For stm who had a vaginal birth- how long was recovery? how long was sitting painful? I am in a wedding 1 week after my due date and I want to be prepared for how horrible it may be. After reading all the horrors of vaginal birth, my c-section recovery seems like nothing (although I've been told by many that csection was worse).
Mine was actually a lot easier than my first delivery. I had stitches both times, but maybe my body was like "oh, I have done this before. I'm good". I would be more worried about being out and about without passing out into a deep sleep that early in the game lol.
For stm who had a vaginal birth- how long was recovery? how long was sitting painful? I am in a wedding 1 week after my due date and I want to be prepared for how horrible it may be. After reading all the horrors of vaginal birth, my c-section recovery seems like nothing (although I've been told by many that csection was worse).
As others have said, it really depends. With DS1 I had two second-degree tears. It was weeks before I could sit comfortably. With DS2 I didn't tear and I was up and running around the next day as if I hadn't even given birth. I'd be more worried about fitting postpartum boobs into a bridesmaid dress and leaking everywhere! LOL
@AliKay20 Could it be that she just prefers the positioning? Maybe try the same position/direction with the boob she seems to prefer less. This trick was mentioned by a lactation consultant.
@tisunge602, @Curls919, @PeachGal23, @jamiesc58, @bananers - thank you all for sharing experiences! I'm trying to prepare in case I end up with a Vbac which now seems so much scarier than another c-section. Luckily, the dress is stretchy and I never had the engorged, leaky boobs that everyone else seems to get. Although, maybe I won't be so lucky since I'm still nursing. Thanks again!
I have days when I think, "oh finally, I'm done bleeding!" Then there are days like today when I think, "it's back?!"
I know it depends on the individual but I'm hoping this ends in the next week or two.
Also, what's the usual lag time between the end to this bleeding vs. your regular aunt flow coming back?! Does breastfeeding change up the cycle at all?
@AliKay20 It depends on the person. Mine came back when DD was 5 months old, but my supply had dropped due to not pumping enough at work and by 6 months I had quit breastfeeding for multiple reasons (and had just gotten pregnant with this peanut ). My mom and uncle are actually 16 months apart because my grandma thought she couldn't get pregnant again while breastfeeding. However, I've also heard of breastfeeding delaying af for a year or so.
@AliKay20 - it's different for everyone. I EBF DS1 and AF returned when he was 9 months old. By that time he was eating more solids so I was nursing less. Nursing delays ovulation, which in turn delays AF. Problem is, you ovulate two weeks before AF shows, which is how some people end up accidentally pregnant if they try using BFing as birth control. You don't get any warning before that first ovulation!
@AliKay20 just to add some voice to the other end of the spectrum. DS was ebf and I didn't get my first pp period until he was 14 months. At that point he was only nursing twice a day and drinking cows milk the rest of the time.
@AliKay20 - I guess I was one of the lucky ones that didn't get it back until dd was almost 1.5 years. I went over two years without one between pregnancy, ebf-ing, and it deciding not to return.
Thanks for all the input ladies! I suppose my AF will come when it wants to but it's good to know what others have experienced to get some different perspectives and potential possibilities.
@Hannah0726 i realize I'm a little late to the party but Ive had an episitomy and torn naturally. The natural tear was HORRIBLE.
tmi alert I tore sideways naturally and it ended up not healing correctly. The episitomy healed correctly and barely hurt. I wish my doctor had given me an episiotomy the second time rather than letting me tear naturally.
Also i would add to the thread:
TAKE YOUR STOOL SOFTENERS pp
You may wake up totally covered in sweat. This usually happens to me a few times pp. I think it is because it's your body's way of naturally getting rid of some of the fluid from pregnancy.
Clogged ducts are also really common pp and they will make you shake like the dickens and maybe run a fever.
@AliKay20 Just to chime in! I didn't get mine until 18m post partum. I ebf my DD and she wasn't big on solid foods for a long time. I was on the mini pill until she was about 28 months at which time she had weened herself.
Apparently the amt of what I usually pump is not the same as when baby actually nurses directly! Maybe some of you knew this already but it was def. reassuring.
@Stephanie7693 I think it's prolactin that does it. Your body releases hormones when you nurse, or even just having a baby on you skin to skin, and it makes you feel sleepy and euphoric. You'll get over it soon. In the meantime, get comfy and make sure you aren't in a position where baby could roll off you and just enjoy the snooze while you can!
@cm716 is right. I thought I'd be good for taking stool softeners for the first week PP and I stopped. Going into week 3 PP, holy cow, I regret not taking them.
Let's just say that peri bottle came into good use today and I refilled it like 7 times. Ahem. I'll start taking my stool softeners regularly now. Lesson learned the hard way!
My doctor said they do not do them (episiotomies) anymore unless it's critical to baby's/moms health to get the baby out. She said new studies have shown its not medically worth it to do it. In a FTM and gave birth Friday, I had a very small tear and just needed one stitch.
I need nursing bras bad! Can anyone recommend a good supportive bra? I'm currently a 42ddd or 42e. I thought I could just wear my bras from when I had DD but apparently the girls are significantly bigger this time around!
@AmandaG225 I was going to suggest Soma... But when I looked up the nursing bra I fell in love with it doesn't come over a DD Sorry! Good luck, it can be so difficult finding larger sizes!
The pp sweat is insane! Between sweating and leaking and bleeding I feel like I need 3 showers a day! I hope Levi and I get more graceful with nursing too... my shirts are always stained with milk now because we're just messy lol. Told my hubby I'm shopping for nursing tops this week
I need nursing bras bad! Can anyone recommend a good supportive bra? I'm currently a 42ddd or 42e. I thought I could just wear my bras from when I had DD but apparently the girls are significantly bigger this time around!
Check out bravado designs for nursing bras in bigger sizes. Band wise they only go to 40, I think but cup wise up to h/i. They have a fitting guide so hopefully something will work. Good, supportive bras.
And I went on an online shopping spree and got a bunch of nursing tops and a hoodie. Over $200! Hope we can manage to nurse long enough to make that a good investment lol.
@sbelle474 I had planned to but Levi seemed to be too squirmy for it right away. I also think the hospital no longer encourages it. They would swaddle him in the nursery if he was sleeping, but they never tried to encourage me to do it, and there was actually shirts and a sleep sack in his bassinet drawer instead of just blankets. We've been using sleep sacks at home too. I would invest in a few different kinds of those and see what you like.
Hi ladies, quick question. Do any of you swaddle your little ones? I had planned to, but am getting conflicting info from friends. Thank you!
We do, but we usually leave their arms out or somewhat out. They like the tight feeling but like to be able to move their arms. When we want an even tighter feeling we use cotton swaddlers I got from Target that velcro.
@sbelle474 We semi swaddle. DS liked it the first few days because of the way he was breeched. I started to notice him squirming and whining when I swaddled him tight and laid him down, it was him trying to get his arms out and legs moving a tad bit. So we use the muslin swaddles he REALLY likes those. They are light weight and he gets some tightness but able to move around as well.
34 Mother of 4 year old and 2 Labs. Happily Married to my Hubs of 6 years.
We love the swaddle me sacks from target. He does manage to squirm his arms out most of the time but he's so tiny I think he likes the warmth otherwise.
@sbelle474 The Happiest Baby on the Block will tell you to absolutely swaddle baby. It makes them feel secure because it mimics the womb. However, every baby is different. My son loved it and we used the Swaddleme velcro sacks for the first 3-4 months. But some babies don't like it and others like their arms free but lower half swaddled. You just have to find what your baby prefers. However, once baby can roll over you are supposed to stop swaddling them.
^this. Happiest baby on the block really worked for us and I loved the SwaddleMe because we were never able to wrap the muslin blankets tight enough. We used them until dd was able to roll, so around 4 months.
We swaddled DS1 and he loved it. Getting a good swaddle got us significantly longer stretches at night. We'll try again with this LO, but I know each baby is different, so if he doesn't seem to take to it, we'll switch to sleep sacks.
These pp hormones are worse than pregnancy right now. I've cried at the end of every criminal minds episode today, and the last few nights I start shaking uncontrollably, absolutely freezing, after being just fine all day. It's all so weird. I don't remember it being so bad with my first two kids.
These pp hormones are worse than pregnancy right now. I've cried at the end of every criminal minds episode today, and the last few nights I start shaking uncontrollably, absolutely freezing, after being just fine all day. It's all so weird. I don't remember it being so bad with my first two kids.
You are so not alone! I'm a FTM so this was very new to me. I kept repeating to myself, "why am I crying when baby A is now home all better?" I got cold and lost my appetite for weeks (just starting to increase my appetite).
What helped me was to get some fresh breath of air - just got outside and enjoyed some company without baby for an hour or two. Whether you are able to go out or not, however, knowing that you have a group of supportive people around you can make a tremendous difference! Please don't hesitate to rant/vent/share these emotions. Maybe we need a mental check check in postpartum thread?!
@AliKay20@Stephanie7693 I am not a person that typically cries, and I have cried every day since we brought baby home. It is typically a fleeting emotion and I am not worried about post-partum depression, but it is disarming.
I also get the shakes and chills when I wake up to nurse at night.
Re: All Things Postpartum!
BFP #2 8/22/12 | EDD 5/5/13 | DS1 born 5/9/13
BFP #3 4/25/15 | EDD 1/7/16 | MMC 7/2/15 @ 13w1d | D&E 7/8/15
BFP #4 12/9/15 | EDD 8/22/16 | DS2 born 5/18/16 at 26w2d
Just keep swimming.
I know it depends on the individual but I'm hoping this ends in the next week or two.
Also, what's the usual lag time between the end to this bleeding vs. your regular aunt flow coming back?! Does breastfeeding change up the cycle at all?
BFP #2 8/22/12 | EDD 5/5/13 | DS1 born 5/9/13
BFP #3 4/25/15 | EDD 1/7/16 | MMC 7/2/15 @ 13w1d | D&E 7/8/15
BFP #4 12/9/15 | EDD 8/22/16 | DS2 born 5/18/16 at 26w2d
Just keep swimming.
tmi alert I tore sideways naturally and it ended up not healing correctly. The episitomy healed correctly and barely hurt. I wish my doctor had given me an episiotomy the second time rather than letting me tear naturally.
Also i would add to the thread:
TAKE YOUR STOOL SOFTENERS pp
You may wake up totally covered in sweat. This usually happens to me a few times pp. I think it is because it's your body's way of naturally getting rid of some of the fluid from pregnancy.
Clogged ducts are also really common pp and they will make you shake like the dickens and maybe run a fever.
Just to chime in! I didn't get mine until 18m post partum. I ebf my DD and she wasn't big on solid foods for a long time. I was on the mini pill until she was about 28 months at which time she had weened herself.
https://kellymom.com/hot-topics/pumping_decrease/
Apparently the amt of what I usually pump is not the same as when baby actually nurses directly! Maybe some of you knew this already but it was def. reassuring.
BFP #2 8/22/12 | EDD 5/5/13 | DS1 born 5/9/13
BFP #3 4/25/15 | EDD 1/7/16 | MMC 7/2/15 @ 13w1d | D&E 7/8/15
BFP #4 12/9/15 | EDD 8/22/16 | DS2 born 5/18/16 at 26w2d
Just keep swimming.
Let's just say that peri bottle came into good use today and I refilled it like 7 times. Ahem. I'll start taking my stool softeners regularly now. Lesson learned the hard way!
Also, as they thaw, do they end up getting whatever you are wearing a mess?
Or I saw spraying Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom spray on pads.
Me (32) DH (34) | |
BFP #1 4/5/12 | Natural m/c on 4/18/12 (6w1d)
BFP #2 8/23/12 | DS born 5/3/13
BFP #3 12/6/15 | DD born 8/23/16
BFP #4 2/22/19 | EDD 10/28/19
@telicious2
now home all better?" I got cold and lost my appetite for weeks (just starting to increase my appetite).
What helped me was to get some fresh breath of air - just got outside and enjoyed some company without baby for an hour or two. Whether you are able to go out or not, however, knowing that you have a group of supportive people around you can make a tremendous difference! Please don't hesitate to rant/vent/share these emotions. Maybe we need a mental check check in postpartum thread?!
I also get the shakes and chills when I wake up to nurse at night.