Things they don't tell you about having a baby


It's official. I'm a mom. That is still the strangest thing to say. I always knew that I'd find out new stuff 
when I had my own baby and would learn on the job, but there are a few things that came as big shock to 
me and I wasn't told beforehand. Some might seem obvious but if I wasn't aware of them, you might not  
either. Whether it be about your body and mental health or your baby themselves, it's a learning curve.

This may be obvious to some or most people, but it came as a huge shock to me. You bleed after birth 
even when you have a c-section. For some reason I presumed that when you have a c-section, you don't 
bleed afterwards as it's an operation and not a vaginal birth. I thought that the doctors/nurses would 
'remove' it during the operation. This isn't the case. All of that blood has to still come out, no matter what 
kind of birth you have. The bleeding itself is like a heavy period, but something I wasn't expecting. 

All of your baby's needs, fall to you to complete. Changing their nappy, feeding and bathing them but 
also cleaning your baby's ears. I don't know why this has never been mentioned before or why I never 
thought about it before. Most baby's will dribble, spill milk and vomit, which then gets everywhere; 
including their ears. Mix this with lying down and being held, their ears get dirty, just like ours, so you 
have to clean them. I'm not saying stick a cotton bud in their ears but instead using some warm water and 
a cotton wool ball or flannel. If you have a physical need you need doing, most likely your baby will also.

I had my baby 8 weeks early, which meant that he was in the hospital for 5 weeks and I went home 
everyday without him. Other than the initial few days after birth, my emotions didn't fully hit me until 
we took him home, 5 weeks later. I was really shocked when we got home to have my emotions and 
hormones come out in full swing. I somehow thought that because it didn't happen straight away, that I'd 
'got away with it' or 'didn't notice it' because I was too focused on him. Boy, was I wrong. They hit me like 
a ton of bricks. I'd be lying if I sat here and said everything is fine now. I question myself with everything 
that I am doing and whether I can actually do this. Your emotions/hormones will shock you.

I wish I could say how I love feed time and the bond it brings but I dread feed time. Whilst pregnant 
everyone says this is the time where you get to bond and have that quality time with your baby, which is 
true but it's not always that straight forward. My baby has acid reflux, is on gaviscon and a prescribed milk 
which all comes with it's issues and I have started to dread feed time. When it's good I love it and the time 
we get together but it can be a lot more difficult than I thought. 

Dancing fruits will become your best friend. I am forever indebted to dancing fruits. Whether I need 5 
minutes to put some washing on the airer or he's screaming with all his might, these dancing fruits are a 
life saver. It was a few weeks before I put them on for him, but as soon as I did everything changed. 

Right up until I gave birth I said I wasn't going to be 'that mom' but I became 'that mom'. No matter how 
much you tell yourself you won't photograph and video everything you will. No matter how much you say 
you won't only talk about your baby, you will. No matter how much you tell yourself your Facebook feed 
won't be just your baby, it will. You will become 'that mom'.

What is something you didn't know about having a baby?

xoxo
Lea-Mai

13 comments

  1. You are an amazing mum and don't ever doubt yourself. We all love you Auntie Tina ❤️ xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. My 2 year old was watching dancing fruit the other day! She enjoys it from time to time :)

    Corinne x
    https://skinnedcartree.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A life saver at the minute! I imagine it will become Miss Rachel soon x

      Delete
  3. I love how Dancing Fruits has become your best friend, that made me chcukle! x

    Lucy Mary

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh gosh, I didn't know about the bleeding after birth thing either. Which when you think about it makes total sense. Haha. Oops. I remember first time around after giving birth, being horrified and apologising that I was bleeding all over. The midwives just laughed like they're seen it all before. Ha. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It definitely does, but I just never gave it a thought with having a c-section. I was the same. I saw it when I stood up and apologised for making a mess x

      Delete
  5. The biggest shock to me was actually during labour and they wouldn’t let me eat anything 🤣 my first bite to eat post birth was the best thing ever. Also the HeyBear videos are my fave 🤣

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. I had an emergency c-section, so food wasn't even on my mind! I agree with the first thing to eat after birth being the best though. Hey Bear is truly a gift x

      Delete
  6. Such an honest and real post about motherhood, well done you for sharing. I feel that now my little one is 15 months, he needs me less and wants to play more which is lovely. Those first few months are really tough. My heart goes out to you for his feeding, hopefully his prescribed milk will help with his reflux!
    Rosie

    https://www.loverosiee.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Unfortunately he's started teething really early, so he's really needy still and grumpy now too, which means finding a balance is hard, but I'm powering through x

      Delete