Mummy Tips Copy

This section is all the things our mums over the years and from our own experience found that you aren’t always told about which can be a bit of a shock when it occurs.

Warning. This section is not for the ones who just don’t want to know anything!

It is not birthing horror stories, I would never do that to you, just bits of information I wish I had known and I always hear from my ladies “I wish someone had told me that…”.

So here we go!

• You may have leaky boobs before your baby arrives, heat stimulates so you may be spraying the shower curtains with milk towards the end and when baby is here.
• When baby first comes out and you have had cuddles etc. and you go to get clean, this isn’t a proper shower. It’s just to get rid of blood etc,. you can shower on the ward. This may be different in different countries, this is based on the UK.
• Take a nightie you don’t mind throwing away as it will get covered in blood and gunk, flip flops for the shower and big knickers (I will come back to that shortly).
• When you go for your shower or wash you may catch yourself in the mirror and you may still have a pregnant looking belly that will be smaller but will wobble like a set jelly on a plate, this is perfectly normal but a shock if you are not expecting it.
• Your uterus will contract down over the next few days, especially if you are breast feeding and this will reduce, be patient, your midwife will come and check you usually in a few days to see how its doing.
• You will need maternity pads I am afraid that sanitary towels will not cut it. I personally had to double up the maternity pads for the first couple of days and still leaked embarrassingly, so just be aware, this brings me to big knickers. I would buy disposable as it’s a much easier clean up, whip the whole lot off with the pads and bin. Simple.
• You will still have mini contractions which are quite uncomfortable after having baby. Now this one for me was huge, no one had ever mentioned this to me and it was a real shock as it was quite painful, nothing like labour mind but could warrant a paracetamol which I don’t take lightly. So, from then I decided I was going to tell every new mum who came through my door about it as I think its important to be prepared. It is worse on subsequent births, and more uncomfortable when breast feeding as breast feeding helps the womb contract to shrink the uterus back down which is what the pain is. Just so you know.
• Your vagina at 10cm dilated is the size of a Dairylea lid! I know I have never looked at Dairylea the same when I am shopping. NCT told me that one.
• You give birth to your baby and then must birth your placenta. No where near as uncomfortable as it doesn’t have bones, but you are still aware of it but usually distracted by your beautiful baby at this point.
• Your tummy muscles don’t always automatically spring back to where they were so please ask a professional to check at your 6 week check before you exercise again.
• I would advise a water spray for your face, a flannel, and food for your other half as they are not always fed.