Facts about a C-Section and a newborn I never knew as First time mom

I might have been a bit naive; after all; I do have a “wing it” kind of attitude towards life, so if you are calculated and plan everything out, then this post will be of no use to you, because you will know all these things beforehand, for me however, so many things about my procedure and newborn caught me by surprise, I was so not prepared for this.

C-Section

• It is quite uncomfortable to be awake and start naked in front of the doctors and nurses in the theater – I don’t know about you , but somehow, being awake for a surgery was scary enough for me, I did not even think of all the little things that would be so intense, for me, once the epidural was placed and they lay me down on the operating table and took my hospital gown off, I felt like I could just die right there! I have never felt so self-conscious and vulnerable in my entire life, it was horrible (I know doctors see it every day, but still, it was so intense for me).
• Shaking – I did not know that once that epidural is placed that I would shiver for basically the duration of the whole procedure, and I mean, properly, at one point it was so bad that I could barely speak, the only way to describe it; when you are cold, and you start shivering uncontrollably? For me this was what it felt like, just more intense and for longer. I also still had random “shiver attacks” at night for a few weeks afterwards.
• Back Pain – I did not know that I would have intense back pain for several weeks after the surgery (due to the epidural) this did go away quickly though.
• Looking after a newborn and recovering from a surgery is no joke – Although I expected as much; I did not realize just how hard it would be; even though you are no longer pregnant, you still cant bend down, or walk without everything hurting, in fact, new areas hurt now But at least you can take some pain medication now.
• The pain – To be honest; I expected worse pain from it all, but to me, the only time it was ever unbearable was at 1 am the first night, where I thought I was dying, the rest I could handle.
• Recovery – Recovery for me was much longer than I anticipated, after the first three days, I felt much better and walking around became easier, but my stomach was still very tender to touch and getting dressed was no easy task, my whole body felt stiff for weeks on end.

Newborn

• Newborn need to lay on their side – Who knew! In the hospital I placed my baby on her back and the nurse told me to place her on her side to prevent choking on milk or spit up, this caught me by surprise because I did not even think about it that way, but now it makes total sense.
• Newborns need to have 10 wet nappies a day – This is to ensure that they are eating enough and getting enough nutrients from the milk, change your baby’s nappy before every feed (this also ensures that they are more awake for the feed)
• Not all babies like to be swaddled – Despite what the experts tell you; not all babies enjoy being swaddled, my baby hated it, she was swaddled for about the first 3 weeks and after that she would scream if we swaddled her and break free, she is 6 months old now and still hates a blanket over her.
• “Babywearing” is not for everyone – A friend of mine suggested that I buy a sling for my baby as it allows you to get more done during the day; once again, my baby hated every second of it, I ended up with three different wraps just to be sure. Lesson – every baby is different!
• Your baby does not like bath time or getting dressed – I never thought of it like this; but your baby hates bath time or dressing in their first few weeks of life, the reason for this is simple; they are not used to it, now (well my baby hates when I pull anything over her head), but she loves bath time.

These are but a few examples, but maybe it could help you be more prepared than I was, and not caught off guard, although parenthood will always surprise you in one way or another, maybe you can just be aware of the little things.

There is just never a dull moment when you are a new mom, embrace the chaos!

 

 

 

The Bond Between Mother and Baby After C-Section

Everywhere these days you see people favouring natural birth, the benefits for both you and baby are endless; recovery, your babies’ strength and the thing we hear mostly is that the bond between you and your child is so much stronger because you both went through this process together.

The problem with this is that life does not always work out the way you expect it to, life happens!

And it is statements like above that make women feel like less of a mother because they had to have an emergency c-section or opted to have one instead of natural birth, women are bullied and shamed for making this choice instead of going the natural way (it is the same with the whole debate about breastfeeding vs formula feeding).

The fact of the matter is that having a c section does not lessen the special bond between you and your baby, I had a c-section, and from the moment she was born there was nothing but love, I still had my skin to skin, I still breastfed for about 8 weeks, she still cried for her mommy and she was still comforted by me. In no way did I ever feel as if my bond between my child and I was not as strong as I hoped it would be, in fact; it surpassed everything I thought it would be, the love I have for her is indescribable and in no way did the way she was brought into this world, affect that love.

I admire women who gave natural birth, to me, having had a c-section; I can’t imagine how incredible that whole process must be, and how amazing and proud you must feel afterwards for having done it and bringing a healthy baby into the world.

But for me, in that moment they cut me open, nothing else in the universe mattered but my baby being healthy and okay, how it happened did not matter to me, how far along I was at the time didn’t matter, how many toes she had did not matter, if I was going to breastfeed did not matter, how much she weighed did not matter, all that mattered was hearing that  first little scream and knowing she is okay, in that moment; I couldn’t care less about myself, when I heard that first cry, the biggest sense of relief washed over me – my baby was okay and now I can breathe.

I have read so many stories about women who are distraught and so disappointed because they ended up having an emergency c-section, and they really wanted to give natural birth, and this breaks my heart, it happens so often where society places so much pressure on moms to do things a certain way, what they think is best for you and your baby, and then when a woman can’t do it that way, due to whatever reason, we immediately feel like we failed as mothers.

I am here to tell you that it is okay, you did your best, and your baby is here, that is all that matters, what they eat or how they came into this world will not matter to them when they grow up, what type of parent you are will! Whether you were there for their first heartbreak, and how you treat them when they make a mistake, whether you spent time with them growing up; these are the things that will matter to them as adults and what they will pass on one day to their own families and relationships.

We must stop focusing so much on these small things and focus on raising humble and kind little humans that we can be proud of, and be parents they can be proud of, in the end these are the only things your children will remember about you when you are gone, not whether you gave natural birth, or had a c-section or breastfed or formula fed.

Be proud to be a mom, embrace it, and be the best you can be every day, and I promise you, it will be enough.

Angelique

A Woman’s Body is an Amazing Thing

Let’s talk about pregnancy ….

Oh my word ! I know you get women that LOVE being pregnant and see it as this magical time in your life….

Well for me it was a bit different 🙈🤣

I had ; Nausea, headaches, heartburn, constipation, mood swings, irritation, weight gain, swelling, bladder infection, yeast infections, sore body , dehydration and landed up in the hospital, flu and the list goes on and on !

Although I do agree with the fact that it is a special time , I do believe that it is a kind of right of passage for a woman and it is all so so worth it in the end , it takes so much out your body !

In some ways my body is so different after giving birth , I had a c section so I have the well known belly flap , I cant hold my pee anymore ; it needs to happen RIGHT NOW 😂

But in other ways I am amazed at how well my body has recovered , the heartburn is gone , although the belly flap is still there it is already significantly smaller , I have no bladder issues anymore, my body feels healthy again (except the excessive hair loss at the moment) .

I find this fascinating , how your body can endure all that and only have little tell tails about it , yes I have stretch marks and my body looks a bit different, but I am healthy and I have a healthy little baby girl and thats all that matters ❤️

Thankful 🙏🏻💪🏻

Angelique

Cesarean Section | The ins and Outs 🙈

Today I want to share my experience with you guys , and give some pointers on what to expect !

Firstly I chose to have a c section , in South Africa you can do that , my reasons were the fact that I lived 3 hours from the nearest proper hospital , my sister wanted to be here for the birth and she lives in Australia , oh and I didn’t want to do natural labour ! The whole thing just scares me to death .

The scariest part for me was the whole being awake thing … I have been in for operations before so that part didnt scare me , needless to say I was not awake for these ! 🙈

Above me on the table were these huge lights and they reflected haha , so I could see EVERYTHING , it was one of those “I cant look away” scenarios!

The placing of the catheter….. oh my word , I have never been that naked in my life !! Lol

I started shivering so much that I couldnt speak … and I started freaking out a little , the moment and the whole experience just was too big at that moment , but they had amazing staff and everyone talked to me and calmed me down .

The moment Paige came out and they showed her to me …..

That moment made everything worthwhile, the being uncomfortable for 9 months , the weight gain , the countless bladder infections, the mood swings , the not drinking wine, the fights , all of it was worth it and my life changed forever !

The pain afterward was manageable , and the pain meds were awesome (since I only had panado for 9 months) haha .

I guess what I am trying to say is that it is so hectic and scary but oh so worth it !

I am inlove with my baby girl !

Ps. Pic of this amazing moment