What to ACTUALLY Expect… Postpartum
While there are a ton of amazing things that happen when you have a baby, I wanted to focus this week’s blog post on a few of the very weird things that can happen postpartum. I knew about exactly none of these prior to them happening, but from the reels I’ve been served up on the socials recently it seems like these are all super common, and I’m glad people are finally starting to talk about them!
- ALL THE SWEATING. Seriously, you will sweat more than a pig in heat (apologies if I got that wrong – I am notoriously bad at remembering idioms accurately). This is your body’s way of getting rid of all that extra blood volume you took on during pregnancy, but it also means you’ll be sweating through a set of sheets every night for several weeks. Do yourself a favor and get this Momcozy cooling blanket (I was fortunate to discover it via the fabulous @mamastefit in the last few weeks of my pregnancy and it came in CLUTCH then too). I have since recommended it to a few friends, and all of them gave it rave reviews. I would also suggest throwing down a towel and maybe a waterproof mattress protector too.
- In related news, hot flashes and body odor are also a thing thanks to your new, ever-present annoying best friend, fluctuating hormones, and the BO is apparently to help your baby find you aka their food source (fun fact: they’re born basically blind). Thanks, evolution!
- Speaking of fluid retention, if you can find yourself a good lymphatic drainage masseur/masseuse, book a session ASAP once you get home from the hospital. I was lucky enough to find my now good friend Rachel @lymphaticworksco who will come to your house and provide education (and some much needed adult conversation), all whilst helping drain off some of that excess fluid that’s causing your joints to feel miserable and making you look 15 months pregnant. Dry brushing can also help with this (check out Rachel’s super helpful videos, and if you’re in the Salt Lake area I highly recommend her for all your lymphatic system needs).
- This may seem obvious given what just came out of it, but there will be some changes to your pelvic floor and organs postpartum. While I did expect something to be different, I had no idea what exactly these changes might look and/or feel like. I’m sure everyone’s situation will be as unique as our vaginas themselves, but in my case I experienced some slight bulging at the end of my vaginal canal that I started noticing a couple weeks postpartum. Thankfully I have a wonderful pelvic floor PT whom I saw ~3 weeks postpartum for some dry needling of my pissed off adductor, and she reassured me that this was actually quite normal in terms of pelvic healing and did not necessarily mean I had prolapse (which is when your pelvic organs start falling out of your vagina thanks to a weakened pelvic floor). However, this only happened AFTER stressing about it and working up the courage to grab a mirror (IYKYK) for several days, so hopefully this helps provide some reassurance if you find yourself in a similar situation.
- If you, like me, do end up being diagnosed with actual prolapse at your 6 week postpartum check (here’s lookin’ at you, 4.5 hours of pushing), don’t freak out. It’s quite addressable, and to quote the inspirational sign on my PT’s wall, “Your body’s ability to heal itself is far greater than you think”. Some things that have helped my healing journey include a squatty potty (this is the one we have), ALL THE STOOL SOFTENERS (I like Colace in particular and have managed to find it in Costco-sized containers), a classy AF hemorrhoid cushion that I still keep on my dining room chair (my fave feature is the removable washable cover; this is the one I bought), and a multi-pronged magnesium supplementation routine that is basically a house of cards (if I miss one day, my colon knows it and refuses to allow things to move until I get back on that shit [pun intended]).
- Mommy thumb (aka de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, but why not give it a cute, slightly judgey nickname instead?). This can feel somewhat like carpal tunnel but is essentially a repetitive strain injury of the tendons in your thumb and wrist. I’m told it’s a result of all the new hand postures we as moms are constantly using while holding and breastfeeding our little ones, but MAN is it painful and unfortunately very slow to heal. I’m still early in the hand therapy process, but like any soft tissue injury these things respond best to rest (read: don’t use your hand…real easy recommendation to follow as a new mom, thanks guys), splinting, and ice. I’ll report back with any other tips when/if I no longer get debilitating shocks of pain any time I move my left thumb wrong.
- Random sudden onset bouts of dizziness (and in my case, occasional horrific stomach pains) thanks to inadequate/irregular feeding of the hunger demon borne from breastfeeding. Seriously, I love food and thus never thought I’d say this, but sometimes I’m just so sick of eating all the damn time in order to keep up with the energy demands of feeding a voracious newborn velociraptor. Please don’t shred me to pieces in the comments, but I’m even getting sick of eating ice cream for dessert every night 😱. ICE CREAM. Some things I did that have been helpful: getting a snack caddy that attaches to every one of my usual nursing spots (this is my favorite one of the several I have purchased since giving birth) and forcing myself to eat something every time I feed the baby (my current favorites are Bobo’s oat bites, homemade peanut butter oat energy balls, and Belvita banana chocolate chip snack bites); never leaving home without several snack options in my purse and car; focusing on body awareness such that when those initial hunger cues roll around, I eat something carb-y FAST to try and stave off the worst of the dizziness; and trying to eat something at least every 3 hours during the day (this is obviously highly individual, so some of you may be able to stretch it out longer, in which case I’m jealous).
- Also, just to get it out of the way (and this is probably something I’ll expand upon in a future post) – the prevailing wisdom that the baby weight will just “melt off” if you’re breastfeeding is a LIE. Sure, you’re burning more calories than you ever have just by existing, but you will also need to match that with an increased caloric intake in order to maintain your milk supply. I am currently almost 3 months postpartum, back to exercising (though definitely not at the same intensity or volume I used to cuz HAHAHA WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT), and am down exactly 3 pounds from the day I gave birth. My daughter was 6 pounds 7 ounces when she was born, so if you’re doing the math that means I have actually GAINED weight since giving birth. While I do think a few pounds of that went straight to my boobs (shout out to all you ladies who have been dealing with giant boulders strapped to your chest for your whole lives) and is still living in my abdomen in the form of fluid retention, I have to believe that some of it is thanks to the constant eating my hunger demon apparently requires of me. Which I’m trying to be fine with, because how cool is it that our bodies can just like, make food to keep another human being alive?!?
- Migraines. Now this, I’m sure, is not something everyone experiences, but for those of you who have a predisposition to migraines before you have a baby, I’d wager a guess that you’ll likely end up dealing with them more frequently in the postpartum period. Mine used to be super infrequent (on the scale of once a year or so), but when I got one, it was BAD. Like lay in bed in the dark crying from the pain with all the cold compresses, eye masks, and earplugs for 6+ hours bad. My postpartum migraines are pretty much the same, only they’ve recently started happening every few days which is super fun when your newborn is going through a fussy phase 🙄. I am also lucky enough to experience aura shortly before the onset of the migraine, which is a lot like the hunger demon-induced dizziness I mentioned in #5. Trying to distinguish between the two has become my new January challenge (so much for choosing your own new year’s resolution…), not that I think there’s much I could do to prevent the migraine from happening even if I did figure it out. In terms of why this happens more frequently postpartum, my research tells me that it’s likely due to our new super clingy best friend again – fluctuating hormones – though some people may be able to pinpoint other triggers like their diet or stress (I find myself wondering what new mom isn’t stressed though, so I’m not convinced on the latter as a sole cause). Thankfully, not only was my primary care provider able to fit me in this week, but she also didn’t throw out some BS advice like “take some ibuprofen and rest”. Turns out there are several treatment options that are safe for nursing moms to take (mine prescribed something from the drug class known as triptans), so if you unfortunately fall into this club as well, get yourself to your doctor and advocate for the pain management you deserve.
- Forgetting every single lullaby from your childhood whilst sleep deprived and dealing with a screaming baby at 2 AM, resulting in a very soothing and artistic rendition of Baby Got Back (don’t worry, I finally remembered “Soft Kitty” from The Big Bang Theory and threw in the Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt cheers from Ted Lasso for good measure). Pro tip: Rage Against the Machine is also great to “sing” loudly at your screaming baby during her first bath.
I’m sure there are other random weird things my body will experience in the coming weeks and months, but I think these are the majority of the fun ones I noticed in my first 3 months postpartum. Thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments if there are any other weird things you experienced during your postpartum period. Until next time!
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