Epidurals don't always work. I know now. I had two and the first was clearly not working as it hurt like hell.
Do take a birthing class to know what comes next and what follows every intervention (I'm not against it just good to know).
Sleep and organize and de stuff your house as much as you can before baby. Everything is easier pregnant (barring complications) than with a baby. Babies don't need much stuff, but a safe space to put baby on every floor of your house is useful so you can put them down and pee or sort laundry quickly.
Babies are so so different and temperament and the way they are will determine many things early. I had one particular kiddo who only slept in someone's arms and didn't latch well and maternity leave was tough. Second is super chill, sleeps, eats, doesn't get bothered by much.
Don't read the internet at 2 am. Everything especially early on is a phase. If it's going badly, it'll change in 2 weeks. It it's going well and easy, it'll change in 2 weeks and become something else.
Be nice to your spouse and vice versa. Men and women who are not carrying the child are not awash in hormones. They respond to things differently in the immediacy post birth. My dh and me would go to a different room and scream into a pillow sometimes because I drive him batty and he annoyed me at times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baby care class is a waste of time

Yup. They’re all old women that teach them anyway. They aren’t hip to think GS like the nosefrieda.


And my list, I wish I knew all I really needed was a car seat, A&A blankets, city mini, cooler lunch bag to go in my designer purse, and a rock and play. Everything else I could have played by ear and figured out what my child liked best as they grew. Did a lot of returns and donations.

Umm except that the rock n play was recalled for SIDS risk. You definitely don't need or want that.

Anonymous wrote:Baby care class is a waste of time

Yup. They’re all old women that teach them anyway. They aren’t hip to think GS like the nosefrieda.


And my list, I wish I knew all I really needed was a car seat, A&A blankets, city mini, cooler lunch bag to go in my designer purse, and a rock and play. Everything else I could have played by ear and figured out what my child liked best as they grew. Did a lot of returns and donations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can take a very long time to get pregnant and many women experience infertility. Also, natural childbirth is awful—get the epidural.

Not OP but someone who did a natural birth and is scared of needles/epidurals. If natural is what you want, you can definitely do it! Watch The Business of Being Born by Ricki Lake.

No OP, do not watch this terrible fear mongering movie. Ricki Lake has 0 certifications or reasons why she should have made a movie on childbirth. It's basically a movie that tells you doctors are always wrong and not looking out for your best interest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:C section was way better than vaginal.

Wow really?

NP- like everything, including unmedicated birth, this varies widely by woman. I had an easy pregnancy and labor and almost no recovery, the epidural helped me immensely. I have friends who were hindered by the epidural and had a much easier time in subsequent unmedicated births. Every body is different and reacts differently to the process.

Anonymous wrote:C section was way better than vaginal.

Wow really?

Anonymous wrote:It can take a very long time to get pregnant and many women experience infertility. Also, natural childbirth is awful—get the epidural.

Not OP but someone who did a natural birth and is scared of needles/epidurals. If natural is what you want, you can definitely do it! Watch The Business of Being Born by Ricki Lake.

Pregnancy wasn’t too difficult for me but I didn’t realize how much pain I would be in and for such a long time after the birth. Then there was breastfeeding. Goodness.

C section was way better than vaginal.

Baby care class is a waste of time

Research all you want, to the extent it brings you joy to do so. Trust that you can trust you instincts.

It can take a very long time to get pregnant and many women experience infertility. Also, natural childbirth is awful—get the epidural.

Sleep as much as you can now.

Honestly, avoid everything and everyone. Your body does what it needs to do and your doctor takes care of the rest

DH and I plan on starting a family soon and most of our friends don’t have children yet. For those of you with children, what do you know now that you wish you knew when you first found out you’re pregnant? Any books, podcasts, articles etc. that you found especially helpful? The whole process seems overwhelming right now!