Three Things Thursday... Having a Baby

I have been realizing lately that there are a lot of things that seem so obvious about so many different things,

but nobody ever told me or warned me about them!

So I am going to start sharing those things on Thursday with you.

Hence the name,

Three Things Thursday...

Some of these things might be a little too honest (TMI) for some to handle,

but it is what it is.

Truth!

And since when is my blog not honest?

And to start it off,

I give you...

Three Things No One Ever Told Me About Having a Baby

Having a baby is one of the most common things in the world.

It is also one of the most terrifying,

painful,

emotional,

amazing,

and gratifying experiences ever!

But....

it's not all yummy baby smells and kisses.

Let's be honest.

1. No one ever tells you that the epidural doesn't always work.

I always knew that I wanted the drugs when I went to have a baby.

I knew that I wasn't going to go natural,

and I knew to make it completely obvious that I wanted the epidural from the very beginning.

No questions,

just drug me up.

With my first baby,

the epidural worked great,

for the first 10 hours of labor.

The last hour and 33 minutes, 

it worked, 

but not so great.

It's probably a good thing that I was completely exhausted,

because the pain didn't seem to matter so much because I was so tired,

and I really would've done anything at that point to get that baby out of me.

With my second baby,

the epidural just didn't work.

I still had to go through the experience of being completely terrified that even if I moved a centimeter while they were giving it to me I would become paralyzed,

but it just didn't work.

I remember being completely dilated and telling Spencer that something was wrong because of the amount of pain I was feeling.

Sure enough,

it was just time to push.

Props to all you natural baby having women out there.

I could not do it.

I felt everything.

Thank goodness it was a super fast labor.

But that feeling,

especially when you aren't expecting to feel anything,

was not awesome.

Sometimes the epidural just doesn't work.

It's one of those things that in the heat of the moment,

it actually really doesn't matter because you will do whatever you can,

and you will summon every super power and strength that you have,

to get that baby in your arms,

but still,

if I'm gonna get it,

I expect it to at least work.

2. No one ever told me about the stitches.

I knew that there was a possibility of tearing when you have a baby.

That sounds absolutely awful,

and it is,

but at least you don't actually feel the tearing happening while it's happening.

I knew that my sister had more stitches than I could count on both hands when she had her baby.

But it wasn't something that I was in the front of my mind when I went in to have my baby.

What I didn't know about the stitches was that they aren't very flexible or made really for that part of the body.

Let's be honest.

No bueno.

My body tends to swell in reaction to pain.

So after I received my stitches with baby uno,

but body was absolutely miserable!

By body began to swell around the stitches and that was so incredibly painful!

I actually had to go into the doctor's office and get 4 Lidocaine shots for the pain.

Spencer said I actually squeezed his hand harder while getting those shots than I did while in labor.

It was that bad.

Basically I would rather have a baby again than to ever get Lidocaine shots,

down there,

ever again!

Someone really needs to invent better stitches for after birthing.

I could be a millionaire!

I spy with my little eye,

the doctor stitching me up.

Such an awkward picture!

But let's be honest...

I don't remember and I didn't feel a thing because I was finally holding my baby girl!

3. No one ever told me about the first bowel movement.

This one is TMI.

I know it's gross and not appropriate to talk about at the dinner table,

but seriously!

Why didn't anyone warn me about this?!?!?!

With Aniston it was not enjoyable,

but it happened the day I got Lidocaine shots so I was pretty numb,

but still,

it was awful!

The pressure and pain and emotions were horrible!

With Benson I wasn't even close to being as sore as I had been with Aniston,

but using those muscles and basically reliving birth days after having a real baby,

is super rough and in no way fun.

I will not go into detail on easier ways on how to handle this,

and every new momma will have to handle this...

just google it.

I seriously feel as though there needs to be a manual written about all of these little details that people forget to mention when it comes to having a baby,

because we become so obsessed with the fact that we now have a super cute baby now.

But I really just wish,

especially as a first time Mom,

that someone had filled me in on all the little things that you still have to deal with once the labor has started and the baby is here.

Having a baby is only the beginning!


But there's a bonus thing that no one ever told me.
No one ever effectively put into words how instantly you feel love for that baby.
The love is insane,
and it's real,
and it's the most AMAZING and BEAUITFUL thing in the world!