Afterbirth, STM advice

Re: Afterbirth, STM advice

• WDDCH member

  August 2015

  I think you'll get a variety of responses. A mom who tore may have a more uncomfortable recovery than a mom who didn't, for example.
  
  Comparing my med-free births to my epidural ones I can honestly say, hands down, quicker and easier recovery with med-free. I didn't even have an IV for the med-free births, much less a needle in my spinal column.
  
  You do feel shaky on your legs for a bit after the birth and you definitely need to rest (there's a placenta sized wound left on your uterine wall after placenta detaches!). Birth is quite a physical feat. Your insides feel all squishy and loose, like you no longer have a core. Your hips feel loose and whatnot but still easier to move about if you didn't get numbed for birth.
  
  I take 4000mg of alfalfa a day now (I'm full term) and I have a tincture called AfterEase. Both of these I used my last birth and it was, by far, my least painful recovery and the bleeding stopped sooner. That was my fifth birth so I was expecting it to be much worse because the more babies you have, the more intense and painful the PP cramps.

  

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• momofsweetps member

  August 2015

  I agree with pp 100%. My drug free births were a better recovery than my two epidural births. It took me awhile to recover with my #5, even though it was med free, but I think my age and her flipping from head down to transverse to breech to head down again while in labor did that to me.

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• ForeverEverAfter member

  August 2015

  I had a natural birth with 2nd degree tears. I was uncomfortable, but nothing unmanageable (I felt much better than I did pregnant). I was cooking and doing laundry as soon as I got home. I only noticed cramping the first couple days. If I was standing too long or being active, I had a lot of pressure at the stitches, and my lochia would go back to red again. I think the lochia finished around 6 weeks pp, and I was cleared for all activities then.

  

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• meggipi5 member

  August 2015

  Cramping was maybe a few days? I had partial 3rd degree tears and stitches. That took maybe 2 weeks to feel better? I took the big meds for 2 days, then the fancy high dose tylenol stuff for a week and sat on an air pillow when nursing. The bleeding finished 3-4 weeks after and by 6 weeks everything was gravy (but it took awhile for sex to feel ok). I took it pretty easy until that 6 week mark. I did walk a little, first just to the mailbox down the street, then around the block, then to my friend's a few blocks away. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• kanga915 member

  August 2015

  I went med-free and felt great afterwards. Lots of energy after a little bit of sleep. I went home three hours after delivery and climbed two sets of stairs to my bedroom no problem. Took a shower. It was fine. I had a small tear with a few stitches but it wasn't very noticeable at all. The most painful thing for me was nursing (we had issues!).

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• jabeauty90 member

  August 2015 edited August 2015

  With my first I was in horrid pain because I had 21 stitches
  It all depends on the pregnancy.

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• suryababies member

  August 2015

  With my first baby (natural drug-free home birth) I had almost no noticeable after pains. I had no tearing or stitches (maybe due to teaching yoga my entire pregnancy, good nutrition and perineal massage?) but my whole bottom area was pretty sore anyway for about a week or 10 days. When I had to sit upright during those early days, I sat on a boppy nursing pillow so my lady parts would not have pressure on them. Daughter #1 was 8 pounds 12 ounces so I'm sure that had something to do with my prolonged soreness. In subsequent births I learned that ice pack maxi pads are wonderful, chilled after birth herbal sitz bath in a peri bottle while on the toilet is amazing, and for after birth cramping After Ease herbal tincture is divine. Also super awesome: arnica gel rub for the sore muscles in my shoulders and arms, legs and back (giving birth naturally is a whole body workout!) and Rescue Remedy spray for balancing out all the feelings!
  
  Each post-partum experience is so different due to so many factors. But hopefully we all get to slow way down, be gentle with ourselves and take good care, so we can enjoy the sweet little newness of our babies.

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