And we're back!
Now I'm definitely no expert on motherhood but I wanted to write a post on things that I wish I knew after you give birth. Hopefully these points give insight on things that might not be commonly known after having a baby. Enjoy!
1.) Postpartum Preeclampsia - When you're pregnant you're always being checked for preclampsia but I never knew that you can develop it after you give birth as well even if you never developed it while pregnant. I'm a hypochondiac so when I was told in the hospital to watch out for symptoms of it, I instantly panicked. Also, it can take up to 6 weeks to develop! I did have a "scare" where a week after being home I had a headache all day (and I never get headaches), had high blood pressure and had passed a large clot. I called my doctor and luckily she didn't seem worried and told me to call back or seek medical treatment if I developed other serious symptoms. It's a scary thing but it's better to be safe than sorry and I'm glad I called my doctor to check and see if these "symptoms" I had were of concern. It's important to also be sure to take care of yourself too!
2.) Breastfeeding is HARD - like really hard and will take time to get it down.
Everyone tells you breastfeeding can be difficult but the extent of how hard it actually is was surprising. You sort of think that it's a natural thing so it can't be too difficult but boy oh boy was I wrong. I'm thankful that Evan and I developed a routine and got it down but it took a few painful and stressful weeks to get to that point. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for whatever moms choose for their baby whether it's breast milk, formula or a combo of both. Breastfeeding was my first choice so I'm happy that I am able to do so. Also, the saying "there's no use crying over spilled milk" is bullshit. Once you've pumped and managed to get a small amount of milk in your first days of painful breastfeeding only to have it spill is heartbreaking. Yes, I did cry when this happened - no shame!
3.) You bleed - for weeks.
Hopefully anyone who's reading this knew what they were getting themselves into. Yes I knew I would bleed after having a baby - I mean your body did just produce and deliver a human being after all so there has to be some side effects to it! Stock up on plenty of pads. Also steal a few extra pairs of the hospital underwear, trust me.
4.) You clot
Along with bleeding you also pass blood clots. They say anything bigger than a golf ball or if you bleed through pads every hour for at least 3 hours needs to be told to a doctor.
5.) You're starving and thirsty - alllllllllll the time
At least for me I was (and still am) always hungry and thirsty. When you're breastfeeding you get super thirsty. While we were in the hospital and I would feed Evan this intense thirst overcame me as soon as he latched that Benson would need to get me water ASAP. It was so weird that as soon as he started sucking I felt like I was in a desert and my mouth became so dry that it felt like I hadn't had water in days. I now always keep a snack and water next to our bed for when I breastfeed Evan in the middle of the night.
6.) Ice diapers are a thing and they're your best friend
In the few days after giving birth the hospital gave me ice diapers. Yes, baby diapers. These things are genius and helped SO much. They take newborn diapers and soak them, then ring them out and freeze them for new moms to use. Next baby we have (don't worry - not for a couple years at least!) I'm definitely prepping and stocking our freezer with these bad boys for when I get home to use. It was such a relief to help and soothe the area that just over went a traumatic event!
7.) While tending to the needs of your newborn, you're also supposed to relax
Ummm what? How the heck do new moms relax when they're trying to feed, change, take care of a newborn all while having to take care of herself and other day to day things? It's true though. After giving birth you're not even supposed to carry your baby in the car seat because of the weight. If you do too much too soon you'll only prolong the bleeding and only make it worse on your body.
8.) No toilet paper allowed
Squirt bottles become your partner in crime in the week after giving birth. I'll spare the details on this one but I'm assuming you get the point that you'll be using a squirt bottle to clean yourself after going to the bathroom.
And there you have it! 8 things I had no idea that happen after giving birth. I'm sure I'm missing some but these are the main points that stuck out for me and hopefully help someone in the future!
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