Post Partum Recovery: What Happens that You Don’t Expect

I admit, when I was expecting my first child I spent most of my time reading up on labor, delivery and caring for a newborn. I spent very little, if any, time considering what it would be like for my body to recover from the childbirth experience. Here are a few things you can expect to experience after you give birth to your new baby, and what you can do to be more prepared for your recovery.

1. A few hours after you give birth, you will probably want to get out of bed to either use the bathroom or take a shower. Most likely, when you stand up, you will experience a gush of fluid, blood and clots. I was completely unprepared for this and it took me quite by surprise. Expect that this will happen and do not be concerned. Your body has begun the process of removing extra tissue, blood and fluid you have accumulated during your pregnancy.

2. Urinating after delivery can be quite uncomfortable. This is magnified if you experienced the pain of a tear or episiotomy. You should have a small plastic squirt bottle to take to the bathroom with you. Fill the bottle with lukewarm water and aim the water at your vaginal/urethral area in order to help start your urine stream. If you needed to receive stitches, I also recommend you urinate for the first time while in the shower. I strongly recommend using a numbing agent if you had to get stitches. Dermoplast is a spray that you can purchase in a can at your local pharmacy. You can spray it directly onto the painful area and experience immediate numbing of the whole area and it is completely safe. Pack a can in your hospital bag to use after delivery.

3. Bowel movements after delivery will probably be delayed. Though you may opt to take a stool softener after delivery, your body will probably hold off on producing a bowel movement for two days or so after delivery. This is nothing short of a blessing if you have had a painful tear or cut.

4. Your nipples will be sore almost immediately if you are breastfeeding. This is not a cause for trepidation about nursing, but rather a cause for preparing ahead of time. Bring nursing pads as well as natural lanolin with you to the hospital. Begin applying it to your nipple and areola after your first nursing experience. Lanolin is not harmful to your baby if she should ingest it. The thick, soothing lubricant will give you some relief from your breastfeeding discomfort.

5. You might have painful cramping during breastfeeding. Nursing your baby releases hormones in your body that shrink your uterus down to pre-pregnancy size (or close to it). As you nurse, your uterus will clamp down and this can be painful. Though I didn’t use any medications during my labors, I begged for Motrin when I started experiencing this clamping. The pain may intensify with subsequent pregnancies.

6. The first day home from the hospital, you may experience more bleeding than you did in the hospital. When you are in the hospital, you get up very little and spend most of your time with your feet up. When you get home you will probably start walking around a bit more, climbing stairs, etc. The result is that you will initially pass more clots and tissue the first day or so after you get home. This is normal, but call your doctor if you need more than one pad an hour. Bleeding continues for up to 4 or 6 weeks after delivery.

7. Don’t be surprised when you are weepy after your baby is born. I never thought I would have the “baby blues”. We were financially and intellectually prepared for a baby and we were excited about having one. However, as we pulled into our driveway after we left the hospital, all of my confidence left me. I did a lot of crying and wanting to be alone and it took a couple of weeks, but it passed. Make sure you talk to someone about how you’re feeling. Saying how you’re feeling out loud will help you work through your jumbled thoughts. You are not a bad mother because you feel overwhelmed or even depressed after delivery, but you do need to talk to someone about it.

8. Nurse through engorgement. 2-4 days after delivery, your milk will come in. You may wake up to find that your breasts are rock hard and painful to the touch. This can be frustrating for you because it hurts, and for your baby because engorgement makes it more difficult for her to latch on. The best way to get through this is to nurse frequently or pump. As you get the milk out of your breasts, your body will begin to regulate production in accordance with what your baby needs. Warm showers, compresses or baths will also give you some relief.

Recovering from giving birth to your child is a long, sometimes trying process. I remember thinking in my first postpartum weeks that I would rather give birth twice than go through the recovery once. This is not a call for alarm, but rather a call for preparation. Pack pure lanolin, nursing pads and a spray numbing agent in your hospital bag. Be prepared for the loss of clots, fluid and tissue after labor and take a Motrin before you nurse your baby. Keeping these things in mind will help you get through your recovery as comfortably as possible.