How did you feel post-birth?

[LikeAnAdventCandleButNotQuite]

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?

DC1 - Shattered, stunned, deflated but happy to finally to have a child - it was a real mix and the weirdest feeling in the world. (last minute panic, epidural gone wrong, hatchet episiotomy, baby whisk away for extra care)

DC2 - Euphoric (drug free, no problem water birth, baby in full health)

Later with both DC absolutely overjoyed and in awe!

I felt like I'd had a limb removed with a blunt set of cutlery - totally wiped but on a real high for 3 days until the hormones kicked in as did the sleep deprivation.
6 months on.............I'm so proud of my little boy and love him to bits but he's going to be an 'only' :o

Happydotcom - I thought that until last week (DS is 9 months)..... A very surprising development!

It is hard work!

Physically I bounced back pretty quickly (two very straightforward births). Although anything connected to breastfeeding from my milk coming in to engorgement to pumping was like torture to be honest.

...but mentally I'm just not very good at newborns. I loved and cherished my new babies but in those early days found sleep deprivation to make me feel totally unhinged and so I felt mad and out of control, to be honest. I could pose for pics, meet their needs and get washing through but my head was off somewhere else.

I like them and the parenting experience soooo better when they're potty trained and talking :)

Just repeat the mantra "this too shall pass".

Battered.. Shattered.... but euphoric and sort of invincible

The day my milk came in was when it all hit me... Kept going on hormones fr a few weeks - 9 months in feel tired through and through.

With DD1 I was a wreck. I had a bad tear and lots of stitches so for two weeks I was walking like John Wayne, sitting on a rubber ring and crying a lot.

With DD2 I felt amazing. I walked from giving birth (at home) to the ambulance (retained placenta - needed a manual removal) and the next day I was home, breastfeeding, cleaning, picking up after myself and DD1 etc. At the time it must have been adrenaline but I felt really good. It caught up with me about a week later.

Like I'd been hit by a train. It was a massive shock, I've never felt so physically vulnerable, but I had a long labour, an emergency section and then an infection so have every hope next time will be easier.

Dh said he could litterally see the relief of being over 9 months of pregnancy wash over me the second dd came out.

I don't do pregnant very well

Roll on 6 weeks time till dc2 is finally out.

I hope you're feeling better now. :)

DD was born on 12th december, and I only felt well enough to leave the bed 4 days after. By Sunday last week, I was okay to go to church (twice), but I sat down for most of the services, and was knackered generally just walking around.

I did lose nearly 2 pints of blood, though, and became very anaemic. (hb of 6.6). But iron tablets and constant eating have made me feel much better.
I am definitely not 100% now, but I can manage walking around (the furthest I've walked is about 200 yards) without wanting to die. and my gums are starting to go red again.

And if you haven't put your birth in the advent calendar, you could do it now

here

Thanks Nickel have added my LO to the advent calander

Feeling a bit better physically over the last couple of days, managed a trip out to grandad's after her heel prick test and a wizz round the Co_op. Christmas Day today has actually been quite mentally draining, not sure how others with Newborns have found it. Our Christmas Day is hectic (12 people for dinner, inc family who have travelled a long way and we don't see often)

Got a bit bogged down with comments such as "bring her in here so she can see her presents" while she was asleep peacefully in her pram; "you are teaching her to need a dummy" whioch I gave to her as she was crying as YOU had forced me to pick her out of her cosy pram for a bloody photograph - so deal with the fact she has a dummy in on your photo, I dont bloody care!

Argh!

Came home for a nap at 6pm, and haven't gone back (sent DH though!)

Have had a wonderful evening though, watching Corrie Xmas special, Ab Fab and now settling in to watch Mr McIntyre

Merry Christmas everyone

I felt very awful. And after 3 weeks I was very sick. I was vomitting and my boobs are so sore and head aches.. :( But I don't care, as long as my twins are okay (;

Hellish. No euphoria here

Nope, no euphoria for me either. Catalogue of woes including SCBU, nightmare tear, PND, undiagnosed tongue-tie, reflux...

Just awful.

comments can be really hard to deal with.
I've already had to shout my mum down on several things.

I remember being shocked at how worn out I got so quickly, I remember going out for a walk the day I came home and suddenly feeling very glad I had the pram to hang on to!! Hadn't realised until then quite how tired my body was.. I also felt like everything was very surreal for quite a while.

I think, though I would not wish it on anyone, having a baby in neo-natal meant that I had so much to focus on that I wasn't even aware of how tired I was. Looking back at photos I can see I was shattered though.

A while afer the birth I developed a weird thing in my ankles which basically meant I could hardly walk in the mornings and could barely get down the stairs. I think it stopped when the baby was about 10 months old.

Agree with happydotcom. I couldn't sit without pain for weeks, lost loads of blood and low, low hb. Bf difficult start (eventually successful :) ). It was difficult. Ds is 3 and will be an only.

Physically, got better with each one as quicker, easier births.

Mentally/emotionally, very weirded out after them all. Hormones seemed to make my senses extra sensitive - everything looked very bright and sounded shrill - and I definitely needed lots of space in my own head, iyswim.

Found having people around exhausting.

Read books compulsively for a month or so after each birth.

Shell-shocked. Birth didn't go at all how I'd imagined. Planned for water birth with gas ended up being ventouse with diamorphine with episiotomy and 2nd degree tear.

Very emotionally wobbly for a few days after - can still remember the sensation of tearing which freaks me out. Stitches are still causing me pain 11 days later as I've not been able to rest enough and have torn them.

Also absolutely knackered and drained.

The best bit was the cup of tea i got,
other reactions were

1. total shock when I found out there wasn't a nursery where they put the baby whilst you got a good night's sleep.

2.not wanting to poo for a good two weeks

1. not caring if anyone took the baby just let me sleep
2. regretting telling everyone that i just wanted bonding time and no visitors, when i wanted to shoe off the best baby in the world.

show not shoe

I felt ropey for 24 hours both times, then totally fine. I realise I am in a minority and I think it was natures way of making up for awful pregnancies.

Felt like I was having an out-of-body experience...really dazed and confused! Had an EMCS after being awake for 2 days (most of which was in labour being very sick) so no wonder really...all those

I actually look really good and serene in the photos like I had a "glow" and certainly felt generally at peace, but was in hospital for a week and barely slept between all the clanging around on the wards and DS wanting feeding. He was in special care for 2 days with jaundice which was horrible but somehow I didn't really register what was going on and still feel guitly for not living down on the ward with him (bit difficult being 2 floors apart and only able to get around being pushed in a wheelchair, but now I wish I'd spent more time with him).

Sleep deprivation kicked in properly around 3 months when I could barely function! Am pretty lazy anyway but seem to remember not getting dressed most days and only leaving the front door about twice a week in the first 6 weeks!