During pregnancy, I read all of the books about what to expect but there were a few things that nobody told me about having a baby. So today I'm sharing some of the things that caught me by surprise.
1. You will still look pregnant when you leave the hospital- My mom attempted to warned me about this shortly before going into labor. She sat me down as if she has something very serious to tell me. She said, "Now, I don't want you to be caught off guard like I was so I'm going to tell you this... You are probably going to still look pregnant when you leave the hospital." Of course I assumed it would take some time to lose the extra pregnancy weight (and let me tell you, I gained plenty of it!) but I didn't realize I would still look 6 months pregnant when I looked in the mirror. And I wasn't the only one who was surprised. My dad actually said to my mom, "What's wrong with Jamie? She still looks pregnant?" Apparently he hadn't paid attention when my mom was pregnant but he was right, I looked pregnant!
2. It will take a year for your body to go back to "normal"- Okay, I was not trying to hear this one! People would tell me this all the time and I would roll my eyes. I dreamt about running all 10 months of pregnancy and I was determined to get back out there and lose all 45 pounds I had gained. There was no way it would take me a year to lose it! Boy, was I wrong. It wasn't just about the weight, my entire body had shifted and moved around to fit a human inside of me. My hips had expanded, my boobs were huge, even my feet had to shrink back down to their original size. It took about a year for me to finally feel like myself again.
3. Breastfeeding can make you hold on to the weight- I've heard my entire life that breastfeeding will make the weight fall right off! It's the best diet you've ever been on! But for me, that wasn't exactly the case. I nursed for a year and during that time, my boobs had tripled in size. I was constantly starving and craving carbs. It took several months, but I was able to lose 30 of the 45 pounds I gained, but I couldn't seem to lose the last 10-15. I was eating as healthy as I could, and attempting to exercise on and off but those last few pounds just wouldn't budge. For me, my body held onto those last few pounds to help produce milk. Once I stopped, it went back to normal. I still had to eat healthy and exercise but it suddenly got much easier.
4. The thirst is real! - I had heard you should eat before heading to the hospital but with all of the adrenaline and excitement, I just wasn't hungry. Once they checked me in and hooked me up to all of the machines, they wouldn't allow me to eat or drink ANYTHING. The only thing I could have was ice chips. I'm not sure why they do this but as if labor isn't torture enough, I was literally d y i n g of thirst! I have never been that thirsty in my life! I kept begging my husband to fill the cup with even an ounce of water. In total, I didn't have a drink for 21 very long hours.
5. You might have FOMO - I don't think enough moms talk about this. You suddenly find yourself in this weird limbo of wanting to go out with your friends while simultaneously staying home with your baby. Prior to having our son, my husband and I had a very active social life. We have a large groups of friends so there's always a birthday, wedding or engagement to celebrate. My husband and I were the first of our friends to start a family so while we were home with our newborn, our friends were still going out on the weekends. There were many times (especially in the beginning), I found myself wishing I was out with them too. I loved our son and being a mom but I still missed my old life. And that's okay. And it's normal! And it's okay to admit it. Your life has just drastically changed and even though you love this new life, sometimes you miss your old life too. I still find myself missing the freedom and the spontaneous nights out but I wouldn't change a thing.
xoxo
J A M I E L Y N N E