Just curious...

hellomommyhood

I had a natural birth with my daughter.  I have been really lucky with the post-birth experience.  Easy breastfeeding/good milk supply.  Quick recovery (down there) .  Pretty fast weight loss.  Obviously all this is relative... nothing is as easy as a few quick sentences makes it sound

I'm just wondering if part of the quick recovery could be related to having fewer interventions?  i have no idea if this is the case, but just wondering if those of you that also went natural had a similar experience?

 

sschwege

I had the same experience.  Not sure if it was going med-free, sheer luck or a combination of both...either way I'm not complaining!  

Mamasaurus

I have read a lot to suggest a water birth can help with tearing, as well as that epi can affect BFing. I haven't done it yet so I can't speak from experience, though.

gekeler6

The wieght was easier to lose after my first pregnancy, harder the second time.  But I honestly felt more myself after having an epi.  Things down below healed very fast the second time, and breastfeeding was easier too.  I guess this would be interesting to find out if it does have an effect on healing and postbirth.

LindseyJW

i'll venture to say i'm sure it helped, but it's not necessary.

i had a med-free labor but surgical birth wtih my first after being in labor for 2 days. i had a fairly quick recovery from the surgery, easy BFing, good supply, quick weight loss, etc.

i also experienced the exact same pp recovery with my second, an hbac.

FWIW, most women don't have milk supply issues, unlike what mainstream society will lead us to believe. most women are able to produce a fine amount of milk for our babies. but we are all brainwashed into believing that low supply is super common, so we already go into BFing worrying about whether we will produce enough. then we are offered formula in the hospital immediately after birth, b/c our milk hasn't come in yet, so our babies start off being supplemented, then when our milk does come in and we aren't prepared for the challenges of early BFing, we consent to additional supplementing to give our BBs a break. the breasts respond to the need and if the need is cut in half b/c of supplemental FF, they will reduce supply accordingly. and after all this, we wonder why there are supply issues. it's kind of like the cycle of interventions that lead to a c/s. a cycle of interventions in normal BFing can lead to supply issues.

true, some women will experience supply issues, but it's really quite rare that a woman simply won't produce enough milk for her baby. 

 

frlcb

I had a water birth with my second, and just a med free birth with my first. My second was much harder to recover from for some reason. Neither were difficult, but the second was harder. I didn't tear with either.

chicsub

First one was a c/s, so basic recovery was harder since I actually had to heal.  However, my milk came in within 48 hours or so and never had a problem.  I lost all the baby weight, but it took about 9 months.

Second one was completely med-free, recovery was easier since it was a vaginal with minimal tearing.  No problem with milk again, but the weight is not coming off like last time.  Not that it melted off last time, it did take work on my part and I don't think it had anything to do with me BFing.

I don't think med-free has anything to do with pp weight loss, that's pretty much a given.  However, I'm sure it helps with healing since you are less likely to tear when you can feel your pushing, so you have less healing to do in the first place.  

chicsub

BrittAnnie19:

My first several days were tough, but at 8 days later I felt almost normal again. We'll see about how the weight loss continues to go. My milk came in full steam at only 48 hours post-birth. I also have a very calm and relaxed baby who will already sleep for 5 hour stretches at less than 2 weeks-old. She never cries unless she needs something and is easily soothed.

The first 3 weeks were dreamy with both my c/s and VBAC baby.  Maybe it's b/c I had a c/s that I'm more sensitive to comments like this.  Of course now that I've had my med-free birth on top of a c/s I have more perspective that a lot of our child's sleep, temperment, eating habits, etc. have more to do with their personality than how they entered the world or how we are parenting them. 

Nechie122

It's hard to say.  Breastfeeding and weight loss came easily, but in terms of my physical recovery ...

Caveat: I have nothing to compare it to.  But I know I had problems walking for awhile.  I remember it wasn't until three weeks out when my husband commented, "You're finally walking like a New Yorker again."  For the first six weeks or so, I had so much pressure and discomfort after any physical exertion, I asked my doctor if she thought I had a prolapse.

I didn't feel like myself again until around three months.

  

Mrs.Greeko

I went med-free with my first and had major troubles BFing that led to only being able to partially BF because of poor milk supply (actually diagnosed by several LCs and despite trying everything includine domperidone).  Third degree tear that wasn't terrible to recover from, but it wasn't no picnic either and I was pretty darn miserable for a week or so.  Lost too much weight by 6 months PP actually.

Med-free with my second: easy time BFing/good milk supply, no tearing so quick recovery down there, although I was still bleeding bright red at 6 weeks so not so quick recovery in that regard.  Weight didn't all come off till 14 months PP.

So I don't think it has anything to do with it.  i think it is a combination of your body, your baby, and pure luck. 

sschwege

LindseyJW:

i'll venture to say i'm sure it helped, but it's not necessary.

i had a med-free labor but surgical birth wtih my first after being in labor for 2 days. i had a fairly quick recovery from the surgery, easy BFing, good supply, quick weight loss, etc.

i also experienced the exact same pp recovery with my second, an hbac.

FWIW, most women don't have milk supply issues, unlike what mainstream society will lead us to believe. most women are able to produce a fine amount of milk for our babies. but we are all brainwashed into believing that low supply is super common, so we already go into BFing worrying about whether we will produce enough. then we are offered formula in the hospital immediately after birth, b/c our milk hasn't come in yet, so our babies start off being supplemented, then when our milk does come in and we aren't prepared for the challenges of early BFing, we consent to additional supplementing to give our BBs a break. the breasts respond to the need and if the need is cut in half b/c of supplemental FF, they will reduce supply accordingly. and after all this, we wonder why there are supply issues. it's kind of like the cycle of interventions that lead to a c/s. a cycle of interventions in normal BFing can lead to supply issues.

true, some women will experience supply issues, but it's really quite rare that a woman simply won't produce enough milk for her baby. 

 

Amen!  My cousin was saying to me just the other day that she hopes she can BF.  How sad that this is the way we think.  The world would not be 6 billion and going strong if we couldn't feed our children.   

MrsS2203

I was induced with Pitocin and had Nubain(not happy,but dealing with that).  By Day 3 my milk was in...boy was it in.  By 2 weeks and some change I had lost all baby weight and was down some from pre-pregnancy.

I was bound and determined to nurse.  I had a few bottles and 1 can of formula that I got as shower gifts.  I hide them,works with pregnancy brain, and didn't plan to use them. They(ped & nurses) kept trying to get me to supplement at 2 days old,but I wouldn't.  I stuck it out DS weighed 6 lbs 3 oz(down 12oz from birth) upon release at 3 weeks 3 days he'd gained 2 pounds. I knew I just needed to be home and relax so DS and I could figure it all out.

DS has yet to sleep over 5 hours at night.  I don't think this has ANYTHING to with his birth,but more to do with trying to pack weight on him so they didn't label him failure to thrive.  I fed him every 2 hours(at the longest) until 10ish weeks.Plus with Jaundice part of treatment is feeding every  2 hours so this established a pattern that DS kept.