Lightning crotch and other things I should know about pregnancy

on_the_move · July 2014

Ditto all of these and with the first poop make sure you get some stool softeners. This isn't a symptom, but before my first birth I would have never guessed I would want a mirror to watch the birth, but I was so happy to get to see our second being born and I'm totally doing it this time!

michelle142 · July 2014

bhjones1980 said:

Irishcurls said:

Guys. Sorry. I've seen this too many times. I need details. WHY is first post-birth poop bad? The whole area is just a mess? Or the actual poo is a mess? Or....just give it to me straight.

I think birth (or maybe for me the Epidural) slows down your digestive system so you are super constipated, combined with a VERY sore nether region with possible stitches, swelling, etc.

it is just a BAD combo

I was legit crying

I had the opposite problem.. just sayin'..

It couldn't escape my bowels fast enough.

ETA: My whole labor was less than 2 hours start to finish though, so maybe that had something to do with it.

mandamoochie · July 2014

Seriously TAKE EVEYTHING THE HOSPITAL will let you you leave with. Squeezy bottle, mesh undies, giant pads and ice packs are a must. And yeah ditto to who ever said peeing after birth hurts. BADLY.

mandamoochie · July 2014

Oh! And I did completely forget about them squishing your belly every couple of hours. That wasnt fun.

And thats how much you forget tho... my sons first bday is tomorrow. So literally I was doing all this for the first time exactly a year ago and I forgot half of it lol

mandamoochie · July 2014

I still use my snappies lol I dont even know where I got them.. not the hospital lol

chicagojackie · July 2014

The first few stools are terrible especially if you got a hemorrhoid in delivery. If your baby goes to the nicu you will cry every time someone comes to see you two because you don't have the baby to show them. Send dh for food when you're in labor so you have something good later on. Lightening crotch/vag is real and will not kill you but is scary the first few times. Braxton hicks contractions are painful but not productive. You'll have to stand in the mirror to shave yourself because you don't be able to see around the bump after a certain point.

Jay_Cee · July 2014

chicagojackie said:
You'll have to stand in the mirror to shave yourself because you don't be able to see around the bump after a certain point.

Ha! After cutting myself down there once trying to shave in the mirror, I said "fuck it!" and went au naturale. I sported the 70s bush until my 6w post partum appointment and figured I should clean things up.

krispy83 · July 2014

Irishcurls said:

Guys. Sorry. I've seen this too many times. I need details. WHY is first post-birth poop bad? The whole area is just a mess? Or the actual poo is a mess? Or....just give it to me straight.

I know for a lot of people it's very rough. Again, not for everyone. For me it was a little painful as I had stitches, but it really wasn't bad.

Definitely take everything that is not tied down when you're leaving the hospital! DS was early and I played the unprepared card a bit and got extra diapers, pads, mesh underwear, etc. Also, ask for extra peri bottles. You will want one in each bathroom in your house - you don't want to be in one bathroom and realize the bottle is in the other one.

Missmel918 · July 2014

ChickenOnSunday said:
The memories are flooding back -

getting an epidural hurt like a bitch and nearly caused me to throw up. It was like I got electrocuted when the needle went in my back.

I'm not sure if all this knowledge is good for FTM's.

Lol knowledge is not always fun. But we just have to remember not everyone through the same things and hopefully we won't experience every single thing listed. I knew about lightening crotch from friends pregnancy last year. I have say I was/am not looking forward to that.

MaddScientist · July 2014

ChickenOnSunday said:

The memories are flooding back -

getting an epidural hurt like a bitch and nearly caused me to throw up. It was like I got electrocuted when the needle went in my back.

I'm not sure if all this knowledge is good for FTM's.

Y'all can say all the scary things you want. I know I am a special snowflake and with have a picture perfect ,easy, non-painful delivery + post-delivery

I am immune to all these things.

selly08 · July 2014

I am "literally" having a "stroke" right now!!

FlowerPower16 · July 2014

- Hemorrhoids happen and can be very painful/uncomfortable.

- Using the spray bottle with warm water when going to the bathroom after giving birth is amazing.

- Pooping while pushing happens and seriously you don't give a shit at that point.

- I thought it hurt like a mother when they pressed on my stomach afterwards.

- The mesh underwear is awesome. I had no idea how much you bled after giving birth and was so glad that I had a couple pairs to take home with me.

- I wore a panty liner for the entire 3rd trimester with my first and pretty much my entire pregnancy with my son. Leaking happens, peeing a little when you cough and sneeze also happens.

- I had a forceps delivery with our daughter and full out peed myself when I stood up multiple times postpartum. Do your kegels!

I'm sure I'll think of more.

Missmel918 · July 2014

FlowerPower16 said:
- Pooping while pushing happens and seriously you don't give a shit at that point.

No pun intended lol

lynnlynn21 · July 2014

Fa-reaking out right now.

jaytee16 · July 2014

michelle142 · July 2014

Seriously though, it's not that bad

jaytee16 · July 2014

michelle142 said:

Seriously though, it's not that bad

Can you say that again? And maybe once more after that??

Ducktale · July 2014

Maybe we should start a new thread where you all tell us again why this is all actually worth it.

mahalo3 · July 2014

I change my mind about having a baby. I change my mind. I am never giving birth!

P.S. I am already making a list for the hospital bag.

krispy83 · July 2014

CrazyCornball said:

Ducktale said:

Maybe we should start a new thread where you all tell us again why this is all actually worth it.

Baby kisses
Baby hugs
Baby giggles
Baby snuggles

My DD has been singing ring around the rosy lately. Now, whenever she sees a pocket, she asks me about pockets full of posies?

Only it sounds like pockets full of pussies. Toddler words are pure gold sometimes.

Truth. Yesterday DS started saying he was going to damage something. Except the first several times he said it, DH and I panicked because it sounded like he was saying "damn it".

AF9211 · July 2014

The only really bad experience that left an impression on me was my first postpartum bowel movement. I didn't go for an entire week after coming home from the hospital because I never felt the urge. I also didn't listen to my doc and wasn't taking Miralax. Stool softeners did NOTHING for me. When I finally felt like I had to go (after almost a week and a half of built up food), it took 3 days to all come out because of how *TMI* impacted it was. And all 3 days felt like I was birthing an elephant. Needless to say, I will be taking Miralax before I go to the hospital to deliver, while I'm there and when I get home. But don't let this scare you...my SIL gave birth (vaginally...I was a c-section) 3 months after me and went while she was still in the hospital with no problems or pain!

cinnamonsugar · July 2014

Mesh undies are also great for C sections because, trust me, you don't want ANYTHING touching your lower abdomen, including your underwear, or those damn devils spawn (hiperbole) nurses who come in and squeeze the living daylights out of your uterus after delivery. They say they're helping, but it sure doesn't feel like that at the time.

Nlavender13 · July 2014

Ya the privacy is out the window! Every hour i had someone comming in to stick their hand up my yahoo, way farther then I thought was possible, to check on things. ....... Someone has to hold each leg for you with an epidural cuz you cant move your own legs.........my DS had the hiccups and was head down the whole time, so I had constant hiccups in my vag for months........and the last thing that tottaly freaked me out, you can rip from one hole to the other!!!! And sometimes they just cut it so it does not have to rip the whole way........... Also if you have a c-section they take out your organs and put them on your chest to get to the baby, then they just stuff them back in to find their way back to normal on their own sweet time.

Chcaggie1 · July 2014

oh dear. I maybe should not have read this thread! yikes.

Nlavender13 · July 2014

Also my feet went from a size 8.5 to a 10!!!!!!! I had to sell over 100 pairs of shoes! Pregnancy brain does not go away for a long time.

weansworld09 · July 2014

Nlavender13 said:

Ya the privacy is out the window! Every hour i had someone comming in to stick their hand up my yahoo, way farther then I thought was possible, to check on things. ....... Someone has to hold each leg for you with an epidural cuz you cant move your own legs.........my DS had the hiccups and was head down the whole time, so I had constant hiccups in my vag for months........and the last thing that tottaly freaked me out, you can rip from one hole to the other!!!! And sometimes they just cut it so it does not have to rip the whole way........... Also if you have a c-section they take out your organs and put them on your chest to get to the baby, then they just stuff them back in to find their way back to normal on their own sweet time.

this is horrifying...

lilybug319 · July 2014

Braxton hicks contractions were more uncomfortable than lightening crotch for me. My daughter would always stick to one side of my body so that when I got the contractions (always while I was out of the house) my stomach got hard and lopsided and it would hurt so bad I'd have to just sit for a second.

Peeing and showering after birth were almost as painful as labor itself.

I gave birth at a teaching hospital and would highly recommend not accepting the epidural from anyone if they aren't properly trained. They poked my back about 6 times trying to numb my back before I screamed that I wanted a real anesthesiologist. Now that I'm reading this thread I feel crazy for having another baby!

AF9211 · July 2014

weansworld09 said:

Nlavender13 said:

Ya the privacy is out the window! Every hour i had someone comming in to stick their hand up my yahoo, way farther then I thought was possible, to check on things. ....... Someone has to hold each leg for you with an epidural cuz you cant move your own legs.........my DS had the hiccups and was head down the whole time, so I had constant hiccups in my vag for months........and the last thing that tottaly freaked me out, you can rip from one hole to the other!!!! And sometimes they just cut it so it does not have to rip the whole way........... Also if you have a c-section they take out your organs and put them on your chest to get to the baby, then they just stuff them back in to find their way back to normal on their own sweet time.

this is horrifying...

This does sound horrifying, but this was not my experience. My chest was behind the curtain with my arms, so the only thing put on my chest was my baby after they cleaned her up.

kimb311 · July 2014

Kristi&Chad2010 said:
-
-I didn't get too much swelling in the 3rd tri, but after.... My feet swelled to at least twice their size. I felt like they were going to pop if I stepped on something or if someone stepped on one. I could also push on them and it would leave a dent... very weird but normal.

-The pooping after is also just scary, cause everything down there feels like it's going to fall out anyways, so if you push it seems like it might actually happen!

1,000,000 x 1,000,000 worth every bit

I was going to say the swelling in my legs when I got home from the hospital.

And seriously, I think I had PTSD about pooping for 2 weeks after. It's the same pushing and I would start shaking and whimpering in the bathroom. And I'm usually a tough, just rub dirt on it kinda girl.
@-)
Also I threw up when I transitioned into active labor. Wasn't ready for that one.

And this is way TMI but a few weeks later when I got the nerve to look down there ( it just wasn't feeling right) I about passed out. Turns out I had prolapsed my bladder and to a smaller degree my colon. Still bothers me now 3 yrs later. Good times

cinnamonsugar · July 2014

I will add that is normal to vomit a little during a c/s. Perfectly normal and almost expected. They're doing a lot down there and things get moved. I never saw anything but my hubby, the anesthesiologist who was very attentive, and the blue sheet divider. Very clean and non gross for me... aside from the small barf.

Ducktale · July 2014

I googled lightning crotch and got this fun article: https://pregnant.thebump.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-symptoms/articles/things-no-one-warned-you-about-pregnancy.aspx

Mrsgclark81 · July 2014

I didn't read the other thread about the lighting crutch so I don't know it this is what others have been referring to or not.

I never knew that the baby could kick/punch you in the vag!

I swear it felt like someone kicked me in the vagina from the inside out. When I told my doctor she said it was impossible..... I know what I felt and it hurt like a son of a gun !

AF9211 · July 2014

Another thing that always annoyed me during those last few weeks of pregnancy...why is there no better way to take urine samples?! I think I got more pee on my hands/arm from reaching around my big belly than I did in the actual pee cup.

mandamoochie · July 2014

Omg.. I forgot.. I did NOT have swelling at all before I gave birth... but when I got home I had cankles the size of texas for AN ENTIRE MONTH. Would not go away.

camilu87 · July 2014

This FTM only made it through page one...too much info now. Don't even want to think about this stuff anymore until it starts happening...even then...

jaztastic · July 2014

Dear lord a prolapsed bladder??!! Okay, I think adoption sounds real nice.

thegoodpotato · July 2014

It really all depends on the birth. I had one terrible one and one great one.

With my first I had it all. They spent 45 minutes repairing everything down there, I hemorrhaged, I lost so much blood I could barely walk a few metres without resting. After all that damage, do you think they'd give me the good painkillers?!?? I called the nurse and she comes sauntering in with some Advil. Advil?!?? I'm dying! Advil!!?

Although to be honest, this is how I discovered you could take Advil and Tylenol simultaneously. The two together actually work really well. But I was disappointed I didn't get anything stronger.

With my second, I had no damage. I was up and walking within a half hour. The only thing was that I had to be catheterized afterward because I couldn't pee. And that made peeing burn for the next few days.

I felt pretty good afterward, and even went to the beach when Amanda was three or four days old.

It all depends on the delivery. It can sometimes be really easy, too!

Sarmouse · July 2014

Pretty much everything has been said but the one thing I wasn't prepared for was passing clots with the postpartum bleeding. I thought it would just be like normal period bleeding but heavier. For me I was passing rather large size clots for a few days and it freaked me out! I didn't have much trouble with the first post partum poop but I was on a prescription stool softener because of my lovely 3rd episiotomy/tear

SallyAnneS · July 2014

Here is a happy thing about giving birth.... I have never felt so skinny as i did the week after giving birth. Suddenly you lose this huge hard belly and can see you feet again.

Looking back at pictures I still looked 5 months pregnant though. Which is something else people don't really tell you. It takes awhile for your stomach to shrink and it never is exactly the same again.

tlc4mama · July 2014

During the course of my four pregnancies, I think I've experienced every one of these, each to varying degrees. I can honestly say that the worst part (for me) of it all is if you end up with a hemorrhoid, the pain really doesn't hit you until days later at home. I laid in the bed, crying and shaking uncontrollably from the pain. If you end up with one, please be proactive about treating it. Don't ignore it in the hopes that it will just disappear.

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