Day 4/5 after birth...is this normal?

[guiltynetter]

So i had a baby 4 days ago (a boy, very small and cute!) and have been feeling generally okay in myself if a bit tired.

Today is different. I feel like a ton of bricks has hit me. Everything aches. I’ve got stomach cramps.,My boobs are horrendously swollen and sore to point where I’ve been in tears all morning (i’m
not breastfeeding) and worst of all is the crying. I’ve cried all day! Over anything. Because DS had a sleepsuit on with sick on it...because I knocked a glass over, or because I burnt my crumpet.

Is this normal? and please say it will pass!

Any tips for the breast pain? I haven’t got a non wired bra and the wires are agony, but if i take my bra off the hanging with no support is also so painful.

Going a bit mad here...

That could be baby blues. the hormones drop and you start to feel crap emotionally and i guess the physical discomfort could kick in their too. It does get better though. There are guidelines if you're not feeling better emotionally after a certain length of time tell someone.

Yes. Totally normal sadly! It's a massive hormone rush. I cried nonstop for about 24 hours.
Just be kind to yourself, lean on your partner, and concentrate on just getting through the day. Honestly, you'll feel so much better tomorrow.
It's like another like fun gift that pregnancy gives!

In my experience totally normal and you will feel better tomorrow. Maybe go back to bed and cuddle your baby (and cry at his beauty if you are anything like me).

Could you get someone to pop to a supermarket and get you a couple of crop top style stretchy bras? They might help.

Congratulations on your beautiful new baby.

Ah, the day 3/4 hormone crash. I had it. I was sobbing because I thought we'd ruined the cat's life by having a baby!! I can laugh at it now.

Was completely fine by day 6/7.

Can't give any advice re the boobs I'm afraid. Could you try to hand express off any milk to ease the discomfort? Not sure if that would be counterproductive if not breastfeeding though.

This is very typical for new mums. Your hormones go through a huge upheaval around now and the adrenaline of birth and those first few days with baby are wearing off. It will get better, just be kind to yourself for a few days and let your friends and family help and take care of you and the baby. Congratulations on your new little bundle.

Completely normal. Just ride through it. This too shall pass!

Congrats on your new bundle x

Didn't read the bit about your breasts straight away. I second what PP said about getting a crop top/comfort bra. I wore them in pregnancy and after and still wearing them now (baby is 6 months). My sister also swore by putting cabbage leaves in her bra to help with the engorged painful boobs, she didn't breastfeed either.

thank you! now reading these nice responses has made me cry more and i’ve just put mascara on. I must add i have a DD who’s 4 so it’s not my first baby, but last time on day 4 we were stuck in hospital as she was quite poorly so I cried all the time anyway!

Going to nip out to look for a non wired bra but the weather is so awful (throwing it down) the thought of DS getting his little head wet makes me cry too. Oh god! 🙈

I did this for almost a week 3 months ago I even felt like I had ruined my dogs life by having a baby and everything felt shit. I remember crying in the bath not wanting to come out the bathroom!! I was okay after a week and much better now :) hugs x

Very normal. I remember feeling a bit smug as I'd been out in and about in the days before but then come Day 5 I was a mess. We walked down to the local shops and bumped into a Work colleague. They must have thought I hated my baby as I just cried and I just couldn't engage with them when they asked me questions. Poor DH has to chat along. Next day I was fine.

I remember my whole body hurt too (I sobbed about that as well) and my boobs were so sensitive. It wore off after a few days but when I overdid things for the next few weeks I did get the aches and pains back.

Just take it steady and cuddle baby.

Also I'm 12 weeks post partum with baby number 2 and Matalan soft crop tips have been my saviour.

Emotions are totally normal but being in so much pain with your boobs that you’re crying isn’t, might you have some kind of infection? Do you have a temp?
Pop to the gp’s if you’re worried as it’s always worth getting checked out if you’re worried and can be worth it for peace of mind.

There's a big hormone crash around day 3/4 after birth. Hopefully only lasts a day or 2. I was still in hospital when this happened. Totally unprepared for it. I had my curtain round me all day and told DH to Barr any visitors . I just cried, fed and chain drank cups of crap NHS tea. 🤣

Yes totally normal!
Re the boobs, your milk has just come in, and the pain will last 3/4 days at most.
To help in meantime;

• tell DH to go out a buy a few heads of cabbage (yes seriously). Keep them in fridge, and put a nice cool leaf on each boob in bra. Apart from the cooling effect there's something in cabbage that helps! Replace leaves each time they get warm.
• Wear your bra as tight as possible
• Use nipple shields
• For these few days try not to hold baby on chest as it encourages milk supply
• In shower, turn away from the water! It might feel soothing but it's actually prolonging it

It will be gone in a few days I promise!

It is completely normal. I think wired bras are not good for breastfeeding anyway because the wire can sometimes provoke mastitis. Not after 1 day though. Order one for delivery tomorrow, or go and get one tomorrow (I don't want to make you cry more!).

Your midwife should be popping round tomorrow (if you're in the UK) for the day 5 check. If your breasts are really painful it might be worth asking her about some cabergoline to inhibit the production of milk.
There is also (limited) evidence to support cabbage leaves, as suggested by MrsL: www.cochrane.org/CD006946/PREG_treatment-breast-engorgement-overfull-hard-painful-breasts-breastfeeding-women (as well as other treatments, but cabbage leaves are probably easiest / cheapest to get hold of).
Do you know the signs of mastitis to look out for?

(Congrats on your baby BTW!!)

Totally normal for me too. I was discharged from hospital on day 4 and although I was so happy to go home, I cried the whole day and couldn't stop yelling at my partner when we got in. Huge hormone surges apparently!

DD is 6 weeks old now and the hormones have mostly calmed down.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy! Hope you feel normal soon.

Drink Andrews salts to calm the boobs down

Andrews salts are good also have you got a next account could you order a non wired bra from there just a sports top if you order before 10 you should have it by tomorrow- save you going out in the rain ☔️😊

Fully normal.
The stomach cramps may be because there is now more space in your tummy now that the baby is out, and extra air/wind. Take lactulose or a gel laxative to help, and the stomach cramps should pass.
Womb cramps are afterpains and will continue a few more days, especially during bf which helps your womb to contract. I had to take paracetamol/ ibuprofen to be able to deal with multiple pain sources and in order to walk about. Plus i had the pain of stitches, which didnt fade until after 3 weeks.

Yes I've had this with my four dc. As others have said your milks coming in and a huge hormone issue!
Don't worry if your baby seems really cranky today and unsettled unfortunately it can often coincide with the awful day 4/5.
Congratulations on your baby

Just to say when I decided to stop bf at 4 weeks I found laying in a warmth bath helped. The milk just kind of came out without my breasts being stimulated to make any more.

I wouldnt want to chemically interfere with my milk production unless i develop problems. Engorgement is normal when your milk comes in, you can use massage to hand-express the milk which will then relieve the pressure and remove the engorgement. Some use cabbage leaves, cooling gel packs or quark compresses. I found gentle massage/expressing, plus cooling afterwards, to work perfectly.
Within a few days your boobs will self regulate the milk according to yoir baby’s needs, and will continue to do so throughout the initial six weeks. I would thus be wary of any measure to block milk production on day 5, when it is just beginning. I would be afraid it would make bf very difficult in the weeks to come. Of course, you need to hand express/baby needs to drink milk to ensure you dont get ang blockages or mastitis.
At the beginning your body produces loads of milk, i think it is to ensure that there is enough milk even if the baby is initially sleepy or weak, to get enough milk to it until it starts suckling properly.

Oh bless you, totally normal. I remember just walking around the house wailing & crying on day 4/5, it's hard!

I'm sure you'll feel better very soon but do remember to seek help if it goes on for more than a few days.

Congratulations on your lovely new baby.