12 Things I wish I knew before I got pregnant
There are so many things that kept me up when I got pregnant with Kai.I worried if I was going to be a good mother, if I will be able to give birth to him naturally or how we were supposed to raise him?Find out the twelve things that I realised later on in my journey.
Dedicate your child's life to the Lord . Your Child belongs to God and you should raise him/her in a way that fulfils his/her purpose here on earth.Proverbs 22 verse 6 reads "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."We should be mindful custodians of the little ones helping them along their path to God.
Get some needed time with your spouse cause when the little one comes you may not have much time for each other.When the little one arrives he or she makes top priority over anything and everything.That is why, it may be a good idea to go for a baby moon before you welcome your new addition into your family.
Episiotomy is a surgical cut thats made to ease childbirth.Most mothers I know inclusive of myself have gone through it, however it is possible you may not need it.During and after pregnancy mommy needs to do kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.You may find that after being consistent with these exercises you might not need to have an episiotomy.
However if you had an episiotomy you need to take care of yourself till you heal well.Some mothers put cold compresses around the perineal area to reduce discomfort and swelling.You will need a soft cushion to sit on too.When using the bathroom it is better to use water to clean yourself than tissue.In no time you will be back again to your old self.
Exercise helps with breathing and enduring the second part of labour.Labour might take some time so mumma you need to be prepared to go that extra mile.Take a walk everyday and get some exercise into your day to strengthen your super mummy muscles.
God Provides
Having kids is expensive and when we had our first we were so not ready!We were constantly worried thinking how we were gonna do this.Until one afternoon,I was coming from my pregnancy checkups when the taxi driver started talking to me.He started the conversation by asking how far along I was and from nowhere he went on to tell me his story.
"He stayed with his parents when he was expecting his first child and he had no job everything was a mess," he said.But months leading up to having his baby he got a job he was able to fend for his family. God provided and He did not stop there.The man moved out to his own place and got a car.He told me something I will never forget, he said," children are a blessing the more you have the more God blesses you with.Do not worry about how you are going to do tomorrow God provides."
This man was a muslim man whom I had not known before.I felt as if God sent me this man to assure us that all will be well if only we can trust in Him.God works in mysterious ways, doesn't He?
Watch out for undercooked food eg eggs, sprouts may contain unfriendly bacteria for you and baby.Avoid sushi and other types of fish that have high mercury content.
Super sense of smell
Usually this is common in the first trimester.High levels of oestrogen in your body gives you a heightened sense of smell amongst other things.
Pregnancy Brain you may tend to forget the little things,
like going out barefoot just cause you forgot to put on your shoes.Believe me its totally normal.Or is it?I don't know.I would go with a list out shopping it helped most of the time.
Constant need to pee, unfortunately your baby's new comfy spot is your bladder thus the need to go tinkle every now and then.
Swollen feet, make sure you do not spend too much time on or off your feet these two extremes make your feet swell up.So you need to take breaks to stand up or sit down.Cabbage leaves are said to reduce the swelling a bit and of course elevating your legs.
God is in control.You can not control how you are gonna give birth or the period in which your baby is gonna come out.God is in control of everything.Leave it up to him and stop worrying.
Pray always.Prayer should be your constant.Its our source of strength and where we get our wisdom from.Pray for your little one speak the blood of Jesus Christ upon him or her.Speak words of life into them.
