8 of 14

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 3

hubby partook of the lovely meal he prepared with the health of me and our baby in mind. For several weeks I lived on macaroni, white bread, cheese, and apples. These are the foods my body decided it would accept. I took comfort in the fact that the basic food groups were at least represented each day. Toward the end of the pregnancy, however, I was seized with an uncontrollable need to eat steak every single day. I had not eaten red meat in four years before this, and normally could not stand the mere thought of it, but the pregnant body is a force to be reckoned with. It wanted steak, and there was no choice but to give it steak. Every day. Again, I took comfort where I could, knowing that my daily iron and protein levels would be just fine. This would be important for milk production after the baby arrived. The key word here is AFTER the baby arrived, leading me into the third "why didn't I know about this before?"

Near the end of pregnancy, your boobs leak. Not just a tiny droplet, but a constant ooze of nutrient and antibody rich goo. I had to start wearing a bra to bed so I wouldn't wake up in a puddle of colostrum. Yes, we're all educated about colostrum production before birth, but I had no idea my breasts would be like leaky water balloons. It gets sticky and flaky and you need to change your bra a couple of times a day, and what woman owns that many bras? Of course, it is a good sign that the baby will have lots to drink when she arrives, but it certainly would have been nice if it had waited for the baby to actually arrive. In hindsight, however, the prenatal leakage is a good forerunner, a warm up for the leaking of the real milk post partum. When the milk comes in a few days after the birth, and your breasts engorge between feedings, you have veritable shower-heads on the ends of your breasts. They don't just leak a bit, as we are led to believe, they spray. They gush. Even if you made it through the prenatal leakage without a nighttime bra, you need one now. A husband could drown if you roll over and squish a milk engorged breast. So perhaps the colostrum leakage is OK, to help you get used to becoming a drippy, leaky production mammal. I just wish I had been warned. Speaking of breasts...

I wish I had been told about just how sore your nipples can get during pregnancy. The best books and articles tell us that some nipple sensitivity may be experienced. That is like saying labor may be slightly uncomfortable! I would cringe if anyone came within

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Top five things I wish I knew before I was pregnant?
We want to hear your view. Write now!