Let’s keep it real shall we? Prior to giving birth, the number one advice I was given was to sleep when the baby sleeps. I’m not sure why most people felt as though this is the one advice they feel that mothers should know. It wasn’t until I gave birth to my son that I completely disagreed with this cookie-cutter advice. Ladies, there are other things to know that I will help shed some light on below. Don’t get me wrong—by all means, sleep when you can—but I would definitely give the below advice to those who are new to the motherhood journey as I was. It’s not a complete list of course, but these resonated with me the most in my journey.
Let’s start with:
THE ITCH. I remember the extreme itchiness I felt for the first two days after delivering my baby. I kid you not, I thought my skin was getting bitten by a million ants. Whenever the nurses would ask my pain level on a scale of 1 – 10, I always told them that the pain was bearable, but my goodness, the itchiness made me go crazy! It would not stop. I asked my doctor who said it is a common reaction to the spinal anesthesia. I wish someone would have given me a heads up on this so that I could have asked for an anti-histamine before the delivery to alleviate the itchiness a little bit. Trust and believe that I was taking Benadryl as often as I could have which was the only thing that SOMEWHAT helped me in those three days. Literally the worst itch of my life!
THE PAIN. C-Section or not, expect some type of pain. The intensity would really depend on each person, but do take the pain medications that the nurses give you. I typically try to avoid taking medications but when I tried to extend the time in between each dose, I can tell you that I regretted it as soon as the last dose started to wear off. The PAIN was real—coupled with the immense itchiness I was already dealing with.
STOOL SOFTENER.
Do not, and I repeat, do not forget to start taking stool softeners as soon as possible regardless of whether or not you delivered vaginally or by C-Section. The nurses should already know to give either Colace or its equivalent to you daily, but in for some reason they do not, please ask for it or have yours handy. That first poop post-delivery is a big deal. You DO NOT want to strain at all to prevent unwanted tears (both for CS and vaginal births). Also with a C-Section, the nurses will ask you if you have farted at a bare minimum to at least make sure gas is moving in your system.
FUNDAL MASSAGE.
Even though you are already in pain from just having your whole uterus cut open for delivery, this is a heads up that the nurses will have to perform what they call a fundal massage. The nurses are making sure that your uterus is retracting back to its original position (or close to it). It is painful but hey, if it helps prevent hemorrhages, then why not?
BREASTFEEDING.
I felt completely unprepared when it came to breastfeeding. Why is this not something we talk or teach prior to giving birth?? But trust and believe that the moment the baby is here, the breast is the meal. Breastfeeding has to be one of the most difficult and stressful things I’ve done (thankfully we’ve mastered it now). Not only does it hurt but the biggest hurt is that no one tells you that milk may not automatically gush out the minute baby latches (and that’s IF baby latches well). The first few days for me (as with many women who have C-Sections) were small amounts of colostrum. My milk didn’t come in fully until day 3. It’s a learning process that no-one should expect or pressure you to just “get” immediately. We had a lactation consultant come in to teach proper breastfeeding practices, but it wasn’t helpful since it was such a new journey—not only for me, but for baby also. It takes time and in that time, don’t stress yourself. It’s OK to supplement while you and baby are practicing this new way of feeding.
PUMP, PUMP, PUMP IT UP.
Thankfully baby learned to latch successfully, but if you’re like me and want to monitor how much baby is feeding per day, pumping can help tremendously with making sure your baby is properly fed. I’m about a month into pumping and let me tell you that it is not for the weak. Not only do you have to breastfeed your baby on demand, but you also have to pump on a frequent schedule in order to maintain or build up your supply. Frequent meaning every 2-3 hours; otherwise, the amount of your liquid gold could drastically drop. Not only do you have to stay on schedule, but you have to eat healthy, reduce stress levels, get a good night’s rest, and stay hydrated constantly. Oh and I can’t forget to mention the engorged boobs if you don’t pump on schedule. Women are overall superheroes.
HUNGER STRIKES.
You will be hungry ALL of the TIME. Breastfeeding burns calories and in turn, your body releases hormones that tell you to help replenish the calories burned. Hence why snacks are always nearby when I’m either breastfeeding or pumping. Expect to eat an extra 500 calories per day if you’ll be breastfeeding/pumping. Don’t stress about this though as you don’t want to affect your milk supply. Enjoy this phase and treat your body like the queen it is.
BLEEDING.
Expect to bleed for 6 – 8 weeks after giving birth—and this is regardless of whether or not you had a C-Section or a vaginal birth. Definitely make sure to add maternity/period pads into your hospital bag. As I am writing this at home 4-weeks postpartum, I am still bleeding—it’s light, but still enough to wear pads on a daily basis. The nurses will inform you that if you pass a blood clot as big as an egg, you should notify them immediately.
EMOTIONS.
I’m a typically strong minded person but let me tell you, the first few days are a whirlwind. Granted this is my firstborn so it may have affected my emotions but I felt EVERY possible emotion from being excited for this new journey to feeling a bit anxious to meet my baby. Going into the operation room for my C-Section, I remained calm, saying a prayer that God-willing I will walk out of the room with my healthy baby in tow. The stress of learning how to breastfeed, the lack of sleep, going home and not knowing all what to do can have someone feeling down. Please continue to pray and speak to your nurses/doctor about how you are feeling. You are not alone.
YOUR BABY.
For all of the pain and new experiences we endure, seeing my baby smile makes it all worth it. Power through, speak up when you need to, advocate for yourself, and know that everything will indeed work out in the end. You got this mama.
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