After realizing how many mommies-to-be are interested in the gory details of pregnancy, I thought it was my duty to share the possible madness that occurs during the next step of motherhood. I will warn you now, there are no holds barred, I share even the ickiest of experiences, and just as with What No One Tells You about Pregnancy, any or none of these situations my occur for a given individual. Because my only experience has been following a C-Section, some of these occurrences may be specific outcomes from surgery and may not transfer to mommies who were able to have their children naturally.
Last warning! Don’t read on if you are squeamish or have issues with over-sharing, because that is exactly what you are in for.
*BMs: After the stress your body goes through to have a baby, it takes time for it to get back to normal. Many systems of the body are disrupted and can be agitated. One such system is the intestinal tract. After delivery (from what I have heard, of any kind), the first few bowel movements can be tough to get through. In my experience, they were extremely painful, there was blood involved, and I needed to plan for an extended stay. It took me over a week to become regular-ish again, and about three weeks for my experiences in the bathroom to resume their normal time allotment and comfort level. Before having Liam, I knew nothing of this wonderful situation and soon thereafter, I forgot about it. My tips for making this event as easy as possible are to take the stool-softeners that the doctors give you and take them as regularly as you can, drink as much water as possible, eat high fiber foods, and try to carve out quiet, stress-free time to use the restroom.
*Cramps: As if going through pregnancy, labor, and delivery/surgery is not enough, the cramping that follows is horrendous! I have to say, that after Liam’s entrance into the world, I must have forgotten all of the rotten situations that I went through, because I did not (and still don’t) remember the cramping that occurred in the days after. But my husband has assured me, it happened. This time however, I will never forget! Twenty four hours after Nolan was born, I started to feel cramping similar to the ones you get during your menstrual cycle. Throughout that day, they got stronger and lasted longer, by that night I was crying in pain. It was not until this point that my nurse informed me that this cramping is completely normal and means that the uterus is contracting back into its original shape and size. I was also informed that the severity of the cramping tends to increase with each labor and delivery. Now, the only labor pains I have experienced was back labor (horrible in its own right), but the nurse told me that the contractions that I was feeling post-partum are similar in strength to the ones I would have felt with labor. My tip for this one: stay up to date with your pain medication…….good luck!
*Anxiety: Although this has not been an issue this time around, I felt a great deal of anxiety with my first. It’s normal! I was worried about everything: keeping him safe, being a good parent, the choices that I made, going back to work, nursing……I worried about everything. It was not until months after having Liam that I finally talked to my doctor. This is when I was informed that I had Post-Partum Anxiety Disorder (also known as Post-Partum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). Yes, it is a real thing! It’s similar to Post-Partum Depression except instead of being sad, depressed, and withdrawn, you are hyper sensitive about your abilities as a parent, you worry about anything and everything, you get jittery and your mind races with all of the possible misfortunes you and your baby could run into. In my case, the symptoms listed above were also accompanied by panic attacks with hot/cold flashes, racing heart, and a high level of stress. Realizing that what I was feeling was extremely normal and would fade with time was very helpful to me. I still find myself up late at night, thinking about horrible scenarios from time to time, but these situations occur less often and no longer pack the punch they used to. Being a parent is stressful and scary, but knowing you’re not alone is very calming. My tips: talk to your doctor if you are worried and talk to a trusted family member or friend.
The next few experiences are specifically linked to having a c-section delivery and are probably not important to women who are able to have their babies naturally.
*Stairs: After having a c-section you are not able (or at least are told not to) use the stairs for two weeks. This can pose a serious issue to women who live in a multi-level home or apartment complex. My doctor okayed the use of stairs once in the morning and once at night, but for me, it was far easier to just sleep down stairs for the first two weeks after Nolan’s arrival. If you live in a situation where stairs may complicate things, think ahead and make a plan for how you will maneuver until it is safe to climb again.
*Driving: Driving is also a big no-no for the first two weeks after a c-section. This is mainly because you will be on some sort of pain medication after surgery which impairs your driving ability. Also, the seat belt strap will lay directly on your incision which could be painful but also dangerous if you are in any kind of accident. Limiting your time in a car, even as a passenger may be a good idea. If that were not enough, every bump hurts for a while. Once again, make sure you plan ahead for your inability to drive yourself places.
*Sneezing/Coughing/Vomiting: Okay, I’m sure that this one is pretty self-explanatory. All of these things hurt while you are recovering from a c-section. Holding a pillow to your tummy while any of these situations occur will help. Keeping up on your pain meds will also help ease the transition from surgery.
*Recovery: I have heard from so many people that recovering from natural childbirth is easier than recovering from a c-section. I have to say that this may be true, but a c-section recovery is not always a horrible one. I was done with the pain medication after the second week and was back to my normal self without a single symptom or complication from surgery by week three. I have heard from several of my friends who were able to deliver naturally, that their recovery lasted months. Not that I’m trying to talk anyone into having a c-section, I’m not! I wish I were able to have my sons naturally, but I thought that it may be nice for expectant mothers to know that if they end up having a c-section, the recovery may not be as bad as you think.
I hope that someone is able to read these experiences and take something away. I’m not writing these posts to scare expectant mothers, but rather to prepare them for what’s to come. I would have liked to know some of these things prior so that I could prepare myself for them. If you are not one of these people, I’m so sorry and I hope I did not traumatize you.