Tell INNOVO™ what no one warned you about pregnancy & childbirth. Win £300 Voucher. NOW CLOSED

[RebeccaEMumsnet]

In order to celebrate the launch of their alternative solution to pelvic floor strengthening – Innovotherapy – INNOVO™ want to hear the effects of pregnancy on your body that took you by surprise as nobody warned you about them.

Here’s what INNOVO™ have to say: '"Motherhood can be such a blessing and change your life in ways you never imagined, however it is filled with many shocks and surprises. Some good and some not so welcome, such as a those ‘little accidents’ that we all try and hide.
Unfortunately a weak pelvic floor and the resulting incontinence is often part and parcel of pregnancy however it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Innovotherapy is a non-invasive way to restore your pelvic floor, treating the primary cause of urinary leaks rather than just masking the symptoms. Using a hand held controller that is attached to a two part garment, Innovotherapy sends targeted impulses via conductive pads (attached to your upper thigh and buttocks) to safely and effectively activate the muscles of the pelvic floor. It is a proven technology which has been designed to optimally strengthen your pelvic floor allowing you to return to return the more important things in life, such as your little ones.”

You can read more about the product and advice on pelvic floor strengthening here.

So, what unexpected effects did pregnancy and giving birth have on your body? Did anyone tell you to expect urinary leaks after having a baby? Did you consider the importance of toning your pelvic floor? Were you surprised by any other physical effects that nobody warned you about?

INNOVO™ would also love to know about any unexpected positive effects of pregnancy and giving birth. Does parenthood make you feel like you can take on the world? Do you now feel like you are more focused on what matters most?

Whatever the unexpected effects of pregnancy and childbirth were for you, post your story below. Everyone who adds a comment will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

The amount of strangers that want to talk to you and ask you all sorts of questions!

I'd read up quite a bit so I was expecting most of the side effects, apart from two.
My lips got bigger, not trout pout style but definitely bigger as my lip stud was too short suddenly and, the weirdest one, very often the palms of my hands would go bright red and be unbearable itchy for about half an hour at a time! Very odd

My posture is rubbish after pregnancy, very hollow backed. I need to do something about that.

My skin during the first three months was awful. It felt like a rough piece of sandpaper on my forehead as if each pore contained a tiny bit of grit. On the plus side, my skin was so nice and plump that all my wrinkles went and I looked much younger.

i'd heard about the tiredness during pregnancy, but i was taken aback by the sheer, numbing exhaustion. i had days where i would just collapse physically at lunchtime, and be unable to do anything apart from crawl into bed, which is not like me at all. i remember once sitting in an empty bath for twenty minutes because i was too exhausted to drag myself out.

then again, it did turn out that i was having twins, so that might explain it

That it would be 10 years after giving birth before I could have a poo without an audience.

The snoring lol. I keep my partner up every night :(

2 words
Vulvic veins
Pregnancy's best kept secret!

I had heard that breast feeding might help me loose weight after giving birth. What I didn't expect was all the weight I would put on from the sugary snacks that I ate to counter the sleep deprivation of having a newborn, despite the breastfeeding!!

I was kind of aware of the whole pelvic floor thing but don't think I realised just how important doing those exercises are. Only after having my third I'm still struggling to have full control which is a bit embarrassing at times! Breastfeeding can be bloody painful and hard work nobody told me that!

That my belly button would never be the same again. I have a weak pelvic floor. I have lost my beautiful boobs. But I expected that. My poor belly button is not firm any more, it is floppy, and squashy and it takes on different guises depending which way I'm sitting/lying. It is weird and very disconcerting!!

My posture/hip/back won't be the same again. Oh and nearly 3 weeks post partum I've started to realize that I might have a problem with bowel movements.....

The heartburn that makes you cry.

The restless legs that make you want to scream.

The inability to get comfortable at night.

How difficult it is to walk in the latter stages of pregnancy.

How much afterpains bought on by breast feeding actually hurt.

That you can spend a large part of labour vomiting.

That the midwives will insist you wear a hospital gown and take your bra off.

How detatched and unwell gas and air can make you feel.

That second labours can be even quicker than first time round! Mine started when at home alone with our toddler. I crawled around on my hands and knees trying to get hold of my husband, mum, midwife and then the paramedics. My two year old was standing behind me when my waters went, and declared to an empty room, "mum mum wet!!" Luckily the cavalry made it in time, and the toddler didn't have to deliver his brother!

I had a relatively easy pregnancy but nobody told me about the crazy itchiness my tummy would experience! And the ahem excess wind... I was warned about the pelvic floor and possible incontinence issues, I was even given a little leaflet about it after birth but found in the newborn haze that it was not one of my priorities as I wasn't affected. I'm aware that I'm going to have to do something about it before having another child though!

In terms of positive experiences, I'm now aware of how amazing my body actually is. I've created a human being with it and then gone on to nourish it after birth. I think pregnancy, giving birth and survival post-birth would have been easier had I been fitter so I'll have to do something about that too!

No one told me how much childbirth would hurt!! It was worth it, but ouch!!!

1. The pregnancy insomnia. I didn't sleep more than 4 hours for the first 6 months. The last 3 months I would get an hour or two. When the baby arrived it was such a relief as I could finally get some sleep! Even though she's a frequent weaker!

1. Loss of body hair. I've lost my leg, arm and underarm hair. Apparently it's your thyroid going crazy post birth and it will grow back but it's brilliant.

In order of which I realised these things -

That the sickness can be all day and night from 6 weeks right through to labour
You can develop an aversion to ginger and want to punch anyone who mentions ginger as a cure for morning sickness right in the face
That despite the advice being not to eat spicy food as it makes sickness worse, curry was the only food I could actually keep down
That random people would rub my tummy remarking, 'oh I think baby's asleep, can't feel it move' to which I would reply 'I'm only 16 weeks, I haven't felt it move myself yet'
That when you actually do start feeling baby move it can actually freak you out and be a bit disconcerting...
SPD is actually a thing and hurts, a lot
That you'll feel the outline of your baby's pressing foot against your stomach - it is amazing and you'll want to wake DH at 3am so he can feel it and share the wonderment too
That you may know more about your labour than the health care 'professionals'. I was told at the hospital, whilst having contractions, I'd be in labour for days and they sent DH home. I told him to wait as I was sure I was close to pushing, DD appeared 40mins later......
That I'd look at my baby with such love but think 'I know you so well but don't recognise you at all'
The first meal after labour when the sickness and awful metallic taste has gone is AMAZING
That breastfeeding can feel like the most wonderful, natural thing in the world
The bleeding can last for weeks on end
That you would literally do anything and risk upsetting anyone to keep your previous baby safe and happy xxx

precious baby! not 'previous'

There were lots of things that lots of people mention that didn't happen but the thing that hit me hard was at around 6 weeks in -piles! I had no idea how utterly consuming and painful they could be, I could hardly move, couldn't bear to sit and could barely pick up my children. I ended up having to tell people I didn't really know that I was having back problems as when I was out in public with the kids it was so obvious that I was in pain but I was too embarrassed to say why. I think we all need to be more open this painful problem!

I wish I had been warned that if I had an emergency c-section I would have a drip in when I woke up. I thought something had gone really dreadfully wrong but the nurse was beside me very quickly to reassure me.

I wish I had been warned how sick pethedine can make you feel without actually touching the pain, just making you too tired to complain about it.

How difficult the early days of breastfeeding can be - and how to get over them. But also how wonderful it feels when it all stops hurting and really works.

That within two days you can recognise your baby's cry even if three other babies are crying in the nursery at the same time - and as you come back from the shower you will feel like there is an electric current shooting up your back driving you to go and comfort your crying baby.

That despite everything the whole process of pregnancy, birth and caring for your little one will be the most magical and fulfilling thing you will ever do in your life.

The lack of sleep i was about to face i thought i was the only one feeling like a zomble

I wasnt prepared for the morning sickness, it was awful!

I felt totally unprepared for that feeling after birth that my body was not my own! The excess skin left on my belly after birth... don't get me wrong, I knew it would be different - but it felt so odd, so alien, to put my hand on my belly moments after giving birth to my gorgeous boy.. that bump that had been growing for so many months was suddenly gone!
I felt I was falling to bits yet had to hold myself together to take care of this beautiful little human being - & I had no clue what to do!
I don't think I was prepared for any of the physical stuff - I was probably warned & the information is certainly out there, but I had my own vision of how pregnancy & childbirth was going to be & these things did not feature in it!!

Now clueless and alone you can feel when you don't know what to do. Baby is crying, husband is at work, no friends or colleagues or family have babies and you don't know why baby is crying.

Years later, wondering why small things seemed so big. I logged baby's feeds, meals, bowel movements and sleep patterns to find our routine. Now I read those books and think wtf

That 'morning sickness' can last all day and night for 9 months (suffered from hyperemesis)