5. What advice do you have about what to bring to hospital when planning the birth? I was given a pair of long comfortable pyjama pants and five pairs of black underwear by a friend and that was such a gift. I didn’t get out of them the whole time I was in hospital. 6. Did you do ante-natal classes? If so, were they helpful? This being my first baby, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into so it was really very eye-opening. I am grateful that I did do ante-natal classes, as I had no idea how to swaddle a baby and I had never even changed a nappy in my life until my son was born. Kit was a lot of firsts for me, so knowing I could walk out of there and care for the baby was important for me. Having that prior knowledge helped, even though I think with some things, ignorance is bliss. The other thing I will forever be grateful for is the midwives; they taught me so much and sent me home with so much confidence. They were absolutely incredible and both my husband and I were both just incredibly grateful with how much knowledge they shared with us. 7. I understand that the birth didn’t go as expected; do you have any advice for first time mums about creating a birth plan or any advice for first time mums who are anxious about labour? I personally didn’t really have a birth plan because Kit came early. What really helped me was the morning before Kit came I had managed to go down to Tallebudgera with my husband and have a swim in the ocean which is something I love doing. When I was at the really awful points of birth - the scary moments - I just closed my eyes and went back to that place and time in my mind. I think its nice do something you love in the days leading up to giving birth, whether that is go for a meal at your favourite spot or a swim at the beach, and then when you’re in an uncomfortable place, close your eyes and take yourself back there. The other thing is a good music playlist. If there are songs that you really love and make you really happy, having that playlist is very helpful during the experience so you can just zone out. 8. What should friends and family buy as presents for a mum who has just given birth? I am not very good with air-conditioning so I bought an Evian water spray and a rose water spray to hospital. During the nights I would just spray water on my face and in my airways to try and rehydrate which I found really helpful. Nice hydrating products are just a gift at that time, especially if you have a caesarean and you are literally bed bound for the first few days. 9. Biggest surprise about being a new mum? The love you feel. You are told about it but you don’t understand it until you feel it and I wasn’t expecting it to happen so immediately for me. The second I was handed Kit, I just was so overwhelmed by the feeling of love; it is probably hormonal or a primitive thing, but it is just absolutely incredible to experience it. 10. What is the best part of being a mum? The milestones are really special to experience, their first smile, their first giggle, the first time they roll over, they are all incredible moments. 11. What should/shouldn’t people say to a new mum? Kit was a very big baby and I remember quite early on in my pregnancy, I went shopping one day and I had six different people say to me,’ you must be due soon’ or ‘are you due any day?’ I still had three or four months to go so I think people should just leave the whole ‘are you due soon?’ alone. 12. What have you found is the best gadget and the most useless gadget that you have as a new mum? Kit being born in December, we had so many clothes for him and he just wanted to be nude. We now have all these outfits that have never been worn because he was happy to get around in just a nappy all day, every day. So that is a tip for summer babies. I did get a tip from a friend to have a comforter for him. This is a little piece of blanket that I put on my chest after breastfeeding so that it smells like me and then when I put Kit down, I leave him to self-settle with the comforter. He has really enjoyed having that and it has been a really helpful tool for putting him down to sleep. 13. Did you redecorate a room for the baby’s nursery? Yes, it is African themed. At the moment he still sleeps in our room but will move into there when he is around five months old. Because we didn’t know if we were having boy or girl, we had to keep it very gender neutral but every time we went into the nursery while we were decorating we could see it was such a boy’s nursery. It is just as well we had a boy. THE OTHER THING I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR IS THE MIDWIVES; THEY TAUGHT ME SO MUCH AND SENT ME HOME WITH SO MUCH CONFIDENCE. pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 61
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Ten
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