When you’re pregnant, people constantly warn you about pregnancy, and the labor and delivery process. They tell you about the sciatic nerve pain, the pressure on the bladder, the constant bathroom trips during pregnancy and warn you about the pain and length of labor.
What they DON’T tell you about is the postpartum period. Recovering from labor and delivery wasn’t easy for me. In fact, I’m still recovering. Having the epidural meant I lost feeling in the lower half of my body and, though the feeling was mostly back by the time I had delivered Lucy and been cleaned up, the nurses still wouldn’t let me out of bed on my own. That coupled with the fact that I got really dizzy when I stood up concerned them, so every trip I made to the bathroom that first day was in the company of at least one nurse. They wouldn’t leave me in there by myself, so they would sit on the edge of the bathtub and watch me as I tried to go to the bathroom. I’m a very private person, so that was really difficult for me. I was REALLY happy to get my solo bathroom privileges back.
I ended up with a 2nd degree tear and had no idea how bad it actually was because the epidural made my delivery pain-free. I couldn’t really sit for a week or so after the delivery. The two days I spent in the hospital were miserable. I had to make sure to lay on my side to alleviate some of the discomfort. I used a lot of ice diapers, which REALLY helped. Even after going home, though, it hurt to sit, which is one reason we stayed home for Thanksgiving.
I have also been really, really tired since giving birth. That’s the part I’m having the hardest time recovering from. My mom said a lot of it is from the fact that my body went through a lot to give birth, but I think my iron deficiency has something to do with it too. They said I lost a lot of blood during the delivery, so I’m on iron supplements at least until my 6-week postpartum appointment. Plus, the arthritis makes me tired. So, all three combined pretty much has turned me into a zombie.
Other things I didn’t know:
So, there it is: information for all of you out there who are pregnant. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 😉
What about the issues for the husband? Missing football games, hunger, loss of sleep, not to mention hospital food. It’s tough on us too!
🙂
So proud of you honey. You made it all look easy.
Oh, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with all this. But I know it will get better soon! Thanks for sharing the honest details with us.
Right…you who ate breakfast and lunch, and took a nap during the labor! 🙂
Joe – I know you’re joking around, but… you have no idea what your poor wife went through. Actually, I think you do know since you obviously love her so much! But even so, you really have no idea!
Cady – Hang in there. I felt the same way that you do. I actually LOVE being pregnant, but HATE the six weeks after delivery. It was so unbelievably hard after Ava. Hemroids & being tired & I bled for 6 weeks after each delivery. But you’ll make it through & Lucy will start sleeping all night & you’ll forget it was ever this difficult.
I’m glad that you posted about this, because yes, postpartum recovery IS something that not many people talk about. I figured that I would bleed after having Lucas, but I had no idea *how* much and for *how* long! I, too, felt dizzy after having both children. With Luke, I ate a muffin and then got up to throw the paper away, and I suddenly felt lightheaded ~ like I was going to pass out. I had to lie down immediately, and I took a nap ~ which helped. But OMG, I was *so* scared! I thought that maybe something was seriously wrong! But I guess it was all the blood loss. I felt kind of spacey head-wise after Meredith’s birth, but it wasn’t as bad as Lucas’s.