Things people do not tell you about being a first time mom and if it's a boy

Being a first-time mom can be a wonderful but sometimes confusing journey. You go through the ups and downs of pregnancy and you are in your final weeks of being an incubator. You have the clothes organized, the house is so clean you can eat off the floor, diapers are stacked up, toys are ready to be played with, you read all the baby books, and now you are ready.... well not quite. I thought I was ready but there are many things you do not learn about until you experience it. Here is my list of things people do not tell you about being a first-time mom.

1. Labor Pains are sometimes not what you expect: the night before I went into labor I was jumping on a yoga ball and walking all over town looking for a belly casting kit. At 2 am I started to get what I thought was Braxton Hicks( False labor pains). From 2 a.m. until 7 a.m. I kept getting what felt like menstrual cramps and kept having the urge to poop. They would get intense but not as painful as you see in movies. I brought it up to Daddy and told me to let us go to the hospital and WHEN they let us out we will go back home. It turned out I was 9.5 cm dilated, I didn't count the contractions which was a big mistake. So if you feel any pains count the contractions or go to the doctor.

2. You will go through Labor Twice: I was lucky I had an amazing nurse and Daddy to help through the labor. The pushing is not easy when you have epidural and your legs are jello. After all the sweat and pushing my baby boy Nico finally came into this world. Immediately the nurses called Daddy over to them to take pictures of the baby. Before I could say anything the doctor told me I had to push again and behold, what felt like a giant blood clot, the placenta came out. They give you the option to keep it, maybe with baby number two.

3. Your baby will come out with a cone head: Do not be concerned! because you are pushing your baby out for a period of time chances are he's in the canal of your vagina and his head takes a cone shape. It goes away after a few hours.

4. There is blood everywhere for weeks even months: 5. You will go through a lot of paperwork: When I went to the hospital they had me and Daddy sign so much paperwork. I hope you have your baby's name ready because you will have to sign up for his/her social security card, birth certificate, declaration of paternity, etc, etc. Be sure you have your John Hancock ready.

5. You will go through a lot of paperwork: When I went to the hospital they had me and Daddy sign so much paperwork. I hope you have your baby's name ready because you will have to sign up for his/her social security card, birth certificate, declaration of paternity, etc, etc. Be sure you have your John Hancock ready.

6. Sometimes you will leak milk when other babies cry. True story I went to a baptism when my baby was 6 weeks old and in that church, children began to cry. My little one was sleeping yet the cries triggered milk to come out of my breast. Luckily I was wearing black, nursing pads were a must after this.

7. Sometimes breastfeeding doesn't go as planned: I had this crazy idea I would breastfeed him all day and pump for future feedings. I got the best pump, bought breastfeeding storage bags, and even bought a pump car charger. Once the baby was home all I would do is put him on the breast. When he went to his first pediatrician appointment it turns out he was starving, I wasn't giving him enough milk. I started to pump to count how much milk was coming out. I had about 3 ounces a day after he would eat from the breast. I looked at how to increase my supply. My beautiful sister in law told me about lactation cookies, fenugreek, Mothers Milk Tea, and I pumped all day and night. Though my supply did increase to six ounces a day, I still was not filling bottles as I hoped. I tried it all but after 3 months my milk never came in and he was just on formula. Remember mamas fed is best. Do not be hard on yourself if your feeding plans do not work out.

8. Boys pee everywhere! DO NOT: When you change your babies diaper do not, I repeat DO NOT look away. I can not tell you how many times I got peed on because I looked away to grab baby powder. I learned to put something of his penis when the diaper comes off. I remember one time Daddy and I were changing the baby together. As we were talking we looked at each other briefly and when we look at the baby he had pee all over his head and changing table. On top of having diaper stations throughout the house, my advice is if you have a boy make sure his penis is facing down. I can't tell you how many times pee got on his clothes and stomach because his pee went up and out the diaper.

9. Baby Bottle brands do matter: Oh boy do they matter. I thought a regular bottle would suffice for feeding. Big NOPE! I learned the hard way that depending on the bottle the baby can take in too much air. It makes them gassy, colicky and hurts their tummy. My sister in law told us about how bottles have different nipple sizes and how some bottles are made special to take the air out. She got us NUK bottles and we never looked back.

10. Babies will cry from growing pains: Baby fed..check, New diaper...Check, Making sure baby is not to hot or cold... check. So why is the baby still crying? You may not realize it but babies go through growing pains. Babies will literally cry because they are growing and it is literally causing them pain. You can look at sign such as a never-ending hunger, they are extra cranky and sleep more than usual. While you can not take that pain away from them you can help by giving them messages, put a heating pad on the baby, and have a lot of patience.

11. Hormones will still be around and sometimes get the best of you: You think once I have this baby my hormones will go back to normal. WRONG!! For those lucky few the hormones will regulate immediately after birth. For others, we are a sweaty, hormonal, hot flash mess. I would cry for everything and it is rather annoying. Sometimes I will get mad for no reason or have several nervous breakdowns while I am alone and act like I have it all together, and cry with the baby. I even cried one time because Daddy was giving our precious pitbull Zoey more attention than me.

12. Time for yourself and Date night is very important: For many new parents, they can't fathom the thought of leaving their baby, they think their life is over. Well, guess what you still have a life. Do not be afraid to do your hair while the baby is sleeping or leaving him/her with a sitter while you go get your nails done. You will feel so much better once you take care of yourself. Date night is a big one for me. Daddy and I will go out together at least twice a month, one big rule do not talk about the baby. It makes our relationship stronger and is a big reminder of how much we love and care for each other. Date nights are an adventure on their own and it doesn't hurt we get to give someone diaper else diaper duty for a few hours.

13. Fathers go through more than you think: Daddy is my rock. When I found out I was pregnant so much was going on and I was going into a depression. Daddy helped me through my pregnancy. He went to all the doctors' appointments, satisfied my cravings, made sure I was okay mentally, went walking with me daily, cooked for me and encouraged me to enjoy my pregnancy. During labor he was with me every moment as I panicked he stayed as calmly as possible. Now he is an amazing father and husband. As calm and collected he is at times I know deep down he has feelings that he pushes to be the strong one. Do not take your husband or baby's father for granted. They may not have dealt with carrying the baby but they went through all the emotions as you did. Does he feel neglected because you give the baby more attention? Go on date nights. Does he skip lunch because he is working hard? Have a warm dinner for him. Does he worry about work or home life, talk to him and listen to what he has to say. Does he come home from work tired, greet him with a kiss. Let him know how much you appreciate him and that you are there for him too.