One year ago today I thought I would be delivering my son.
God had other plans.
For a control freak like me, labor & delivery was a lesson in trusting The Lord. I had planned out in my head how everything was "supposed" to go. However, things didn't work out that way. On Friday I'll share Graham's complete birth story with you. Let's just say it was one of the few moments of my life that God clearly spoke to me.
As I mentioned above, I'm a bit of a control freak. Type A if you will. When I was pregnant I spent those 9 long months reading books, blogs, forums, whatever I could find to help prepare me. Looking back I've realized there are some facts that are rarely ever mentioned. With so many of my friends becoming moms I feel the need to share.
1 - You will lose an OBSCENE amount of hair! Seriously. I thought I was balding. No I take that back - I was balding! I looked at some beach pictures from this past summer and I definitely had premature balding at my hairline. Lucky me, now it's all growing back. FYI - baby hair in adulthood is terrible. I can't control it, it's all over the place! For me hair loss started around 4 months postpartum and lasted about 4 months. Every time I washed my hair I would leave literally a ponytail in the shower. I felt like a shedding dog, my hair was everywhere. Poor Josh.
2 - You will be in pain. And I don't mean the obvious pain of stitches, tears, abdominal surgery that so many of us experience. I'm talking about your joints! I literally thought I was 80 years old. I couldn't walk up the stairs without my knees popping and cracking. It started a few weeks after I delivered so I had no idea what was wrong with me. After researching and finding some (barely any) information online, I realized our changing hormones affect our joints. Ouch, I was so glad when that was over and I could exercise again.
3 - You will be a hormonal MESS. You might think something is wrong with you. Don't worry, it's normal. It started a few days after delivery for me and lasted less than a week. I had no idea why but I would just get so upset. Luckily my mother stayed with us that first week and she knew exactly what was going on (aren't Moms the best). It helped me to talk about it and take a break. We were still living in our small 1200 square feet condo after I had Graham and it would feel like the walls were closing in on me. Mom would watch Graham while I took a walk around the neighborhood. The sunshine and fresh air helped tremendously. Then after a few days I felt like myself again.
(If you have similar feelings that seem to last more than a couple of weeks, contact your doctor. Postpartum depression is real and affects many women. You don't have to suffer!)
So mamas, if you just delivered and start experiencing any or all of these don't worry! You're not alone! Just know that being a mother is the BEST feeling in the world. I wouldn't trade it for anything! Your heart is going to experience a love like you've never known. Get ready!
Did I miss anything? Was there something you wished someone would have warned you about when you were pregnant?
With love & gratitude,
Heather
Love the blog!! The hair Loss is terrible. My hair has always been on the thin side so I was sure I was gonna be bald. My baby hairs grew back in the front both times and stuck straight up I looked like I was a Who. I tried everything to get those suckers to stay down!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jessica! Isn't the hair loss the worst? I'm sure mine will grow back just in time for baby #2, haha.
DeleteAww good one! When I get pregnant it's good to know that the whole postpartum thing is pretty common. It always helps to know that others have gone through something like that... definitely would be looking to my mother for help as well...
ReplyDeleteYes it's scary when you're going through it but it helps to know beforehand that its normal. Can't wait for a little baby Teej!
DeleteGood entry, Heather!! The joint pain and the hair loss. OMG. You aren't joking about the ponytail left in the shower and receding hairlines. And I thought I was gonna be the cool overachieving mom that trained for my first half marathon when my son was 6 months old. My knees told me a different story....and had NEVER had knee issues before! I did research too, and whaddaya know...hormones (especially if you breastfeed) can do a number on your joints, but it can be temporary. Back to running now, but it took over a year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lauren! I'm finally getting back into my workout groove again - a year later!
DeleteLove this post! Great job, Heath!!
ReplyDeleteThis is good!! I was a hot mess and nobody warned me about that either...ps. still leaving ponytails in the shower :( lol thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteOMG I loved reading this. It is all so true. The hair loss too. I started losing a ton of hair due to breast-feeding but thankfully I have lots of hair and it's thick so it never got too bad or like I was balding. But yeah it's something no one warns you about.
ReplyDeleteBeing a mom is exhausting but it is the best thing in the world and I wouldn't trade it for any other thing.