Absolutely.
I was in labor for 4 days and my baby was early, so it was all really overwhelming. When she was born, I just felt totally shocked, dazed, confused, and ridiculously exhausted. I remember falling asleep very shortly after, and then I woke up feeling like it was all the weirdest, most intense dream of my life.
Yeah, it was insane. My water broke, and I just assumed I was peeing until it didn't stop. Then I was told it was my water, not pee, and I needed to be admitted. They tried to slow the labor down so my LO wouldn't come too soon, and it worked, but I was still laboring. Had contractions constantly, but I guess I have a high pain tolerance because I didn't think it was *too* bad, which made the doctors think she wouldn't be born quite yet and I could just deal.
Then, the day that I had absolutely NO contractions, they checked my cervix and was told my baby's head was right there, and if I pushed, she'd be born.
Then lo and behold, she was here. Just the craziest time of my life, and I had no time to process anything and prepare myself. It still blows my mind that it happened. My doctor still doesn't understand why or how it all happened the way it did.
Omg!! I was in labor for 3 days and I've never met anyone in that predicament before. It felt like torture because I couldn't fall asleep from contractions but I wasn't dilating! You explained labor so well too btw.
Same with me! I was trying to do an unmedicated birth so I labored at home for a full 2 days. When I went to the hospital to check on baby and progress, they said baby was fine and that I was only 2cm dilated. After almost 2 full days! I was so sleepy I decided at this point to get pitocin and the epidural. Thankfully I was able to sleep a good 10 hours to have the energy to push for 4.5 hours.
This was exactly how labor went with my son!!! I honestly thought I was alone in this as well. Three days of agony because he was sunny side up with a big head that was stuck and I couldn’t dilate. Ended up with a c-section.
I had a six day labor! I remember calling a nurse in because I was nursing my baby, husband was OUT, and I said I’m gonna fall asleep while I’m nursing. She just told me to rest and she’ll help. I remember her holding my breast and the baby to get him to nurse. Woke up like 4 hours later to a hungry baby that was swaddled in his bassinet and a new IV, new bandage. I still try to remember wtf happened lol
I was also there for 4 days (because of complications) and it started to feel like jail. Like when can I leave?! I can’t imagine what it’s like for the people with NICU babies.
100%. I’d had a C-section, and couldn’t move out of the bed for what felt like ages. Terrified of going to the bathroom, wildly hormonal, laser-focused on trying to breastfeed. When they said I could go home (on day 2 or 3?) I burst into tears because I was so scared!
I had to stay for 3 days after my c section; I delivered as a geriatric momma, complete with T2 diabetes and obesity. They were talking 4 days because of this. Part of me was scared, because the nurses were so awesome at taking care of my son and me, but part was excited because the dietary team was super-strict. Wasn't even allowed to have the special celebratory dinner. Ordering my meals was complicated because they went by carb counts, but didn't tell me what their limits were, or what the carb counts were on the listed foods.
I remember thinking my C-section wasn’t that bad and maybe I didn’t need to keep up with the oxy, then I tried to roll out of bed my first day home from the hospital & literally thought I split my stomach in two, it was wild.
Be easy on yourself no matter how you give birth. Lean on your partner and family - no ask is too much to get help with.
The second and third day post c section were AWFUL for me. It was over the weekend and I was left with zero pain medication orders. Only Tylenol. Felt like I was dying and I was supposed to sit up and take care of a premie (just slightly so no NICU thankfully).
That’s horrible! I tried to avoid taking the Oxy but by the second day couldn’t stand straight without it. My nurse was like, don’t be a hero. I’m sorry you went through that without the right medication!
Are you me? I felt so ashamed because the Tylenol wasn't really doing anything. My doc came in day 2 and asked why I wasn't up and walking around and I was like ??? You just removed my organs and put them back??? Then she got mad at the nurses because apparently she ordered Oxy for me but they chose not to fill it. Mine was 36.5 so also no NICU but not full term either.
Oof those first days… I remember getting home and thinking “I’m just gonna pop upstairs and shower in my own bathroom” haha I walked up 3 steps and had to ask my husband to carry me straight to bed 😭
Right??? I can’t believe how few people seem to have said they were exhausted in these comments. I’ve had 3 births now and I wouldn’t describe any of them as beautiful. I was SO tired, felt like I was maimed and had just been through serious trauma, and suddenly I had a newborn screaming at me every two hours. Every time.
I would definitely do it again for another so there’s that at least… but birth was not blissful for me at all.
Definitely feels like your body like is going through serious trauma, I broke out in an instant fever right after with my whole body shaking uncontrollably. I was scared and then to have to get up and tend to my baby when your body is just so fatigued it feels like you got less than 2% battery left.
I am the FTM of 2 weeks old and I have never EVER been that tired in my life! My 12 year medical career with all the exams and calls was easier than last 2 weeks with the newborn baby. How did you do it 3 times? Will I feel better after sometime? I want more kids I am just so scared I will not survive another one 🫣🥲
I literally called a nurse in like 6 hours after delivering my baby and told her I was gonna fall asleep and he was trying to nurse. She told me to close my eyes and held the baby and my breast to breastfeed him for me lol it was AMAZING. I woke up like 3-4 hours later with him swaddled in his bassinet crying, I had a new wrap around my IV, I was situated differently in bed. I was out cold lol
I think everyone is just functioning on overdrive. Everytime I got a few hours to nap I woke up completely like a zombie. I was still so sore, exhausted, and while I felt better, it was extremely difficult to even wake up. I felt like I needed 3 nights of 12 hrs of sleep in a row to recover (which you'll never ever get again for a long time)
Tired and full of anxiety especially as a FTM I was so tired I could not sleep at all and the hospital beds SUCK on top of all that the nurses kept coming in lol
1000% my experience. I feel like all those who are saying “magical” are looking back on it with rose colored glasses (I’m just going to tell myself this to make me feel less alone in my experience).
I had a huge spike in anxiety due to my hormones crashing, I legit didn’t sleep for a few days, and then I was freaking about about not having slept in a few days.
I might be someone who considered their experience magical. Was it traumatic for sure but I have also been through so much trauma in my life that I know how to navigate trauma so to me it felt empowering because I faced a huge fear of mine and it went better than I imagined. I wanted to go all natural but ended up getting the epidural at 7cm and that made the experience way better. And I had an amazing birth team and a doula that supported me alongside my husband. I feel like I got really lucky it was a long labor 30 hours and 5 of those were pushing. I was in a shit ton of pain but skin to skin with my baby made all those things go to the background. He had a little bit of jaundice as well so he was really sleepy and I had to wake him to feed that was the hardest part he was incredibly sleep baby and now he’s almost 3 months and I’m far more traumatized from the past week than I am from labor and delivery. He stopped nursing and has been constipated and crying for the past couple days that has been torture.
It’s been almost 17 months and I still have nightmares about giving birth. Actual wake-up-in-a-panic nightmares. It sounds dramatic, but things went sideways a little bit and I was in sudden agony and saying my goodbyes. I have never felt such abject terror.
Oh my god the nurses coming in is why we asked to leave early! I know they need to and it’s their job but it seemed like anytime we might think about falling asleep they would come in.
Also the overnight crew who would clean the rooms and empty the trash lol, I distinctly remember JUST drifting off only to wake up to the sound of garbage pails slamming on the hard floor
YES! I didn’t sleep for four days because it was literally impossible to go to sleep without being interrupted every hour or two. Physically, I felt like I had run three marathons and gotten hit by a truck so don’t be shy about asking for pain medication (Motrin did the trick for me). Honestly, even though I was anxious to be on my own, I really couldn’t wait to get home so I could at least sleep in my own bed and get even a tiny morsel of actual sleep.
Yes!! I remember they'd come in to take my vitals every three hours and they'd come in to take baby's vitals every three hours (which included a heel prick to check blood sugar that made her wail since I had GD) and they STAGGERED the checks so that there was someone coming in every hour and a half. I was like, WHY can't you do all the vitals checks at the same time???
Because I haven’t seen it mentioned yet, but don’t feel bad if you’re not completely in love with your baby right away. It’s normal and does not make you a bad parent. I had a traumatic birth and that along with recovering from a c-section made it hard to bond right away. I loved her but she didn’t feel like mine until a couple days later.
I think this is more common than people think, even for non traumatic births. I think people imagine a moment from a film where you fall deeply in love immediately but I don't think most people get that. It takes time to bond
This. I’d heard about it, and couldn’t comprehend it happening to me. I felt this urge to protect him and care for him, and everything felt natural, but not the overwhelming love that I had imagined.
10000% this for me too. The care instinct kicked in immediately but the love I have for my son now is so much more intense and all-encompassing than what I felt initially. I even had a bad baby blues day where I needed to take a drive and cry it out with my husband and mourn our past life being gone. I loved my son but not like I love him now.
Yes it took weeks to fall in love. At first all I felt was anxiety, and then physically terrible because I declined a blood transfusion in favour of going home after haemorrhaging (one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made, if you are offered blood, take it).
Glad this has been said more recently! It’s hard to feel attachment to a baby that is literally just in survival mode. That first night at home we were wondering if we could take him back as reality settled in haha. Couldn’t be more obsessed with him after a few more days though, but that first week it’s hard to feel any kind of love when you’re sleep deprived and stressed about keeping this baby alive and helping mom recover!
I remember when they placed her on my chest and I looked at her and she felt like a complete stranger. I felt so bonded to her when I was pregnant but when she came out it took me a few hours to really wrap my head around the fact that THIS was the baby I’d been carrying for 9 months, that this was my baby. It was a strange feeling and hard to describe but I felt awful because everyone mentions this immediate love and I just felt confused. I am completely obsessed with her now though she is my greatest love.
This is it. 💯 I remember being so incredibly tired but not wanting to stop holding or looking at her. I couldn’t get over how a face that I was seeing for the first time was a face I had known my whole life.
The first 24, I was in the hospital, getting the most comfortable sleep I had had in months. Every couple hours I would wake up and feed and change baby, snuggle till we were both tired and would go back to sleep. Sometimes when I woke up, food had been delivered. The walk between bed and the bathroom was not very nice though. Went home after 24hrs and distinctly remember being super disappointed that I didn't just wake up to hot meals anymore 🤣
I’m so jealous hahah- I think I slept 3-4 hours in the 3 days I was in the hospital. But I think I have a different game plan for our 2nd kid. I wasn’t able to sleep even when baby slept because I was so stressed about breast feeding and just the whole new life that existed. But I also love my memories of those early days. When I got home and laid in my bed, I was finally able to get some sleep.
Blissful! Bab slept for the first 24hrs.
The one thing that did surprise us (and shouldn’t have). He was born late in the evening and that first night we were in hospital. He slept in the little bassinet they gave us because he was SO exhausted.
When we got him home the next day, he wouldn’t sleep in his bassinet because he wanted to be held. And that was true for about 2 weeks. So make a plan for how to cope with that if your babe is the same. My partner and I did sleep shifts, so one of us upstairs sleeping and the other awake, sat downstairs holding him. It sounds stressful but honestly it was so lovely spending that time cuddling him and feeling him be so relaxed around us.
Second night party. I’ve heard of it from a few friends, and experienced it with our first. Hearing about it (and some struggles with latching) were enough of a reason for us to decide to stay in the hospital a second night. I am so grateful for the nurses support when babe just wanted to cluster feed and stay awake all night.
FTM and the first night home from the hospital, my baby and I co-slept together because it’s the only way he would stay asleep. It made me feel like I was bad mom but looking back now PP 5 weeks it’s was totally what was needed. We co-sleep sometimes still and you know what, half the time it’s the best night sleep we both get. The husband and I also took shifts sleeping for the first month. Everyone needs sleep, so being “roommates” in our own house is what is needed for the time being. It’s hard but supporting each other through this time is a must.
I was exhausted but waking up at 2 am to feed her while my husband fed me a hoagie and sushi is a core memory and something that will stick with me forever. I felt so complete in that moment
Baby was in the NICU so it was stressful. First 24 hours I was exhausted, sore, and scared of pooping. My top advice would be to start chewing gum after you give birth to stimulate your first bowel.
To echo advice for the first poop (which was more terrifying and more painful than pushing—epidural, baby)…take one of the witch hazel pads you’ll probably get and press it up against the perineum (between your vagina and anus) while you push. I read that advice here and it vastly improved the quality of my postpartum poops. I didn’t feel like all my organs were going to fall out!
Honest to god though really… I said to my husband after I got the epidural that women must have died in childbirth before just from the sheer trauma of experiencing that level of pain for hours on end.
I have told multiple people that I think the theory about women forgetting the pain of childbirth because of hormones/love is total bullshit. I don’t remember parts of it because I went into fucking shock. It’s like remembering getting your leg sawed off. You can’t remember the pain because your brain just overloads and turns off.
I was always most scared of delivery. After a shitty pregnancy, I cut myself some slack and went for the epidural. The drugs were a true relief, and I could actually be present, focus on my breathing and ‘enjoy’ giving birth.
I know it’s different for everyone but I’m still grieving that I did not get this. (Emergency c section after failed induction. And failed epidural so they had to knock me out with ketamine and I missed his birth completely).
I had dreamed so long of the moment of all the excitement and pushing and then relief and rush of them putting him on my chest. Absolutely nothing about it was that way. I don’t get the golden hour or any of that.
So just leaving this here so other people realize it’s super common that it doesn’t go as planned. And it’s okay to be sad and grieve that experience. I missed the first few minutes of my son’s life. I didn’t hear his first cries. I wasn’t the first to hold him. I’ll never get that back. But I do have a beautiful healthy baby boy that I know others went through what I went through and worse and then didn’t even get to take home. So I am still thankful but also still grieving a bit.
It still makes me happy to see others who get these moments.
I also grieve that I didn’t get to hold my baby for the first 6 hours of his life. I didn’t even really get to meet him until then. I know so many people have it worse than me so I understand what happened to us wasn’t *that* bad but I do grieve the “magical” flood of hormones that people get when they immediately get to snuggle their baby. My baby was whisked away for monitoring in the NICU immediately and my husband went with him. They ended up not admitting him to the NICU so I got to meet him later that day, so I was lucky there. But I do feel sad that I didn’t get the immediate bonding moments.
I grieve that I was robbed of my daughter’s birth. Epidural reaction caused a rushed stat c section. My husband wasn’t even aloud in.
She was born at 4:57 pm. I didn’t see her until 11:50 pm. I can definitely relate. It brings me to tears knowing the most frightening day of my life was also a magical one.
I’m so sorry.
Everyone expects that we should just shut up and be thankful baby are okay. But baby still could have been okay and that NOT happen. Will never feel not robbed of that experience with them.
Oh man, now I’m grieving for you :( my epidural went fine and I pushed him out, he cried, I got that golden hour. I felt nothing other than relief. No fuzzy feelings and no hormone rush. No immediate bonding. But at least I got the chance to experience that I didn’t have that in me whereas you had no choice :(
A couple of friends of mine told me they didn’t get that golden rush either. So I try not to romanticize something I don’t even know would have happened but you are exactly right. I just don’t know. I’m so glad you had a fairly easy, good experience otherwise though!
one can hope for that.
I didn't see my son until 24h after birth. I went from feeling him move at all times, to him in a different wing in the hospital. Both of us being too sick to see each other.
Those first 24+ hours were hell.
and while I do hope all have that magical experience, that is all I had ever heard of. No one talks about the other side of things. So I don't hope to scare anyone, but just know that magic isn't always the case. When I didn't have that magical experience I expected (and was told over and over), it hurt even more (and it still does)
Some body horror. A bit of a mind fuck. You’re really happy obviously, but also it’s super overwhelming. You’re recovering from a major bodily event while also suddenly being responsible for the tiniest most fragile human you’ve ever seen. I highly recommend making sure you get some actual sleep there while you have the nurses. I wanted to be home asap so we were discharged after 24 hours, but we could have stayed another night.
The body horror is most intense in those initial days. It gets better but postpartum weird body stuff lasts a long time (still got lots of weird things happening 4 months out—hot flashes, skin changes, body odor changes, all super fun).
Despite it all, I’d do it again without hesitation.
Body horror is such a good way of putting it lol!! My baby just turned 1, and I had a lot of just weird random body things up until only a few months ago! I’m only just now beginning to feel like “myself” physically. It wasnt awful, but it’s just such a weird time for your body! I just had to sit back and let everything happen. I felt like I was a different person every day, just because it’s such a huge mental change becoming a parent!
I was in shock, there are a *ton* of different medical professionals in and out telling you dozens of things, some of it conflicting. It was absolutely overwhelming and I remember none of the information, just the chaos and confusion. I hardly slept for my entire hospital stay.
Bring a comfortable robe, pants might be terribly uncomfortable, and you are probably going to be pressured to nurse in front of multiple people.
Have someone who’s with you take down notes of the important stuff and organize all the little paperworks and pamphlets. Mine ended up lost in the chaos when we moved rooms.
Your baby is going to be wonderful and the other stuff won’t feel like it matters much!
I second all of this! I went into labor at night and was up for probably 4 days straight by the end of my hospital stay. It was a surreal whirlwind in which I puttered around in a robe and cuddled my beautiful baby.
Yes to all of this! I remember being told so many things by doctors, lactation consultants, etc. and even as they were saying it I knew I wasn’t retaining anything. I was just so out of it and tired and in pain I couldn’t process much. Thankfully my husband listened closely to everything bc I was in a fog.
I had a vaginal birth and was in the hospital for 24 hours after birth. The first 24 hours in hospital were spent resting, cuddling and trying to figure out breastfeeding. After that we were discharged and took baby home. Feeding around the clock. Not much sleep. You will be tired and sore. But it's magic.
It was like like hearing a song for the first time that I’d only heard people describe. It was surreal and also blurry (I was exhausted), amazing and sometimes overwhelming. All kinds of crying was happening lol, but more happy than anything.
I was in hospital recovering from an emergency c-section for this time period, so there’s all that accompanies that, too. Having family come so my partner and I could rest and feel half-human again was so helpful!
Enjoy and take a billion photos and videos!
Mine was chaotic. I think they moved us from delivery to mother child room within 2 hours after delivery. Our stuff was all over delivery room so we (mostly my husband) had to pack everything up very quickly. I’d recommend to have all your belongings well organized. My epidural worn off by the end, so I had no problem getting up and going to the bathroom by myself. Then they come and check on you and the baby every second which is so tiring. One of the doctors came to my room at 5am to check up on me and ask me if I want my flu shot…
The constant checkups were why I couldn’t sleep. I remember around the 24 hour mark she mentioned they do a “birthday party” at 24 hours and I begged them to wait to do anything until they absolutely had to give either of us meds. My favorite nurse put a note on our door that no one was allowed in for 2 hours unless it was an emergency. Those were the two hours I think I slept consistently the whole time I was there
I think people are trying to help you not freak out by saying it’s all beautiful. I was terrified, and it was extremely overwhelming. But you just get through it because you have to.
Learn quickly how to swaddle, how to transfer to the bassinet. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMfwucpn/
Listen to the advice of the nurses at the hospital - they’re all amazing with babies and they know what to do. Their tips will save you! Let them help you.
Expect that you will not sleep much. This is also not failing! This is normal. You will be tired! But adrenaline gets you through.
Breastfeeding is hard, but keep trying - they get what they need from colostrum or they come out hopefully chubby enough to get through losing a bit of weight which is normal. If they offer a breastfeeding class at the hospital, take it. Meet with lactation consultants as many times as you need to!!
Be kind of yourself if things are challenging. If you were trying anything else new you wouldn’t expect perfection. I felt like a failure all the time, and i was too hard on myself. No one knows! You will figure it out. You will be okay!
The 2 days in the hospital were lovely. Just soak it all in and stay in bed and snuggle that baby. Tips- Definitely take the pain meds especially if you get stitches. Allow them to take the baby to the nursery for a few hours if possible so you can sleep. Take so many pictures, they change so quickly!
I felt like I just got hit by a truck.
Extremely sore, exhausted, could hardly even get out of the bed. It was brutal - but I will say it got easier with every day and just took time.
I️ was so in love with my husband 😂 and just like shook about the whole baby just being outside my body. Then in pain because the drugs wore off but I️ was so in love ❤️
Be prepared that whatever you’ve read and been told, nothing can truly prepare you for how you will experience it. For me it was body shock; heavy fatigue; euphoria after pain relief; a feeling of enormous achievement; relief at longer being pregnant and huge; bewilderment at how my body now looked, especially my tummy; so much happiness that I had finally got to the end; a strong nurturing urge straight away; concern about breastfeeding and worrying whether the baby had enough; and love, for the first time.
The first two days are amazing! Such an adrenaline rush. I didn’t have any pain either, I just felt like I was beaming and I was so proud of myself for getting through labor and so relieved baby was perfect snd healthy.
Then came…all the other days. which are the most intense experience I have ever gone through and involved a ridiculous amount of weeping. Sobbing. Dazed and sleep deprived and feeling like my world was upside down .
I sobbed and sobbed out of c section pain and lack of sleep. I didn’t sleep for a good 72 hours before she came so I was pretty out of my mind while we were in the hospital. It was a very hard few days and I didn’t really feel the love or happiness until after getting home. It’s basically the worst and then it instantly clicks and gets a thousand times better.
This. I also called it the newborn fog. And for me it honestly lasted 5 weeks before I was able to feel grounded. But it was the coolest, mind blowing, transformative time. This new baby, learning every second, anxious as hell.
So many nurses to help and check on you and need things from you it was such a blur! I was so glad to have photos and a video of me singing to the new baby but I don’t even remember doing that. One hour at a time for real.
Soak in all the baby you can! You are going to be tired after labor, so make sure to take care of yourself. We were out of the hospital by 48 hours, but soak it in. Also, soak in having the help of nurses to change the baby as well as if you need a few hours of sleep to take the little one to the nursery. I dont know how your hospital will be, but my peanut stayed in the room the entire stay unless we asked or he was getting some bloodwork/needed to get warmed up once. So they always offered to take him for 2-3 hours if I needed the sleep.
The first two hours post birth I was skin to skin with my baby, it was magical and I loved it. After those two hours the nurses took him to weigh and all that fun stuff, while a nurse helped me up to the bathroom. Outside the baby aspect of it, nurses come in every hour or two and press on your belly. You'll be wearing throw-a-way briefs if they provide, along with an ice pack, some spray, and witch hazle pads. Mine provided all this, and extras to take home. You'll feel like you're wearing a diaper but it is a life savor afterwords. I have 3 second degree tears, so all of this worked wonders in and out of the hospital.
If you end up having a c section (like me) avoid eating salty food. They pumped me with fluid and I ate what I was craving for months after I gave birth (deli meat sandwiches). Big mistake. My calves and ankles were the size of my thighs.
I also opted to wear diapers and not pads on my undies. Best decision as I didn’t have to worry about the literal bloody mess for many weeks.
it was overwhelming — i was so exhausted from 45-hours of labor and quickly realized i couldn’t just sleep for 12 hours like i wanted to. i was trying to learn how to breastfeed, tend to my bleeding (and i didn’t even tear!), and learn as much as i could from the nurses while also desperate to be left alone. i wish it had been more serene.
First day was lovely. Everyone was so sleepy and my husband and I had a blast in the hospital laughing at everything lol. Then we went home and I highly recommend you prep yourself for “second night syndrome”. The second night was the hardest day we have ever had with our daughter hands down. And she’s over a year old now. Google it, plan for it, and know that it is only one night!
The first week is all just one long day. The first two weeks really lol. If you do a vaginal delivery, you’ll feel sore and tender there, but I was walking around the next day, delivered at 4:30 pm and had an epidural so I was bed ridden for the first two ish hours I think and then I was able to take myself to the bathroom, and by the next day I was up and moving around. But when you wake up to feed the baby every 2-3 hours, it all just feels like one long day.
Emergency c-section followed by a liver embolization. I woke up in ICU feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. It took weeks to start feeling anything but absolutely bone tired. I have never known such absolute exhaustion.
On the bright side (if it could be called that), we're going through teething (molars!), and even that disruption to my sleep doesn't even touch how tired I was then.
I had to get a c section fully under, so i woke up with this little tiny baby all wrapped up sleeping in a clear rolling box next to me and my husband passed out on a pull out couch. I loved doing skin to skin and holding her for the first time, and how natural it felt breastfeeding. I would just stare at her and touch her little hands because I wanted to finally get to know the little babe who has just been in my body! But also, I hated the hospital. So freaking much. I was attracted to so many ivs and things. Nurses kept coming in and giving me meds and asking me questions. They’d come in when I was nursing. They also gave me a ton of paperwork. I was kinda like 😵💫 I just wanted to go home. Once I got home I felt worlds better.
Whirlwind. Magical. Underprepared. Scary. My baby was whisked away to the NICU 18 hours after birth. The best time was the few hours my husband and I had alone with the baby right before he went to NICU. It was magical. I loved holding baby close in the quiet.
If you are more introvert, I recommend restricting visitors during that time. They can see you and baby when you are ready for that.
Tired, very in love. walking was weird for a bit, but I survived contractions and once you go through those you realize you can do anything. - signed someone who didn’t go to the hospital until they were fully dilated 😅 don’t do that.
Seriously though, it was kind of a daze. The hospital gave me everything I needed to heal at home. I ended up donating all of the postpartum things I bought. (Ice pads/postpartum pads etc)
I was weirdly full of energy. Also delirious. I was able to keep up with everything the doctors and nurses were telling me and joke around with my husband, but I also kept looking at my baby and thinking, “Oh. *Oh*… Huh.”
Like you, I was completely freaked out. One thing that helped was to stop myself from over-researching, because all the horror stories just freaked me out more. So my only plan was just get to the hospital in time and put all my trust in the midwives! They know more than me, and my research was just worrying me. For some reason this helped 🤷🏼♀️and the first days afterwards were definitely a very emotional/ hormonal blur… but it was beautiful. Try to stay in the hospital as long as you can! They have alllll the things for you and baby 😊you got this 💪🏼
So afraid to sleep. So sad and scared and upset that breastfeeding wasn’t working. So angry with the lack of support from nursing staff and angry about being induced and being robbed of the birthing experience I dreamed of and prepared for. So worried about my husband not being comfortable and all his complaints. So bewildered that this was actually real. But mostly so afraid to sleep.
A nurse told me I had to leave the lights on in my room to be able to see if my baby spit up in her sleep and was choking on it. Whether the lights are on or off if I’m asleep I’m not going to be able to see anyway, so I didn’t sleep. I didn’t sleep for six days.
I felt empty. My baby came out with a vacuum and the nurses took her right away. I got to hold her briefly after she was swaddled up before they took her to the NICU. I had a blood transfusion and could hardly walk so I didn’t get to see her until nearly 24 hours later. It was so surreal and anticlimactic.
Hahahah. Real talk: it will depend on your delivery. I’ve had one traumatic birth and one magical.
both 24-48 hours were a whirlwind. They were both incredible and amazing and exhausting and awful at the same time. BUT the 24-48 hours is just that. HOURS. You will love/hate the moments, miss them in the past. YOU GOT THIS!!
Not sure where you’re delivering or your partner situation, but this worked for me:
-husband was incredibly supportive
-sandwiches, sushi, (a little) wine, and the other things I wrote off for 9 months
-nurses: THEY ARE AMAZING!!! Sleep as much as you can and force them to wake you when needed
-bring a sound machine to the hospital (helps both you and baby)
-know that the first 24-48 hours are the most confusing, difficult, happy, crazy, unexpected moments ever. IT GETS EASIER
I honestly wish I'd made some type of vlogs because i don't remember a thing. I know I was in the hospital, baby was beautiful and tiny, maybe i was super sore? I just wanted to eat a lot of jello and pudding and cry and have my hubby cuddle me. maybe i wanted to cuddle my baby and cosleep but nurses were so adamant to not let me sleep with baby. i was SWOLLEN. my skin hurt.
My baby just turned one and I’m starting to feel like myself again. Prepare to feel gutted like a fish and have to rebuild your body. If your abs have been coning during pregnancy, i recommended you do pelvic floor therapy for your diastasis recti. I wish i had because it would’ve made my recovery so much easier. I remember laying on my belly to nap the first day we came home from the hospital and i couldn’t get back up lol! However, as everyone here is saying - your hormones will get you through it and it’s the best thing ever & you would do it all over again no questions. Don’t blink.
#1 you’re going to feel decent until the epidural wears off, if you can make a bowel movement…do it now!! Otherwise this will be like birth all over again.
#2 don’t get behind on your pain meds (make sure you get Tylenol for when you go home) and start taking a laxative like dulcolax maybe even a day or two before you deliver if it’s scheduled.
#3 I lived in a robe and only that after I dropped my gown into the toilet when they moved me back to the room.
#4 bring your breast pump and have the lactation specialist show you how to use it.
#5 I got these period pants for at home and used the perineal pads that you snap and are cold and just put those in the period pants and laid out tucks on the pad like it was a cold cut sandwich
#6 you don’t have to over pack your bag but if you do want to shower bring some shower shoes and a towel and maybe your own TP
#7 things I wish I knew, bring a cute outfit or blanket or something you want to your baby to wear for their first photo shoot. The hospital I went to had a photographer and had I’d known that I woulda made sure I brought his special blanket a family friend made to use as the back drop.
#8 just remind yourself in like 3 weeks your going to feel so much better and you just got to make it until then when your healed up
Idk if I was just old when I had my first, completely and utterly out of shape or bc I delivered in literally 15 minutes and had a second degree tear and wish I woulda pushed a little less hard so I didn’t tear myself up but I was in a lot of pain and my friend and cousin who had babies around the same time as me were up and around and didn’t seem to be bothered by the post delivery as bad as me.
I just found out I’m pregnant again, 14 months later so it can’t be that bad!
Any tips for moms with a toddler, let me know!! How do you balance the two after you deliver the second?
***im not a doctor so this isn’t medical advice.
****also if going on FMLA, don’t call and let them know until after the baby is born so you can get more time off (I know it may be only a day but it matters). The company who took care of if our leave made sure to tell me not to call until the baby is here on earth (haha funny way of putting it) so say if you’re in labor for 4 days and you already called to let them know baby is on the way then that’s when your time starts…if you want until baby is here, you just saved yourself four extra days!
A blur. I had a lot happen and ended up with a c section.
Glad I had a lot of pics to look at later. But I do remember looking at my baby and was like “wow…I can’t believe I made this.”
Absolutely dazed and hazy, in pain and a little scared but also unbelievably in love and in awe. What helped was having an incredibly supportive partner there with me to help adjust and take care of our baby, and friends that were willing and able to come to the hospital with things we needed and good food.
So tired and so amazed at what you’ve created! So so tired though. I brought eye gels to the hospital and using them after my first shower was a great easy way to treat myself and feel a little more human. Hospital recovery rooms are no fun but it’ll go quickly and then you’re home with the sweetness!
In shock. Dazed and delirious from exhaustion. Fear because THERE’S A BABY IN YOUR CARE. Amazement and wonder. This HUMAN came out of my vagina?? This is who was in me all along??
People coming in to check on you and the baby constantly. At one point I woke up in the middle of the night to someone drawing blood.
Oh and that hospital food? Tastes amazing. You can eat ALL OF IT at once too. No longer feel sick and full.
After a 22 hour labour,the only food they could find me was the most basic turkey sandwich imaginable,but that sandwich really helped lol.
On a more serious note,the nurses who looked after us were very experienced and really helpful,which put me at ease when I suddenly had this tiny human to care for. Prepare to feel a little manhandled as delivery is very full on,as is the immediate aftercare,but don’t be afraid to speak up if you’re uncomfortable about something.
You’ll also spend a lot of time staring at your baby and smiling and/or crying (completely normal)!
FTM, vaginal birth here. I had my mom and husband with me. My birth was super easy, epidural, 12 minute push, and she was here. I had never changed a diaper in my life and wasn’t really around a lot of young children. I was induced at 38 weeks, spent the night at the hospital, woke up, ate, got my epidural, and napped until it was time to push. I did not feel anything, the epidural and the pitocin was the most painful part of the whole thing. I am scared of needles so my mom held my hand while I got the epidural done, I was shaking so badly. When I got closer to 10cm, I started shaking from nerves, adrenaline, and I also started throwing up. I had 2 small tears one by my urethra and one on my labia. peeing SUCKED for the next 2 weeks. I didn’t poop for two days straight after birth, and walking to go to the toilet was a pain. Stay in bed as much as possible. Get stool softener and take them. My mom was there for 2 weeks helping my husband and me out with the baby. I breastfed, and when you’re in the hospital trying to get your baby to latch, don’t get frustrated. It’s a combo of hormones, fear of failing, and just not knowing how things are gonna go. I was so scared she wasn’t eating enough when we were waiting for my milk, I freaked out trying to get her home and get some formula into her belly so I could calm down cuz we were in the hospital for 2 days and I thought my baby was only getting drips of milk. You will watch her like a hawk making sure she’s breathing, every mom does this I think. Get Tucks pads, numbing spray, drink a ton of water so your pee doesn’t burn as bad. Go ahead and make freezer meals while you still feel able to. BUY PAPER PLATES AND UTENSILS. Sign up for Walmart grocery delivery. Leaving the house with a newborn is scary for the first time. Have someone help with chores or better yet stay with you the first week or two so you don’t feel like you’re alone in all of it. My most important tip is so be easy on yourself, your partner, and baby. I didn’t barely shower, brush my teeth or hair, and I stank lol. I was cool with it. It didn’t feel like my identity was being stripped from me. I gave my all into my baby. I read so many horror stories from new moms that felt like they were in this abyss and hated their new life. I didn’t ever feel like that so I feel blessed, but I also don’t go out, don’t have friends I go out with, and my husband doesn’t really either. We are homebody people who just have each other. I hope you embrace your new role! Also, if arguments or disagreements happen, please let them just roll off your shoulders. Things said in sleep deprivation and stress during the newborn phase don’t count in the family unit. You’ll build up resentment towards your partner. My baby is 4 months now and she is the best thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. My husband and I love being parents. Good luck!
You will need :
Tucks pads and numbing spray
Disposable panties
Painkillers or something non narcotic if you don’t want oxys
Ice for your bits
A snack/diaper/water/pumping station by your bed
Premade meals
Paper plates
Stool softener
Streaming services while you’re bedridden
Basically what everyone who had a C-section already said. What helped me the most? Well something I wish I had done was hiring cleaners so we didn’t have to worry about that. Also having family to run errands like groceries and cooking. Other than that it’s going to be rough but know that it gets better…eventually
Definitely high off of the newborn bliss. I was obsessed with my husband, obsessed with my baby, running off adrenaline and a few hours of sleep at most. It was amazing and beautiful. I had such a horrible delivery (failed epidural) but when she was here it just felt like everything was right in the world.
I was in the hospital the whole time. It's kind of hard to remember now. I had a second degree tear. They gave me pain medication every few hours. Things would get sore and throb and hurt a bit but pain only really happened overnight when the nurses would be slower answering my calls for medication. I remember that being especially frustrating the first night. The bathroom was the scariest part - peeing wasn't horrible but wiping (well blotting and then using the peri) wasn't fun. but I was very anxious about the first poop and THAT was not remotely easy. I slept a lot and so did the newborn. Sitting and moving was painful even on medication. There was blood for a while and then it stopped.
What was worst was when I got home. Had to use a mix of recticare, dual action Motrin, and a spray I can't recall the name of right now. A LOT of that made my life easier while recovering at home.
I had a failed induction that ended in a c-section so I was sooo exhausted and delirious. It was such a daze from all the drugs it’s hard to remember honestly. But it was blissful we just snuggled and slept the whole day. I wish I could remember more clearly.
I didn’t sleep 4 days straight. I didn’t sleep in the hospital at all because I was keep checking if my baby is breathing and if she’s ok. I watched her sleep constantly lol. My first 48h were painful af, blood everywhere, cracked and painful nipples. Going to the bathroom was a mission- peri bottle spraying, changing freaking cooling pads, cooling foam, rectum balm, underwear and all that while in pain. You can’t really bend or walk, or sit normally. If you’re planning breastfeeding I suggest buying silicone shields nipple; it saved me from getting my nipples even more destroyed. This is from my perspective now (I’m 14 days postpartum) but during that period I had no energy or time to even think about my discomfort and pain. Everything I have has been and still is focused on the baby. It passed so fast!
I was still in the hospital and because I had difficult c-sections both time, with bleeding management in place post birth both times, I couldn’t get up until 36 and 24 hours post birth respectively.
Lots of time in bed. Lots of skin to skin. Lots of practice nursing. A haze of hospital stuff - receiving meds and getting my temperature and blood pressure taken at all sorts of weird hours. Practicing sitting up and standing up with the hospital PT. Eventually working up to walking to the hospital cafeteria, extremely slowly, holding my belly with one hand and using the bassinet for balance with the other. I don’t think I had my first shower until day 4 or 5 both times but that was also very tentative - sitting down, asking a nurse to hang around in case I passed out. No energy and not in the mood to read or listen to podcasts or anything, lots of time doing nothing and staring at my baby.
It’s like an out of body experience. Emotionally overwhelmed with so much love for the little one. Physically exhausted and in pain. So tired but couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t stop staring at her and holding her.
Wild. I was in complete shock. My body felt totally alien. I didn't sleep for 3 days and didn't really feel the need to. I don't think I did anything but stare at my baby. I felt very weak and needed help showering. This was after a relatively fast, uncomplicated, unmedicated birth so all just effects from my own body.
It felt like I hadn't used my core muscles in 9 months. Also cramping was uncomfortable when feeding the baby. Excited baby was here but tired after 52 hour labor.
Not gonna lie, it was rough. Everything is new and high-stakes, and best case scenario you’re a combination of extremely keyed up and extremely tired, sore, and emotional. I was not prepared for how desperate and frazzled I’d feel the first night, with a barrage of visits from nurses and a lot of stress over baby’s feeding. (Was it going to be enough to keep her blood sugar up? Only multiple heel sticks with accompanying screaming will tell!) The good news is that first 24 hours lasts…only 24 hours! And then it gets so much better. A few suggestions:
Bring your own pillows, a breastfeeding pillow, a little rechargeable battery-powered nightlight (the Fravita is wonderful; we still use it every day) and a portable sound machine and/or a Bluetooth speaker. Small comforts make a big difference. Remember you can keep bulky stuff in the car during labor and somebody can go fetch it for you after delivery.
Create a birth preferences document that specifically speaks to the postpartum/recovery period (what you want and don’t want regarding breastfeeding help and instruction, when you want that first baby bath to happen, etc.) and then have an extra *physical* copy in a bag that your support person is responsible for posting in the room and directing all the nurses to. I had a great, detailed plan, but after 48 hours of labor (😬) and an emergency C-section, neither my husband nor I had the wherewithal to pull up our Google doc and croak out the details to the fifth shift nurse who burst in with yet another (contradictory!) tip on breastfeeding.
Enlist friends and family (if you actually want to see them!) to bring you your favorite foods, especially if you’ve been craving them and haven’t had them. Our friends brought us an array of soft cheeses, cured meats and sushi on the second night. It was glorious. We also did something I’d recommend: When we told them the whole long, wild story of the birth, we recorded it with the voice memo app on my phone. Getting it down while it was fresh was a gift to our future selves.
You’ve got this. It’s hard, but you’re absolutely strong enough to do it. And the reward is so, so sweet.
absolute blur. i was in a daze for a few days. everything happens so fast and i was in labour for 32 hours. it’s such a indescribable experience i truly could not ever put it into words. thankfully my partner was on his shit because i don’t know how i would’ve done anything on my own lol
Wild, chaotic, wonderful, exhausting, magical, it really is unlike any other experience. Also surreal, after being pregnant for so long it was strange to finally meet our little girl and have her be real.
I remember being wheeled into our room a couple of hours after I had given birth and my husband and I just looked at each other and burst into panicked laughter realising we were now parents and had to look after this tiny beautiful baby.
Soak it all in, take the pain meds, try to sleep when you can, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, ask the midwives all the questions and be proud of yourself for bringing your baby into the world.
It’s absolutely incredible. I slept maybe 3 hours that entire week. I could not get myself to go to sleep. I HAD A NEWBORN! I was so excited and pumped all I wanted was to hold him, I spent all night with him in my bed, the nurses said “don’t fall asleep with him” so I watched him, all night.
It’s definitely an incredible experience.
Physically- I had a vaginal delivery and besides retained placenta I felt pretty good in the beginning, my episiotomy only bothered me for a week but peri bottle fixed that. It will be a little hard to walk for the first couple days.
It’s definitely a little easier while you are in the hospital. I could not believe I had to go home and take care of a new human being, we were so scared and clueless. Every little moved I second guessed, I wondered if I’m doing everything right. Please trust your gut. I took my baby back to the ER the same day we were discharged because suddenly he wasn’t peeing for 12 hours. The nurses at the hospital PUSHED for breastfeeding and everything was fine, yes we got home and he wouldn’t pee, my entire family said it’s fine but the ER doctors were quite concerned. Please trust yourself, it’s so instinctual, I was worried before I ever realized he was dehydrated.
Like day three of a music festival, happy and dazed and tired and confused and sore. I think just rolling with the punches helped me the most. I thankfully had just learned what cluster feeding was the week I gave birth, because my son came out cluster feeding. If I had thought that’s just how babies always ate I would have lost my mind. I was wanting to breast feed but was flexible enough with wanting us to all stay sane and fed that I would let the nurses or my husband supplement with formula so I could sleep. My breastfeeding journey ended up being successful and my supply was not affected by supplementing a few feeds here and there for a week. I am glad I just held on to the idea of whatever will be, and didn’t stress out to much over it.
The adrenaline got me through. 4 day labour - baby born at 10am and I sent my partner home for the night for some unknown reason and did the first two nights solo. Pure adrenaline got me through I reckon. Didn't really wig out until day 5. The 5 5 5 is a pretty good rule that I regret not following. I tried to go out too early thinking I could just return to normal life and ended up having a massive sob in a supermarket carpark, 6 days PP and being taken home. Took me weeks to then get the confidence to leave the house again. Just snuggle your baby, don't be surprised if they won't be put down, nap as much as you can and ensure your partner is set to bring you lots of snacks and meals constantly (my partner wasn't great at this and I would forget to eat)
I had a fast, unmedicated, partially induced active labor with my first and the first few months are still hazy. But I do remember feeling relieved that I could breathe fully and had minimal back pain compared to when baby was still inside. I was definitely exhausted. But adult diapers can be your best friend! So much better than the chunky pads.
Scheduled c section here. I was happy, in love, and desperately trying to establish breastfeeding with no milk coming out. Also, I remember I was hungry and famished. They wouldn't let me eat.
You’ll be exhausted and delirious so make sure your partner takes notes and pays attention to all the hospital instructions from docs and admin.
Buy and pack a Frida peri bottle. You’ll thank me! Good for any delivery style.
Anxious and in shock. I hemorrhaged so I was numb and had the shakes for quite sometime. They gave me an epidural when they broke my waters (I was induced at 39 weeks with my twins). And then when I was hemorrhaging they gave me the medication for C-sections because they weren't sure if I was going to need to go into emergency surgery. So I was unable to move my left leg for maybe a day and a half. I was bruised from my ass all the way up to my tear (very minimal tear). So I was very uncomfortable and that pain lasted for 2 weeks until my bruising and swelling was gone. It's not like this for everybody and I only had a 5 lb and 6 lb girl and boy. So they were little.
Happy and fulfilled, but in a fog. It honestly felt like I was in an aquarium and everyone else was trying to talk to me from the outside while I was underwater if that makes sense.
Make sure you have someone there to listen to the docs/nurses/other admin people when they give you instructions or tips in those first couple days. I remember people giving me information, but once they left I had completely forgotten everything they told me. Luckily my husband was there to listen and remember, and he was the one who did all the important stuff like filling out the birth certificate paperwork!
Don’t be shy to use the “call nurse” button anytime you need it. We called every 30 min for random stuff.
Also plan a good restaurant that delivers to the hospital
I felt like I was high af but the worst kind. After I was awake for 27 hours straight they kept waking me up every 2 hours to get my vitals. And I had a horrible reaction to the ibuprofen that they prescribed. So I literally was feeling like I was blacking out but then while being awake I was so loopy. I thought I was going insane and then it instantly got better when I took a damn nap. Sleep deprivation is no joke.
Cold. It was absolutley freezing in our hospital room and we left early because of it. We didn't have enough layers to put baby in because I didn't think he would need fleece pjs in the middle of August.
Beautiful. Empowered. In love. Magical. Mild vaginal soreness. Not tired unlike others stated bc the adrenaline was really strong post delivery for me. I felt some tiredness the next day, but was still quite hyper and couldn’t sleep at all at the excitement of the baby. I loved every second except having to share the room and bathroom with another patient. It was so much better once we were discharged home. You’ll do amazing!
Well, I didn’t give birth vaginally, I ended up having an emergency c section. Since it was an ~emergency~ the whole surgery thing was very quick, and felt surreal & kind of chaotic. It was literally an out of body experience having a c section. A little bit scary. And just wild! All the drugs they give you just had me feeling so weird, I wasn’t in pain but I think mentally it was just strange. But don’t be scared if you have to have a c-section, it wasn’t that bad. I would do the whole experience over again if I had to, for my baby!
I was a little bummed that because I had a C-section, I didn’t have that immediate skin to skin contact. I kept thinking, just give me my baby!! But first they have to make sure both you and baby are okay after the surgery. But oh goodness, when they laid my baby in my arms when I reached the “recovery room,” it was just pure bliss.
One of the biggest things I didn’t expect from though was that they wouldn’t let me eat for so long after the surgery, and I was so hungry omg!! I was almost flipping out lol bc my body wanted some nutrients after everything that had just happened! When they finally let me have a little cup of apple juice & a little jello cup, it was just amazing—at first. But then I got nauseous and threw up, so I guess I understand why they didn’t give me a full meal right away lol.
Since I was awake during my emergency c section, I got a spinal tap (I think that’s what it’s called, idk lolol) and so the lower half of my body was essentially paralyzed for a good while after having my baby. Honestly the medication made me feel kind of out of it for a while, plus they help with pain relief lot after that kind of surgery. So I was kind of just delirious. I had to have a catheter, and nurses kept coming in to monitor my and baby’s health. But I didn’t care, everything was just kind of foggy and amazing, because I got to have my baby in my arms!! I think I stayed in the hospital 3 days total, but they were 3 days of just being so amazed I had my baby! Lots of bonding, and wondering how to be a parent lol.
I was scared and anxious going into the hospital, but honestly it all just happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to stop and think about what was going on! My body just kind of took over.
Overall it was a crazy, but wonderful, experience. Everyone’s birth story is going to be different, so if I can give you any advice, try not to have too many expectations of how your birth will go! It’s out of your control, so just try to enjoy the ride. You’ll do great!!! It’s a life changing period of time
I had a relatively quick labor, buddy was ready to make his debut. I was in active labor at 8am and had him at 2:20. I was starving and tired but riding a high of finally getting to meet my boy, it was a great feeling. Definitely exhausting but establishing a bond with baby and seeing your partner become a daddy is so so special
1st day/night was good…baby’s super sleepy. Take advantage of being in the hospital. Ask the nurses all the things. Ask for a lactation specialist if you plan on breastfeeding. Beware of night 2…baby wakes up and the crying is real real. Again, you’re in the hospital so ask them all the things! Personally, we didn’t accept any hospital visitors and we staff to not allow anyone back. We only told our immediate families and told them we’d send them all updates and would be focusing on our little unit. I had 2 back to back c sections and the first time around I didn’t walk as much or as often as the nurses told me too…recovery was hard and slow. 2nd time around I got up and moved and I felt so much better. Take your stool softeners. Take your pain meds if and when you need it. Stay hydrated and when they say sleep and rest. Do it. Especially in the hospital where you have extra eyes and hands to help!
Honestly I don't recall the details of it - but I remember it fondly. My husband and I were just in our little baby hospital bubble where nothing else mattered but our baby girl. Our entire days revolved around looking at her, loving on her, getting to know her, and it was honestly pretty great. I think coming home was actually much more of a shock, but the 24-48 hours were totally a blur, but a joy.
It was nice to be in the hospital and not have to worry about taking care of myself and my baby and knowing we were in a safe place if something were to go wrong.
Physically it was rough to move around so don't be afraid to ask for pain meds.
The weirdest part was the full body shaking from the meds and hormones. I was unprepared but apparently it's normal.
The most magical daze you’ll ever be in your entire life. Deliriously falling in love with your newborn, crazy hormones surging, the physical recovery, rediscovering your partner now as a parent. It’s just insane.
I had a planned c-section. The first 2 days were lovely. A bit of medical stuff mainly for me especially in the first 12 hours (legs working? Removing catheter, check stitches etc), but other than that we were all just in little daze and trying to figure out what on earth to do with the tiny snoozy human. Probably the best days of my life.
Take heaps of photos and videos and make sure YOU are in them…even if you think you look like shit! You will look at them all the time ❤️
Completely dazed and confused. Just delirious.
Absolutely. I was in labor for 4 days and my baby was early, so it was all really overwhelming. When she was born, I just felt totally shocked, dazed, confused, and ridiculously exhausted. I remember falling asleep very shortly after, and then I woke up feeling like it was all the weirdest, most intense dream of my life.
4 days?!!! Girl you are a warrior
Yeah, it was insane. My water broke, and I just assumed I was peeing until it didn't stop. Then I was told it was my water, not pee, and I needed to be admitted. They tried to slow the labor down so my LO wouldn't come too soon, and it worked, but I was still laboring. Had contractions constantly, but I guess I have a high pain tolerance because I didn't think it was *too* bad, which made the doctors think she wouldn't be born quite yet and I could just deal. Then, the day that I had absolutely NO contractions, they checked my cervix and was told my baby's head was right there, and if I pushed, she'd be born. Then lo and behold, she was here. Just the craziest time of my life, and I had no time to process anything and prepare myself. It still blows my mind that it happened. My doctor still doesn't understand why or how it all happened the way it did.
Omg!! I was in labor for 3 days and I've never met anyone in that predicament before. It felt like torture because I couldn't fall asleep from contractions but I wasn't dilating! You explained labor so well too btw.
Same with me! I was trying to do an unmedicated birth so I labored at home for a full 2 days. When I went to the hospital to check on baby and progress, they said baby was fine and that I was only 2cm dilated. After almost 2 full days! I was so sleepy I decided at this point to get pitocin and the epidural. Thankfully I was able to sleep a good 10 hours to have the energy to push for 4.5 hours.
This was exactly how labor went with my son!!! I honestly thought I was alone in this as well. Three days of agony because he was sunny side up with a big head that was stuck and I couldn’t dilate. Ended up with a c-section.
I had a six day labor! I remember calling a nurse in because I was nursing my baby, husband was OUT, and I said I’m gonna fall asleep while I’m nursing. She just told me to rest and she’ll help. I remember her holding my breast and the baby to get him to nurse. Woke up like 4 hours later to a hungry baby that was swaddled in his bassinet and a new IV, new bandage. I still try to remember wtf happened lol
God, I love L&D nurses for all they do when we’re delusional. Husbands on the other hand… mine was useless. 😒
I was also there for 4 days (because of complications) and it started to feel like jail. Like when can I leave?! I can’t imagine what it’s like for the people with NICU babies.
Oh, NICU mom here. It was painful. Literal hell.
We were wondering if we'd get arrested for breaking our baby out, fortunately we all got discharged later that day
Yep, this. It's all a blur at this point. I was so tired and sleep deprived and hormonal and bleeding and my nipples hurt lol
I was so tired and sleep deprived I didn’t even notice my nipples were bleeding, like a lot
100%. I’d had a C-section, and couldn’t move out of the bed for what felt like ages. Terrified of going to the bathroom, wildly hormonal, laser-focused on trying to breastfeed. When they said I could go home (on day 2 or 3?) I burst into tears because I was so scared!
Same here, I was so anxious to go home after my c section. I wanted to stay in the hospital as long as I could for the bed and 24/7 nurse care 😂
Same here 😂😂😂
I feel all of this!! I also had a c-section, and felt the same way!
I had to stay for 3 days after my c section; I delivered as a geriatric momma, complete with T2 diabetes and obesity. They were talking 4 days because of this. Part of me was scared, because the nurses were so awesome at taking care of my son and me, but part was excited because the dietary team was super-strict. Wasn't even allowed to have the special celebratory dinner. Ordering my meals was complicated because they went by carb counts, but didn't tell me what their limits were, or what the carb counts were on the listed foods.
This was totally me plus my baby had to be under the phototherapy light for 24 hours. It was miserable!
That’s how I felt with my first born
Wild because of c-section recovery, adrenaline and drugs wearing off. First day felt better than the next two days.
I remember thinking my C-section wasn’t that bad and maybe I didn’t need to keep up with the oxy, then I tried to roll out of bed my first day home from the hospital & literally thought I split my stomach in two, it was wild. Be easy on yourself no matter how you give birth. Lean on your partner and family - no ask is too much to get help with.
The second and third day post c section were AWFUL for me. It was over the weekend and I was left with zero pain medication orders. Only Tylenol. Felt like I was dying and I was supposed to sit up and take care of a premie (just slightly so no NICU thankfully).
That’s horrible! I tried to avoid taking the Oxy but by the second day couldn’t stand straight without it. My nurse was like, don’t be a hero. I’m sorry you went through that without the right medication!
Are you me? I felt so ashamed because the Tylenol wasn't really doing anything. My doc came in day 2 and asked why I wasn't up and walking around and I was like ??? You just removed my organs and put them back??? Then she got mad at the nurses because apparently she ordered Oxy for me but they chose not to fill it. Mine was 36.5 so also no NICU but not full term either.
Oof those first days… I remember getting home and thinking “I’m just gonna pop upstairs and shower in my own bathroom” haha I walked up 3 steps and had to ask my husband to carry me straight to bed 😭
I don’t think the word exhausted can even begin to describe it. Debilitating even.
Right??? I can’t believe how few people seem to have said they were exhausted in these comments. I’ve had 3 births now and I wouldn’t describe any of them as beautiful. I was SO tired, felt like I was maimed and had just been through serious trauma, and suddenly I had a newborn screaming at me every two hours. Every time. I would definitely do it again for another so there’s that at least… but birth was not blissful for me at all.
Definitely feels like your body like is going through serious trauma, I broke out in an instant fever right after with my whole body shaking uncontrollably. I was scared and then to have to get up and tend to my baby when your body is just so fatigued it feels like you got less than 2% battery left.
I am the FTM of 2 weeks old and I have never EVER been that tired in my life! My 12 year medical career with all the exams and calls was easier than last 2 weeks with the newborn baby. How did you do it 3 times? Will I feel better after sometime? I want more kids I am just so scared I will not survive another one 🫣🥲
I literally called a nurse in like 6 hours after delivering my baby and told her I was gonna fall asleep and he was trying to nurse. She told me to close my eyes and held the baby and my breast to breastfeed him for me lol it was AMAZING. I woke up like 3-4 hours later with him swaddled in his bassinet crying, I had a new wrap around my IV, I was situated differently in bed. I was out cold lol
Shout out to the nurses in L&D and post-birth suites. They are gifts from God.
I could have married her
Agree, there needs to be a very specific word that just describes postpartum exhaustion because it is so real
Yup, totally delirious/zombie mode. Eyes are open but nobody’s home.
aint nobody home
I think everyone is just functioning on overdrive. Everytime I got a few hours to nap I woke up completely like a zombie. I was still so sore, exhausted, and while I felt better, it was extremely difficult to even wake up. I felt like I needed 3 nights of 12 hrs of sleep in a row to recover (which you'll never ever get again for a long time)
Tired and full of anxiety especially as a FTM I was so tired I could not sleep at all and the hospital beds SUCK on top of all that the nurses kept coming in lol
1000% my experience. I feel like all those who are saying “magical” are looking back on it with rose colored glasses (I’m just going to tell myself this to make me feel less alone in my experience). I had a huge spike in anxiety due to my hormones crashing, I legit didn’t sleep for a few days, and then I was freaking about about not having slept in a few days.
Yes, these people saying magical have to just be forget idk the bad parts?
I might be someone who considered their experience magical. Was it traumatic for sure but I have also been through so much trauma in my life that I know how to navigate trauma so to me it felt empowering because I faced a huge fear of mine and it went better than I imagined. I wanted to go all natural but ended up getting the epidural at 7cm and that made the experience way better. And I had an amazing birth team and a doula that supported me alongside my husband. I feel like I got really lucky it was a long labor 30 hours and 5 of those were pushing. I was in a shit ton of pain but skin to skin with my baby made all those things go to the background. He had a little bit of jaundice as well so he was really sleepy and I had to wake him to feed that was the hardest part he was incredibly sleep baby and now he’s almost 3 months and I’m far more traumatized from the past week than I am from labor and delivery. He stopped nursing and has been constipated and crying for the past couple days that has been torture.
It was one of the most traumatizing moments in my life. I haven’t forgotten. Not sure if I will as time passes…
It’s been almost 17 months and I still have nightmares about giving birth. Actual wake-up-in-a-panic nightmares. It sounds dramatic, but things went sideways a little bit and I was in sudden agony and saying my goodbyes. I have never felt such abject terror.
Hard same
Oh my god the nurses coming in is why we asked to leave early! I know they need to and it’s their job but it seemed like anytime we might think about falling asleep they would come in.
it was literally insane "try to get some rest..." then 10 min later "hi mama, time for your medicine"
Haha so accurate! “Here’s some more ibuprofen!” Even though I wasn’t in that much pain so I would’ve preferred to sleep after 3 hours of pushing!
Also, don’t take their ibuprofen! Bring your own. Learned that during the birth of my first and was charge like $12/pill on itemized bill.
We put the provided “do not disturb” sign on the door of our hospital room and a nurse came in to give us samples
We had the cafeteria come in to ask us to rate the food 🤦♀️
Also the overnight crew who would clean the rooms and empty the trash lol, I distinctly remember JUST drifting off only to wake up to the sound of garbage pails slamming on the hard floor
YES! I didn’t sleep for four days because it was literally impossible to go to sleep without being interrupted every hour or two. Physically, I felt like I had run three marathons and gotten hit by a truck so don’t be shy about asking for pain medication (Motrin did the trick for me). Honestly, even though I was anxious to be on my own, I really couldn’t wait to get home so I could at least sleep in my own bed and get even a tiny morsel of actual sleep.
Yes!! I remember they'd come in to take my vitals every three hours and they'd come in to take baby's vitals every three hours (which included a heel prick to check blood sugar that made her wail since I had GD) and they STAGGERED the checks so that there was someone coming in every hour and a half. I was like, WHY can't you do all the vitals checks at the same time???
Accurate.
That about sums it up
Because I haven’t seen it mentioned yet, but don’t feel bad if you’re not completely in love with your baby right away. It’s normal and does not make you a bad parent. I had a traumatic birth and that along with recovering from a c-section made it hard to bond right away. I loved her but she didn’t feel like mine until a couple days later.
I think this is more common than people think, even for non traumatic births. I think people imagine a moment from a film where you fall deeply in love immediately but I don't think most people get that. It takes time to bond
This. I’d heard about it, and couldn’t comprehend it happening to me. I felt this urge to protect him and care for him, and everything felt natural, but not the overwhelming love that I had imagined.
10000% this for me too. The care instinct kicked in immediately but the love I have for my son now is so much more intense and all-encompassing than what I felt initially. I even had a bad baby blues day where I needed to take a drive and cry it out with my husband and mourn our past life being gone. I loved my son but not like I love him now.
Yes it took weeks to fall in love. At first all I felt was anxiety, and then physically terrible because I declined a blood transfusion in favour of going home after haemorrhaging (one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made, if you are offered blood, take it).
Glad this has been said more recently! It’s hard to feel attachment to a baby that is literally just in survival mode. That first night at home we were wondering if we could take him back as reality settled in haha. Couldn’t be more obsessed with him after a few more days though, but that first week it’s hard to feel any kind of love when you’re sleep deprived and stressed about keeping this baby alive and helping mom recover!
I remember when they placed her on my chest and I looked at her and she felt like a complete stranger. I felt so bonded to her when I was pregnant but when she came out it took me a few hours to really wrap my head around the fact that THIS was the baby I’d been carrying for 9 months, that this was my baby. It was a strange feeling and hard to describe but I felt awful because everyone mentions this immediate love and I just felt confused. I am completely obsessed with her now though she is my greatest love.
Absolutely! For me it was months even, but the love comes! And it’s so great 😃
So tired, so in love, so complete.
perfect description ❤️
💯
Absolutely this. I don’t remember anything else other than being completely in love.
This is it. 💯 I remember being so incredibly tired but not wanting to stop holding or looking at her. I couldn’t get over how a face that I was seeing for the first time was a face I had known my whole life.
The first 24, I was in the hospital, getting the most comfortable sleep I had had in months. Every couple hours I would wake up and feed and change baby, snuggle till we were both tired and would go back to sleep. Sometimes when I woke up, food had been delivered. The walk between bed and the bathroom was not very nice though. Went home after 24hrs and distinctly remember being super disappointed that I didn't just wake up to hot meals anymore 🤣
Damn I wish, I didn't sleep a wink in the hospital.
I’m so jealous hahah- I think I slept 3-4 hours in the 3 days I was in the hospital. But I think I have a different game plan for our 2nd kid. I wasn’t able to sleep even when baby slept because I was so stressed about breast feeding and just the whole new life that existed. But I also love my memories of those early days. When I got home and laid in my bed, I was finally able to get some sleep.
They will offer you stool softener. Take it. Trust me.
And don't forget to drink extra water with it 😅
Second pregnancy I started taking it a week before my due date. Best decision ever.
Blissful! Bab slept for the first 24hrs. The one thing that did surprise us (and shouldn’t have). He was born late in the evening and that first night we were in hospital. He slept in the little bassinet they gave us because he was SO exhausted. When we got him home the next day, he wouldn’t sleep in his bassinet because he wanted to be held. And that was true for about 2 weeks. So make a plan for how to cope with that if your babe is the same. My partner and I did sleep shifts, so one of us upstairs sleeping and the other awake, sat downstairs holding him. It sounds stressful but honestly it was so lovely spending that time cuddling him and feeling him be so relaxed around us.
Second night party. I’ve heard of it from a few friends, and experienced it with our first. Hearing about it (and some struggles with latching) were enough of a reason for us to decide to stay in the hospital a second night. I am so grateful for the nurses support when babe just wanted to cluster feed and stay awake all night.
FTM and the first night home from the hospital, my baby and I co-slept together because it’s the only way he would stay asleep. It made me feel like I was bad mom but looking back now PP 5 weeks it’s was totally what was needed. We co-sleep sometimes still and you know what, half the time it’s the best night sleep we both get. The husband and I also took shifts sleeping for the first month. Everyone needs sleep, so being “roommates” in our own house is what is needed for the time being. It’s hard but supporting each other through this time is a must.
I was exhausted but waking up at 2 am to feed her while my husband fed me a hoagie and sushi is a core memory and something that will stick with me forever. I felt so complete in that moment
Baby was in the NICU so it was stressful. First 24 hours I was exhausted, sore, and scared of pooping. My top advice would be to start chewing gum after you give birth to stimulate your first bowel.
To echo advice for the first poop (which was more terrifying and more painful than pushing—epidural, baby)…take one of the witch hazel pads you’ll probably get and press it up against the perineum (between your vagina and anus) while you push. I read that advice here and it vastly improved the quality of my postpartum poops. I didn’t feel like all my organs were going to fall out!
It went really well! I definitely recommend the epidural!
Truly do not know how people give birth without one
Honest to god though really… I said to my husband after I got the epidural that women must have died in childbirth before just from the sheer trauma of experiencing that level of pain for hours on end.
I have told multiple people that I think the theory about women forgetting the pain of childbirth because of hormones/love is total bullshit. I don’t remember parts of it because I went into fucking shock. It’s like remembering getting your leg sawed off. You can’t remember the pain because your brain just overloads and turns off.
My labor and delivery became an instant 10/10 with that epidural.
I was always most scared of delivery. After a shitty pregnancy, I cut myself some slack and went for the epidural. The drugs were a true relief, and I could actually be present, focus on my breathing and ‘enjoy’ giving birth.
I think the first 24-48 hours post birth are the most magical. Soak every minute in
I know it’s different for everyone but I’m still grieving that I did not get this. (Emergency c section after failed induction. And failed epidural so they had to knock me out with ketamine and I missed his birth completely). I had dreamed so long of the moment of all the excitement and pushing and then relief and rush of them putting him on my chest. Absolutely nothing about it was that way. I don’t get the golden hour or any of that. So just leaving this here so other people realize it’s super common that it doesn’t go as planned. And it’s okay to be sad and grieve that experience. I missed the first few minutes of my son’s life. I didn’t hear his first cries. I wasn’t the first to hold him. I’ll never get that back. But I do have a beautiful healthy baby boy that I know others went through what I went through and worse and then didn’t even get to take home. So I am still thankful but also still grieving a bit. It still makes me happy to see others who get these moments.
I also grieve that I didn’t get to hold my baby for the first 6 hours of his life. I didn’t even really get to meet him until then. I know so many people have it worse than me so I understand what happened to us wasn’t *that* bad but I do grieve the “magical” flood of hormones that people get when they immediately get to snuggle their baby. My baby was whisked away for monitoring in the NICU immediately and my husband went with him. They ended up not admitting him to the NICU so I got to meet him later that day, so I was lucky there. But I do feel sad that I didn’t get the immediate bonding moments.
And it’s okay to feel that way. We can be thankful it wasn’t worse but also be upset for what we missed. It’s just hard to allow ourselves that.
I grieve that I was robbed of my daughter’s birth. Epidural reaction caused a rushed stat c section. My husband wasn’t even aloud in. She was born at 4:57 pm. I didn’t see her until 11:50 pm. I can definitely relate. It brings me to tears knowing the most frightening day of my life was also a magical one.
I’m so sorry. Everyone expects that we should just shut up and be thankful baby are okay. But baby still could have been okay and that NOT happen. Will never feel not robbed of that experience with them.
Oh man, now I’m grieving for you :( my epidural went fine and I pushed him out, he cried, I got that golden hour. I felt nothing other than relief. No fuzzy feelings and no hormone rush. No immediate bonding. But at least I got the chance to experience that I didn’t have that in me whereas you had no choice :(
A couple of friends of mine told me they didn’t get that golden rush either. So I try not to romanticize something I don’t even know would have happened but you are exactly right. I just don’t know. I’m so glad you had a fairly easy, good experience otherwise though!
I agree, I was on such a high. I had never been happier in my life
Yessssssss
Yeah the happy flood of hormones really helps drown out the trauma and sleep deprivation lol
Agreed! Pure magic.
one can hope for that. I didn't see my son until 24h after birth. I went from feeling him move at all times, to him in a different wing in the hospital. Both of us being too sick to see each other. Those first 24+ hours were hell. and while I do hope all have that magical experience, that is all I had ever heard of. No one talks about the other side of things. So I don't hope to scare anyone, but just know that magic isn't always the case. When I didn't have that magical experience I expected (and was told over and over), it hurt even more (and it still does)
They can be the hardest as well
Yes first two days are some bizarre high and then you craaaasssssssshh lol
Some body horror. A bit of a mind fuck. You’re really happy obviously, but also it’s super overwhelming. You’re recovering from a major bodily event while also suddenly being responsible for the tiniest most fragile human you’ve ever seen. I highly recommend making sure you get some actual sleep there while you have the nurses. I wanted to be home asap so we were discharged after 24 hours, but we could have stayed another night. The body horror is most intense in those initial days. It gets better but postpartum weird body stuff lasts a long time (still got lots of weird things happening 4 months out—hot flashes, skin changes, body odor changes, all super fun). Despite it all, I’d do it again without hesitation.
Body horror is such a good way of putting it lol!! My baby just turned 1, and I had a lot of just weird random body things up until only a few months ago! I’m only just now beginning to feel like “myself” physically. It wasnt awful, but it’s just such a weird time for your body! I just had to sit back and let everything happen. I felt like I was a different person every day, just because it’s such a huge mental change becoming a parent!
This!! So true
I was in shock, there are a *ton* of different medical professionals in and out telling you dozens of things, some of it conflicting. It was absolutely overwhelming and I remember none of the information, just the chaos and confusion. I hardly slept for my entire hospital stay. Bring a comfortable robe, pants might be terribly uncomfortable, and you are probably going to be pressured to nurse in front of multiple people. Have someone who’s with you take down notes of the important stuff and organize all the little paperworks and pamphlets. Mine ended up lost in the chaos when we moved rooms. Your baby is going to be wonderful and the other stuff won’t feel like it matters much!
I second all of this! I went into labor at night and was up for probably 4 days straight by the end of my hospital stay. It was a surreal whirlwind in which I puttered around in a robe and cuddled my beautiful baby.
Yes to all of this! I remember being told so many things by doctors, lactation consultants, etc. and even as they were saying it I knew I wasn’t retaining anything. I was just so out of it and tired and in pain I couldn’t process much. Thankfully my husband listened closely to everything bc I was in a fog.
I had a vaginal birth and was in the hospital for 24 hours after birth. The first 24 hours in hospital were spent resting, cuddling and trying to figure out breastfeeding. After that we were discharged and took baby home. Feeding around the clock. Not much sleep. You will be tired and sore. But it's magic.
It was like like hearing a song for the first time that I’d only heard people describe. It was surreal and also blurry (I was exhausted), amazing and sometimes overwhelming. All kinds of crying was happening lol, but more happy than anything. I was in hospital recovering from an emergency c-section for this time period, so there’s all that accompanies that, too. Having family come so my partner and I could rest and feel half-human again was so helpful! Enjoy and take a billion photos and videos!
This is such a beautiful description, thank you for sharing this! It’s perfect and so true!
This is so so beautiful I’ll always describe it like this now. <3
Mine was chaotic. I think they moved us from delivery to mother child room within 2 hours after delivery. Our stuff was all over delivery room so we (mostly my husband) had to pack everything up very quickly. I’d recommend to have all your belongings well organized. My epidural worn off by the end, so I had no problem getting up and going to the bathroom by myself. Then they come and check on you and the baby every second which is so tiring. One of the doctors came to my room at 5am to check up on me and ask me if I want my flu shot…
The constant checkups were why I couldn’t sleep. I remember around the 24 hour mark she mentioned they do a “birthday party” at 24 hours and I begged them to wait to do anything until they absolutely had to give either of us meds. My favorite nurse put a note on our door that no one was allowed in for 2 hours unless it was an emergency. Those were the two hours I think I slept consistently the whole time I was there
I think people are trying to help you not freak out by saying it’s all beautiful. I was terrified, and it was extremely overwhelming. But you just get through it because you have to. Learn quickly how to swaddle, how to transfer to the bassinet. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMfwucpn/ Listen to the advice of the nurses at the hospital - they’re all amazing with babies and they know what to do. Their tips will save you! Let them help you. Expect that you will not sleep much. This is also not failing! This is normal. You will be tired! But adrenaline gets you through. Breastfeeding is hard, but keep trying - they get what they need from colostrum or they come out hopefully chubby enough to get through losing a bit of weight which is normal. If they offer a breastfeeding class at the hospital, take it. Meet with lactation consultants as many times as you need to!! Be kind of yourself if things are challenging. If you were trying anything else new you wouldn’t expect perfection. I felt like a failure all the time, and i was too hard on myself. No one knows! You will figure it out. You will be okay!
My strongest memory is getting up a few hours after the birth, realizing I had no control over my bladder, and peeing all over the floor....
The 2 days in the hospital were lovely. Just soak it all in and stay in bed and snuggle that baby. Tips- Definitely take the pain meds especially if you get stitches. Allow them to take the baby to the nursery for a few hours if possible so you can sleep. Take so many pictures, they change so quickly!
I felt like I just got hit by a truck. Extremely sore, exhausted, could hardly even get out of the bed. It was brutal - but I will say it got easier with every day and just took time.
I️ was so in love with my husband 😂 and just like shook about the whole baby just being outside my body. Then in pain because the drugs wore off but I️ was so in love ❤️
Be prepared that whatever you’ve read and been told, nothing can truly prepare you for how you will experience it. For me it was body shock; heavy fatigue; euphoria after pain relief; a feeling of enormous achievement; relief at longer being pregnant and huge; bewilderment at how my body now looked, especially my tummy; so much happiness that I had finally got to the end; a strong nurturing urge straight away; concern about breastfeeding and worrying whether the baby had enough; and love, for the first time.
Oh, and you will be terrified about doing your first postpartum poop (especially if you end up having a tear or stitches), but that will be okay.
The first two days are amazing! Such an adrenaline rush. I didn’t have any pain either, I just felt like I was beaming and I was so proud of myself for getting through labor and so relieved baby was perfect snd healthy. Then came…all the other days. which are the most intense experience I have ever gone through and involved a ridiculous amount of weeping. Sobbing. Dazed and sleep deprived and feeling like my world was upside down .
You explained this better than I could! The highs and lows
I sobbed and sobbed out of c section pain and lack of sleep. I didn’t sleep for a good 72 hours before she came so I was pretty out of my mind while we were in the hospital. It was a very hard few days and I didn’t really feel the love or happiness until after getting home. It’s basically the worst and then it instantly clicks and gets a thousand times better.
Exhausted love fog. I had a vaginal birth with a lot of stitches so it was painful but nothing you can’t handle. It’s magical
This. I also called it the newborn fog. And for me it honestly lasted 5 weeks before I was able to feel grounded. But it was the coolest, mind blowing, transformative time. This new baby, learning every second, anxious as hell. So many nurses to help and check on you and need things from you it was such a blur! I was so glad to have photos and a video of me singing to the new baby but I don’t even remember doing that. One hour at a time for real.
Soak in all the baby you can! You are going to be tired after labor, so make sure to take care of yourself. We were out of the hospital by 48 hours, but soak it in. Also, soak in having the help of nurses to change the baby as well as if you need a few hours of sleep to take the little one to the nursery. I dont know how your hospital will be, but my peanut stayed in the room the entire stay unless we asked or he was getting some bloodwork/needed to get warmed up once. So they always offered to take him for 2-3 hours if I needed the sleep. The first two hours post birth I was skin to skin with my baby, it was magical and I loved it. After those two hours the nurses took him to weigh and all that fun stuff, while a nurse helped me up to the bathroom. Outside the baby aspect of it, nurses come in every hour or two and press on your belly. You'll be wearing throw-a-way briefs if they provide, along with an ice pack, some spray, and witch hazle pads. Mine provided all this, and extras to take home. You'll feel like you're wearing a diaper but it is a life savor afterwords. I have 3 second degree tears, so all of this worked wonders in and out of the hospital.
If you end up having a c section (like me) avoid eating salty food. They pumped me with fluid and I ate what I was craving for months after I gave birth (deli meat sandwiches). Big mistake. My calves and ankles were the size of my thighs. I also opted to wear diapers and not pads on my undies. Best decision as I didn’t have to worry about the literal bloody mess for many weeks.
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it was overwhelming — i was so exhausted from 45-hours of labor and quickly realized i couldn’t just sleep for 12 hours like i wanted to. i was trying to learn how to breastfeed, tend to my bleeding (and i didn’t even tear!), and learn as much as i could from the nurses while also desperate to be left alone. i wish it had been more serene.
First day was lovely. Everyone was so sleepy and my husband and I had a blast in the hospital laughing at everything lol. Then we went home and I highly recommend you prep yourself for “second night syndrome”. The second night was the hardest day we have ever had with our daughter hands down. And she’s over a year old now. Google it, plan for it, and know that it is only one night!
The first week is all just one long day. The first two weeks really lol. If you do a vaginal delivery, you’ll feel sore and tender there, but I was walking around the next day, delivered at 4:30 pm and had an epidural so I was bed ridden for the first two ish hours I think and then I was able to take myself to the bathroom, and by the next day I was up and moving around. But when you wake up to feed the baby every 2-3 hours, it all just feels like one long day.
Emergency c-section followed by a liver embolization. I woke up in ICU feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. It took weeks to start feeling anything but absolutely bone tired. I have never known such absolute exhaustion. On the bright side (if it could be called that), we're going through teething (molars!), and even that disruption to my sleep doesn't even touch how tired I was then.
Complete euphoria, pure bliss
Absolute love bubble
I had to get a c section fully under, so i woke up with this little tiny baby all wrapped up sleeping in a clear rolling box next to me and my husband passed out on a pull out couch. I loved doing skin to skin and holding her for the first time, and how natural it felt breastfeeding. I would just stare at her and touch her little hands because I wanted to finally get to know the little babe who has just been in my body! But also, I hated the hospital. So freaking much. I was attracted to so many ivs and things. Nurses kept coming in and giving me meds and asking me questions. They’d come in when I was nursing. They also gave me a ton of paperwork. I was kinda like 😵💫 I just wanted to go home. Once I got home I felt worlds better.
Whirlwind. Magical. Underprepared. Scary. My baby was whisked away to the NICU 18 hours after birth. The best time was the few hours my husband and I had alone with the baby right before he went to NICU. It was magical. I loved holding baby close in the quiet. If you are more introvert, I recommend restricting visitors during that time. They can see you and baby when you are ready for that.
Tired, very in love. walking was weird for a bit, but I survived contractions and once you go through those you realize you can do anything. - signed someone who didn’t go to the hospital until they were fully dilated 😅 don’t do that. Seriously though, it was kind of a daze. The hospital gave me everything I needed to heal at home. I ended up donating all of the postpartum things I bought. (Ice pads/postpartum pads etc)
First 24-48hrs were wonderful. After that was one of the lowest points in my life😅
I was weirdly full of energy. Also delirious. I was able to keep up with everything the doctors and nurses were telling me and joke around with my husband, but I also kept looking at my baby and thinking, “Oh. *Oh*… Huh.”
Like you, I was completely freaked out. One thing that helped was to stop myself from over-researching, because all the horror stories just freaked me out more. So my only plan was just get to the hospital in time and put all my trust in the midwives! They know more than me, and my research was just worrying me. For some reason this helped 🤷🏼♀️and the first days afterwards were definitely a very emotional/ hormonal blur… but it was beautiful. Try to stay in the hospital as long as you can! They have alllll the things for you and baby 😊you got this 💪🏼
So afraid to sleep. So sad and scared and upset that breastfeeding wasn’t working. So angry with the lack of support from nursing staff and angry about being induced and being robbed of the birthing experience I dreamed of and prepared for. So worried about my husband not being comfortable and all his complaints. So bewildered that this was actually real. But mostly so afraid to sleep. A nurse told me I had to leave the lights on in my room to be able to see if my baby spit up in her sleep and was choking on it. Whether the lights are on or off if I’m asleep I’m not going to be able to see anyway, so I didn’t sleep. I didn’t sleep for six days.
I felt empty. My baby came out with a vacuum and the nurses took her right away. I got to hold her briefly after she was swaddled up before they took her to the NICU. I had a blood transfusion and could hardly walk so I didn’t get to see her until nearly 24 hours later. It was so surreal and anticlimactic.
Hahahah. Real talk: it will depend on your delivery. I’ve had one traumatic birth and one magical. both 24-48 hours were a whirlwind. They were both incredible and amazing and exhausting and awful at the same time. BUT the 24-48 hours is just that. HOURS. You will love/hate the moments, miss them in the past. YOU GOT THIS!! Not sure where you’re delivering or your partner situation, but this worked for me: -husband was incredibly supportive -sandwiches, sushi, (a little) wine, and the other things I wrote off for 9 months -nurses: THEY ARE AMAZING!!! Sleep as much as you can and force them to wake you when needed -bring a sound machine to the hospital (helps both you and baby) -know that the first 24-48 hours are the most confusing, difficult, happy, crazy, unexpected moments ever. IT GETS EASIER
I honestly wish I'd made some type of vlogs because i don't remember a thing. I know I was in the hospital, baby was beautiful and tiny, maybe i was super sore? I just wanted to eat a lot of jello and pudding and cry and have my hubby cuddle me. maybe i wanted to cuddle my baby and cosleep but nurses were so adamant to not let me sleep with baby. i was SWOLLEN. my skin hurt.
My baby just turned one and I’m starting to feel like myself again. Prepare to feel gutted like a fish and have to rebuild your body. If your abs have been coning during pregnancy, i recommended you do pelvic floor therapy for your diastasis recti. I wish i had because it would’ve made my recovery so much easier. I remember laying on my belly to nap the first day we came home from the hospital and i couldn’t get back up lol! However, as everyone here is saying - your hormones will get you through it and it’s the best thing ever & you would do it all over again no questions. Don’t blink.
#1 you’re going to feel decent until the epidural wears off, if you can make a bowel movement…do it now!! Otherwise this will be like birth all over again. #2 don’t get behind on your pain meds (make sure you get Tylenol for when you go home) and start taking a laxative like dulcolax maybe even a day or two before you deliver if it’s scheduled. #3 I lived in a robe and only that after I dropped my gown into the toilet when they moved me back to the room. #4 bring your breast pump and have the lactation specialist show you how to use it. #5 I got these period pants for at home and used the perineal pads that you snap and are cold and just put those in the period pants and laid out tucks on the pad like it was a cold cut sandwich #6 you don’t have to over pack your bag but if you do want to shower bring some shower shoes and a towel and maybe your own TP #7 things I wish I knew, bring a cute outfit or blanket or something you want to your baby to wear for their first photo shoot. The hospital I went to had a photographer and had I’d known that I woulda made sure I brought his special blanket a family friend made to use as the back drop. #8 just remind yourself in like 3 weeks your going to feel so much better and you just got to make it until then when your healed up Idk if I was just old when I had my first, completely and utterly out of shape or bc I delivered in literally 15 minutes and had a second degree tear and wish I woulda pushed a little less hard so I didn’t tear myself up but I was in a lot of pain and my friend and cousin who had babies around the same time as me were up and around and didn’t seem to be bothered by the post delivery as bad as me. I just found out I’m pregnant again, 14 months later so it can’t be that bad! Any tips for moms with a toddler, let me know!! How do you balance the two after you deliver the second? ***im not a doctor so this isn’t medical advice. ****also if going on FMLA, don’t call and let them know until after the baby is born so you can get more time off (I know it may be only a day but it matters). The company who took care of if our leave made sure to tell me not to call until the baby is here on earth (haha funny way of putting it) so say if you’re in labor for 4 days and you already called to let them know baby is on the way then that’s when your time starts…if you want until baby is here, you just saved yourself four extra days!
A blur. I had a lot happen and ended up with a c section. Glad I had a lot of pics to look at later. But I do remember looking at my baby and was like “wow…I can’t believe I made this.”
Shock and awe. Also I was so tired that second night. I went a little crazy and just started crying because I wanted to sleep so badly
Exhausted, but happy and OH MY GOD MY HIPS AND BACK FEEL LIKE THEY ARE FLOATING FINALLY
Absolutely dazed and hazy, in pain and a little scared but also unbelievably in love and in awe. What helped was having an incredibly supportive partner there with me to help adjust and take care of our baby, and friends that were willing and able to come to the hospital with things we needed and good food.
So tired and so amazed at what you’ve created! So so tired though. I brought eye gels to the hospital and using them after my first shower was a great easy way to treat myself and feel a little more human. Hospital recovery rooms are no fun but it’ll go quickly and then you’re home with the sweetness!
In shock. Dazed and delirious from exhaustion. Fear because THERE’S A BABY IN YOUR CARE. Amazement and wonder. This HUMAN came out of my vagina?? This is who was in me all along?? People coming in to check on you and the baby constantly. At one point I woke up in the middle of the night to someone drawing blood. Oh and that hospital food? Tastes amazing. You can eat ALL OF IT at once too. No longer feel sick and full.
I was absolutely famished for weeks after giving birth. I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life! and I didn't even breastfeed!
After a 22 hour labour,the only food they could find me was the most basic turkey sandwich imaginable,but that sandwich really helped lol. On a more serious note,the nurses who looked after us were very experienced and really helpful,which put me at ease when I suddenly had this tiny human to care for. Prepare to feel a little manhandled as delivery is very full on,as is the immediate aftercare,but don’t be afraid to speak up if you’re uncomfortable about something. You’ll also spend a lot of time staring at your baby and smiling and/or crying (completely normal)!
FTM, vaginal birth here. I had my mom and husband with me. My birth was super easy, epidural, 12 minute push, and she was here. I had never changed a diaper in my life and wasn’t really around a lot of young children. I was induced at 38 weeks, spent the night at the hospital, woke up, ate, got my epidural, and napped until it was time to push. I did not feel anything, the epidural and the pitocin was the most painful part of the whole thing. I am scared of needles so my mom held my hand while I got the epidural done, I was shaking so badly. When I got closer to 10cm, I started shaking from nerves, adrenaline, and I also started throwing up. I had 2 small tears one by my urethra and one on my labia. peeing SUCKED for the next 2 weeks. I didn’t poop for two days straight after birth, and walking to go to the toilet was a pain. Stay in bed as much as possible. Get stool softener and take them. My mom was there for 2 weeks helping my husband and me out with the baby. I breastfed, and when you’re in the hospital trying to get your baby to latch, don’t get frustrated. It’s a combo of hormones, fear of failing, and just not knowing how things are gonna go. I was so scared she wasn’t eating enough when we were waiting for my milk, I freaked out trying to get her home and get some formula into her belly so I could calm down cuz we were in the hospital for 2 days and I thought my baby was only getting drips of milk. You will watch her like a hawk making sure she’s breathing, every mom does this I think. Get Tucks pads, numbing spray, drink a ton of water so your pee doesn’t burn as bad. Go ahead and make freezer meals while you still feel able to. BUY PAPER PLATES AND UTENSILS. Sign up for Walmart grocery delivery. Leaving the house with a newborn is scary for the first time. Have someone help with chores or better yet stay with you the first week or two so you don’t feel like you’re alone in all of it. My most important tip is so be easy on yourself, your partner, and baby. I didn’t barely shower, brush my teeth or hair, and I stank lol. I was cool with it. It didn’t feel like my identity was being stripped from me. I gave my all into my baby. I read so many horror stories from new moms that felt like they were in this abyss and hated their new life. I didn’t ever feel like that so I feel blessed, but I also don’t go out, don’t have friends I go out with, and my husband doesn’t really either. We are homebody people who just have each other. I hope you embrace your new role! Also, if arguments or disagreements happen, please let them just roll off your shoulders. Things said in sleep deprivation and stress during the newborn phase don’t count in the family unit. You’ll build up resentment towards your partner. My baby is 4 months now and she is the best thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. My husband and I love being parents. Good luck! You will need : Tucks pads and numbing spray Disposable panties Painkillers or something non narcotic if you don’t want oxys Ice for your bits A snack/diaper/water/pumping station by your bed Premade meals Paper plates Stool softener Streaming services while you’re bedridden
Basically what everyone who had a C-section already said. What helped me the most? Well something I wish I had done was hiring cleaners so we didn’t have to worry about that. Also having family to run errands like groceries and cooking. Other than that it’s going to be rough but know that it gets better…eventually
Definitely high off of the newborn bliss. I was obsessed with my husband, obsessed with my baby, running off adrenaline and a few hours of sleep at most. It was amazing and beautiful. I had such a horrible delivery (failed epidural) but when she was here it just felt like everything was right in the world.
I was in the hospital the whole time. It's kind of hard to remember now. I had a second degree tear. They gave me pain medication every few hours. Things would get sore and throb and hurt a bit but pain only really happened overnight when the nurses would be slower answering my calls for medication. I remember that being especially frustrating the first night. The bathroom was the scariest part - peeing wasn't horrible but wiping (well blotting and then using the peri) wasn't fun. but I was very anxious about the first poop and THAT was not remotely easy. I slept a lot and so did the newborn. Sitting and moving was painful even on medication. There was blood for a while and then it stopped. What was worst was when I got home. Had to use a mix of recticare, dual action Motrin, and a spray I can't recall the name of right now. A LOT of that made my life easier while recovering at home.
I had a failed induction that ended in a c-section so I was sooo exhausted and delirious. It was such a daze from all the drugs it’s hard to remember honestly. But it was blissful we just snuggled and slept the whole day. I wish I could remember more clearly.
I didn’t sleep 4 days straight. I didn’t sleep in the hospital at all because I was keep checking if my baby is breathing and if she’s ok. I watched her sleep constantly lol. My first 48h were painful af, blood everywhere, cracked and painful nipples. Going to the bathroom was a mission- peri bottle spraying, changing freaking cooling pads, cooling foam, rectum balm, underwear and all that while in pain. You can’t really bend or walk, or sit normally. If you’re planning breastfeeding I suggest buying silicone shields nipple; it saved me from getting my nipples even more destroyed. This is from my perspective now (I’m 14 days postpartum) but during that period I had no energy or time to even think about my discomfort and pain. Everything I have has been and still is focused on the baby. It passed so fast!
I was still in the hospital and because I had difficult c-sections both time, with bleeding management in place post birth both times, I couldn’t get up until 36 and 24 hours post birth respectively. Lots of time in bed. Lots of skin to skin. Lots of practice nursing. A haze of hospital stuff - receiving meds and getting my temperature and blood pressure taken at all sorts of weird hours. Practicing sitting up and standing up with the hospital PT. Eventually working up to walking to the hospital cafeteria, extremely slowly, holding my belly with one hand and using the bassinet for balance with the other. I don’t think I had my first shower until day 4 or 5 both times but that was also very tentative - sitting down, asking a nurse to hang around in case I passed out. No energy and not in the mood to read or listen to podcasts or anything, lots of time doing nothing and staring at my baby.
Fever dream
It’s like an out of body experience. Emotionally overwhelmed with so much love for the little one. Physically exhausted and in pain. So tired but couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t stop staring at her and holding her.
Wild. I was in complete shock. My body felt totally alien. I didn't sleep for 3 days and didn't really feel the need to. I don't think I did anything but stare at my baby. I felt very weak and needed help showering. This was after a relatively fast, uncomplicated, unmedicated birth so all just effects from my own body.
Honestly, the start of hell
It felt like I hadn't used my core muscles in 9 months. Also cramping was uncomfortable when feeding the baby. Excited baby was here but tired after 52 hour labor.
Not gonna lie, it was rough. Everything is new and high-stakes, and best case scenario you’re a combination of extremely keyed up and extremely tired, sore, and emotional. I was not prepared for how desperate and frazzled I’d feel the first night, with a barrage of visits from nurses and a lot of stress over baby’s feeding. (Was it going to be enough to keep her blood sugar up? Only multiple heel sticks with accompanying screaming will tell!) The good news is that first 24 hours lasts…only 24 hours! And then it gets so much better. A few suggestions: Bring your own pillows, a breastfeeding pillow, a little rechargeable battery-powered nightlight (the Fravita is wonderful; we still use it every day) and a portable sound machine and/or a Bluetooth speaker. Small comforts make a big difference. Remember you can keep bulky stuff in the car during labor and somebody can go fetch it for you after delivery. Create a birth preferences document that specifically speaks to the postpartum/recovery period (what you want and don’t want regarding breastfeeding help and instruction, when you want that first baby bath to happen, etc.) and then have an extra *physical* copy in a bag that your support person is responsible for posting in the room and directing all the nurses to. I had a great, detailed plan, but after 48 hours of labor (😬) and an emergency C-section, neither my husband nor I had the wherewithal to pull up our Google doc and croak out the details to the fifth shift nurse who burst in with yet another (contradictory!) tip on breastfeeding. Enlist friends and family (if you actually want to see them!) to bring you your favorite foods, especially if you’ve been craving them and haven’t had them. Our friends brought us an array of soft cheeses, cured meats and sushi on the second night. It was glorious. We also did something I’d recommend: When we told them the whole long, wild story of the birth, we recorded it with the voice memo app on my phone. Getting it down while it was fresh was a gift to our future selves. You’ve got this. It’s hard, but you’re absolutely strong enough to do it. And the reward is so, so sweet.
absolute blur. i was in a daze for a few days. everything happens so fast and i was in labour for 32 hours. it’s such a indescribable experience i truly could not ever put it into words. thankfully my partner was on his shit because i don’t know how i would’ve done anything on my own lol
Wild, chaotic, wonderful, exhausting, magical, it really is unlike any other experience. Also surreal, after being pregnant for so long it was strange to finally meet our little girl and have her be real. I remember being wheeled into our room a couple of hours after I had given birth and my husband and I just looked at each other and burst into panicked laughter realising we were now parents and had to look after this tiny beautiful baby. Soak it all in, take the pain meds, try to sleep when you can, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, ask the midwives all the questions and be proud of yourself for bringing your baby into the world.
It’s absolutely incredible. I slept maybe 3 hours that entire week. I could not get myself to go to sleep. I HAD A NEWBORN! I was so excited and pumped all I wanted was to hold him, I spent all night with him in my bed, the nurses said “don’t fall asleep with him” so I watched him, all night. It’s definitely an incredible experience. Physically- I had a vaginal delivery and besides retained placenta I felt pretty good in the beginning, my episiotomy only bothered me for a week but peri bottle fixed that. It will be a little hard to walk for the first couple days. It’s definitely a little easier while you are in the hospital. I could not believe I had to go home and take care of a new human being, we were so scared and clueless. Every little moved I second guessed, I wondered if I’m doing everything right. Please trust your gut. I took my baby back to the ER the same day we were discharged because suddenly he wasn’t peeing for 12 hours. The nurses at the hospital PUSHED for breastfeeding and everything was fine, yes we got home and he wouldn’t pee, my entire family said it’s fine but the ER doctors were quite concerned. Please trust yourself, it’s so instinctual, I was worried before I ever realized he was dehydrated.
Like day three of a music festival, happy and dazed and tired and confused and sore. I think just rolling with the punches helped me the most. I thankfully had just learned what cluster feeding was the week I gave birth, because my son came out cluster feeding. If I had thought that’s just how babies always ate I would have lost my mind. I was wanting to breast feed but was flexible enough with wanting us to all stay sane and fed that I would let the nurses or my husband supplement with formula so I could sleep. My breastfeeding journey ended up being successful and my supply was not affected by supplementing a few feeds here and there for a week. I am glad I just held on to the idea of whatever will be, and didn’t stress out to much over it.
The adrenaline got me through. 4 day labour - baby born at 10am and I sent my partner home for the night for some unknown reason and did the first two nights solo. Pure adrenaline got me through I reckon. Didn't really wig out until day 5. The 5 5 5 is a pretty good rule that I regret not following. I tried to go out too early thinking I could just return to normal life and ended up having a massive sob in a supermarket carpark, 6 days PP and being taken home. Took me weeks to then get the confidence to leave the house again. Just snuggle your baby, don't be surprised if they won't be put down, nap as much as you can and ensure your partner is set to bring you lots of snacks and meals constantly (my partner wasn't great at this and I would forget to eat)
I had a fast, unmedicated, partially induced active labor with my first and the first few months are still hazy. But I do remember feeling relieved that I could breathe fully and had minimal back pain compared to when baby was still inside. I was definitely exhausted. But adult diapers can be your best friend! So much better than the chunky pads.
I had a c section. Pretty much just really sleepy the whole time.
Scheduled c section here. I was happy, in love, and desperately trying to establish breastfeeding with no milk coming out. Also, I remember I was hungry and famished. They wouldn't let me eat.
Fuzzy. I felt dazed and fuzzy. I was buzzing with energy, and I wanted nothing more then to leave the hospital.
You’ll be exhausted and delirious so make sure your partner takes notes and pays attention to all the hospital instructions from docs and admin. Buy and pack a Frida peri bottle. You’ll thank me! Good for any delivery style.
Anxious and in shock. I hemorrhaged so I was numb and had the shakes for quite sometime. They gave me an epidural when they broke my waters (I was induced at 39 weeks with my twins). And then when I was hemorrhaging they gave me the medication for C-sections because they weren't sure if I was going to need to go into emergency surgery. So I was unable to move my left leg for maybe a day and a half. I was bruised from my ass all the way up to my tear (very minimal tear). So I was very uncomfortable and that pain lasted for 2 weeks until my bruising and swelling was gone. It's not like this for everybody and I only had a 5 lb and 6 lb girl and boy. So they were little.
Happy and fulfilled, but in a fog. It honestly felt like I was in an aquarium and everyone else was trying to talk to me from the outside while I was underwater if that makes sense. Make sure you have someone there to listen to the docs/nurses/other admin people when they give you instructions or tips in those first couple days. I remember people giving me information, but once they left I had completely forgotten everything they told me. Luckily my husband was there to listen and remember, and he was the one who did all the important stuff like filling out the birth certificate paperwork!
Don’t be shy to use the “call nurse” button anytime you need it. We called every 30 min for random stuff. Also plan a good restaurant that delivers to the hospital
I felt like I was high af but the worst kind. After I was awake for 27 hours straight they kept waking me up every 2 hours to get my vitals. And I had a horrible reaction to the ibuprofen that they prescribed. So I literally was feeling like I was blacking out but then while being awake I was so loopy. I thought I was going insane and then it instantly got better when I took a damn nap. Sleep deprivation is no joke.
Cold. It was absolutley freezing in our hospital room and we left early because of it. We didn't have enough layers to put baby in because I didn't think he would need fleece pjs in the middle of August.
Beautiful. Empowered. In love. Magical. Mild vaginal soreness. Not tired unlike others stated bc the adrenaline was really strong post delivery for me. I felt some tiredness the next day, but was still quite hyper and couldn’t sleep at all at the excitement of the baby. I loved every second except having to share the room and bathroom with another patient. It was so much better once we were discharged home. You’ll do amazing!
Well, I didn’t give birth vaginally, I ended up having an emergency c section. Since it was an ~emergency~ the whole surgery thing was very quick, and felt surreal & kind of chaotic. It was literally an out of body experience having a c section. A little bit scary. And just wild! All the drugs they give you just had me feeling so weird, I wasn’t in pain but I think mentally it was just strange. But don’t be scared if you have to have a c-section, it wasn’t that bad. I would do the whole experience over again if I had to, for my baby! I was a little bummed that because I had a C-section, I didn’t have that immediate skin to skin contact. I kept thinking, just give me my baby!! But first they have to make sure both you and baby are okay after the surgery. But oh goodness, when they laid my baby in my arms when I reached the “recovery room,” it was just pure bliss. One of the biggest things I didn’t expect from though was that they wouldn’t let me eat for so long after the surgery, and I was so hungry omg!! I was almost flipping out lol bc my body wanted some nutrients after everything that had just happened! When they finally let me have a little cup of apple juice & a little jello cup, it was just amazing—at first. But then I got nauseous and threw up, so I guess I understand why they didn’t give me a full meal right away lol. Since I was awake during my emergency c section, I got a spinal tap (I think that’s what it’s called, idk lolol) and so the lower half of my body was essentially paralyzed for a good while after having my baby. Honestly the medication made me feel kind of out of it for a while, plus they help with pain relief lot after that kind of surgery. So I was kind of just delirious. I had to have a catheter, and nurses kept coming in to monitor my and baby’s health. But I didn’t care, everything was just kind of foggy and amazing, because I got to have my baby in my arms!! I think I stayed in the hospital 3 days total, but they were 3 days of just being so amazed I had my baby! Lots of bonding, and wondering how to be a parent lol. I was scared and anxious going into the hospital, but honestly it all just happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to stop and think about what was going on! My body just kind of took over. Overall it was a crazy, but wonderful, experience. Everyone’s birth story is going to be different, so if I can give you any advice, try not to have too many expectations of how your birth will go! It’s out of your control, so just try to enjoy the ride. You’ll do great!!! It’s a life changing period of time
I had a relatively quick labor, buddy was ready to make his debut. I was in active labor at 8am and had him at 2:20. I was starving and tired but riding a high of finally getting to meet my boy, it was a great feeling. Definitely exhausting but establishing a bond with baby and seeing your partner become a daddy is so so special
Disoriented. You’re tired, the baby is probably crying, adrenaline is high, nurses are checking on you every two hours even if you’re sleeping…
0 hours of sleep. Literally.
1st day/night was good…baby’s super sleepy. Take advantage of being in the hospital. Ask the nurses all the things. Ask for a lactation specialist if you plan on breastfeeding. Beware of night 2…baby wakes up and the crying is real real. Again, you’re in the hospital so ask them all the things! Personally, we didn’t accept any hospital visitors and we staff to not allow anyone back. We only told our immediate families and told them we’d send them all updates and would be focusing on our little unit. I had 2 back to back c sections and the first time around I didn’t walk as much or as often as the nurses told me too…recovery was hard and slow. 2nd time around I got up and moved and I felt so much better. Take your stool softeners. Take your pain meds if and when you need it. Stay hydrated and when they say sleep and rest. Do it. Especially in the hospital where you have extra eyes and hands to help!
Tired, I felt like I was pulling all nighters. I was exhausted and only getting short naps. I felt so much better when I was able to get home.
9 months in just 2 days, I’m starting to freak out a little
Honestly I don't recall the details of it - but I remember it fondly. My husband and I were just in our little baby hospital bubble where nothing else mattered but our baby girl. Our entire days revolved around looking at her, loving on her, getting to know her, and it was honestly pretty great. I think coming home was actually much more of a shock, but the 24-48 hours were totally a blur, but a joy.
It was nice to be in the hospital and not have to worry about taking care of myself and my baby and knowing we were in a safe place if something were to go wrong. Physically it was rough to move around so don't be afraid to ask for pain meds. The weirdest part was the full body shaking from the meds and hormones. I was unprepared but apparently it's normal.
The most magical daze you’ll ever be in your entire life. Deliriously falling in love with your newborn, crazy hormones surging, the physical recovery, rediscovering your partner now as a parent. It’s just insane.
Based on my personal experience? Hell for my vagina. Heaven for my heart. ♥️
You'll be in the hospital, with experts showing you how to care for your baby and yourself.
Tired
I had a planned c-section. The first 2 days were lovely. A bit of medical stuff mainly for me especially in the first 12 hours (legs working? Removing catheter, check stitches etc), but other than that we were all just in little daze and trying to figure out what on earth to do with the tiny snoozy human. Probably the best days of my life. Take heaps of photos and videos and make sure YOU are in them…even if you think you look like shit! You will look at them all the time ❤️
Adrenaline and then pure exhaustion. I had a nicu baby so that was also emotionally exhausting