Anyone else in the dark about postpartum recovery??

Question

I gave birth vaginally to my first baby over 5 weeks ago and I am SO surprised at how little I knew about my own recovery! I had a first degree tear which isn't that bad, but I'm just so disappointed in how I went to my doctor for my whole pregnancy and nothing was ever mentioned about how I take care of myself or anything to look out for or really just a heads up of what's to come. I even took a 10 week birth class that didn't even touch up on this subject but we talked about pretty much everything else. When my doctor came into my room to talk to me before they released me the day we left (which he didn't end up delivering my baby because he was off that day😡) it was basically like "alright you have stitches in your vagina but I'll see you in 6 weeks bye." I was just so shocked. I would have never known how to take care of myself if I didn't just copy what the nurses did for me in the hospital. 
And then the day after we got home, my boobs got so engorged I didn't know what to do other than google remedies on making it better! (Thank God for google) But honestly, no where and no one tells you anything about what to expect. And I know we all get caught up in our pregnancy and what's normal or how the baby is growing and all that and don't even think about what to expect after they're born which I know that's what I did! I've just been so irritated with this since I got home so I needed to rant lol but anyone else feel the same??

Answer

Yup! I could go through 5 more labours and it still wouldn't compare to postpartum. I had a little more support because I had midwives so they visited me every two days up until 2 weeks then every two weeks till 6 weeks

Answer

I tore and needed stitches. I'm healed now, but was I supposed to do something special for the stitches?
I basically Pinterest everything and I asked for witch hazel, numbing spray, and a squirt bottle. They gave me mesh undies and the pads. Also, they gave me these huge adult wipes (that they had warmed, ah I was in heaven!) But I mainly used the squirt bottle and wipes at the hospital. When I got home, I traded the awful pads for depends (I bled heavily), and eventually for just some big overnight pads with wings.
Was there something I was supposed to do specifically?

Answer

I had a fourth degree tear and episiotomy. I was shocked when my dr said he'd see me in 6 weeks. He gave me really good advice and everything too, However,  my nurses were great. They explained everything! They told me how to take care of my stitches,  my emgorgement and how to dry my milk (I formula feed), they double and triple checked I understood about my medicine.

Answer

I knew from sex ed that you could rip which scared me. My nurses basically told me. It was semi covered in one of my hospital classes

Anyone else in the dark about postpartum recovery??

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