Word on the Street with Stephanie

Earlier this week I decided to run some errands between my daughter's nap times. The hilarity that ensued prompted me to compare running errands pre-baby with the marathon I had just experienced. On my list: to drive 15 minutes to the next town because I had to grab a hair product at Target and then a stop at Walmart to pick up some pictures. Pre-baby: 1) Leave whenever I want, drive with the music cranked and dance along to the radio.  2) Arrive at Target 3) Stroll the aisles and pick up anything interesting before making my way to the pharmacy for the hair product I wanted 4) Pay for my item(s) 5) Drive over to Walmart 6) Pick up my pictures from the photo lab 7) Stop and grab an iced coffee to enjoy on my way home Post-baby: 1) Eat lunch while I wait for baby to wake up 2) Prepare baby's lunch and feed her as soon as she wakes up 3) Put on baby's shoes and my own and, just as I'm about to unlock the front door, realize she has pooped ...

I honestly believe that there is no such thing as an easy birth. There are some that are easiER than others, but none that are easy. My story is no different. If you are pregnant with your first child or are planning to have a child at some point, you may want to skip this post ;) I had a drama-free pregnancy until 3 days before my due date when I slipped while going up the stairs and fell down them instead. I managed to turn onto my side so I did not fall directly onto my belly but I was still worried about what it could mean for the baby so I called the labour and delivery ward at my local hospital and was advised to get myself checked out. I spent the entire day being monitored and, after a couple of tests, everyone was satisfied that the baby was fine so I was sent home to rest and told to come back two days later for follow-up. My left leg was black and blue from my hip to my knee but the baby showed absolutely no signs of distress. This was the very first time that I would take...