Didn't work for me, sorry!

Things that didn’t work for me while pregnant

You learn a lot when you are pregnant. I quickly learned many things that did not work for me. Among them are:

{1} getting micro braids – I paid a high price to get micro-braids. They looked good for 3 weeks and then they started to look bad. By birth day my husband begged me to take them off so soon after we got home from the hospital I did. It was the hardest thing, to get them off. So as hormonal as I was, I cut a big chunk of my real hair getting those things out. I told myself I needed the change. I tried to get a hair dresser to come to the house to cut my hair but she ignored my phone call. I dragged myself to the shop anyway and got my hair cut on a bob. I did so much damage it took 3 attempts to finally get to place where my hair looked fabuloso. I gave up on that initial bob and put some layers. It looks awesome now. For the next pregnancy, I’m gonna spend that money to get feet and hands done as well as a good facial or some spa treatment that will make me feel better about myself.

{2} buying stretch mark lotions and oils – I should have gotten a sign that it wouldn’t work when my doctor told me bluntly ‘those things don’t work.’ Any lotion I normally use would have worked because during the winter I get extra ashy anyway. I thought the stretch mark lotions were gonna work til the last month or so of my pregnancy when I noticed pink stretch marks on my stomach. I was so sad! I quickly got over it, especially because I remember having stretch mark elsewhere since I was 11 years-old. A nurse told us the stretch marks in the belly would disappear and we’d see them again during the next pregnancy. So far they’re still in residency, they haven’t left quite yet.

{3} lanolin to help with breastfeeding – after buying this product I was told by one of my doctor there was no preparation I needed to do as a Black woman. Apparently our skin doesn’t crack easily. I don’t breastfeed exclusively but I did in the very beginning of my son’s life. Now I breastfeed occasionally and I don’t need lanolin for anything. That was a waste of money for me but the product is really good.

{4} asking for breast pads on my baby registry – many people gave me breast pads and I ended up using formula with my son. I still have milk and occasionally it spills out but my bra holds the little that goes out. I got so many boxes of pads that I donated them to the lactation consultant in the hospital who knows way more lactating women than I do.

{5} Counting calories – I had a lot going on in order to count calories. I consulted with a health educator, knew my nutritional requirements and did not follow my allotted amount. I decided to relax and thank God I had a healthy young man. The nutritional info was so ingrained I pretty much knew what I needed. I decided to indulge whenever I wanted and many weeks the pounds piled (NOT baby weight cause my son was only 6 pounds). I just didn’t have the time and the mind to count calories. Next time I’ll definitely use more self-control but writing down everything that went into my mouth meant to enjoy my pregnancy a little less. Not fair.

It'll be interesting to see what I'll learn the next pregnancy. I heard that each pregnancy as each baby you have are very different.