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[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]Having a baby is physically and mentally challenging. No one can be prepared to have their first baby and each birth experience is different. Every newborn is unique.
Here is the list of things I’ve learned after having a baby!
1. Sleep is as ancient as the dinosaur’s era.
You. Don’t. Sleep. At. All. As soon as your newborn arrives, you are in love with them. There is nothing more precious than looking at your newborn. As soon as they start crying around the clock, you, nor your partner will be able to sleep. Welcome to parenthood!
Babies like to feed around the clock in the newborn phase.
It was not only the crying and baby awakening that kept me up, it was me as a mother that I could no longer sleep.
As a mother, I felt I had to watch her and kept awakening at all times to ensure that she was breathing. Additionally, I have a hearing loss, which made me constantly check on the baby’s breathing all night because I could not hear baby breathing. I literally had to check her chest rising with her breaths.
2. Breastfeeding is Extremely Difficult
When I first tried breastfeeding, it was a very difficult journey. I had no clue whether I was producing enough milk or colostrum but all I could see was my baby was constantly crying. I fed her formula a lot. Family members constantly told me I was not producing enough milk. Eventually, after some research, I came to conclusion that I was going to breastfeed her entirely since I was working from home and it was very convenient for me. To get to fully breastfeeding, is a journey of its own and it is not easy.Additionally, I had no support from nurses, doctors or hospital staff to continue formula feeding. No one said, “It is OK to formula feed.” There are tons of documentation and paperwork warning you about formula feeding at the hospital if you choose to formula feed. On my second-born, I had to request several times before finally receiving documentation to sign to get formulas!
I applaud all moms who feed their babies, whether they are breastfeeding or formula feeding or both! Fed is best.
3. Engorgement
In the first few days after birth, you will get engorged. Perhaps breastfeeding is not going well as it takes time or you had simply decided to formula feed for some reasons. It hurts tremendously to be engorged. Pumping milk helps.
4. Your won’t fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans right away.
You body goes through so many changes and you won’t fit in your pre-pregnancy jeans right away. After I left the hospital, my body was nothing what it used to be pre-pregnancy. It was a shock but it was hard to notice how you look when you are taking care of a newborn.
5. Getting into the shower won’t be easy.
Taking a shower with a newborn in the house is not easy especially if you are the alone. As soon as you feel the baby has snoozed, you will get in the tub only to realize that your baby starts shrieking in the other room!
6. You’ll need a new beauty routine
The days of nail polish, straightening or styling your hair, makeup, getting dressed up and morning/nightly beauty routine will be long gone. Your priority will be the baby and only baby.
Regardless of your dark eyed circles, fizzy hair, and new wrinkles, your baby will still think you are beautiful!
7. Babies need a lot of diapers.
No really, babies go through a lot of diapers. They pee, They poop every 2 hours. It gets better as the months go by, but newborns use a lot of diapers.
8. Babies Spit up – a Lot.
You will smell, the baby will smell, and laundry will start to pile up. As soon as you get a new shirt on and change your baby, they spit up again! It is a never ending cycle and its no wonder someone so small can produce so much laundry.
9. Days when you drank your coffee or chai(tea) in peace or finish your meal will be long gone.
Seriously, you will not finish that cup of Chai or coffee before your baby wakes up. You just won’t! I still go through this.
10. You will experience a poop explosion in a diaper.
This is unavoidable with any amount of babies you have or any type of diaper you use. One way or another, your baby will have a poop explosion, which will stain her clothes, the sheets, and more! If this happens, just wipe your baby and jump in the shower, even if you already just gave your baby a bath!
11. Babies smile and bring joy to your world.
There will be days that your baby starts smiling and laughing. Nothing is more precious than that love and bond between a mother and child.
This is an experience like no other in this world.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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