Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me…?

Due to the recent birth of our beautiful baby girl, Nora Faith, I’ve rounded up an All-Star list of moms who effortlessly seem to manage work, home, family, life, and everything in between! You can read all their words of motherly wisdom here, as well as how they manage to “do it all” while still living a life they love.

I’ll be sharing my own thoughts and baby updates soon enough, but right now, I’m simply soaking up their trusted advice while cuddling with my new baby girl! 

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The following is written by Amy from The Finer Things In Life:

Congratulations to Andrea on the birth of her sweet baby!

Knowing Andrea and her diligence and careful preparation, there may not be much about pregnancy or birth that surprised her, but some of you may be in the throes of your first pregnancy, or may be reading this with your sweet baby snuggled on your chest, thinking Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me? about one thing or another.

During my fourth pregnancy I put together a series answering some of those questions. I hope it’s a help to you or another new mom you know!

Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me?

…that wanting to conceive a baby doesn’t always result in actually conceiving a baby?

Infertility is heart-wrenching, and often unexplained, but there is certainly hope. After a three-year trial with our own infertility, my four children are proof.

 

… that how I treat my body during pregnancy matters?

No, I shouldn’t eat whatever I want. Yes, my weight does matter for the health of my baby and myself.

 

… that pregnancy is uncomfortable!

The aches, the pains, the hemorrhoids! It’s not all bad, and most discomforts have a somewhat effective solution.

 

… that I would desperately want to stay home with my baby, and that (in most situations) it can be done!

Going from two incomes to one is a tough decision, and with it comes many sacrifices and lifestyle changes, but with determination and creativity, it often is a healthy choice for the family.

 

… that I have birthing options.

That I don’t have to follow the status quo, which often leads down a slippery slope That I need to educate myself and be an advocate for my own healthy birth.

 

… that checks down there are often unnecessary and rarely helpful.

Yes, really!

 

… that I can have a healthy, natural birth in a hospital.

Just because you elect to birth in a hospital doesn’t mean you have to have a lot of medical intervention. Prepare yourself!

 

… that breastfeeding would be so difficult.

But so very right for my baby and rewarding for me. Obstacles are common, especially for first-time moms, but they can be overcome!

 

It’s endless, right?

The questions, the concerns, the Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me?

You know what else is endless? The love. The snuggles. The joy. Pregnancy is such a gift.

Babies are the most incredible of blessings. It’s good to be informed. It’s important to be an advocate and do our very best for our little ones. In the end, though, just enjoy. Love. You’re a fabulous Mama!

 

What do you wish someone had told you before you had a baby?

After teaching sixth grade for eight years, Amy traded the chalkboard and classroom germs for dirty diapers and the joys of living on one income. When she’s not nursing a baby or fixing Saturday morning breakfast for her husband’s football team, Amy’s blogging about Embracing the Extraordinary in Every Day over at The Finer Things in Life.