Hey guys, Sarah here. Let’s talk about a few things that no one seems to talk about after having a baby. I’m not talking about the not sleeping and every baby is different things, I’m talking about things that as a new mom what our bodies go through and how you feel in the 4th Trimester. Now not everyone’s postpartum experiences will be the same, so what surprised you the most in early postpartum or even years postpartum? For me these five things were very surprising post baby #1 and some of them have gotten easier after baby #3. But some of them have also stayed the same and continued to surprise me after each baby. The top 5 things that no one talks about post-partum for me is:
Postpartum sweats: that time when you are sleeping and wake up soaking wet and sweating through clothes having to change several times a night sometimes. Man, those night sweats are no joke. Thanks HORMONES.
Painful Uterine Contractions: OMG y'all these contractions postpartum when trying to breastfeed are just as painful as the contractions during birth. You think after the baby is born the pain and contractions stop but no, however those contractions are good contractions and training your uterus to return to its normal size again. But wow they are painful.
The Bathroom Scaries: Going to the bathroom, yes I’m talking about #2, will never be the same. Especially those first few weeks the fear of pain and discomfort is a thing. Take those stool softeners for as long as you need.
Breastfeeding is hard y'all: I cried for months with my first because I was determined to breastfeed her (which I did for 15 months) but the pain and tears I went through...not so sure if it was worth it or not. Yes breastfeeding is great for your baby but honestly FED is best. Now, I will say the second and third time around breastfeeding it has gotten easier each time.
Nighttime Scaries and Anxiety: the sun goes down and you turn into a different person with rage and anxiety going into the night because you never knew what the night would entail. How feedings would go or if they would go back to sleep. Things haven’t changed with baby #3 unfortunately, the nighttime scaries are still a thing. If mama doesn’t get her sleep she can be a little scary. The hormones and rage are real sometimes letting my not so fine moments shine through.
Postpartum is forever you guys, not just for a few weeks. Some of these things above can go on until you stop breastfeeding or get your hormones under control which can be months or even years. Even two years postpartum and I was still having PP Anxiety and PP Rage especially at night. And you know, the saying that you will never sleep again once you have kids is a true statement. Because even with our oldest being 5 she has bad nightmares and is up almost every night still. So check in on your postpartum mamas in the early weeks but also check in on them months/years out because hormones are crazy and everyone has different postpartum symptoms. What are some of you all’s experiences in the 4th trimester and later that no one ever told you or talked about. Let us know! We would love to hear your stories and comments to educate other moms post baby.
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