Post-pregnancy massage:
Sounds amazing right? While you might be picturing the hospital staff rubbing your neck and shoulders while you blissfully nurse your baby, the type of massage we're talking about isn't quite the same. Fundal massages are intended to check the position of your uterus to reduce complications of remaining enlarged or not shedding remnants. You'll find a nurse massaging and rubbing the uterine area post-birth whether you gave birth naturally or surgically. While it might be a bit uncomfortable – it isn't terrible!
Swelling:
A lot of new mums are surprised to find the swelling actually increases post-partum, but this is nothing to be afraid of! During your pregnancy, changes in hormones as well as your body will cause you to swell in different parts of your body. The swelling should go away on its own in a week or a bit more. In this time, your kidney will be working hard to eliminate 'waste' – so you may notice you sweat or need to use the toilet more!
Eyes wide open:
You may find your baby sleeping with his eyes wide open during the deeper stages of sleep (REM) - but this will quickly pass in 12-18 months. Nobody knows exactly why this happens, but if your baby's 'zombie sleep' is bothering you – you can always gently stroke his or her eyelids closed.
Babies make weird noises:
Expect to spend the first couple of weeks constantly alarmed by noises your baby will make. Newborns have a tendency to squeak, snort and grunt – sounds that are possibly designed to keep new mums up at night. But there's no need to worry, as a lot of noises are due to your baby only breathing through its nose so it can feed at the same time. Pair that with bits of mucus or dried milk, and you've got a noise that will keep you awake in fear.
Expect to not be able to stop staring at them:
You'll be staring in awe and amazement at your new bundle of joy. To think that this little human was just inside you a couple of hours or days ago is something that takes a bit of time to process. It's an immeasurable feeling being able to feel that connected to someone!
It's no question that motherhood is full of unexpected surprises. While we hope that we can prepare you just a little bit more for your baby, whether or not you can prepare for all these doesn’t change how amazing the whole journey and process of being a new mum is!
5 THINGS I DIDN'T EXPECT AFTER GIVING BIRTH...
We know that a lot of new mums out there wish they had a bit more of a heads-up on a few things before they gave birth. Now, while our new mums out there might be nodding their heads in agreement to a lot of the following points, these are some things that an expectant mum might be glad to know before their little bundle of joy arrives in the world. In the following article we'll be talking about things that we weren't expecting after giving birth!
For a lot of expecting mothers and partners, there are a few things that you're already prepared to expect after giving birth. You might be expecting a lack of sleep to be part of your everyday routine, to be awoken several times throughout the night, expecting anxiety over unexplained baby rashes and marks, body aches and so on. You're so sure that you're prepared for every situation possible - however, there are some things that aren't often in your post-pregnancy guide that you simply weren't expecting:
Post-pregnancy massage:
Sounds amazing right? While you might be picturing the hospital staff rubbing your neck and shoulders while you blissfully nurse your baby, the type of massage we're talking about isn't quite the same. Fundal massages are intended to check the position of your uterus to reduce complications of remaining enlarged or not shedding remnants. You'll find a nurse massaging and rubbing the uterine area post-birth whether you gave birth naturally or surgically. While it might be a bit uncomfortable – it isn't terrible!
Swelling:
A lot of new mums are surprised to find the swelling actually increases post-partum, but this is nothing to be afraid of! During your pregnancy, changes in hormones as well as your body will cause you to swell in different parts of your body. The swelling should go away on its own in a week or a bit more. In this time, your kidney will be working hard to eliminate 'waste' – so you may notice you sweat or need to use the toilet more!
Eyes wide open:
You may find your baby sleeping with his eyes wide open during the deeper stages of sleep (REM) - but this will quickly pass in 12-18 months. Nobody knows exactly why this happens, but if your baby's 'zombie sleep' is bothering you – you can always gently stroke his or her eyelids closed.
Babies make weird noises:
Expect to spend the first couple of weeks constantly alarmed by noises your baby will make. Newborns have a tendency to squeak, snort and grunt – sounds that are possibly designed to keep new mums up at night. But there's no need to worry, as a lot of noises are due to your baby only breathing through its nose so it can feed at the same time. Pair that with bits of mucus or dried milk, and you've got a noise that will keep you awake in fear.
Expect to not be able to stop staring at them:
You'll be staring in awe and amazement at your new bundle of joy. To think that this little human was just inside you a couple of hours or days ago is something that takes a bit of time to process. It's an immeasurable feeling being able to feel that connected to someone!
It's no question that motherhood is full of unexpected surprises. While we hope that we can prepare you just a little bit more for your baby, whether or not you can prepare for all these doesn’t change how amazing the whole journey and process of being a new mum is!
Post-pregnancy massage:
Sounds amazing right? While you might be picturing the hospital staff rubbing your neck and shoulders while you blissfully nurse your baby, the type of massage we're talking about isn't quite the same. Fundal massages are intended to check the position of your uterus to reduce complications of remaining enlarged or not shedding remnants. You'll find a nurse massaging and rubbing the uterine area post-birth whether you gave birth naturally or surgically. While it might be a bit uncomfortable – it isn't terrible!
Swelling:
A lot of new mums are surprised to find the swelling actually increases post-partum, but this is nothing to be afraid of! During your pregnancy, changes in hormones as well as your body will cause you to swell in different parts of your body. The swelling should go away on its own in a week or a bit more. In this time, your kidney will be working hard to eliminate 'waste' – so you may notice you sweat or need to use the toilet more!
Eyes wide open:
You may find your baby sleeping with his eyes wide open during the deeper stages of sleep (REM) - but this will quickly pass in 12-18 months. Nobody knows exactly why this happens, but if your baby's 'zombie sleep' is bothering you – you can always gently stroke his or her eyelids closed.
Babies make weird noises:
Expect to spend the first couple of weeks constantly alarmed by noises your baby will make. Newborns have a tendency to squeak, snort and grunt – sounds that are possibly designed to keep new mums up at night. But there's no need to worry, as a lot of noises are due to your baby only breathing through its nose so it can feed at the same time. Pair that with bits of mucus or dried milk, and you've got a noise that will keep you awake in fear.
Expect to not be able to stop staring at them:
You'll be staring in awe and amazement at your new bundle of joy. To think that this little human was just inside you a couple of hours or days ago is something that takes a bit of time to process. It's an immeasurable feeling being able to feel that connected to someone!
It's no question that motherhood is full of unexpected surprises. While we hope that we can prepare you just a little bit more for your baby, whether or not you can prepare for all these doesn’t change how amazing the whole journey and process of being a new mum is!
