Victoria's real secret...

triagain2 · April 2012

I've mentioned before that I used to be a labor nurse. Whenever I would get a new mom out of bed for the first time after having her baby, its a messy job and an awkward one for most new moms. You will have to clean yourself up, pee, and put on a pad with me (or some other nurse) in the room with you.

Most of you first time moms have heard of the mesh panties by now (that you wear immediately postpartum). Well I had this little joke I would always say to lighten the mood with anxious moms. I'd help them put the panties on and say, "This is victoria's real Secret".

As a side note, I bought Depends and wore those after the mesh panties got gross. To me they were tighter and I liked getting a new clean pair everytime. Highly recommend it.

No real point to this post, just thought someone would enjoy it.

triagain2 · April 2012

That's funny you don't remember. I've worked in 3 different hospitals and typical policy is a nurse helps mom up the first time for sure. After that, if mom is stable and did fine, she is fine to get up with a family member. Only real reason for this is for fainting. I cannot tell you the number of moms I have caught in the midst of fainting, including once when I was 35 weeks pregnant with my son!

Occasionally, a mom would just get up on her own when no one was in the room but they were always instructed to wait for a nurse. (I was one of those bad patients, but my husband is a physician so we felt okay doing it alone).

As a side note, there are a proportion of people, who, when they faint, look and behave like they are seizing. It's super scary the first time you see it.

bsschroeder · April 2012

wait--what!? mesh panties? ftm & im heard nothing about L&D... what other mortifying things will be happening before/during/after delivery? please enlighten me.. : / now im nervous! lol

triagain2 · April 2012

bsschroeder:
wait--what!? mesh panties? ftm & im heard nothing about L&D... what other mortifying things will be happening before/during/after delivery? please enlighten me.. : / now im nervous! lol

Don't worry!! I think that the first trip to the bathroom is a little awkward only because you are trying to regain some modesty after having been spread eagle for a while. It's not a huge deal but its probably the only time you are in a bathroom with (essentially) a stranger who is watching you. We show you all the meds for your bottom, how to use the peri bottle (just an awesome squirt bottle to help clean your bottom without wiping), sitz bath, and help get your mesh panties on. Mesh panties are just really cheap, disposable panties that hospitals give out for postpartum women. Every hospital I worked at gave you 2 pair (for about 70 bucks, cough cough) and if they got gross you would just resort to your own underwear.

Most women are terrified to touch themselves or hurt their stitches. I'd done my job for 5 years when I had my son and I was grossed out my by own crotch .

In the next 2 postpartum days, most postpartum nurses try to give you some privacy, they will ask about your bottom, but not look at it every time they assess you. If you have any issues, I recommend you ask them to look because sometimes they are just trying to give you independence.

The other thing most FTM's are not aware of is fundal massage. This is when a nurse or doctor massages your uterus through your abdomen (so basically presses down and massages over your belly button). It hurts because it causes your uterus to contract. It is a necessary intervention every 15 minutes (at least) the first hour to make sure your uterus is staying toned and not bleeding internally. Basically uterine atony means you are hemorraging without really knowing it, your uterus can fill up with blood the size of an 8 lb baby. You would be bleeding from the placenta site (where it detached).

Postpartum hemorrages are not uncommon so monitoring your bleeding, especially initially is important.

GL!

morgs8384 · April 2012

Ugh.

I had a bad after delivery experience. I was cathe'd since I had an epidural and had a full bladder at the end of my labor ( into pushing and delivery). I had such horrible pain from having to pee that I was doubled over in pain. My labor nurse ( whom I loved) helped me into the bathroom and tried to get me to pee ( which I couldn't) and was re-cathe'd to get all the urine out. It was so weird not being able to push out my own pee, but pushing out a baby. Two days later, worst UTI I ever had. That was a total ramble... but that was my awkward after delivery story Stick out tongue

Loved my labor nurse though. She was so nice and helpful. It was the postpartum nurses that I wasn't a fan of.

quezzo · April 2012

The mesh panties are awesome as well as the little bottle they give you to wash yourself off. Just don't put hot water in that thing!

triagain2 · April 2012

morgs8384:

Ugh.

I had a bad after delivery experience. I was cathe'd since I had an epidural and had a full bladder at the end of my labor ( into pushing and delivery). I had such horrible pain from having to pee that I was doubled over in pain. My labor nurse ( whom I loved) helped me into the bathroom and tried to get me to pee ( which I couldn't) and was re-cathe'd to get all the urine out. It was so weird not being able to push out my own pee, but pushing out a baby. Two days later, worst UTI I ever had. That was a total ramble... but that was my awkward after delivery story

Loved my labor nurse though. She was so nice and helpful. It was the postpartum nurses that I wasn't a fan of.

Yeah your situation is not that uncommon. Just depends on how your epidural effects you. Unfortunately a full bladder increases bleeding by preventing the uterus from completely clamping down as it should.

As for postpartum nurses, I agree some are terrible, but so are some labor nurses. A lot postpartum nurses are older (some are former labor nurses who got too tired to continue). I've done both, I much prefer labor.

There are some really burnt out labor nurses who can make your labor experience miserable. If you (or anyone you know) gets a bad nurse, or a nurse with a bad attitude, I would ask to speak to the charge nurse immediately and ask for an assignment change to get another nurse. There is no reason to have a bad experience because of a mean, know-it-all nurse.

Just my 2 cents

PNWmommy · April 2012

I still have a pair that they sent home with me when I had DD.

I was shocked when the nurse helped me to the bathroom & showed me how to "dress my pad" with all those creams & sprays, etc. Then she asked me if I wanted her to rinse me with the peri bottle as I went to the bathroom... I was like "ummm sure?" lol. It felt amazing. She even offered to do it for me the next time

She was also the same nurse, though, that at this point, I trusted. She said if I wanted to shower, she would watch my baby for me (DH was out to sea on a submarine when DD was born & I was there alone at night). I got out of the shower to a screaming newborn. She was nowhere to be found & just let my brand new baby scream for someone... Ugh I was SO pissed. I ran out there butt naked & grabbed my baby from her bassinet thingy... SMH at that lady.

I took everything possible with me when we left the hospital. Even chucks pads. They work awesome on the changing pad, since newborns spray liquid poop Basically they're disposable changing pad covers in this case, or you can lay them on your bed for refluxy co sleeping babies, or you can put them under your asss lol

SpruceGrouse · April 2012

I'm not worried about modesty. After my stroke I couldn't walk and had to have nurses shower me and help me to the bathroom. I cried through that first shower though.

I like the idea of Depends, I don't think I will care much and it might make me feel more protected.

I just want to add that I really admire nurses with all that they do, they were so helpful to me during my time in hospital and they work so hard.

adrianLO · April 2012

I almost forgot about the whole process of the bathroom after delivery! The squirt bottle, the witch hazel, being so sore etc. I had a cath in for a day after delivery. I'll never forget DH helping me with everything. That's something they don't tell you on "A Baby Story" or any of those shows.

garciasgal · April 2012

This is all the fun stuff us FTMs want/need to know about. Thanks for sharing ladies!!

morgs8384 · April 2012

triagain2:
morgs8384:

Ugh.

I had a bad after delivery experience. I was cathe'd since I had an epidural and had a full bladder at the end of my labor ( into pushing and delivery). I had such horrible pain from having to pee that I was doubled over in pain. My labor nurse ( whom I loved) helped me into the bathroom and tried to get me to pee ( which I couldn't) and was re-cathe'd to get all the urine out. It was so weird not being able to push out my own pee, but pushing out a baby. Two days later, worst UTI I ever had. That was a total ramble... but that was my awkward after delivery story

Loved my labor nurse though. She was so nice and helpful. It was the postpartum nurses that I wasn't a fan of.

Yeah your situation is not that uncommon. Just depends on how your epidural effects you. Unfortunately a full bladder increases bleeding by preventing the uterus from completely clamping down as it should.

As for postpartum nurses, I agree some are terrible, but so are some labor nurses. A lot postpartum nurses are older (some are former labor nurses who got too tired to continue). I've done both, I much prefer labor.

There are some really burnt out labor nurses who can make your labor experience miserable. If you (or anyone you know) gets a bad nurse, or a nurse with a bad attitude, I would ask to speak to the charge nurse immediately and ask for an assignment change to get another nurse. There is no reason to have a bad experience because of a mean, know-it-all nurse.

Just my 2 cents

This is all good to know! I kind of figured it was common, I mean when the baby is ready to come out it would be kind of hard to be like "Okay, hold on baby. We got to empty the bladder first. STAY PUT!".

And it's nice to know you can request a change of nurse. All of my PP nurses were VERY young, and just didn't seem to care about how I was doing. I even asked one of them " is it normal to feel like you have to pee every 5 minutes and for it to hurt". And she said yes Indifferent . Which maybe it is, but I would have tested for a UTI I think at that point.