Things I wish I knew before giving birth
1. contraction pain feels exactly like period pain, and it is bearable, even without painkillers. (I thought it would be worst)
2. although breastfeeding isn't supposed to be painful, it is painful for the first couple of weeks because the nipple is still tender
3. pumping is hard. a good breastpump and a fitted breastshield is essential. the size of the breastshield doesn't entirely depend on the size of the breasts; it depends heavily on the size of the nipples during pumping/nursing (the size of the nipples increases during pumping/nursing)
4. we make LOTS of milk during the first couple of weeks. pump and store while you can!
5. the hard, uncomfortable feeling on your breasts is the milk! massage it for some relief and to prevent infection
6. nursing pads are essential!
7. tummy time is important for babies. let the baby has his/her tummy time everyday since the day s/he is born
8. any skin irritation (itching particularly) could be related to pregnancy. discuss it with your doctor, even when you feel it's nothing/not related to pregnancy
9. taking care of your own baby is a LOT harder than you think, even if you have experiences in taking care of other people's baby
10. poo from an exclusively breastfed baby does not smell bad!
Things I'm glad I didn't know before giving birth
1. my baby was big. I might not be able to deliver him normally, had I known he was big, because I might doubt my ability to deliver him normally.
2. ok, that's the only one. heh.
Hope this helps some mothers-to-be! Selamat hari raya aidilfitri and selamat hari merdeka!
