The Bump2baby blog is having a bit of a relaunch, we have loved having the Decaff Diaries tell us all about life as a new mummy, we thank our Decaff Diary mummy for all of the top tips and sharing the ups and downs of becoming a new parent, but now we’re adding something new into the mix. You!
Without our lovely mums we wouldn’t be where we are so with the blog we’re hoping to make it yours. Clare and Helen will be asking you about things on the Facebook Group and Page and we want to know your experiences. There is a wealth of knowledge amongst you all and now we are hoping to pass it on to other mums out there!
So to start it all off we both asked:
What was the best piece of advice you were given either in antenatal classes, by your friends and family or by midwives/doctors about labour and birth? What is your top tip you would like to pass onto other mums to be?
Well, you all came up trumps (thank you!!) and we found out some fab tips. Our top 2 are:
- Most of you mentioned that being told to go with the flow and take it as it comes, or embracing the “chaos”, was the best piece of advice you were given. B2B wholeheartedly agrees with that. It does wonders for the birth experience and also supports your emotional wellbeing as well.
- Maternity pads came in a close second, the resounding message was that you cannot buy too many! So make sure you’re well stocked and that you are prepared to wear two at the same time… no not next to each other, from your belly button to your bum, the post-birth period is not to be reckoned with!
We had a lot of other fab little tips as well including pre-cooking lots of food and having it in the freezer ready for after the birth. Stews and casseroles are going to be great now that winter is ahead but equally a lighter dish like a spag bol would be lovely in the summer months. Another tip was to have some treats like chocolate bars in your hospital bag, also having 2 bags packed and ready – one as an “urgent” bag and the other as a “the days that follow” bag. Before going home, one mum recommended practising again and again how to use the car seat! It’s much easier without your precious cargo inside waiting to go home.
Some of the tips talked about coping with labour itself, such as keep your head calm and also counting through your contractions. Once you are in established labour you could count and know that, for example, 7 is when your contraction is at it’s highest, but by 14 it’s over. Always remember to trust your body, women were designed to give birth and your body knows what to do!
A little more light heartedly, one woman said not to bother with a labour outfit, because the chances are you won’t even care what you’re wearing, or not.
For when you’ve given birth, being able to pour water on yourself when you’re having a wee soothes any sore stitches down below, one mum mentioned using a sports bottle as it has a better aim for when you’re passing urine. Just something to bear in mind.
Finally, a mummy told us a fantastic metaphor for labour. Imagine paddling through a pool with a pool float between your legs… it will feel like it takes forever but you will get to the end. When you are in labour and feel like it will never end, remember you got to the other side of that pool eventually. Another mum said just to remember that when you are in labour you are so lucky to be able to have a baby, knowing that many out there would wish to be in your position, so spend a moment taking stock of what is happening… you’re becoming a parent!
So what do you think of these Mum’s tips? We love all of them, are there any you would add?
