How did your body change after pregnancy and is this normal?

[FairWindClearSailing]

Evening everyone,

I gave birth to DS 21 months ago and feel like ever since, my body just isn't the same (I knew it would be different but I wasn't expecting these problems...) I guess I'm looking for reassurance it's normal?

I just find it doesn't "work" like it used to. I find that my hips and feet feel stiff a lot. If I sit on the sofa for half an hour, I end up limping (just for a few seconds though) when I get up before I then walk normally again. My right foot has been on and off sore and stiff since giving birth, and recently been worse as I've been walking more.

I was already overweight (not obese but much heavier than I should be). Have been since childhood but never had any issues with it like I'm experiencing now. I also find it more difficult to stand up after being on the ground, like my legs can't push me up properly (I manage every time to stand up, it just takes effort whereas before that was never an issue). I'm wondering if pregnancy has caused these issues and my weight is making it all worse? Are these just normal developments after giving birth?

I'm in the process of losing weight but did/does anyone else have these issues and can give me some tips on how to strengthen my body again (except losing weight which I'm hoping is the main thing to help).

Thanks everyone

Not these exact issues but my body felt broken for a long time after baby. Postnatal Pilates with a qualified instructor who would correct my form and help me modify for my prolapse really helped, then starting to run again (but don’t do this until you’re a bit stronger)

I feel similar changes since giving birth 7months ago. I am obese though, not just overweight. I did have stiff wrists and fingers around 3 months pp! Very odd. I read somewhere that the relaxin hormone plus others is still in abnormal levels after birth. I’m struggling with my back - really stiff first thing in the morning then it eases up once I’m up and about. I’m going to go back to a chiropractor (I saw a private one for my pelvis when pregnant) but also saw NHS physiotherapist and they recommended lose weight (obviously - that’s their answer for everything) but also use GP referral for physio if still in pain after birth. Which I am. But I haven’t had the time to see them - silly I know!

TLDR; yes - I’ve had similar issues but haven’t (yet) done anything about it.

I also had stiff wrists and fingers. Saw my GP who did blood te

Aaah! Fat fingers! 🙄

I also had stiff wrists and fingers. Saw my GP who did blood tests - turned out i was very Vit D deficient, despite taking post natal vitamins. I added an additional vit D supplement on GP's advice and it much improved. I was seeing a womens health physio at the time, and she said that breastfeeding also really drains you. This was really true for me and when i stopped BFing at 9months, i felt like a new woman within a couple of weeks!

Yes I'm 16 weeks postpartum and am struggling with joint pain/stiffness. Knees worst, but also neck, wrists. Second baby and I had similar last time. The thing that cured it in the end was regular exercise and healthy eating - not cake - boo!!!!! I imagine it's hormonal and also due to the stresses and strains of pregnancy and breastfeeding on the body. I'm trying to get out for a walk every day and that seems to help. I also take painkillers as soon as o wake up and then they've kicked in by the time I finish the morning feed.

Are you/did you breastfeed? The hormone relaxin can cause your joints to feel 'loose' and awkward and it takes a while to wear off to normal level when you stop BFing. I know your body ups the hormone just from being pregnant too. Worth a Google maybe? I remember googling why my joints hurt after I'd had one of mine!

But yeah, after each of my kids I've been achy for months and months - including when I stand up my knee joints feel funny/twingey/loose for a minute before they get the memo that we're now stood up and moving.

@Sunnyshoeshine to be fair I was terrible at taking supplements once I stopped breast feeding between 2 & 3 months - not surprised if I was vit d deficient but so strange how that affects the hands! I didn’t want to bother the gp about my hands as I was already on the phone to them every week with blood pressure and headache issues of mine plus my child’s health condition that she had at the time needed regular monitoring. The receptionist must have been sick of me. Boy I don’t miss those days!

im also so glad to read of others reporting similar things. Very reassuring. No one mentioned any sort of these weird side effects when I was pregnant!

Thanks for the reassurance everyone! But sorry to hear about everything you're all struggling with too.

In the earlier months I also had back pain and stiff hands / wrists / fingers (I had horrendous carpal tunnel in pregnancy). These two things got much better around the 1 year mark but I still wake with numb hands sometimes and I'm forever dropping things (DH and I now joke about my carpal tunnel hands whenever I drop something - I've even smashed plates!).

I will look into pp Pilates or yoga and see what we have around here.

And yes, still breastfeeding kind of, I didn't realise that would still be affecting my body🤦🏼‍♀️. But it makes sense. He stopped day time feeds in March, doesn't ask anymore but I still feed to sleep (so 1-2 times a day pending on whether he naps and occasionally he will have a feed when he first wakes in the morning).

Yes! I had really painful stuff hands and feet for the first 7 months or so. DS is now 8 months and my hands are feeling much better but my feet are still so stiff in the morning and after sitting down even for a short period. My GP did blood tests and said everything came back normal so he guessed that over time I’d feel better and in the meantime I should just take painkillers as needed.

I’m not happy to hear that you are all having the same issues but also a bit glad to know I’m not on my own with this. I wasn’t sure of this was normal or not because no one ever talks about it.

I had awful pain and weakness in my joints, knees in particular, after having my baby and following the HV advice, had blood tests done and found I was quite severely deficient in vitamin d. Maybe worth getting your bloods checked OP.

I got a wider back, flatter feet, a thicker face - all permanent - thanks to three pregnancies.

In the maybe year after being pregnant I really couldn't run or do hill walking. Every time I'd end up with painful joints or clicky hips or joint-based weirdness. Honestly it was only after my youngest turned two that I felt truly able to return to sport aside from swimming.

My baby turns ten months soon and I feel awful. Sore joints, constant cramp, tired, waking in the night with back pains. I think it mainly comes from running around, lack of sleep and lack of time to eat and drink properly + body is drained of vitamins etc from pregnancy and I'm probably deficient in lots of stuff. I had GD so I've booked in for a diabetes test in a few week just in case.

Pregnancy takes a huge toll on your body and uses many vitamins and minerals to a much greater extent than none pregnancy.

A really good vitamin supplement may help things heal more quickly but with those specific symptoms I would take a high dose vitamin D3 capsule for a few months

Hi ladies how are you all feeling now. I know it is an old thread but have similar symptoms so checking. What did you do and when did you see an improvement

Thanks