So you've done the classes, you've read the books and you are ready for what the first month of motherhood is going to throw at you? Excellent! That's what I thought too but here are a few things I wish I was slightly more prepared for...
- Arsenic Hour - My midwife told me that it was called this because it would make you want to swig the stuff, some people also refer to it as the witching hour. This is the hour a day when your baby decides to loose their shit for absolutely no reason what so ever. For my daughter it tends to last between 7pm and 2am, if you also can't settle your child a certain time of the day it doesn't mean you are a useless parent!
- Babies love a clean nappy - Ok so this probably isn't every baby but if you are thinking that you will only change a nappy roughly every 3-4 hours you are probably quite wrong. My daughter especially enjoys pooping in a clean nappy, in fact I would go as far as to say that she waits for me to change her nappy just so she can relieve herself in a nice dry one. Sometimes she will even wee mid change of nappy just to give you a little wet treat, she's nice like that.
- Feeding time takes bloody ages - I realised that babies need feeding every 3-4 hours but what I didn't account for is drinking a bottle takes roughly a century, at least it does for Lylie. So if you are taking the middle of the night shift expect to be woken up at 3am and maybe get back to sleep about 5am. (Time to invest in a coffee machine)
- Stretch Marks are sneaky - I was so pleased towards the end of my pregnancy when it appeared that I had escaped the dreaded stretch marks. What I didn't bargain for was that when you loose the weight afterwards suddenly the pesky buggers appear. (My inner thighs will never be the same again) Now I am as strong as a tiger as I have got my stripes!
- You may want to stay indoors now forever - As you may know if you have read my previous posts I had a bit of a rough time getting little Lylie into the world, and that means I am now left unable to drive until the new year. Far from getting cabin fever I have made my home such a comfortable little bubble for us that I am suddenly extremely anxious taking Lylie out into the big wide world. Walking down the street becomes a bloody hazard perception test. Cigarette here, bike there... another strange old man that wants to touch her face (ok the old men are probably just being friendly, but stop touching my baby) This is obviously just a small taste of what is to come. Tell me why it is again that I can't just wrap her up in cotton wool?
I hope this post doesn't come across as moaning, as tired and anxious as I am right now I absolutely wouldn't change it for anything in the world.
Are you a new mum? What has taken you by surprise?
Hearing the term "arsenic hour" still makes me giggle >.< Bless you! I hope she snaps out of that lil habit soon! I've got my coffee machine at the ready because I already find it super hard to fall back to sleep if I wake up in the night generally, uh oh!
ReplyDeleteI've had stretch marks for what feels like months now, probably since about week 24? So god only knows what my poor body will look like once he comes out and my body starts shrinking again! I wish I could be as happy in talking about them as you are! You really are a strong one lovely! x
I thought they were bruises at first, I said to my mum I dunno where all these bruises come from ... then she broke the news that they were indeed stretch marks haha!!
DeleteThe stretch mark comment is so true - I was so smug to have made it the entire way through without so much as a dark line, then boom, one week post partum and the first one appeared... I was lured into a false sense of security right there! That photo is adorable - did you have it done professionally or are you a dab hand with photo set ups?
ReplyDeleteKirsty | www.lifewithboys.co.uk
Haha I am sorry you had it happen too, but sort of glad it's not just me! Poor us!! I had it done professionally although I wish the little bonnet was mine :)
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