To the lady due any day

It's almost two whole years since I had my baby, Isabelle. 'baby' - she'll always be that won't she? I mean Oliver is still my 'baby' and he's 6. It feels like yesterday that I had Isabelle, time has flown by. There's a few things that I wish I could go back and say to me when I was due to have Isabelle but obviously that's impossible. So, I thought I'd do an open letter to the lady due any day now..

Birth plans are to be seen as more of a 'guide' to what you'd like to have - it's not what you are 100% going to have so don't spend so much time worrying about it, if you say in your plan you don't want certain pain relief for example - forget that if you need to, it doesn't matter what you said! mentally rip that paper up and carrying on with what you need to do, if you want it, have it and don't feel bad for it. I ended up having a C-section and that ideal birth plan was a million miles away but you know what - so what? What matters is we were both safe and for that I'm grateful.
Ignore people when they say stupid things like "how many have you got in there?" ... yeah ok because that was a nice thing to say - said no one ever.

Don't spend your final days 'waiting' for baby to make an appearance, a watched kettle never boils and all that.. 11 days overdue was me and I can't tell you how much time I spent bouncing on a exercise ball. Baby comes when baby is ready.

You know you've repacked that hospital bag like 7 times already, nothing in it has changed... you still need everything in there! Make a list as you put things in, so you know whats in there.

Go relax while you still can.

Don't expect your second baby to be the same as your first child! Every child really is different and not just that but every time you become a mother - you, yourself are different. I knew what to do better with Isabelle, I was more stubborn for what I wanted and I had educated myself on breastfeeding.

Assuming that breastfeeding is 'easy' is silly, read about it, try to educate yourself a little and I promise you it will be 'easier' it's still a little tricky to get your head around when you're learning how to do it and baby is learning too.

You might get a horrible midwife, stand up for yourself and ask for someone different! I had someone who made me feel awful, didn't help me at all and was on her phone. I wish I'd of stood up and said something. You deserve to have a midwife who cares and is there to help you.

So you keep 'planning' on making those meals and putting them in the freezer so it's a little easier once baby arrives? Yes... do it, I never did and trust me I wish I did.

Don't be too uncomfortable to put visitors off for a while. I liked having the first few weeks just close close family.

Remember that you're also a lady not just a mum, plan something for yourself even if it's just buying yourself some new bath stuff and having a bubble bath while someone else watches baby. Or painting your nails!

Sleep when baby sleeps - I never done this and after having an emergency C-section I really should of done but I just couldn't. It's easier said than done.

Also why did it take me so long to realise, wash hair night before - plait it and you're good to go in the morning for the school run! Save many late marks that one has.