'I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN'...Advice for pregnancy & birth

Take some advice from others and find out what most books do not tell you...

Please share your experiences here that will help others throughout their pregnancy and beyond. We want ALL THE INFO, NO HOLDING BACK, it's not TMI for this post!


I wish I would have known...If you plan on breastfeeding, that it can take DAYS after your baby is born for your breastmilk to come in. You should have some colustrum, but it may not be enough to satisfy your baby. Know that it's OK if you have to supplement with formula...just keep nursing, because when your baby keeps sucking, it is telling your body how much milk to produce.

I'm still pregnant, but:
I wish I would have known how dark and big your nipples can get and that you can get a little leakage right from the beginning (I was doing a self-breast exam, got a drop or two of liquid and freaked out...it's that made me take a pregnancy test..and I was only 3w5d pregnant!)

I wish someone would have told me to keep taking those Senekot laxatives when I got out of the hospital. The nurses could have at least told me to eat alot of fiber while I was in the hospital. Your digestive system stops completely when u go into labor, and it was hell getting it started again. I was constipated for 4to 5 days, and it was the worst pain in my life!!! Labor & delivery was a breeze compared to this pain. It made it even worse that I had an episiotomy, and had almost no control of those muscles....so trust me, and do yourself a favor, and take a laxative of some sort every day for at least a week, or you'll look like this   lol

I wish someone would have told me when you have a c-section, you automatically get a cathader, and after they take it out, your bladder might not work. Mine didn't and I had to have 5 more cathaders before my bladder started working again.

I wish someone would have warned me about the blood clot's after you give birth. I got up to go pee about 15 min's after mmy little girl was born and when I pulled down my pants inside those stupid underwear/diaper thing's they make you wear I had a blood clot the size of a softball or bigger. I totally freaked out and screamed at my husband to come look and asked him if it was normal . He looked at me with this shocked look on his face and was like "I don't know I have never seen anything like that before, Im giong to get the nurse."

I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT IF YOU GET THE EPIDURAL IT MAY BE HOURS BEFORE YOU HAVE ANY FEELING IN YOUR LEGS I MEAN HOURS IT WAS 12 HOURS AFTER I HAD MY DAUGHTER BEFORE I COULD TAKE A SHOWER SINCE I HAD TO GET OUT OF BED AND GO PEE ON MY OWN 3 TIMES BEFORE I COULD TAKE ONE

I'm bringing this topic back, and bumping it up...I think it's helpful, so please, share your advice! Thanks

Pregancy books never seem to mention how all of your relatives and in-laws will invade your hospital room and home once you have newborn and how they will somehow believe that they have rights over this baby just because they are related.... Nor do the books explain how to get them to back off.

omg, a lifesaver topic! haha. I'll def be reading everyone's info they have.

Quoting ♥a s h l e y:“ omg, a lifesaver topic! haha. I'll def be reading everyone's info they have.”

Same here...I'm already stressing over the fact that my in-laws think they have to move back in with us when the baby's born and I do NOT want them around...The only people i want in the house when I get home are my husband & my mom (who is only staying for a week...then she has to return to PA). Hubby's cousin is also coming and I don't know how to tell everyone I do NOT want that many visitors at one time...

I'm still pregnant...but I already wish I had known that people would be fighting over who gets to be in the delivery room. I just assumed it would go smoothly, but I should have made it clear exactly who I wanted in there a long time ago. Now my mother & his mother are butting heads about it & I don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings!

Sorry about all the in-law problems...
I didn't want any visitors during the birth.It's ok to tell everyone that you'd feel more comfortable with just your partner and the doctors. If they still insist,
think about writing a birth plan that says visitors have to have permission from your partner before going into your room, that way the nurses can take care of it first, then your partner will feel like he has something he can help with.You have enough to worry about on the big day, and the men usually want something they can help with anyway... plus if they are his parents...
All he has to say is you'll feel more comfortable, or you all would like to spend some time together. He can even say you are too tired. Having a baby is hard work. They should understand. Good luck!

Quoting MelBell:“ I wish someone would have told me when you have a c-section, you automatically get a cathader, and after ... [snip!] ... it out, your bladder might not work. Mine didn't and I had to have 5 more cathaders before my bladder started working again.”

ok, I DID NOT know that one... umm, unpleasant much??

Labor and Delivery advice:
Hmm I had blood that literally flew 4 feet and hit the door across from the table/bed maybe a foot or so lower than i was WTF?!?!?!
OH and they just kind hang out around your vag after baby is born, umbilical cord just hanging out you still waiting for yout placenta to come....
for

For Pregnacy advice
take pics vids of your distorted belly when the little one is moving around in there. you will miss this part of the pregnancy after baby is born