I wrote a post the other day about pregnancy and it has really got me thinking about what I wish I had known, back then, when I was pregnant with Noah, my first pregnancy. I had a lot of moments afterwards where I said “I wish I had of known that”, I suppose we all have. Those ah-ha moments are often things I tell first time pregnant ladies too.

bump (2)

The C&G baby club are trying to find out what people would have like to have known, first time around, with their pregnancies. Its a very thought provoking topic. C&G baby club are currently running a campaign called ‘Wish I’d Known’, it is all about the things you wish you had known when you were pregnant and the weird pregnancy myths you’d heard. There is a simple survey live here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RGSFPMR that they are using to get your tips and feedback.

The obvious things, I suppose, are the “wish I’d known what these feelings were”. The morning sickness. The pain in my boobs early on. The cramp in my stomach that was actually braxton hicks “pangs”. The pain of the contractions in early labour compared to contractions in actual labour, knowing that the early pains are much more welcomed than the latter. If only we had known and reserved our energy and tried to block out the zaps of pain.

bump (3)

I had no idea what was going on in the delivery suite, absolutely no idea. The few classes that we attended before birth, clearly meant nothing. From someone who has never had a baby before, listening to words and names of utensils that will help deliver your baby and then being in the actual room where they are being used, I have to say it didn’t really help me at all. I wasn’t thinking about all the literature that I was asked to read, or the exact name of each utensil laid out in front of my “baby exit”. No, I was just lying there in pain, wishing that my baby would come out safely and they had free reign to do whatever was necessary! As if you would want anything different. I think I would have liked to have been told this before entering the delivery suite, without being scared off of course. The classes just overwhelm you with information, they give you details about the birth that you do not need to know. What I would have preferred is to make friends with mums-to-be in my area, so I had more of a support group when I was due to give birth and when I had my newborn baby. It can be a lonely world and a scary one at that. Having a few friends with their newborns got me through a lot of tough times early on. I made my friends through pregnancy yoga and I am happy to say that they are still my support now, five years on and I wouldnt change it for all the riches in all the world. That has been more beneficial to me than any class about what to expect in the delivery suite. Crying because you are so completely exhausted, crying because you are frightened, crying because you just needed to cry – it was those times, with those friends that got me through that. I did have family too, of course I did, but I had that worry in the back of my mind “I don’t want them to think I am being a bad Mum”.

bump3

The weirdest pregnancy myth I heard was not to have hot baths as it will boil your baby, like rice in a bag! I had nothing but hot baths, daily, sometimes twice a day and both my babies were fine. They used to come alive in the hot baths and look like they were dancing around my belly in a disco. So I didn’t agree with that myth. But something that actually helped me a lot was eating a ginger biscuit first thing in the morning to get rid of morning sickness. It really did help.

467294_10151536330035188_1535285927_o

So what would be my advice to expecting mothers, of their first child? Well, it would be to a) enjoy the time before birth as much as possible (sleeping, reading magazines, meeting with friends and having some you time) and then b) make sure you gain those important friends with people who are in the same boat as you – pregnant and expecting at a similar time. NCT groups or pregnancy yoga are a great way to meet people in a similiar boat to yourself and I am sure there are many other places these days too.

So, if this post has inspired you to fill in the survey, please click here and take 5 minutes to give C&G baby club your feedback and tips for other pregnant mothers to be. I would also love any comments for tips, myths and things you wish you had known below, it is always great to hear from my readers.

What do you think?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Comments Yet.