Lightning crotch and other things I should know about pregnancy

snooks721 · July 2014

I shouldn't have come in here...

NADumont613 · July 2014

This post is making everything come back to me from pregnancy #1! Isn't it crazy how so much of this is forgotten once your baby is a couple months old (okay, maybe not forgotten...but out of mind enough that we're all crazy enough to do this again!!).

I second much of what everyone has said above (bleeding, lightening crotch, lack of sleep in 3rd trimester, etc.). But for me, the biggest wakeup call during the whole process was the post-partum hormones (aka baby blues). For a good two weeks or so, I didn't feel like myself AT ALL and was very depressed. TALK TO YOUR SO, FRIEND, FAMILY, etc. if you struggle with this! And I promise you will feel like yourself again. For me, much of my baby blues was caused by my stress and ultimately inability to breastfeed. I felt SO much guilt to the point I wasn't eating and was crying all the time. But once I decided to give myself a little grace and formula feed, I felt like a new person.

marionthelibrarian · July 2014

dreemkin84 said:

Peeing after birth burns like a mother.
I second PPs: stock up on the spray, tucks pads, and big ass pads after birth. and I loved the warm water in the bottle to spray on/up there.
I never looked down there afterward until I felt like I was healed and I'm glad I didn't!!

All of this.

Also I recommend stool softeners (made the first time and every time after much less worse than anticipated!) and also I took the egg crate the hospital gave me to sit on. I even took it in the car. Made it much easier to sit without tons of pain.

There was something else I was going to say but I literally forgot it while typing (I'm losing my mind! Ha!).

Mego04 · July 2014

FlowerPower16 said:
- 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.

I think we need someone to post an hourly "do 20 kegals now" post lol!

AF9211 · July 2014

miniwheat10 said:

Oh man... I forgot about most of these great things...

I had a c-section and the worst part was getting up. Like just sitting or standing up hurts like hell for like the first 3 weeks. I was scared to cough or sneeze for a month. Holding a big pillow across your belly is a huge help.

When I stood up for the first time after my surgery the remaining contents of my uterus, left my uterus right in front of a room full of nurses and DH. DH is still trying to un-see that.

2 nurses gave me a shower and watched me pee. I was so out of it I thought one was my mom. Nope, not my mom...

A handy replacement for the mesh underpants are depends.

You should be allowed to get an epidural for your first postpartum poop.

But seriously, you won't remember these less exciting parts. Its nature. The new baby smell erases your less than kodak moments with cute baby squeaks and coos.

)

Mego04 · July 2014

AjF9211 said:

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.

Actually they pull the baby out through the hole they made then pull out your uterus and plop it on your belly to sew it up and then stuff it back in. No other organs actually leave the body though I am sure that is what it seems like.

mahalo3 · July 2014

My husband is begging me to stop reading this.

Paleomama · July 2014

After giving birth I just felt gross. I was so swollen. The pad they gave me made me feel like I was wearing depends. My boobs were so awkwardly big and after they stitched me up every time I laughed I thought I was going to split open from my v to my a. Yuck!!!

Angeldcf · July 2014

I tore down.... and up (yes, tore vagina to clitoris).

As soon as you fall asleep, post-partum nurses will arrive to do fundal massage (helps you not die from hemorrhage but hurts like a mother), check your mesh panties and check for hemorrhoids.

Percocet is awesome, but be sure another adult is in the room to hold baby. I told DH to take baby quickly, because I was actually floating 6 inches off the ground.

My first PP poop wasn't that bad bc I religiously took stool softeners. After a month, I realized nobody told me to stop taking them.... oops.

I still shaved at 40wks pg. It probably looked like a toddler attempted this as my nurse gave me a smile and held back laughter while inserting my Foley.

Stock up on pads. We're talking the massive, bulky ones you mistakenly wore at 12yo.

Be careful being in public and hearing a baby cry. Your boobs may leak in the Target checkout line.

The first few seconds of BF (let down) feels like pin-pricks on your tits, but then it feels like you took a bunch of Vicodin with Xanax (yea Oxytocin!).

"Milk Drunk" babies are so fun

selly08 · July 2014

Please please have another thread where you all can explain us why are you all going through this all over again !! WHY?

salbabe79 · July 2014

for me i was so swollen from pushing (nurses brought in other nurses to see just how swollen i was) that pooping hurt because all my parts down there were bumping into each other!! it took a while to feel normal down there and a long time for it not to hurt at all. hoping for an easier time this time!!

bhjones1980 · July 2014

selly08 said:

Please please have another thread where you all can explain us why are you all going through this all over again !! WHY?

Now that I am starting to remember I am considering changing my mind....

kidding, it is all worth it in the end!

smg2302 · July 2014

I don't think this one has been mentioned:

When you start nursing, your body releases a hormone that shrinks the uterus. I remember being scared shitless holding a floppy-necked newborn like a football, being scared of doubling over in pain because all the pain meds had worn off from delivery, and I was still contracting.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

The user and all related content has been deleted.

House2Fuentes · July 2014

I have heard laxatives right away!!

House2Fuentes · July 2014

My allergies are the worst!! I haven't been this bad in a LONG time!!!

tlc4mama · July 2014

NADumont613 said:
This post is making everything come back to me from pregnancy #1! Isn't it crazy how so much of this is forgotten once your baby is a couple months old (okay, maybe not forgotten...but out of mind enough that we're all crazy enough to do this again!!).

I second much of what everyone has said above (bleeding, lightening crotch, lack of sleep in 3rd trimester, etc.). But for me, the biggest wakeup call during the whole process was the post-partum hormones (aka baby blues). For a good two weeks or so, I didn't feel like myself AT ALL and was very depressed. TALK TO YOUR SO, FRIEND, FAMILY, etc. if you struggle with this! And I promise you will feel like yourself again. For me, much of my baby blues was caused by my stress and ultimately inability to breastfeed. I felt SO much guilt to the point I wasn't eating and was crying all the time. But once I decided to give myself a little grace and formula feed, I felt like a new person.

I went through that EXACTLY with my first. It sucked.

WanderingA · July 2014

I was going to mention contracting while breastfeeding too! I dreaded breastfeeding those dirt few days because it was like a contraction every time. Now that I'm breastfeeding and pregnant I am cramping every time she latches on!

Birth was messy and not that fun but I seriously blacked out for most of it and would do it again in a minute. When it's time to push you definitely feel like you're pooping yourself, and you probably are. If you're going natural (or planning on it) anticipate not having much control over pushing. I went from crying to roaring and not being able to talk in about 2 minutes and pushed my baby out in 10 minutes. It still amazed me seeing birth stories where he mother is told when to push and when to stop because I seriously had no control at that point!

Oh, and the one thing that stood out to me during my labor was my midwife saying "contractions are waves, let go and ride on top of them" - this will totally make sense when you're there!

mishka29 · July 2014

My first pp poop was totally fine. It was the second and third that hurt like crazy. For me it was more the intense pressure. Midwife said I didn't need anything just keep eating and drinking like normal.

I second the comment about bringing the nipple cream to the hospital...use it! No body told me that breastfeeding hurts. For me the nipple pain was worse than labour, and I had a drug free birth. Like toe curling pain! But after a week it got better and then no issues at all.

For Canadians...there's no free stuff in the room. I wasn't even able to get a 2nd giant pad. But you wont care about this when people here start talking about what they have to pay out of pocket for their hospital visit/stay.

AF9211 · July 2014

Another gross and embarrassing thing that sticks out about my last pregnancy was how much I leaked during my late 2nd-3rd tri! It wasn't pee or fluid, just clear discharge, but GOOD LORD! I literally soaked my underwear every day. Jenny McCarthy has a chapter in her book Belly Laughs called "Niagara In My Pants." Spot on! $:\$ ">

mahalo3 · July 2014

@Angeldcf‌ how long before you gave birth did you start taking the stool softners? Is 9 weeks pregnant too early?

Angeldcf · July 2014

I've been taking otc Colace MWF with my PNVs since wk 6

I'll cut back, but I didn't even start until after I gave birth. Took them daily which helped.

mommaa1615 · July 2014

I should not be reading this at almost 4am..ahh

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