Postpartum Recovery

lilaros · October 2016

I'd love to hear how everyone is doing recovering from birth. Is there anything special you're doing/did to aid in recovery?

I'm 4 weeks postpartum. I felt fantastic by week 2 and if you had asked, I would have said I was totally recovered. Now at 4 weeks I feel worse than I did 1 week postpartum. I now have sporadic vaginal pain, stinging near my stitches area, I feel an uncomfortable amount of pressure when I walk around, bleeding hasn't stopped yet, and when I cough or sneeze I feel like my uterus is going pop out my vagina. Hopefully this all subsides soon!

jensou · October 2016

I was frustrated with my progress too. Everything seemed to clear up around week 6, just in time for my PP check up. Baby is 8 weeks now and my main symptoms are hemorrhoids (sad face) and loose tummy tone.

I bled for 6 weeks and NP said up to 8 weeks is ok.

I also felt prolapsed but it was just swollen vag tissue, not my uterus falling out! That got better in time.

jln27 · October 2016

3 weeks pp. Had a c section and it's still a bit sensitive but I barely need ibuprofen now. My moods were all out of whack in the hospital and I was put on Zoloft, which I will continue to take because I have a history of anxiety and depression and had a hard time during pregnancy too. These days I'm calm about 90% of the time with only occasional bouts of paranoia or crying. My husband has been an amazing support and his mom has been here helping with the house for about two weeks so that takes a lot of pressure off of me.

Baby Sylvia is doing good too. I constantly worry, but she's growing and strong. Only issue is we have to supplement with formula and she hates it. I think she might have reflux and gas, going to the ped tomorrow to talk about it.

molosmiles · October 2016

Some days I feel great and others it feels like I gave birth yesterday. I'm 2.5 weeks PP. My bleeding is irregular and still clotting occasionally. I feel swollen and uncomfortable of I stand too long, which baby likes us to hold her and walk around at night..not for too long but it's rough on me. The worst is pain in my tailbone, I couldn't feel any of my other PP symptoms because it was so bad. Seemed to go away at week 1 but it's back now just not as strong. I can't sit straight up and it hurts to get up from a sitting position. My doctor said this was normal and will go away. I was just hoping it was all gone but it all seems to come and go. So I guess we are all in that same boat. I hope we all get relief sooner than later!

rock1cherry · October 2016

My recovery has gone very well. I'm still bleeding very very lightly. I do have a tiny bit of pain which I think is from my catheter placement. They had troubles and had to try several times.

otherwise I'm good. I walked for about an hour today with the baby. I have my 4 wk pp appt this Friday so I will see what the doctor has to say!

jensou · October 2016

@molosmiles ow that sounds awful!

Hope everyone heals up soon

lilaros · October 2016

@molosmiles I can't remember, was your baby born sunnyside up? Mine was and the tailbone pain is AWFUL. I woke up crying in the middle of the night a couple days ago because it hurt worse than when I was in the hospital. I took a Norco to take the edge off even though I had been trying to wean myself off the narcotic pain meds. My doctor said the pain can last for a while and recommended I get a coccyx pillow to help relieve pressure. You may want to look into this too.

Kerrib1986 · October 2016

This is why I love this board, I thought it was just me! I'm 3 weeks post op and felt great up until a few days ago. Now every time I twist or bend I feel a lot of pulling and stretching at my incision site. Sucks but glad I'm not alone in this

roadspeckle · October 2016

2.5 weeks post partum here. I'm feeling pretty good most days, have some stitches. Bleeding is sporadic, yesterday none, today it's back and red. Lower back pain. My moods have fluctuated but I was out of Wellbutrin for a week and just getting back on it, and also dealing with my two year old who is adjusting. Sleep deprivation isn't terrible but enough to feel exhausted at least a large part of the day. Does that even make sense?

hejo2016 · October 2016

@molosmiles my tailbone was killing me too! I gave birth standing up, so I thought that probably had something to do with it. It took about 2 wks before it was normal.
I'm 5wks pp, light bleeding off and on. Occasional vag pain where I was stitched, but nothing terrible. One of my nipples was pretty torn up, so that still hurts too. Mainly I'm tired... Really tired.

molosmiles · October 2016

@Laraeq She wasn't Sunnyside up but my doctor said the coccyx was probably moved during my first birth and the second birth pushes it back. I will definitely look into the pillow! This is uncomfortable.

Is anyone getting headaches? This board definitely helps me feel better and not alone in these things!

jenkar01 · October 2016

@molosmiles I got random headaches around 2-4 weeks PP. I had my yearly eye exam and mentioned it to the Dr. My prescription hasn't changed so he said it maybe my hormones balancing themselves out which made sense to me. I'm 6 weeks PP now and don't get them as much now so he may have been right.

chavezrd2 · October 2016

Anyone else getting side eye stare at post partum belly? or being asked when you're due?? Um these folks have seen me my whole pregnancy and saw how big i got... not going to lose that super quick. i thought i looked pretty good but apparently not

jenkar01 · October 2016

@chavezrd2 I haven't had any one comment but I have noticed the side eye glances. But like you said this took 9 months to gain will take that long to go away. Some days I feel good and others I feel like a blob.

molosmiles · October 2016

My sister in law, that was also pregnant (she had her baby today! ) said, "oh, you still have a belly!" While I was in the hospital. This wasn't even her first either. I laughed and said it doesn't just go away. She said she knew that but thought it would for me. I guess I'm a magical being, I wish. I haven't noticed side eyes at the belly but I've been wearing loose shirts that I can tuck the baby under for nursing.

BabyBoyH92016 · October 2016

I have my six week postpartum appointment next week. Very nervous about sex. I'm not in any pain right now, but six weeks seems really soon. Any moms out there past six weeks who have had sex?

rock1cherry · October 2016

Some people are ignorant jerks. I've heard other mamas complain about the same thing - people asking when they're due after having baby. Rude!

I have my 4 week pp appt next week. So we will see where I'm at. Also interested in discussing pp birth control. I'm still not 100%, but I will be happy to have sex with my DH again.

lilaros · October 2016

@BabyBoyH92016 I just had my 4 week postpartum appointment. Before the appointment she asked to see if my husband can join because she likes to go over guidelines for sex with both partners. She said for now we have to do positions that are comfortable for me and allow me to control the pace and movement. She said we'll need a ton of lube and the most important thing is if it's not working then we need to stop and try again some other time. That being said, she asked that we hold off until 10 weeks postpartum for some medical issues I'm having.

If you don't think your ready, talk to your doctor, talk to your partner. You have to figure out what is best for you since you're the one who just gave birth. Your needs come first in this situation.

jellybiehn · October 2016

Just had my 6 week pp visit yesterday, and I swear my husband had been counting down the day! I had been super nervous about the whole sex subject but hubby was great and said to just tell him whenever I felt ready. I had to have my pap done at the 6week visit, and it went okay, no pain. So we went for it! Not going to lie, things felt different, not bad, just different than before.

I got a prescription for a breastfeeding safe BCP that you take continuously so no periods, which sounds great, so we will see how that goes. It had been really nice being off the pill since starting to conceive until now.

jensou · October 2016

Like what @Laraeq doc said, my NP said take it slow and lots of lube. We've had sex one time and it wasn't bad. Then hubby went overseas so I've had an extra 3 weeks to heal up.

Between being exhausted and work and all the baby laundry, I don't think we'll have much time to fit it in. We're sooooo old sounding! LOL

jenkar01 · October 2016

My 6 weeks PP is on Monday and I'm still bleeding a bit. It isn't heavy and it's not all the time but it is still there. There are times where I will go a day or two without bleeding and then all the sudden I'll be bleeding. Sometimes it's a little heavy sometimes it's just a wipe, very frustrating.

CantanteLirica · October 2016

@jenkar01 I am so relieved to hear you describe your bleeding that way - that's how mine has been too, which is different from my last time and was worrying me. I'm 4.5 weeks pp.

ab920 · October 2016

Laraeq said:

I'd love to hear how everyone is doing recovering from birth. Is there anything special you're doing/did to aid in recovery?

I'm 4 weeks postpartum. I felt fantastic by week 2 and if you had asked, I would have said I was totally recovered. Now at 4 weeks I feel worse than I did 1 week postpartum. I now have sporadic vaginal pain, stinging near my stitches area, I feel an uncomfortable amount of pressure when I walk around, bleeding hasn't stopped yet, and when I cough or sneeze I feel like my uterus is going pop out my vagina. Hopefully this all subsides soon!

I am having the same experience. After a week, I felt totally fine. Then at 4 weeks PP, I started having severe pain down there. It hurts to walk, sit, sleep, and move in general. I'm seeing the doctor this week about it.

jenkar01 · October 2016

I had my postpartum appointment and everything she said checked out. She was worried about depression at first but then after talking to my significant other she realized it was just sleep deprivation. She gave me a script for the birth control pill that just has the progesterone in it. Was told my bleeding may last another two weeks. We got the all-clear to have sex if we want though, which we have already twice to be honest

lizzk85 · October 2016

I'm 6 weeks PP, had checkup last week. Still healing from where I had to have stitches so doc said a few more weeks then lots of lube before we try to have sex again.

I bled up until about 5 weeks, sometimes heavy and sometimes very light. It would go away for a day or 2 at a time and then come back... doc said all was normal and not to worry. I still get sore if I sit for a long time...

Jillybear82 · October 2016

I am five and a half weeks postpartum (c-section). The skin immediately above my incision (from the incision up an inch) is numb. The area above that hurts some when it is touched or pressed. I get some pain when I move certain ways internally near where I am guessing the edges of my internal incision were. The bleeding has decreased quite a bit. I've had some knee pain recently, I'm not sure why.

hejo2016 · October 2016

Oh man @jenkar01! That's amazing you already hopped back into sex! I'm still scared but prbly will after my 6wk appt because my husband is going crazy. I've helped him out in other ways, but... Yeah.

jenkar01 · October 2016

@hejo2016 I had no intention of doing any thing until after my PP check but SO caught me in a moment of weakness twice lol. I had a pretty easy delivery and think that may be why I'm so game to jump back into it. Told him no more until I start the pill which will be here soon. I was wanting to wait until I'm done bleeding before starting it.

drabong88 · October 2016

I am both looking very forward to sex and also very nervous about it. I'm nervous about how different it will feel for both me and DH. Also I feel like it just looks different down there, whether it's all in my head or not I don't know, so I'm cursious what DHs reaction will be

jenkar01 · October 2016

@drabong88 I was the same way, but it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. Yes the first time was uncomfortable at first but that is to be expected. My advice is to take it slow and tell your DH to let you have the control on how it goes.

molosmiles · October 2016

@jenkar01 did you have sex prior to your 6 week appointment? I'm guessing you used lots of lube and protection? I always thought you weren't supposed to have sex until after the 6 weeks but my doctor just repeated 'do not have unprotected sex', so after that I wasn't sure. I am excited for sex again but am also nervous.

jenkar01 · October 2016

@molosmiles no it was actually before my appointment. SO mauled me in the middle of the night and hormones took over. No lube or protection. Really didn't need lube and so spur of the moment didn't think to use protection.

MNturnsVA · December 2016

We had sex right after the 6 week appt and got cleared too- I was somewhat wanting too for my own reasons but mostly for my husband. It was not bad- but it wasn't the same. I needed lots of other stimulation to get me in the right mindset to even really enjoy it.....We have not had it since then because we have had lots of family in my house for the last few weeks and because I am too tired....sleep has a much higher pay back to me right now than sex....sorry- not sorry.

molosmiles · December 2016

Not a lot of sex happening over here either. Sleep is coming first but we'll snag a moment if we find one. We also have an 8 year old so we can't just wait until the baby is asleep, ha ha.

hejo2016 · December 2016

Is sex actually enjoyable to anyone? It's still not the most comfortable, but mainly it's like a thing I'm checking off my list to keep the husband happy. Feel bad even typing that out, but man...

rock1cherry · December 2016

I have to ease into it still @hejo2016 it hurts to start no matter how much foreplay there is. But it gets better. And I've found my O's are more intense than before.

molosmiles · December 2016

Nope. Not enjoyable yet. It will get there though. I feel like I just need to do it more and it will get better but I haven't made the time.

jenkar01 · December 2016

@rock1cherry you hit the nail on the head. Exactly how I feel about it. And completely agree with the 'O' statement.

drabong88 · December 2016

@hejo2016 it is starting to get more enjoyable for me but there are times where I feel like I'm just going through the motions for the husband. Mostly the area where I had stitched is dos sensitive sometimes still it makes it hard to get fully into it.

jellybiehn · December 2016

Yeah I agree with all of the above. It is getting better but it is still definitely different than before. Mostly I'm just not putting in the effort. Some days I plan on just going for it and making my husband feel all sexy and wanted again...but then by the time all the bedtime routine is done, I've pumped, and little one is asleep I'm just exhausted and opt for 'lazy bottom position' . Hey at least he still got some, right?

hejo2016 · December 2016

Hahaha! @jellybiehn cracking up about the lazy position!

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