm and DH took the other and I pulled myself up - it still hurt like h*ll but I was controlling it!

also too - they sent in an aide to help me clean off the dried blood and I thought I'd die of embarrassment - but she was like "hey I do this day in and day out" - they REALLY do see everything!...

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the "words of wisdom" It really helps us first timers.

 

QUOTE(nattyboo @ Jul 10 2007, 08:21 PM) [snapback]325266[/snapback]
This is a very good point. I was not completely prepared for the look and feel of my deflated bread dough stomach. It lasts for a little while, but it will go away. That first shower at the hospital is hard because everything looks and feels weird, your once tightly stretched tummy is mushy and wrinkly, you are likely pretty afraid to touch your hooha to give it a little scrub especially if you had any stitches or tearing, and if you are lucky you might have some hemmoroids to boot. Don't worry, it will all get better and go away before you know it.

Don't be too surprised or horrified when the nurses come in and push on your stomach after you have given birth and over the next day or so to make sure your uterus is contracting. It is not entirely comfortable and usually there is a pretty substantial gush of blood each time. I was surprised at all of the bleeding for the first week or so, but that too will subside.

My DS was a vaginal birth and they gave me a spray called Dermaplast that I could spray on my hooha to numb it if things got too sore. I found it to be invaluable once I got home and for the first few days. It is also great for removing splinters when your kids get a little older!


TOTALLY LOVE Dermaplast!! Soooooo Refreshing!!

 

If having a c-section, you may want a small pillow to hold over your incision incase you cough, laugh or sneeze!!! (I have an incision like a c-section, just not a full c-section and the small pillow was a life saver for me...i got a bad tickle in my throat!)

This will be on my list if we have a c-section!!