(ThySistas.com) For nine months a mother prepares for her baby to come into the world. During that time the focus is not merely on the baby, but on the well being of the mother carrying said baby. There is plenty of focus on labor and delivery. Many people from the doctor to the family offer their advice on how to prepare for labor and delivery. Moms tend to read many different books, talk to elders, spend countless hours online between good and YouTube, and if this isn’t the first baby, they are recalling that delivery for areas to improve. The closer the time comes to deliver the more focus is put on that process. The better the energy going in the better the experience is a great way to look at it. However, once the baby is born the attention tends to shift from the mother, whose just given birth, to the new bundle of joy.
This is a wonderful moment, and the new parents will be super focused on the baby to make sure everything with this is going well. However, mom is not starting a new journey that is pregnancy recovery. In all the time spent to prepare for delivery the recovery is often left out. Many mothers are not ready for recovery, and it can catch them off guard in a very unpleasant manner. Below are five things no one seems to mention about pregnancy recovery.
1. If this is not your first child nursing can be rather painful. Its understood that once you have the baby the uterus needs to return to its original size. When one has their first child contractions aren’t really a factor in the nursing experience though it is happening. However, may woman are not prepared to feel post delivery contractions that could be on par with what they felt in early labor. Ladies, you are still dealing with contractions, but it doesn’t last long. If the pain is intense nurses are on standby to give you pain medication to offer you some comfort.
2. You might be bleeding for a while, and no your cycle has not returned. There is the idea that post pregnancy, especially if you are nursing, there is an extended time without your cycle. This could be true but be prepared post delivery to have pads ready. There can be bleeding for a few weeks, as long as you aren’t filling pads in short spans of time this is normal.
3. You very well may need the pain medication. Its okay to want everything done naturally and feel strong enough to do so however, it doesn’t take away from your strength if you need pain medication post-delivery. Your body just went through a great ordeal, and the recovery can introduce you to exactly how much strain the body has endured.
4. Episiotomies, and tears have degrees. I honestly didn’t know this until I was facing a 2nd degree episiotomy cut. The degree is based on how deep they had to cut, or you tore during delivery. The greater the degree the longer you will be recovering, and this can be a great source of pain, and fear when using the restroom. It can also make walking and moving, in the beginning, a challenge. The pain medication helps, plenty of fiber, stool softeners and patience.
5. It may take you longer to get back on your feet than you anticipated. Having a baby is a serious physical act. It is very important to follow the doctor’s orders and have patience with yourself. Its understandable that you want to get back to yourself now that the baby is out but doing too much too soon can put you back in the hospital. Allow others to help you and rest as much as you can.
Recovery post pregnancy deserves as much research as labor and delivery. Its important to know what to expect so that you can be as prepared as you can be on how to care for self. This can help you transition as you focus on your baby. Every experience is very different but having some idea of what to expect can alleviate anxiety and worry.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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