How did you feel post-birth?

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During the last few weeks of pregnancy, I was soooo looking forward to being able to reach my feet, get up easily out of bed and walk faster than 1 mile an hour.

But, I didnt realise quite how knackered I'd feel after giving birth. Im not expecting to be able to do cartwheels, or run marathons, but, I just feel like i've been put through a mangle!

How did you all feel in the first week after giving birth?

Just so so grateful not to feel sick anymore.

I woke up after my Caesarean and the nurse brought a watering-can to wash the blood off me between my legs.
Then a young nurse insisted on taking me to the toilet where I had a haemorrhage and fainted.
Same nurse turned to me afterwards and said "Don't ever do that to me again!"
That was before I had even seen the twins.

I felt rough for about the first 2 weeks, aching everywhere, stomach cramps, sore boobs, also felt very 'unclean' until my stitches healed with all the downstairs yukkiness. If young girls were told about tearing perineum's and 4 weeks of bleeding post-birth I think there would be a lot less teen pregnancies!!

Sleep deprivation-wise I had a fairly good run but there were a few tearfilled moments that luckily resulted in my partner taking over swiftly and taking the baby -away- out of the house so I could collect my sanity again!

Felt awful, did not realise that any attempt at moving fast would result in my 'undercarriage' wobbling around (not nice I can tell you). My Coccyx was bruised to hell so sitting down was not fun. I had thrown my hip out during labour so struggled pushing the pushchair until I had physio. I suppose I did not expect to be 'injured' after birth.

Also v knackered with huge bowling ball boobs and a good dose of PND. Did not bond with DS after a difficult forceps birth after which instead of being handed to me he was rushed off to be resucitated and we didn't hear anything for 10 minutes. Thought he was dead. Thought it was my fault for not wanting a c-section.
None of it matters now though, he is a wonderful son, we have a good relationship and he loves us both - couldn't wish for more.

oh yes the bleeding and generall stinkyness from stitches bursting open (after doctor swore I would be okay to go to the loo) was also very unpleasant - remember looking at it in the mirror and thinking - I am not a woman anymore.

I too have looked in the mirror and thought 'where am I? That's not me!' but it went away with the excess belly skin and as the stretchmarks faded! Now I'm just counting down to getting my boobs back, 2 months till he can have whole milk (won't drink formula!)...

I remember feeling much happier once I was home and able to have a proper shower (was almost pointless having one at the hospital I felt just as gross afterwards). At least I was happier until we had to go back up to the hospital to check DS over for jaundice and I saw a woman and her partner going home with their baby and she was clearly back in her size 8 jeans .

Otherwise for the first few days I was quite sore and shattered but elated to have my tiny baby. The problem is it's a time in your life when you need to rest and sleep the most and probably the time when you'll get the least of either.

Also remember my milk coming in and my boobs being so painful I could barely hold DS - when I wasn't feeding him that is. I have big boobs anyway but they became comically big. Not looking forward to that part again .

Sore down below, but fine other than that.

I felt great for a couple of weeks.

At 5/6 weeks in I had a bit of a breakdown! It took me a long time to recover from various things that went on in the first 10 weeks of dd's life mentally in retrospect - at the ime I didn't notice them quite so much.

I'm thinking and planning lot harder about the aftermath of this one.

I felt utterly crap for about 4 months and didn't really get properly into the swing until 6 months after birth. Whole thing was a complete shock to me and I really wasn't prepared for any of it. After 4 days induction with no sleep and a horrible assisted birth the VERY LAST thing I wanted was to be handed the biggest responsibility of my life and be sent home with only DH who just wanted his wife and his life back the same way it used to be.

Am going to be much more prepared this time around.... 27 weeks and eyes wide open this time.

I felt okay, my yummy PFB is 10 weeks old now and we took her to the coffee shop the day after she was born as I would have gone stir crazy staying in the house.

The constant tea and cakes have helped I have found, that and being able to eat Snickers now :)

By comparison though our friends had a baby 2 weeks after us and did not even go in the garden for a week, she could not sit down properly as had had epidural and forceps and stitches :(

DD1, after a very long, crappy birth culminating in emergency ventouse and just missing an emergency C-section: as if I'd been kicked in the stomach by a horse. For about three weeks. I went outside the flat to post a letter - about 25 metres from our house - after two weeks.

DD2, after an eight-hour home birth, albeit with tearing: fairly OK. I did have Stitch Unpleasantness, but two weeks after her birth I walked a mile or so across the park to register her birth.

Absolutely dreadful, like I'd been run over by a bus and everything I knew about existence was bollocks. After my first.

On a cloud of joy and happy hormones after my second.

after DS was born, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. I just ached all over, and could hardly sit down. had very bad after pains for a few days, then had them every time he fed for about 4 months!!

I was up and walking about too soon I think, as within a week of his birth I had walked to and from town (mile each way), and walked to and from the baby clinic (2 miles each way), despite a 3 day labour and forceps delivery (with tearing and episiotomy). I was also doing all my old household chores, and baking a lot

my blood loss was classed as not quite serious enough for iron tablets, but after a few weeks of feeling limp, I started taking an iron supplement and felt a ton better! infection of the epi scar was another low point, but emotionally I was not too bad within a couple of weeks.

16 weeks with DC2 and planning a lot less activity post-birth, and a lot more snuggling with newborn and toddler-time! and lowering my standards drastically again!

Mostly tired. I had contractions all night so couldn't sleep. Went to hospital about 9am and DS was born at 4pm. Hardly slept in hospital or when I got home.
I was a bit sore from episiostomy stitches too. And BF was very painful at first.
Rather overwhelmed with the enormity of having a new life to care for.
I had a very easy pregnancy so didn't suffer in that respect. I was glad to put my normal clothes back on however.

After DD1's birth I felt awful, but it was a traumatic birth, she was transferred to the children's hospital with an infection caught at the maternity hospital.

I felt high for weeks after DD2's lovely home birth.

DD3 is just a fortnight old and I feel normal and have done since the day after she was born. She was a home water birth, with a 4min pushing stage!

DD is three weeks - can't feel the stitches and just tired from having a newborn and toddler. I had forgotten just how little babies sleep at night.

DS - took 3 weeks before I could walk any distance, stitches were agony and I was feeling awful plus tired from having a newborn!

With DS1 I felt appalling, the pethidine had wiped me out, and I lost loads of blood so was really faint and dizzy. Had an episiotomy but still tore so was very sore which took a long time to heal, and I had to go back in twice, once to have stitches loosened and once due to infection. BFing was exhausting and I felt like a zombie for a good few months. Emotionally I was very down about my inflated balloon belly.

After DS2 I felt fine, learnt to feed lying down so was getting much more sleep, avoided the pethidine so didn't feel as wiped out. Only real issue was how much worse the afterpains were second time round, I thought I was in labour again! And was prepared for my pos baby figure, and thought my saggy bump was hilarious. I guess it helps that I am in a much better place this time round. Though life with a toddler and is absolutely knackering, wasn't prepared for how hard this bit would be.

Be kind to yourself, lots of snuggling on the sofa with your baby and let everyone else do the running around. If you are BFing it's even more excuse to curl up and have a feedathon whilst watching Christmas films

No problems at all - I showered within 45 mins of the birth, refused wheelchair as no need, no soreness down below, and I was walking 2 miles a day within 1-2 days. Which I had to do becasue DD was in intensive care (very prem) so I was going back and forth from the hospital to bring expressed milk and to help to care for her - which sounds like hard work (it was), but helped me staying sane during a very difficult time. I consider it my finest hour

DD - my first, I felt sore, shell shocked, knackered and awful.

DS1 - I was high as a kite and went off on marching long walks with the baby and toddler in tow. That was the first week and then I came down off the high and felt knackered!

DS2 - felt the best after him - was doing the school run within days of his birth but took it easy the rest of the time.

I think the secret is to spend at least the first two weeks doing very little other than feed and look after the baby if you can.

I felt so overjoyed not to be pregnant anyone (HG pregnancy, and went 40+10), and so excited to finally see the baby. Also, could not sit down from the pain of the stiches after instrumental delivery, and took me ages to walk anywhere - I call it the episiotomy shuffle!

Brilliant after all three - euphoric and energetic. I had small babies and child-bearing hips, so no trouble there! A few months in, I felt like I had been run over by a bus.

I think giving birth is like climbing Everest and then you are expected in the following days, to get up and run a maraton.!!!! Especially if you are going through the traumas of learning how to breastfeed....let no one kid you its easy!

Scared, as the birth itself was a shambles. So much so, that I had the midwife who attended on me come see me on the post natal ward twice, the ward sister checking I was "fine about everything" and the maternity manager sitting on my bed, asking me how I was "now".

I felt scared my new baby wouldn't be "ok". He was. But he's now 11 and has autism and there are times I feel so guilty cause I wonder....? Was that bloody shambles of a delivery in any way responsible and should I have been more aggressive with them to get the help I needed?

Otherwise, yes.... I was euphoric and proud and knackered and shit scared I would be a crap mum! I think was you're feeling is normal. Congratulations to you!!

Ds1: Bit sore but thrilled to have my body back to myself. I ran on high adrenaline for a few days afterwards.

Ds2: Like I could sleep for a week but after two days was completely back to normal, not even sore. It was like I hadn't had a baby at all (well, aside from the stretch marks! )