Despite my shock and horror at the sheer insanity of the birthing process, I will say that creating another human life is truly a thing of awe. And that’s a big admonition for someone who has never subscribed to the whole “baby fever” thing, or who doesn’t actually like kids. I mean, to be perfectly honest, I only like mine about half the time. But all joking aside, there are some serious things happening to our bodies, psyche and environment that isn’t readily discussed during the first week after giving birth; which brings me to my handy little list: 5 things they DON’T tell you about the first week with baby.
1. You will feel like you’ve been hit by a bus. The pain whether from a vaginal birth or C-section is fresh. There’s swelling, bruising and it’s painful to walk, sit, move. I’m telling you, it’s not fun. My best advice is, get help. If you’re like me and a single-mom, phone a friend. Ask a neighbor, my landlady (who lived upstairs) was wonderful. She came down to hold baby while I took a shower and brought a couple of meals down when she could. Prep cook and freeze your meals before going into hospital. This should be a part of your baby prep. Make enough for the first week because, the last thing you want to do after birthing is slave away over a hot stove!
2. Sleep is officially a thing of the past. No seriously, it is. It’s over. Gone. Done, dusted. They may tell you that you’re going to be doing night-feedings every two-to-three hours, but they don’t tell you that those also include night-puking, night-screaming and night-pooing, otherwise known as night-changing. Welcome to your new life. If you’re like me and have ten million things to do during the day (I was taking an accelerated degree program and completing courses online at the time) so I couldn’t “nap when baby naps” as people would tell me, try to co-sleep. This makes waking, feeding, changing and going back to sleep a smoother, easier task(s) if baby is in bed with you. It also helps to forget the beastly hours of waking when you’re cuddling your new little bundle.
3. Breastfeeding is rocket-science. I’m not joking. They should actually have classes for this. Perhaps a PhD program? Because it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to learn. They say, “it’s natural and instinctive.” Bullsh%*t! It took me 18 hours a day for six weeks straight to figure it out. Now, you may be a mom that just “got it”, all the power to you sister. But for the rest of us, the struggle is real. Please be patient but persistent. I tried the fenugreek remedy to bring up my milk, used a breast pump and had to supplement with formula. The fenugreek and pumping combination worked for me, but it took time. In the meantime, do whatever you can to feed your little one and don’t beat yourself up. It will happen, and if it doesn’t; that’s OK too!I know moms who couldn't breastfeed for one reason or another and their little ones are just as happy and healthy as ever.
4. Your stomach will still look pregnant. Can I insert a sad-face emoji here? ☹ Yes. This is yet another sacrifice we make as women, our bodies. I honestly don’t know if my stomach will ever look like it did pre-baby, but hey, we did just create another human life. I’m still struggling with the baby gut more than a year later, so don’t stress in your first week. The body needs to heal first, help it by feeding it nutritious food, keep on taking your prenatal vitamins and drink lots of water! Some moms can snap back into shape fairly quickly, some -like me, take time. Everybody’s different, so listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs. And remember, dieting is not recommended while breastfeeding, but that doesn't mean that you can gorge on crap either. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of whole foods: fresh fruit, veggies and don't forget lean protein and healthy fats like seeds, nuts and avocado. NOTE: Everything that you eat is transferred into your breast milk!
5. It’s terrifying.
The whole experience is about as scary as it gets. I’ve got to honor all the women that have done it, and are doing it because what happens before, during and after a birth is really the stuff horror movies should be made of. I’m picturing the scene in The Shining here, you know the one (with all the blood gushing through the doors). That’s actually your vagina now…and it lasts for about six-eight weeks…ugh. You’ve also got this tiny, little human that is completely (and solely -if you’re a single mom) dependent on you for everything to keep it alive. Your emotions are all over the place. (I think I ate about 20 chocolate bars just to find balance in that first week.) But here’s the thing, we do it. And we get through it. People say it gets easier and it really does. Take it easy on yourself and take time to celebrate what you’ve created. It’s amazing! And remember: Mama, you got this.
What do think of my Five things? Are they helpful? Please like and share this post if you found it useful!
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I am a proud mother of an adventurous, intelligent, spirited little girl. Some have told me that one of her is equivalent to five kids! I 'm also completing my degree in Professional Communications, so needless to say, I've got my hands full. I'm learning as I go, testing and researching things from discipline to allergy control to cooking healthy,enticing meals for picky eaters by talking to mommy friends, joining groups and reading as much as I can. I'm sharing all this new found knowledge on this Mommy blog. Stay tuned!
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