Fourth Trimester
You made it through the nine months, you survived the labor and delivery and you are finally home with your new bundle of joy. Now what?
Your body is not the same, you are tired and you have a new person to take care of. Welcome to the fourth trimester.
After you have your baby recovery starts, but it may not feel like it. You are sore, you have minor contractions, your breasts are tender and you are fatigued.
New mothers can bleed for weeks after delivery, this is called lochia and it is made up of blood, mucus and tissue. The bleeding is normal but if you go through more then one pad an hour, call your doctor.
If you had a vaginal birth fatigue and soreness can make sitting, going to the bathroom and walking can make you uncomfortable for awhile. It is a huge strain on your body and you may have an episiotomy or hemorrhoids which will make sitting, going to the bathroom and moving very painful.
If you had a cesarean section, recovery is going to be a longer then with a vaginal delivery. Laughing, coughing and crying are going to hurt your abdominal muscles for the first week or so. Getting up and walking as soon as you are able to will help you recover a little faster and get things moving again.
The hormones are still raging so crying over things that are sad, happy or anything for that matter, is completely normal. Sleep deprivation can make anyone crazy and it doesn’t help your mood swings.
Feeling some despair, regret or unhappiness is normal after childbirth. Baby blues can last for up to two weeks. If it lasts for longer then two weeks, it could be postpartum depression and you would need to seek medical care. Postpartum depression is very common and at least 10% of new mothers suffer from it, and it is nothing to be ashamed of.
Of course knowing all of this may still not prepare you for what is to come after you have your baby, but try and remember it is all normal. The pain, the aches and scars will all fade and you will have a new baby to show for all of your hard work.
What did you learn about recovery after childbirth that you didn’t read about in a baby book?
pregnancy, what to expect after childbirth, childbirth, c- section, vaginal birth, childbirth recovery, postpartum depression, new moms, baby blues
November 13th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Can you recommend any support methods for new mothers who may need the support of other new mothers?
November 13th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Amy, if a new mother needs support she should check for support groups in her area. If she cannot find a support group in her area, she should contact her OB or local hospital. I know my hospital had classes and weekly meet-ups for new moms.
There are also online groups for moms of all stages at cafemom.com and mamasource.com.
November 14th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
[...] as I as hopping around, I found this post on the next trimester… Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to Sympathy Pain. It’s Free! « Back Home Posted [...]
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:00 am
[...] not too bulky or heavy. I wonder if it will ever make it out of my bed once the baby does arrive! I wish I had this after my cesarean section because it would have worked perfectly for support on my incision. I have to keep my twins away from [...]