What to expect after birth

Question

Currently 36 weeks , what should I expect after birth ?  What will Body changes be like ? 
Pain ?
Bleeding ? If so how long ?
Do the stretch marks look worse or better ?
 First couple days meeting the baby ? How is it ? 
Any advice will help ! I’m a younger mom and I have questions.

Answer

What I wish I knew--How hard it would be to get out of bed. Your abs don't work, your legs are sore af, and your baby will want you to somehow get out of bed every hour. It took my body over 2 months before I could get out of bed pain free. Good luck!

Answer

While breastfeeding the first few days, it can feel like you’re about to have diarrhea since it stimulates your uterus to contract. No one told me that and I rushed to the bathroom the first couple times.

Answer

Also, I tore with first and the pain wasn’t bad after but the itching as the stitches healed was terrible.

Answer

A lot of the experience is different depending on whether you have a vaginal birth or C section, but some things I would feel are important to tell anyone are:
The biggest, strangest sensation for me was how deflated I felt after giving birth. Your stomach doesn't snap back, you feel emptied and it can really contribute to the dissociation you have that can become post-partum depression. It's normal to feel "wrong" after your body has such an abrupt and massive change. For me it took weeks for this to go away!
I also didn't have that wonderful magical connection with my baby, it took time to build.
You don't poop for a few days after giving birth! And they always ask you if you're farting because if you aren't passing gas it's a sign that something's amiss.
Lastly, I would opt for just wearing adult diapers for the first 2 weeks rather than pads. A lot of people recommend witch hazel and aloe gel to soothe but I found it was giving me irritation and could have led to an infection, so I resorted to sticking my pads and stuff in the freezer before I put a new one on lol. It genuinely helped 😭

Answer

For me I have 2 babies...I had no pain after honestly.  Baby 1 had some discomfort with stitches but only if I twisted weird or took like a huge step that pulled on them. That was only for a 5ish days though then felt normal. Baby 1 bleed for about 8 days. Baby 2 bleed for 3ish weeks. In both cases bleeding was only heavy for 4 or 5 days then like a light period. Take stool softeners just incase sonit makes post birth poos easier. I did get some hemorrhoids with both so had tucks pads and preparation H ahead of time.to be prepared. Stretch marks looks better in some areas almost right after my belly after baby 2 I look like a tiger still (I amn6 weeks pp now) but known they fade with time. And honestly I could care less about them...they don't bother me. I loved both my kids more than I could have thought possible from the second their little faces hit the outside world but I didn't have an instant bond with them. I mean I carried them but really they are a little tiny stranger that depends on you so did take a few weeks to get that bond just because I got.to know them. It is weird when you think about it...you go into labor just you and a possible partner then they hand you a human you've never met and you are 100% responsibe for it in every way and you just take it home. It is a big change haha. But I loved both and would have killed to protect them from the very 1st nanosecond. Newborn stage can be tough but listen to your gut and enjoy those newborn times. They are only a newborn for the smallest of time and it goes so insanely fast. Savor every cuddle and change because it is amazing...even when you are bone tired haha. Have things like mylicon drops, first aid stuff and a few things of formula even if you are nursing just incase so if need be at 3am you have what you need. Good luck and enjoy it.

What to expect after birth

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