I have now officially been a mother for 16 days! Time is flying by already and Angelina is changing everyday. It is crazy how one little person is capable of so much. Her eyes are getting wider, hair is getting longer, cheeks are getting chubbier and her lips more defined. Just when we think she can’t get anymore perfect, WHABAM we wake up and look at our Angel and are shocked at what we see. It’s a hard feeling to describe.

In my last blog, I promised to share the low down on what really happens after you bring your baby home, because I feel like as a new mother I was NOT prepared. Women do all this prep and homework prior to giving birth but what about after?

I have kept in contact with many moms from our prenatal class and our stories and thoughts are all the same. Let me be clear, my intentions with this are not to scare you but to get you thinking and hopefully have you more prepared. I’m thinking I’ll have to break this down into a couple of blogs, but we’ll see.

Hmmm where to start. Yes it is true when pushing a baby out of our special area we are bound to tear a bit, so stitches are usually needed once you have given birth. I had one external stitch and a couple of internal. You feel nothing when they stitch you, if I remember correctly I was either numbed or maybe on a baby high but felt nadda. Before being released home (5 hours after birth, by choice) the midwife gave me a peri bottle to ease any pain when I had to pee. I didn’t think much of it UNTIL I got home. Not only could I not sit flat on my bum anymore, I felt that any moment a stitch was about to pop. I learnt how to maneuver on the toilet by only sitting on one cheek and the peri bottle was God sent. It helped keep that area clean and I think it just got my mind off the pain. SOLUTION: Well thanks to my lovely Mother, I would like to think I healed a lot quicker. Every day, sometimes even a couple times a day she would run me a warm bath with Lavender Epson Salt for me. Half an hour would do the trick. Any discomfort I felt would subside once I got in and would last a couple hours after I was out. Heaven sent! Now ladies you don’t need to fill the entire tub, just enough water to cover your Netherlands! It makes a big difference, trust me.

Cue honest moment: When I got home I wasn’t the happy go lucky Parita we all see oh so very often. I was emotionally hit. Don’t get me wrong, it had nothing to do with Angelina, it was all me. All that kept running through my head was how the heck am I going to do this?!? Was I really ready to be a mom? The first couple of days I stayed with Angie in our room and left only to give her time with Daddy and the Grandparents. Now if there is anytime you need your parents… It’s now. They some how knew exactly what to do to and what to say at the perfect moment. Lifesavers! Hubba took on a lot of the momma and poppa responsibilities when we got home. From putting her to sleep, changing diapers, being there for me and most importantly being Mr. Positive. With my parents and Hubba together they were my personal cheerleaders. Anytime they saw me in struggle town they would swoop in to rescue. Yes I did have some crying moments (it’s normal ladies, all moms I have spoken to have had these episodes) but it passes. And somehow it makes everything just feel better once you get a good cry in. I am so grateful to have been surrounded by amazing people during this time, I truly don’t know how I would’ve coped otherwise.

LESSON: It’s okay to cry! Be sure to surround yourself with loved ones, you will need them! And most importantly know that the rush of different emotions you get, the good, the bad and the ugly is NORMAL! There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, a lot of women go through it (although they do not share it), our hormones are out of whack. It’s bond to happen! ITS NORMAL! I can’t stress that enough. Just let it pass, the fabulous, good gitty feeling is on its way! I promise you.

I think I’ll end this blog here for now as I don’t want it to get too long! Stay tuned for more in the next couple of days. And to everyone who has messaged me asking about my placenta, yes I did save it and am having it everyday. But that will be for another blog! 😉

Heart, star.

Parita xoxo