What I wish someone had told me about postpartum
I feel like there are several things people just don't mention to women about their PP recovery (at least things that weren't shared with me) so I thought I would compile a few that I would have found helpful, just in case it would help another FTM!
-Your pelvic floor muscles will be super weak for awhile. Like, not able to stop your pee mid-stream weak. Don't panic, the muscle tone will come back. Just do some kegals as you think about it.
-5-10 days after you have your baby you will pass a clot the size of a damn grapefruit. That is the "scab" from where the placenta was attached. You're not dying, it's normal. (*This doesn't happen to everyone. If you are passing tons of big clots, bleeding like crazy again, or just get worried call your doctor!)
-You will simultaneously feel like the most powerful and most fragile thing on the planet.
-You might not get that rush of love everyone talks about when you see your baby, and that's okay. You might not feel that "bond" everyone talks about for days or even weeks afterward. This is also okay. As long as you aren't slipping into PP depression, give yourself a chance to get to know the baby. You are getting to know a whole new person, after all. You aren't broken. Sometimes your brain takes a bit to catch up with your instincts.
-Sometimes newborns/infants sound sleep so noisily you think they are surely choking/dying some horrible death. They probably are fine, but you will worry like crazy anyway.
-LIBERALLY COCONUT/OLIVE/CASTOR OIL THEIR ENTIRE BUTTS WHILE THEY ARE PASSING MECONIUM. You will thank me when you don't practically need a Brillo pad to scrub tar off your newborn's backside at 2 in the morning.
-Newborns are weird. Don't blame yourself. Blame them. They won't even know or care! Don't beat yourself up about things... blame them for being little freaks. (But do try not to resent them.)
-You WILL love them fiercely in your own way. Don't freak out if it isn't the Facebook/Pinterest/tumblr post about "Mothers Love" kind of love.
This is all I can think of right now and my 4 week old is yelling for me. Good luck, ladies, and remember. It's only temporary!!
Feel free to add anything you want to the comments. Let's help our fellow first timers out! ❤️
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