5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Your Postpartum Journey
Hey there! I’m not sure how you stumbled upon this blog post but something made you click the link to want to read more and I’m glad you did!
I am no expert when it comes to pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum experience but I do have some personal experience when it comes to all the above. After all, I am a mother of 3 little kids.
There are things throughout my pregnancy experience that I wish I would have known then what I know now but the past is in the past and all I can do now is start having the conversations that no one else (or very few) will in hopes to provide some education, knowledge, perspective, or if anything else, prompt you to think critically and ask more questions.
This particular blog won’t be so much about the pregnancy experience or even the labor and delivery experience but instead the postpartum journey.
For those of you still with me, forewarning, I type like I talk so for the grammar police… this post will not be perfect (far from it). Also, you should know that I am sharing my personal perspective on the matter but at the end of this blog, I want to hear your story too! So stick with me as I share some pretty open information about 5 things they (doctors, nurses, etc) don’t tell you about your postpartum journey.
You will be bleeding for DAYS after you give birth.
Maybe I missed the memo or blocked this part out but after delivering my first born (a baby boy… he’s the greatest and 10 years old now), I remember so vividly how under prepared I felt. After having a very successful natural birth and the ability to move freely after delivery, I remember the first time I got up to use the bathroom. I had been lying down for about an hour or 2. Nurses had taken sweet baby boy to the nursery for his tests. At that point I needed to go pee (good sign!), so I sat at the edge of the bed and began to stand. Just then GUSH…. ALL over the floor! Panicking, I grabbed the chucks pad and waddled my way to the bathroom leaving a red trail behind me. I learned quickly how to rectify the situation at the hospital but then I went home and realized I had ZERO pads. I mean, I hadn’t needed any feminine hygiene products for the last 10 months and my focus at the hospital was not on how I was going to survive when I got home, it was 100% focused on how I was going to keep my son alive! New mom fears. Was this the end of the world… absolutely not but it would have been nice to know!
2. You can start basic exercises a day or two after delivery.
I was super skeptical about actually putting this on here because I know I am going to have a few people absolutely GASPING at the thought and others that will take it to the other extreme and go exercise crazy. But listen up, we live in a society that focuses so much on what we CAN’T or SHOULDN’T do after labor and delivery that we miss out on the things we CAN do that help our mental health and recovery. So let’s focus on what you can do…
A day or 2 after delivery, you can start gentle pelvic floor exercises. If you aren’t sure how to do those correctly you can start working with a pelvic floor specialist before, during, or after pregnancy (we know a couple great resources ;))
You can start a gentle stretching program and begin going on walks. If you experience pain with any of the light activities. Stop doing them and reach out to us here at Shift. We would be happy to listen to your story and help you problem solve.
3. You will get a massage.
Yep, no one told me that I would get a massage every 10-15 minutes for the first hour after I delivered my babies. Sound glorious? Well, the massage I am talking about is a fundal massage and it’s less than pleasant. I’ll be honest that this really isn’t “that bad” and it can be helpful to get the uterus to back to pre-pregnancy size. It would have just been nice to know ahead of time!
4. Hemorrhoids are a thing.
Ok, I knew that part but did any of my providers actually talk to me about the possibility of hemorrhoids following vaginal delivery? Nope. Was there a conversation about hemorrhoids at my 6 week postpartum check up? Nope. Luckily they can go away but that’s not always the case. I know everyone wants to talk about the adorable baby and the miracle of birth and hemorrhoids are not at the top of the conversation list but they should be somewhere on that list.
5. Peeing your pants after you sneeze and cough following delivery is not normal.
Hmmm-that would have been good to know 3 deliveries and 5 years ago! I heard so many women joke, laugh, and casually talk about how they needed to cross their legs when they sneezed or coughed so they wouldn’t pee their pants after having their baby. At the time I didn’t think anything of it. I mean at my 6 week postpartum check up, I wasn’t asked about it. I was given the thumbs up to resume all activities. Well I am here to tell you that whether your providers asks you about it or not, leaking urine (peeing your pants) whether small dribbles or large amounts is NOT NORMAL but there is hope! Pelvic floor therapy is incredible and can help you in a very short amount of time.
So there you have it! 5 things they don’t tell you (or at least I wasn’t told) about the postpartum journey. If you are an expecting momma, none of this information is meant to scare you. Knowledge is power and the more we open up the doors to these not so pleasant to talk about topics, the more we can learn and educate ourselves. This allows us to ask questions and I promise you, it’s hard to know what questions to ask when it comes to things that aren’t talked about!
Now, I want to hear from you… Shoot us a message to let us know other things you WISH they would have told you in regards to your postpartum journey.
Written by: Jackie Giese
