What to expect after the birth

There are lots of texts available on what to expect during pregnancy and labour, and how to care for your baby afterwards. It didn't occur to me at all that I might need to educate myself on what my body would be like after the birth. I had the mad idea that in a week or two, I'd be back to working, albeit from home. Other experienced mothers didn't try to disillusion me, perhaps because they were hoping I would be fortunate enough to do what they didn't, or because they didn't want to scare me.
If you can, talk to mothers to see how they experienced healing from the birth. Here is some of what I experienced to help you prepare:

• The good thing about being pregnant, and there aren't many, is that you don't get your period. No one told me that after the birth, nine months of periods come at once. You can bleed, and bleed heavily, for up to six consecutive weeks. When you are breastfeeding, you will experience mild to severe period pains for at least a couple of those weeks.
• After my own birth, a mother of five told me that she thought giving birth was like being hit by a truck. It absolutely is. You ache all over, and every inch of your body, internal and external, feels tender and bruised. Expect to not want to leave your bed for at least a week. Hopefully, your bed is near the bathroom. If you are staying in hospital, fight for a room with an en-suite.
  
• If you've had a tear or episiotomy, expect to be extra sore around your nether regions, depending on the extent of the damage. It may be at least a few days until you can walk or sit comfortably, or put any pressure on the region without pain. The pain should leave by the time the stitches dissolve (about two weeks). If the pain doesn't go by this time, seek help immediately.

I was experiencing great pain for many weeks beyond the normal two week healing period. Because no-one had told me what to expect the healing process to be like, I just assumed it was meant to be painful for a very long time. I sought advice from my female relatives, but they unanimously said that it took many months to "feel right" again. I settled for that. It wasn't until I confided in my birth attendant, nearly three months after the birth, that she confirmed for me that something was very wrong and I should take action.
Another woman I spoke to had a similar story. After her first baby, she felt pain long after the birth but didn't seek help because she assumed that birth, and the time after, was meant to be painful. At her six week check up, her doctor was appalled to find that her stitches hadn't healed. Sometimes women put themselves through a lot of pain because they are afraid of seeming anything less stoic. Don't be one of them - it's not worth it.

How did you experience healing after the birth?

Powered by ScribeFire.