Postpartum Recovery
I'm writing this to not only document my own experience but maybe something I write will help a future first time mom. That being said if you don't enjoy reading posts about pads, stitches, bleeding and breastfeeding (aka-most men out there), this is one you can skip! Or just scroll and look at the cute pictures of Brooks.
Rest of the Hospital Stay
Generally speaking the rest of our hospital stay went pretty smoothly. Brooks passed his jaundice test, hearing test, congenital heart test (along with some other conditions), PKU test, pediatric appointment at the hospital, he was circumcised, was breastfeeding pretty well and left the hospital at a weight of 8 lbs 1 oz. (this is normal, newborns loose weight pretty quickly I'm assuming because they're not constantly nourished by the placenta anymore). But regardless of that the nurses still had to put him in size 1 diapers! At his first appointment with the pediatrician, 3 days after birth he was 8 lbs 7 oz. Then he had a weight check 6 days after birth and he surpassed his birth weight at a whopping 8 lbs 14 oz. His doctor was amazed and told me to keep it up! They usually expect newborns to surpass their birth weight within 1-2 weeks. Brooks did it in 6 days. That's almost a half pound in just three days!
I want to add a snippet about the hospital itself- I loved it! I delivered at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Alliance and was very impressed with everything. Maybe all hospitals are like this? I don't know, I don't frequent them. I could do everything I needed to from the remote. Change the room temp, order food, watch free (and actually good) movies, call the nurse, watch tv, turn the lights on and off. Maybe I'm just easily assumed? The food was good, they had complimentary food in the mini kitchen area for families during the night- it was all great.
This hospital is also very forward on breastfeeding, skin to skin right after birth and rooming in. Rooming in means that they have a nursery, but they don't use it (except for rare and extenuating circumstances). Mothers don't have the option of sending their baby to the nursery for a couple hours or for the night. I was totally fine with that because I was thinking, 'Might as well get used to real life!' I enjoyed having him in the room with me almost at all times except for a few procedures.
Breastfeeding
Night 1: The initial feeding right after Brooks was born was a bit of a struggle to keep him awake and interested. Once he figured out this meant food he ate for a solid block of time. I was pretty nervous for breastfeeding because let's be honest, sounds like OW! Okay yes it hurt right off the bat because Brooks and I have never done this before, we're still getting the hang of it. I really don't think I have a high pain tolerance but the fact I was FEEDING my child- I didn't care about the pain. I had a huge goal for myself to make breastfeeding work for us if we could and I know that goal was driving me past the pain.
Day 2: I've been lucky enough not to experience cracked or bleeding nipples and I think the reason why is that I was using some sort of nipple cream right away after every feeding. I know some moms will experience that no matter what, but for me the cream really helped. I bought Lansinoh lanolin but the hospital provided Medela lanolin so I just used theirs until I got home. Medela smells weird but it worked. So I started using this before they were constantly sore from being munched on and I think this really helped soothe them between feedings.
Like I said the second night was probably when it hurt the most. I just distracted myself, grit my teeth and asked for help. That is HUGE and probably my #1 advice- ask for help. I had a great nurse that night who came in and helped Brooks and me improve our latch and technique. There was also a lactation consultant whom I could call on as well but the nurse helped us just fine.
Week 1: The hardest thing about the first week home is the engorgement when my milk came in. My milk came in 3-4ish days after he was born. At first I wasn't sure if this was it but then I woke up the next morning and had no doubts. It's like getting a breast enhancement overnight. It was painful but more like an annoying painful for about 2.5-3 days- I pumped a tiny bit to take the edge off, and kept breast feeding on demand. Once my milk calmed down and started to regulate itself, it was much more comfortable.
I would say after a solid week of Brooks being born was the time when I hardly felt any pain while breastfeeding. I say hardly because I still feel a 'pins and needles' right when he latches on but it goes away in 15 seconds or less. That's either how I feel the let down, Brooks getting adjusted or both.
I did get a clogged duct this week which felt similar to engorgement. You can tell because after baby eats on one side and drains the breast, I still had a lump that was warm and painful. It was caused probably from sleeping on my stomach but there's other causes too. I didn't want this to turn into mastitis so I did everything I could to solve it on it's own. I always fed Brooks on that side first to try to get it to drain, while he fed I messaged the lump. That night I put a warm compress on it for an hour. The next morning I took a hot shower and by noon, after feeding Brooks a couple times, it resolved.
Week 2: Everything seems to be back to normal (at least a new normal). My milk production has regulated itself and Brooks is eating very well. I still feel the pins and needles at first but the rest of breastfeeding is painless. I've seem to find the positions I like and I'm learning how to read all of Brooks' feeding cues. I know not all moms want to breastfeed or have the chance to breastfeed- I'm glad I could accomplish my goal but I believe as long as baby is fed, baby is fed!
My must haves for breast feeding are:
Nipple cream - I like Lasinoh the best
Boppy - Love the support it gives me while feeding and it give my arms a break! Especially at night!
Nursing pads - I started putting these in my bra as a precaution although I didn't feel like I was leaking. You don't feel it, it just happens so wear them. I have disposables which work great but I love the washable ones I was gifted the most.
Nursing bra - It's so hard to try to shop for these beforehand because you don't know size until after your milk comes in therefore my favorite has been this one I found at Target.
My Recovery
HOSPITAL
I'm a blog reader. You can imagine I read LOTS and LOTS of blogs about recovery. I said I was pretty nervous for breastfeeding but after birth I was most nervous for postpartum recovery. I expected the worst and hoped for the best. Not everyone's the same but here's my experience.
My first trip to the restroom with my nurse was about 2 hours after Brooks was born. She helped me stand up, walk and sit. They put a little hat in the toilet because they like to measure your bowel movements and watch for any clots. She showed me the peri bottle (it's like a homemade bidet effect), mesh underwear, pads & ice packs and how to use them. It took a second for my body to remember how to expel urine after not needing to all day with a catheter, just took some relaxing. The most pain I felt at this point was the pinched nerve (or whatever it was) in my back/ rib area from the epidural. People told me to prepare for a lot of blood and I think I was over prepared so I wasn't shocked or horrified.
We went to our recovery room and of course moving had to be gentle. My body just completed a huge task! Everything was slow and steady. It definitely took effort and I felt some pain but I did pretty good. The next hurdle I had was in the middle of the night I was awoken by the feeling that I needed to use the restroom. We're talking #2 here and from what I read some people have the worst experience going their first time after birth. I called the nurse and asked her for some guidance. She helped me up to the bathroom and told me not to push, just let it come out. She was going to sit there and wait with me... but it's like I got a little camera shy, thanked her and let her know I'd call her if I needed help. For another human being to offer to wait around while I pooped is beyond me, nurses are ANGELS. Well after she left I had no issues, was just like any other bowel movement.
The next morning I started to feel the soreness set in. Surprisingly the muscles that were the most sore were my biceps! No, not from holding the baby. It was from grabbing my legs while pushing. I was bearing down so hard I didn't realize I was flexing my arms so much! I got better at moving and Dan and I even walked a couple laps around the ward while they took Brooks to do a blood draw.
My OB came in the next morning to check on me, see what I wanted for pain management at home and I took the opportunity to ask her, 'What do I need to take with me?' I wasn't sure what I could and couldn't, should and shouldn't take in regards to my recovery items, diapers, wipes etc. Her answer, 'Take it all!' She made a good point, they can't reuse any of it. 'Duh' I thought to myself. So my advice to you- take it all! Peri bottle, pads, tucks wipes & dermoplast spray (my nurse brought me these the morning after I gave birth, they are lifesavers!), bed protectors (absorbent and liquid proof sheets they put under you in case of leakage I definitely wanted them so I could protect our sheets/mattress at home too!), diapers, wipes, nipple cream and the hospital even gave us a Halo swaddle sack (which is da best!)
HOME
I made a trip to Target at about 36 weeks pregnant to purchase all the postpartum and recovery items I felt I'd need. I made my shopping list based on suggested items from friends and ideas on pinterest.
I bought:
Dermoplast
TUCKS
Maxi Pads (the BIGGEST and LONGEST I could find)
Granny panties
The hospital gave me their versions of all of these things, plus ice packs which was awesome! I was totally stocked up. I used and needed all these items and they worked great for me. Plus being prescribed some medicine to take the edge off was very helpful as well.
Recovery at home wasn't bad at all. I took ibuprofen and norco around the clock for the first 2 days, then only norco at night and ibuprofen during the day, then around 1 week I was only taking ibuprofen, by 2 weeks I was only taking ibuprofen randomly when needed. I took it very easy and was moving very slow but tried to move and walk as frequently as my body let me. Sometime standing and moving felt better than having to sit on those stitches. That being said I definitely let everyone around me do everything else for me for those first couple days! I got a lot of rest and taking a shower made me feel like a new person! Yes you bleed a lot, you have some pain, you still look pregnant and your belly jiggles a lot but I was thinking to myself, 'I MADE A HUMAN' and thought I was in pretty good shape.
At the 2 week mark I felt like I was at 90%. Very mild pain from stitches still healing, some lingering lower back pain from the epidural and minimal bleeding/spotting. Out of the total 35 lbs I gained during my pregnancy, I've lost 28. I think the rest is in my thighs, hips and butt which I'll probably have to work off because my pre pregnancy pants definitely do not fit!
Of course hormones will make your emotions all over the place and I've learned I shouldn't even try to hold it back. I've cried a lot the first two weeks but it wasn't always because I was feeling sad. It was usually when I was over tired and needed a nap. Or I saw a touching commercial. Or I thought about how much I love my baby. And honestly sometimes I had no idea why I was crying, but that's ok! It's going to take some time for your body to get back to normal so just embrace the emotions. Side note: Baby blues and postpartum depression are very real and very human to experience. It doesn't make you a bad mom or a bad person if you experience these things. I recommend learning about them so you can watch for signs and symptoms. Talk with your spouse about them before hand, know who you can call and ask for help if you need it.
Although I was sore it was amazing the night and day difference from being over 40 weeks pregnant to not being pregnant- all the pressure on my joints, body and back were instantly gone. I could breathe again and easily get comfortable. The relief was pretty instant which was nice. I did have some water retention and my feet swelled more than they ever had in pregnancy but it went away in 2 days. All my cravings were instantly gone which was kind of nice. I could finally think about something productive instead of ice cream every night. Although I still like milk, I'm not guzzling it like a baby calf.
What helped me the most (with the entire experience really) was setting very VERY realistic expectations for myself. I knew the worst, hoped for the best and capitalized on what came. Everyone's experience is going to be different and I've learned to not compare your experience to anyone else's. It does no good. I think whatever we experience in this life has reason and purpose behind it.
I'm currently sitting here at 3 weeks since giving birth and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm so grateful for all the help and encouragement I've had. Breastfeeding is going well, my body is healing well and I've so happy to be home with my sweet babe. Everyday isn't perfect, I have my ups and downs as I try to figure out how to raise a human. I pray A LOT but I'm so happy to be a momma to Brooks!
Rest of the Hospital Stay
Generally speaking the rest of our hospital stay went pretty smoothly. Brooks passed his jaundice test, hearing test, congenital heart test (along with some other conditions), PKU test, pediatric appointment at the hospital, he was circumcised, was breastfeeding pretty well and left the hospital at a weight of 8 lbs 1 oz. (this is normal, newborns loose weight pretty quickly I'm assuming because they're not constantly nourished by the placenta anymore). But regardless of that the nurses still had to put him in size 1 diapers! At his first appointment with the pediatrician, 3 days after birth he was 8 lbs 7 oz. Then he had a weight check 6 days after birth and he surpassed his birth weight at a whopping 8 lbs 14 oz. His doctor was amazed and told me to keep it up! They usually expect newborns to surpass their birth weight within 1-2 weeks. Brooks did it in 6 days. That's almost a half pound in just three days!
I want to add a snippet about the hospital itself- I loved it! I delivered at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Alliance and was very impressed with everything. Maybe all hospitals are like this? I don't know, I don't frequent them. I could do everything I needed to from the remote. Change the room temp, order food, watch free (and actually good) movies, call the nurse, watch tv, turn the lights on and off. Maybe I'm just easily assumed? The food was good, they had complimentary food in the mini kitchen area for families during the night- it was all great.
This hospital is also very forward on breastfeeding, skin to skin right after birth and rooming in. Rooming in means that they have a nursery, but they don't use it (except for rare and extenuating circumstances). Mothers don't have the option of sending their baby to the nursery for a couple hours or for the night. I was totally fine with that because I was thinking, 'Might as well get used to real life!' I enjoyed having him in the room with me almost at all times except for a few procedures.
Like I said in the birth story post, the first night was quiet, we all slept.
We breastfed and did skin to skin as much as we could and I worked on getting up, moving around, cleaning up and learning to care for myself. Birth takes a lot out of you!
Every couple gets a congratulatory meal. I was surprised when I came out of the bathroom to see they brought a whole table! So nice! Made us feel like we were on a mini date.
The food was pretty good too! I mean the steak was less than desirable but for hospital food it was good! The shrimp was delicious!
The second night was not as peaceful (as my nurse warned me) but it wasn't terrible. You really can't blame babies who don't know the difference between night and day. Brooks and I were up from 1-5 am cluster feeding, diaper changing and just being awake. He wasn't crying but he wasn't sleeping. He slept that morning so I got a couple hours and napped through out the day.
Going home
My mom had flowers and chocolate waiting when we got home
Breastfeeding
Night 1: The initial feeding right after Brooks was born was a bit of a struggle to keep him awake and interested. Once he figured out this meant food he ate for a solid block of time. I was pretty nervous for breastfeeding because let's be honest, sounds like OW! Okay yes it hurt right off the bat because Brooks and I have never done this before, we're still getting the hang of it. I really don't think I have a high pain tolerance but the fact I was FEEDING my child- I didn't care about the pain. I had a huge goal for myself to make breastfeeding work for us if we could and I know that goal was driving me past the pain.
Day 2: I've been lucky enough not to experience cracked or bleeding nipples and I think the reason why is that I was using some sort of nipple cream right away after every feeding. I know some moms will experience that no matter what, but for me the cream really helped. I bought Lansinoh lanolin but the hospital provided Medela lanolin so I just used theirs until I got home. Medela smells weird but it worked. So I started using this before they were constantly sore from being munched on and I think this really helped soothe them between feedings.
Like I said the second night was probably when it hurt the most. I just distracted myself, grit my teeth and asked for help. That is HUGE and probably my #1 advice- ask for help. I had a great nurse that night who came in and helped Brooks and me improve our latch and technique. There was also a lactation consultant whom I could call on as well but the nurse helped us just fine.
Week 1: The hardest thing about the first week home is the engorgement when my milk came in. My milk came in 3-4ish days after he was born. At first I wasn't sure if this was it but then I woke up the next morning and had no doubts. It's like getting a breast enhancement overnight. It was painful but more like an annoying painful for about 2.5-3 days- I pumped a tiny bit to take the edge off, and kept breast feeding on demand. Once my milk calmed down and started to regulate itself, it was much more comfortable.
I would say after a solid week of Brooks being born was the time when I hardly felt any pain while breastfeeding. I say hardly because I still feel a 'pins and needles' right when he latches on but it goes away in 15 seconds or less. That's either how I feel the let down, Brooks getting adjusted or both.
I did get a clogged duct this week which felt similar to engorgement. You can tell because after baby eats on one side and drains the breast, I still had a lump that was warm and painful. It was caused probably from sleeping on my stomach but there's other causes too. I didn't want this to turn into mastitis so I did everything I could to solve it on it's own. I always fed Brooks on that side first to try to get it to drain, while he fed I messaged the lump. That night I put a warm compress on it for an hour. The next morning I took a hot shower and by noon, after feeding Brooks a couple times, it resolved.
Week 2: Everything seems to be back to normal (at least a new normal). My milk production has regulated itself and Brooks is eating very well. I still feel the pins and needles at first but the rest of breastfeeding is painless. I've seem to find the positions I like and I'm learning how to read all of Brooks' feeding cues. I know not all moms want to breastfeed or have the chance to breastfeed- I'm glad I could accomplish my goal but I believe as long as baby is fed, baby is fed!
My must haves for breast feeding are:
Nipple cream - I like Lasinoh the best
Boppy - Love the support it gives me while feeding and it give my arms a break! Especially at night!
Nursing pads - I started putting these in my bra as a precaution although I didn't feel like I was leaking. You don't feel it, it just happens so wear them. I have disposables which work great but I love the washable ones I was gifted the most.
Nursing bra - It's so hard to try to shop for these beforehand because you don't know size until after your milk comes in therefore my favorite has been this one I found at Target.
My Recovery
HOSPITAL
I'm a blog reader. You can imagine I read LOTS and LOTS of blogs about recovery. I said I was pretty nervous for breastfeeding but after birth I was most nervous for postpartum recovery. I expected the worst and hoped for the best. Not everyone's the same but here's my experience.
My first trip to the restroom with my nurse was about 2 hours after Brooks was born. She helped me stand up, walk and sit. They put a little hat in the toilet because they like to measure your bowel movements and watch for any clots. She showed me the peri bottle (it's like a homemade bidet effect), mesh underwear, pads & ice packs and how to use them. It took a second for my body to remember how to expel urine after not needing to all day with a catheter, just took some relaxing. The most pain I felt at this point was the pinched nerve (or whatever it was) in my back/ rib area from the epidural. People told me to prepare for a lot of blood and I think I was over prepared so I wasn't shocked or horrified.
We went to our recovery room and of course moving had to be gentle. My body just completed a huge task! Everything was slow and steady. It definitely took effort and I felt some pain but I did pretty good. The next hurdle I had was in the middle of the night I was awoken by the feeling that I needed to use the restroom. We're talking #2 here and from what I read some people have the worst experience going their first time after birth. I called the nurse and asked her for some guidance. She helped me up to the bathroom and told me not to push, just let it come out. She was going to sit there and wait with me... but it's like I got a little camera shy, thanked her and let her know I'd call her if I needed help. For another human being to offer to wait around while I pooped is beyond me, nurses are ANGELS. Well after she left I had no issues, was just like any other bowel movement.
The next morning I started to feel the soreness set in. Surprisingly the muscles that were the most sore were my biceps! No, not from holding the baby. It was from grabbing my legs while pushing. I was bearing down so hard I didn't realize I was flexing my arms so much! I got better at moving and Dan and I even walked a couple laps around the ward while they took Brooks to do a blood draw.
My OB came in the next morning to check on me, see what I wanted for pain management at home and I took the opportunity to ask her, 'What do I need to take with me?' I wasn't sure what I could and couldn't, should and shouldn't take in regards to my recovery items, diapers, wipes etc. Her answer, 'Take it all!' She made a good point, they can't reuse any of it. 'Duh' I thought to myself. So my advice to you- take it all! Peri bottle, pads, tucks wipes & dermoplast spray (my nurse brought me these the morning after I gave birth, they are lifesavers!), bed protectors (absorbent and liquid proof sheets they put under you in case of leakage I definitely wanted them so I could protect our sheets/mattress at home too!), diapers, wipes, nipple cream and the hospital even gave us a Halo swaddle sack (which is da best!)
HOME
I made a trip to Target at about 36 weeks pregnant to purchase all the postpartum and recovery items I felt I'd need. I made my shopping list based on suggested items from friends and ideas on pinterest.
I bought:
Dermoplast
TUCKS
Maxi Pads (the BIGGEST and LONGEST I could find)
Granny panties
The hospital gave me their versions of all of these things, plus ice packs which was awesome! I was totally stocked up. I used and needed all these items and they worked great for me. Plus being prescribed some medicine to take the edge off was very helpful as well.
At the 2 week mark I felt like I was at 90%. Very mild pain from stitches still healing, some lingering lower back pain from the epidural and minimal bleeding/spotting. Out of the total 35 lbs I gained during my pregnancy, I've lost 28. I think the rest is in my thighs, hips and butt which I'll probably have to work off because my pre pregnancy pants definitely do not fit!
Of course hormones will make your emotions all over the place and I've learned I shouldn't even try to hold it back. I've cried a lot the first two weeks but it wasn't always because I was feeling sad. It was usually when I was over tired and needed a nap. Or I saw a touching commercial. Or I thought about how much I love my baby. And honestly sometimes I had no idea why I was crying, but that's ok! It's going to take some time for your body to get back to normal so just embrace the emotions. Side note: Baby blues and postpartum depression are very real and very human to experience. It doesn't make you a bad mom or a bad person if you experience these things. I recommend learning about them so you can watch for signs and symptoms. Talk with your spouse about them before hand, know who you can call and ask for help if you need it.
Although I was sore it was amazing the night and day difference from being over 40 weeks pregnant to not being pregnant- all the pressure on my joints, body and back were instantly gone. I could breathe again and easily get comfortable. The relief was pretty instant which was nice. I did have some water retention and my feet swelled more than they ever had in pregnancy but it went away in 2 days. All my cravings were instantly gone which was kind of nice. I could finally think about something productive instead of ice cream every night. Although I still like milk, I'm not guzzling it like a baby calf.
2 days after giving birth
3 days after giving birth
4 days after giving birth
1 week after giving birth
3 weeks postpartum
I'm currently sitting here at 3 weeks since giving birth and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm so grateful for all the help and encouragement I've had. Breastfeeding is going well, my body is healing well and I've so happy to be home with my sweet babe. Everyday isn't perfect, I have my ups and downs as I try to figure out how to raise a human. I pray A LOT but I'm so happy to be a momma to Brooks!
Today I mailed a baby gift for Brooks and we hope it arrives on Saturday or Monday. I hope that you are keeping all of these blogs on paper somewhere for yourself and for future reference!! Your lives have changed and it only gets more fun the longer you go!! We love y'all!!!
ReplyDeleteYes we got the baby gift and love it so much! Thank you!! And yes, my mom prints the blog in a book every year for my birthday :)
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