The Truth About Postpartum Period

You’ve just had your baby. You’ve been expected to return to your former glory within few weeks after giving birth but it hasn’t happened yet…. hmmmm.

While being pregnant, you imagined yourself strolling with a pram, full of energy and optimism through the town few days after birthing your baby. Currently, you are willing to invest in the IV coffee drip constantly fighting exhaustion and tiredness. You’ve got mum’s body, no energy and you know what else we could add to your newly emerging list?

POSTPARTUM RECOVERY

I’m sorry but NO ONE told you that it would be difficult. In your head, you were meant to bounce back after pregnancy survival mode and a childbirth camp like a bunny sprinkled with the morning dew drops. That did not happen. Instead:

– you bled like a slaughtered lamb

– you ached and you were bruised all over like you’ve just been in the car crash

– you wished you could pull out your insides while pooing

-you wondered about your vagina being badly grazed and swollen for days

– you fought dizzy spells and fatigue caused by hormonal havoc

– you burst into tears (you were hormonally overwhelmed ) because you convinced yourself that your cat was going blind- she fell down from the water butt while trying to climb up the window.

The physical aspects of postpartum recovery are hard enough to soften the strongest human being but the mental side caused by the immense hormonal imbalance after childbirth is equally hard. You are a new mum, you are trying to physically recover while trying to look after the newborn and you mentally struggle. You are emotionally overwhelmed and filled with joy because you love your child so much but you feel constantly worried. You are worried because you are not sure if you are looking after your baby well enough and because you are simply trying to adjust to having a new responsibility 24/7. You are also concerned about your physical well being- feeling rotten and unwell doesn’t help you in any way BUT IT’S GOING TO GET BETTER.

I’ve been through it, nobody has told me about hardships of postpartum recovery. I expected everything to go back to normal almost instantly after going through the labour of my daughter but it obviously didn’t happen. It’s been a slow and bumpy process of adjusting and accepting a new situation in my life. I love my small family consisting of my partner, our daughter and two crazy cats.

My advice to you would be to take each day as it goes, ask for help and talk about your feelings out loud. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel and look like a train wreck but make an effort to take few mints to do something just for yourself- nails, hair, long shower or a bath or simply have a nap or a cheeky drink while listening to a favourite album.

You are doing great mumma x