STM advice- what we wish we'd known about recovery

meg_2006

I remember one of the best things a friend did for me was provide me with some details about what really happens after giving birth- things no one else wanted to talk about.  As one who likes to brace myself for the unknown, this was a huge help for me mentally. BTDT, feel free to add what you wish you'd known.

1. I didn't realize that for weeks I wouldn't be able to hold my gas in. At all. I was like a farting machine! I never found a good way to cover it up either hahaha
2. I didn't know standing would make my lady bits swell! It was difficult to stand and bounce the baby or even go shopping.  And a donut pillow was my best friend when sitting!
3. That shower after giving birth in the hospital- most difficult shower of my life. I couldn't stand, and I didn't want to sit on the hard shower bench, so DH had to come in and help wash me while I supported myself against the wall.  And you bleed a lot, so it was pretty disgusting for both of us.  But he was a trooper!

skruhmin

Biggest advice is take it easy for two weeks. You'll feel amazing, decide to go out shopping, and then poof you feel like crap all over again.

Disneygeek77

If you had a c-section and are constipated, don't wait days for this to work or that to work.  Just take a suppository.  You will get relief within the hour.  

Dear Lord, when I had my daughter I was so backed up I thought I was going to have to go back to the hospital and have them cut that out of me too.  When I had my son, I didn't mess around.  AFter day three and no BM, I asked for a suppository and was so glad I did.  No more sitting on the toilet and crying in pain for me.  

ceds07

On that note, I didn't have a C but per warnings from other moms I started popping Collace (sp?) pretty much immediately after birth. I assume it sort of helped because I don't have any traumatic recollections about it not lol. 

Also related, I stocked each bathroom at home with Dermaplast, a peri bottle and Tucks pads. The combo worked pretty well and I think helped healing in due time. 

Sconesy..Cider

1. Even though peeing and clean-up takes twice as long as it did during pregnancy, drink so much water. My legs were so swollen from all my IV fluids and retained water, my husband made me call my OB's nurse (who's also a family friend). She taught me that drinking water helps flush out the "stuck" water.

2. I could not sit on our wooden chairs, so I kept a giant fluffy blanket in my chair for at least a week. I don't know if this was from hemorrhoids, my lady bit stitches, or just general swelling, but the cushy blanket made sitting much easier.

3. After DS was born, DH picked up the huge purple Always pads. They were the best, so that's what I bought for this round too. The longer the pad, the less mess.

amaniupendo

That I would have PP bleeding for 16 weeks! 

oceanchild

• depends silhouettes instead of pads and undies - i hate cleaning blood stains from leaks where pads shifted
• cosigned on the colace (mentioned above) ^ you don't want to get constipated no matter how your baby came out (trust me )
• i slept on towels for a bit - was literally soaking my bed with nightsweats, easier to get a new towel than sheets; also handy for leaky milk, and baby spit-up/pee if you bedshare
• the postpartum cramping (that i didn't feel with my first) gets exponentially worse with subsequent babies - bring some extra ibuprofen to supplement bc the hospital is stingy with their dosing schedule  
• if you feel babyblues coming on, TALK TO SOMEONE! call your OB/MW; find a group of moms and force yourself to socialize with them and talk about it! don't stay holed up in the house with no mama support! it can happen right away, but it can also begin several weeks/months in. the thing that helped me more than medicine was being around other mamas (we had a BF'ing support group here, and i kept going even after i was FF'ing, but there are other mama groups too). i had always worked in a busy, fast-paced environment with lots of people, and suddenly being isolated at home alone with no one to talk to at all was a big adjustment/transition

not immediate recovery related, but i had no idea that all my hair that stopped shedding the entire pregnancy (plus some extra) would suddenly evacuate my head around 3-4m PP. i thought i was going bald and didn't know that it was something that happens to a *lot* of moms. it slowed down after a few months and eventually went back to normal shedding, but OMG. i couldn't wear my hair in a ponytail; every time i showered it was alarming; i ended up with a bunch of little babyhair filling it back in.

mshukh

I had an episiotomy the first time, so I'm not sure if this is true for everyone or not...but I had to take at least 3 soaking baths a day for 20 minutes each or I wasn't able to sit at all because it hurt so bad. The baths would make it almost painless for hours after. Also, witch hazel pads are the best. 

Disneygeek77

Stool softeners are wonderful and work for some moms, however for others like me, they aren't enough. I took every single stool softener they gave me and drank tons of water and apple juice.  I also ate raisin bran and spinach salad  every day and I walked as soon as I could and it still did nothing.  For some reason, the pain medication they give you after a c-section can cause some women to be very constipated.   I didn't have a bm for 5 days and when I did it was very painful and honestly, the worst part of my recovery.  When I had my second, I started taking stool softeners a week before the scheduled c-section and tried to drink more water and juice and more fruit.  I even pushed myself to walk more than I did the first time.  Still nothing.  By day 3 of no BM I could see the writing on the wall and asked for a suppository.  I got relief within the hour.  

When I had my third baby, I brought Benefiber  with me to the hospital hoping it would help and again took stool softeners, drank tons of water and juice, ate high fiber foods, walked as much as I could and still nothing.  So I again had a suppository around day 3 or 4.  

I talked to my Dr and he said that the medicine can be very constipating for some people.  So if I could give advice to myself after that first recovery, it would be don't wait around for stool softeners to work or juices to work or high fiber foods to work.  If you are constipated and uncomfortable, just take a suppository.

Disneygeek77

edit.

maelic

Stool softeners made it worse for me, it was really really hard to get things moving. I'm going to ask that they not give me any at the hospital this time. 

Took almost four months for my stitches to heal and anytime I walked more than a token amount I'd swell up so much I'd have a hard time sitting down after. Same thing happened every time I took a shower. 

The night sweats are terrible. This time around they started even before giving birth, I don't know how to handle it. I wake up soaked through and shivering multiple times a night. Plan on doing a LOT of laundry post-partum, just in case. 

oceanchild

• oh! don't forget to bring home all the wonderful popstpartum care goodies that the hospital will stock in your room - the witch  hazel pads, the dermoplast spray, peribottle and cleanser, sitz bath, the big hot/cold packs you can stick in your undies!
• i know a lot of mamas will soak a disposable diaper or giant maxi pad with water (or water with witch hazel) and put them in the fridge/freezer to use as a diposable undie-ice-pack also!
• and when i had a 3rd degree tear with my first baby, i would spray the witch hazel pads with dermoplast also, and line my suture line with them and leave them against my skin in my undies; they made a big difference!