I have some obsessive research tendencies, and I’m sure you will agree after reading this post. I started reading baby books about 6 months before we even decided to have a baby. I know – weird. People who know me well, know that I hate surprises. They stress me out. Even when watching films, I prefer to know what happens before I start watching it. Saying all of that, I have had some incredible surprises from people that I have needed, and been so grateful for – clearly I have issues(!).
To me, when the baby arrives is enough of a surprise, without having all the other bits to worry about. I got a few books on pregnancy, a few on prenatal exercise, some on diet, feeding, sleep, weaning which looking back is pretty hilarious. I used to take notes and write them in a notebook, somehow thinking that if I extracted the most useful bits they would be easy to find in my time of need. Needless to say I didn’t refer to my notebook in my ‘time of need’, there is such a thing called memory and let’s face it – who has time to rustle through a notebook when there’s a screaming baby?
I was so glad that I did some pre-reading (although normal people would start once they are actually pregnant!) as it sparked research into things that I wouldn’t have ever considered. It made me feel so much more relaxed and meant I could make informed decisions. (Unfortunately, I don’t think it helped much with the reality of having a real life, alive and kicking baby). Here are a few examples, most of them would be shouted out to my husband whilst he was trying to read:
– Vitamin K injection? what on earth is that? will the baby need it? what’s it for? I don’t think I want him to have that. Must read more.
– A breast pump? what do you mean a breast pump? I didn’t even know that was possible. My Mum never had one. £90? What are you paying for? What a strange contraption. (Turned out it was the most useful thing we bought).
– A thermometer for the bath? now that is going overboard, absolutely ridiculous. How thick to the manufacturers think we are.
– What do you mean you bleed after birth for a few weeks? is this a joke? I thought the baby came out and that was it.
– Their poo is black for the first week – what?
Thankfully my husband didn’t bat an eyelid…just slightly irritated that I was disturbing him! Any one else start reading early, or am I the only one?
E xx
p.s. When the midwife came to visit us on about day 4 she commented that we were the most laid back parents she had ever seen. On her departure we starting laughing hysterically – if only she could see how we ferreted about most of the time having zero idea what to do.