Mum knows best
08 May 2011 03:55 AM |
Posted by bh'sLeanne
As you may have noticed (well, I hope you’ve taken note) beautyheaven’s Mum and Baby category is bigger and better than ever before and it’s going to grow and grow over the next few months as we gather pregnancy advice, tips and tried-and-tested baby product reviews.
As part of this growth phase there is lots of talk around the office about pregnancy and baby issues. Just yesterday we were chatting about cradle cap and how best to treat it as well as the joys of nits and head lice when your child reaches school age. Of course, what we’d forgotten was that poor Tara (bh’s marketing guru) is pregnant with her first baby.
So as we harped on about painful boobs, cracked nipples and how some stages of pregnancy just simply suck (like the first sickness-ridden trimester!) Tara sat quietly listening and looking rather worried.
Having realised that we were thoughtlessly and unintentionally freaking Tara out, we turned the conversation to the loveliness of pregnancy and birth – like the warmth you feel knowing you have a little baby growing inside you, the all-consuming love and joy you feel when bub is first born and the hours that we sat staring at our newborn, taking in each and every little feature and breath.
Do you remember the feeling of anxious excitement you felt in the lead up to the birth of your first baby? What tips can you share with a mum-to-be? Was there anything that really surprised you about your pregnancy or are there things you wish a fellow mum had shared with you – or warned you about?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.

To my fellow mums (and mums-to-be), wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day. Hope you get spoilt rotten!
Member Comments
(31)
Posted by:
Nda
(Australia)
Just making some lemon and blueberry pancakes for mum now:) And we devoured some pumpkin, feta and pinenut muffins esrlier lol.
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 7:41am)
Posted by:
Animal Lover
(Australia)
Thank you!! i have just had breakfast in bed and lots of flowers and chocolates followed by lunch with my precious mother this afternoon and spoil her rotten. Well being told that i couldnt have children from a very young age then falling pregnant with my two beautiful girls was a miracle in itself, so i just couldnt wait to give birth and hold my babies in my arms. I never thaught that i would never experience a mothers day and now i cherish every single one.
Happy Mothers Day all you mums and mums to be, enjoy today and relax :)
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 8:40am)
Posted by:
melmeko
(Member since 2007, Australia)
It is an exciting time isn't it Leanne, its a new journey of discovery, into the unknown, where you are embarking on this life changing adventure. You will discover a unique kind of love that you have never felt before, and never will, until you hold your own newborn baby in your arms for the first time. The bond you instantly have with this little person, that you helped to create, and who will always be a part of you, is remarkable.
I personally found that my two pregnancies were not that comparable at all. When I first fell pregnant I was more aware of all the physical and emotional changes I experienced from start to finish. Whereas, when I fell pregnant again, I didn't realise I was even having another baby until I was in my third trimester. So for all those months, I didn't notice any of the signs that I experienced previously. I'm unsure if it was partly because I was so preoccupied focusing on the milestones with my first child?? Who knows, lol, but all I can say is that both of my pregnancies had their own separate journeys . The birth experiences were not anything alike either. The first labour and birth, was very slow and slightly complicated, however the second time it all happened so fast it was over before I knew it, but it was also far more painful than than I remember the first one was. LOL
I don't think anyone can ever be fully prepared for the experience that is labour and birth, however, all I can assure, is that you will treasure every minute of nurturing your bub and your transition into a family orientated lifestyle.
Enjoy every last minute of it Tara, Its a beautiful time to forever embrace, aww I am so happy for you :)
Oh and one tip, I guess, would be to try and put your feet up and relax, like taking some time out on your own, just to sit and reflect on the past and ponder about the future and how your life is about to change, coz once bub is born you will quickly forget what it was like without them in it, because all of your time, your whole life; it will revolve around making your child's life the best it can be.
I love being a Mum, wouldn't change it for the world, Happy Mothers Day to all our gorgeous Mum's, hope you all enjoy your day :)
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 9:10am)
Posted by:
Divine Diva
(Australia)
Happy Mothers Day to all the mum's out there and all the mum's to be. :)
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 9:57am)
Posted by:
Shull87
(Australia)
Ohhhhh pregnancy has its ups and down.... we only just started TTC yesterday!! Anyway with the first I remeber feeling like i was waiting forever to meet her in the lead up to birth and i wanted to meet our little person.....it couldnt come soon enough!!! anyway your body goes thro so much and u dont even have a clue.....it still goes through so much after birth also!!!
But still all the positives out weigh the negitives as u see and hear most mums go back to have more babies and once you have experienced birth it isnt the un-known anymore so you know what u r doing the whole way through the next time.
Anyway I did get spoilt!!!! and i got spoilt yesterday for my bday also!!! yay a whole weekend dedicated to meee!!! haha ....I have to give my mum a call soon.... she is waiting to open the gift i posted her until today.....gees she is good!!! heheh i couldnt wait!!!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY FELLOW MUMMIES!!! :D
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 10:35am)
Posted by:
MissChriss
(Australia)
Just got spoilt rotten by my beautiful little kiddies and hubby, love them soo much!!
The only thing I didn't like about being pregnant was that I retained a HELL of alot of fluid, I couldn't believe how puffy I was, luckily that all went by a 3 days after both births.. Enjoy every minute tara, it's soo exciting and rewarding!!
I also wish that they told me how much breastfeeding actually hurts in the beginning, ALOT, but that too goes away too, thankfully!!
Good Luck
Happy mother's day to all the yummy mummies today, hope you get spoilt rotten :D
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 11:51am)
Posted by:
Discomilk
(Australia)
Happy mothers day to all the mothers out there!
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 11:56am)
Posted by:
bh'sLeanne
(Australia)
Hi Melmeko, yes, it's really surprising how different each pregnancy can be. I enjoyed my first pregnancy more than the second because everything was so new and my main focus was on looking after myself and the baby whereas the second time around life is so much busier so there's little time to pamper yourself and get the proper rest you need. Still, it's all totally worth it and I suppose, no matter how much advice you are given by other mums, you need to to work out what's best for you and your family and that takes trial and error (and sometimes a few tears!). Hope everyone's having a beautiful Mother's Day x
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 12:26pm)
Posted by:
Morrigan
(Australia)
Thank you! And Happy Mothers Day to all you lovely ladies at BH, whether you're a mum or not, today is a celebration of being a woman I think :)
From my experience (I only have one child so far) I found that the best thing I could do for myself was NOT to listen to horror birth stories, and while in hospital, REALLY listen to my body and just go with what I thought was right for me. For example, my labor went on for 3 days and the nurse said they wanted to induce me. I felt like this was definitely wrong and said to them that my body is probably just not ready, baby is not ready, just give it some time. And it's a good thing I did, my body knew what it was doing and with some patience everything worked out perfectly. I'm glad I had the confidence to stand up for myself and let them know how I felt because I know hospitals can be scary and you tend to trust doctors/nurses too much with your own body...
Like Leanne said, you have to work out what's best for you. Listen to advice but don't focus on it too much. Don't worry about horror stories - everyone's different! And it's probably more exciting to tell what horrible things happened to you instead of how everything went perfectly :)
Take time to yourself, make sure to "mourn" your life as a single, free individual before the baby comes - once he/she is here you're in a completely different role for the rest of your life and some people can find it overwhelming. This is very important so later you don't end up feeling like everything happened too fast and you're not sure how you ended up here.. (Not saying it'll happen to you, but I never thought it'd happen to me either so...you never know!)
If you think the baby is kicking and people tell you it's wind - don't listen to them!! :)))
Enjoy EVERY single minute of it, even if you feel sick, or too tired or super emotional - every thing about pregnancy is like an adventure!! Feeling a bit jealous that you get to experience it for the first time :))
If you need to cry - cry as much and as often as you need. It's ok to feel like nothing works the way it should, don't let people put pressure on you!
Oh and also, something I learned - if the baby cries and wants to be picked up a lot (when he/she is still little) don't let people tell you that you'll "spoil" the baby by picking him/her up all the time. Babies are little, they need to feel mum close by all the time, there is no way you'll spoil them so don't worry and do what you think is right! I stressed out a lot when my baby cried and everyone told me to let her cry. It just didn't feel right, until I just said I'll do what I think I should do!
Anyway, this is a bit too long, sorry, I could go on and on about babies :))
Congratulations Tara and good luck!!! :))
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 2:39pm)
Posted by:
Love bug
(Australia)
Happy Mother's Day!!! I love you mum. :)
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 6:01pm)
Posted by:
GoddessMagick
(Member since 2007, Australia)
I like your comment Morrigan about Mother's day being a celebration of being a woman! Love it. I hope all Mum's, Grandma's have had a lovely day today :) I enjoyed this article regarding the many different aspects to pregnancy and the comments here. It truly shows that everyones experience is different. Great to see that the Mum and Baby category is expanding as there will hopefully be something in there to suit everyone.
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 7:22pm)
Posted by:
softness
(Member since 2007, Australia)
Aww thanks Leanne - and Happy Mother's Day to you too!
I remember the sense of embarking on an exciting adventure when pregnant for the first time. Every week is a new twist and turn on the road to having that first beautiful baby. I remember the incredibleness of it all - and it still puts me in awe thinking back on it. Now my 'babies' seem huge compared to when I first held them - well they are really! They are 13, 11 and 6. I think an important thing to know is that every pregnancy and every baby is different and if you ever feel that you've had a bad day remember that a good one is probably just around the corner. So enjoy it all while it lasts as much as you can because they'll soon be big 'bubbas' like mine!
Posted on:
May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 9:59pm)
Posted by:
bh'sTara
(Australia)
Thanks everyone for all the well wishes! I'm halfway there (20 weeks) so I still have some time left to take on everyone's advice. It's such a strange and amazing feeling, which certainly took a bit of getting used to, especially the morning sickness. Now that part has calmed down, I am definitely beginning to enjoy the whole experience.
I hope all our bh mothers had a wonderful day yesterday, and were spoilt accordingly!
Posted on:
May 09, 2011 (May 9, 2011 9:01am)
Posted by:
Platinum Ms
(Australia)
I was anxious didn't realise how my life was about to change, my best advise is to keep busy and listen to your body, listen to other peoples advise and use the advise that suits your needs because its your Life, Your Body and Your Baby. Don't be to hard on your self either.
Posted on:
May 09, 2011 (May 9, 2011 10:00am)
Posted by:
Beauty Obsession
(Member since 2007, Australia)
Congrats on your pregnancy Tara. Wishing you all the best with the rest of your pregnancy!! I'd say try and get as much sleep as you can before bub comes along (as hard as that may be with a big bump and tiny bladder!) as it may be your last chance is a very long while to get enough sleep. My mothers day ended up being a day of being nurse to too sick kids. My daughter made me the sweetest present at kinder which melted my heart.
Posted on:
May 09, 2011 (May 9, 2011 11:13am)
Posted by:
Diishere
(Australia)
sounds great.
I just had baby number 6 last month, so i look forward to helping out with tips and reviewing products I've tried.
thanks BH.
Posted on:
May 09, 2011 (May 9, 2011 3:35pm)
Posted by:
Bianca sarah
(Australia)
Mothers day is so exciting. I have a 13 month old baby girl and just spending the day with her is the best gift for mothers day....I do have much more appreciaion for my mum now though, now I am a mother. I am always thanking her now for all the things she has done for me. Happy Mothers Day to all the mums out there :)
Posted on:
May 09, 2011 (May 9, 2011 4:53pm)
Posted by:
von-nation
(Member since 2008, Australia)
I had a lovely Mother's day thanks BH! I reckon being a mother is the best job in the world , it has its ups and its downs. I think the best advice is to know that you can make mistakes but don't beat yourself up over it...just learn from it. Something that works well for one mum might not work for another. Be true to yourself and your baby, you can only do your best! My own personal tip for expectant mothers is aromatherapy can do wonders in the birthing suite...hospital smells aren't pleasant, it really helps you relax and concentrate on those annoying contractions! And bring your own pillow...the smell from home reminded me how eager I was to bring my baby to be with the family making labour that little bit easier :) All the best Tara, so many women have given birth before you...we are built that way so you don't need to fear it, embrace the experience! xo
Posted on:
May 09, 2011 (May 9, 2011 6:51pm)
Posted by:
southcoastclare
(Australia)
Each pregnancy was different for me, I had a ten year gap between my babies. Having a baby in my 20's and then in my 30's there were noticeable differences. I loved buying all the baby magazines, I suppose these days there is so much information available on the web that you could keep up to date reading blogs. Enjoying the changes that are taking place to your body - it's an incredible thing - being able to create a baby.
Posted on:
May 09, 2011 (May 9, 2011 9:48pm)
Posted by:
mrscleaver
(Australia)
I found out on mothers day that i'm pregnant:)So apart from the lovely things my kids & hubby gave me i got an extra surprise present .I do have 4 children & 2 have special needs so it's going to be a challenge but i'm still happy that this new little life is growing away:).I learnt so much with my last pregnancy,more than the last 3 & i had an all natural birth ,no drugs,no gas,no doctor just my husband & a mid wife who sat patiently waiting to give assistance if needed.It was the best experience & i wish more woman were more informed & realise they don't have to have drugs & needles & ceasarians & doctors ordering them about (unless medically nescessary of course)Oh & so many women don't seem to know that they should stop pushing when the baby starts to crown.It's hard to stop when your body is telling you to but if you just breathe it out for a minute while your skin is pulled back from around the baby's head you are much less likely to tear.I always do this & i have never torn .Ok i know it's a bit icky but honestly i have talked to a lot of women who have never been told this & i really think it's advice worth knowing.
Posted on:
May 10, 2011 (May 10, 2011 4:24pm)
Posted by:
Livi92
(Australia)
Congratulations tara :) taking time to relax is the most important advice I could give a mum-to-be and when your baby comes take it as it comes each baby is different :)
Posted on:
May 16, 2011 (May 16, 2011 11:28am)
Posted by:
TaraLeeCupcake
(Australia)
I remember being nervous about when I'd go into labour (first time Mummy), I would ask my Mum and Mum-in-Law "How will I know?" and they would answer "You just know", this frustrate me so much that I could not be told when I'd know I was in labour but what do you know, when I was in labour - I KNEW haha. I loved the feeling of having my baby growing inside me and feeling her kick around and even though I suffered all day every day the whole way through sickness haha, I loved being pregnant and I love being a Mummy. The feeling of holding your precious bundle of joy in your arms is beyond words.
My tips would be, if you're breastfeeding, during the pregnancy, roughen up your nipples. Use a loofah in the shower to toughen them up because once you start breastfeeding you're gonna be thankful you did haha. Enjoy every moment with your little one because they really do grow up so so fast!
Posted on:
May 29, 2011 (May 29, 2011 8:21pm)
Posted by:
Cjsbjp
(Australia)
For a first time mum..get all the sleep you need!!!! If you are sleepy, then sleep! It will make you feel so much better, especially during the morning sickness phase, and you wont get the luxury of sleeping when you want when your bub arrives! Get some extra pillows and relax!
When a cramp starts in the middle of the night, strech your toes out and strech your leg. Man, do those legs cramps suck!
During the day get a good comfy chair and put your feet up. A chair thats not too low, as you wont be able to get up lol, and feels good on your back.
If you are hungry, eat!
Get informed about your delivery. Get to know the pain relief, what will happen to your body, make plans about who you want to be there and what you want to happen. Although things may change, its good to have a birth plan. And its not so scary when you know what is going to happen. But when you see their little face for the first time, its like the pain was nothing at all.
Enjoy being pregnant..your body is doing a wonderful and miraculous thing. Enjoy being a new mum and every moment...like TaraLeeCupcake said, they really do grow up so fast!
Posted on:
July 19, 2011 (Jul 19, 2011 1:03am)
Posted by:
Kayla Beauty
(Australia)
Oh I'm learning all about this in H&HD class Good luck Preg Mum's u'v got a long road ahead! IMPORTANT some people may not know drinking coffee harms the baby so DO NOT DRINK
Posted on:
July 23, 2011 (Jul 23, 2011 12:03am)
Posted by:
joburkey
(Member since 2007, Australia)
This is wonderful, I'm 19 weeks now, and all this information will be fantastic
Posted on:
August 28, 2011 (Aug 28, 2011 8:00pm)
Posted by: Nda (Australia)
Just making some lemon and blueberry pancakes for mum now:) And we devoured some pumpkin, feta and pinenut muffins esrlier lol.
Posted on: May 08, 2011 (May 8, 2011 7:41am)