Best pregnancy/L&D/post partum advice youve gotten?

[callejon87]

We've all gotten tons of advice! What's some that's actually been helpful? Advice about anything: pregnancy, labor and delivery, post partum/newborns, etc.

I'll start. A friend told me to take photos of the cute 3-piece outfits we got prior to washing them. Once they're mixed together in the laundry it's easy to forget what goes with what.

[jaelynsmommy61607]

Maybe I'm a little crazy but I remember what outfits match. I also have a photographic memory.

[AniMommy]

Listen to others' tips and tricks. Give it a try, but always always listen to your gut. If it doesn't seem right, move on! Don't make yourself miserable trying to do something that doesn't work for you. A happy baby is made by a happy mama.

No matter what, you're the best mama. There are no absolutes to parenting. Don't let the judgments of others make you feel bad. And don't judge yourself against the standards of others. Like if breast feeding doesn't work out for you and your baby, it's okay. Being a mama is not a competition.

[chandni3]

To use a peri-bottle when peeing post partum and for cleaning down there Also to have one of those donut cushions to sit on.

[Mom2Connor]

Originally Posted by AniMommy Listen to others' tips and tricks. Give it a try, but always always listen to your gut. If it doesn't seem right, move on! Don't make yourself miserable trying to do something that doesn't work for you. A happy baby is made by a happy mama. No matter what, you're the best mama. There are no absolutes to parenting. Don't let the judgments of others make you feel bad. And don't judge yourself against the standards of others. Like if breast feeding doesn't work out for you and your baby, it's okay. Being a mama is not a competition.

This. Totally this 100%

Do not drive yourself crazy or let yourself slip into depression like I did struggling to do things a certain way, be flexible and understand that at the end of the day, your baby will be fine and just as smart and healthy as all the other kids.

I struggled and struggled to breastfeed DS1, we had lactation consultants helping and things still just did not work out. It was a disaster from day 1. We finally switched to formula and the difference was night and day. I was so depressed and felt like the biggest failure ever because I couldn't breastfeed him. It. was. awful! I thought he would be this sickly little undernurished not as intelligent kid because he wasn't getting breastmilk. But you know what, even his ped commented that he was healthier than her own DD who is about 4 months older than DS and her baby was 100% breastfed! He is very smart, very healthy, and very active. I seriously was allowing myself to become clinically depressed over this. Do not make that mistake, on anything, not just breastfeeding. I bring that one up in particular because it is something I would have never expected from myself, but that maternal instinct kicks in and when it just doesn't work out successfully, it's hard to not feel like a failure as a mother because you can't even successfully feed your own child.

[gingerpeachee]

Originally Posted by chandni3 To use a peri-bottle when peeing post partum and for cleaning down there Also to have one of those donut cushions to sit on.

YES.
Best wisdom shared with me.... when I was first pregnant I was asking everyone about what labor feels like because, well I couldn't really imagine it. An old crazy waitress I worked with said to me, "Mae, its like trying to poop out a bowling ball...." and that was the description I found to be most accurate. LOL

My advice-
Buy an extra bottle of Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray, tucks pads and Advil so you don't have to go to the pharmacy when you get home.

Make sure you take the booger sucker home from the hospital with you, the ones from the hospital are 1000% better then the ones you can get in the store!

[The Fancy Pansy]

Originally Posted by gingerpeachee YES. Best wisdom shared with me.... when I was first pregnant I was asking everyone about what labor feels like because, well I couldn't really imagine it. An old crazy waitress I worked with said to me, "Mae, its like trying to poop out a bowling ball...." and that was the description I found to be most accurate. LOL My advice- Buy an extra bottle of Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray, tucks pads and Advil so you don't have to go to the pharmacy when you get home. Make sure you take the booger sucker home from the hospital with you, the ones from the hospital are 1000% better then the ones you can get in the store!

I told my husband it was like pooping a pineapple!

[jlsquire0324]

Take miralax pp and have flush able wet wipes. Its nice to clean up down there especially when a shower can be hard to come by. I found the wet wipes during pregnancy and pp helped with hemerroids. The constipation cramps pp were worse than uterine cramps with my first. I'm two weeks pp and have been taking miralax daily. Works wonders for me and it doubles as a stool softener which you will also want

[cinderella08]

To go with the flow

[callejon87]

Originally Posted by jlsquire0324 Take miralax pp and have flush able wet wipes. Its nice to clean up down there especially when a shower can be hard to come by. I found the wet wipes during pregnancy and pp helped with hemerroids. The constipation cramps pp were worse than uterine cramps with my first. I'm two weeks pp and have been taking miralax daily. Works wonders for me and it doubles as a stool softener which you will also want

Just clipped a miralax coupon