Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

How long does it take to "recover" after giving birth?

67 replies

MeadowHay · 20/09/2015 17:20

I know this is probably a silly question because everybody is different but I would be interested in hearing your responses. How long was it after giving birth before you began to feel not as exhausted/in pain etc? Or are the first few months just like a huge blur of exhaustion because of having the newborn to look after? How long was it after giving birth that you could, I don't know, socialise, or resume a hobby that you have or go back to work for those of you who returned to paid employment?

Thanks. :)

OP posts:

CarrotPuff · 22/09/2015 10:38

Physically (sleep deprivation aside) I was ok in a couple days. I had straightforward delivery though, no tearing or stitches.

Psychologically/emotionally - about 8 weeks, when all of a sudden DS was happy to be put down in his bouncy chair and I could have 10 minutes of peace to have a hot cup of tea.

I was in pain from breastfeeding though, I think it started getting better after about a month.

DS woke up pretty much hourly till he was 7mo, so once he started sleeping better I felt more human again. That was when I could go out in the evening.

He's 22mo now and I'm still permanently tired. Also once your baby starts sleeping through and you think this is it, they are still not immune from early wake ups. So if you're up at 5 every morning, you will hardly want to stay up/out after 10pm...

NickyEds · 22/09/2015 13:29

DS(21 months)- 30 hour labour, with synto drip and no epidural-fucking awful. I had two second degree tears so quite a lot of stitches. Physically I was pretty good after a day or so, and back in my jeans after 3 weeks. Bf much more painful than anything birth related. Part of the reason I was back in my jeans was I was too anxious to eat. I found it unbelievably stressful. After 3 weeks ds got his tt snipped and feeding became easier- that's when I started doing baby groups. Still had nightmares about the birth a year later (when pg with dd). I absolutely loved 2-6 months as we were out everyday seeing new mum friends and ds was seeping through.

Dd (9 weeks)- Easy birth- 5 hours no tears or stitches. The worst bit was when the diamorphine they gave me actually took effect an hour or so after dd was born and made me feel shit for a few hours. Dd has been easy to feed too so after a few small nipple cracks bf has been fine.

We've been getting out and about loads as a family or with friends but only did toddler group on my own with them both today!!

Hobbies- my hobby is sewing so I re started doing that when ds stopped cluster feeding in the evening so around 12 weeks. Still waiting with dd.#

Going out- I've already had an evening out, about 2 weeks ago so dd was 7 weeks.I went to the pub with friends for a couple of hours.

I've not been back to work -SAHM.

My babies both sleep well and I'm still tired!!

TheWatchersCouncil · 22/09/2015 14:02

4 years and 5 operations.

Strokethefurrywall · 22/09/2015 14:09

I was very lucky - was out and about with Ds1 after 4 days, felt normal in terms of childbirth discomfort by my 1 week check up. Had lost all but 3lbs of baby weight, and was 5lbs below pre-pregnancy weight by the time DS1 was about 12 weeks.

DS2 I left hospital the day after he was born and went straight out for lunch. I only felt tired but I didn't have te "hit by a truck feeling" presumably because I had an episiotomy and hypnobirth with DS1 and a straight up epidural birth and no episiotomy birth with DS2.
The I ly thing that was worse with DS2 were the after pains. I wanted to tear my uterus out with DS2 and the pain was worse than labor.
Back to normal pretty quickly after him too.

PeanutButterFiend · 22/09/2015 14:15

My labour was very quick. I ended up with an internal year which requires a few stitches, and external lacerations, which the midwife said didn't need stitching...I beg to differ!! Those lacerations meant that I couldn't pee without throwing up from the stinging pain for about 3 weeks. Had the throbbing, bruised feeling down there for about 2 weeks. Was back in my jeans after a week, but I put that down to having a little bump. By the time my 6 week appointment came round, I was more or less back to normal - didn't have any pain and bleeding had completely stopped

icklekid · 22/09/2015 14:16

Laughing at people who were swimming/gym/exercise a week or so after giving birth... I'm afraid I was still in a lot of pain until 6 weeks (ventouse and episiotomy which got infected) I think I managed a very short car journey after 2 weeks which was silly and agony. In terms of tiredness that is a different matter as sleep deprivation is a nightmare.

Life definitely became more manageable post colic which was about 12 weeks in. I did go to baby groups as soon as I could walk comfortably though because being isolated at home made life much harder!

Whathaveilost · 22/09/2015 14:20

ick I was one that was gymming and swimming strIght away. Like has been said before, everyone is different. I really was expecting the worst and was pleasantly surprised at how ( relatively) easy things were apart from incredible sore boobs near feed times.

I put off having a baby for many years because I was frightened to death from all the horror stories but wish I had started sooner when it wasn't as bad as I imagined.

Fannyupcrutch · 22/09/2015 14:32

My first DD I was just 18. the labour hurt like hell but I was pretty much back to normal the following day. In fact I gave birth on the Friday at %.30 and went into work on the Monday afternoon (with my baby) to check stock levels and make sure that the new bar staff knew what they were doing. My 2nd baby 15 months later i waltzed out of the hospital and promptly doubled over in agony with afterpains. Was off my feet for a week. 3rd son I was back to normal within 10 days.......last daughter I was 29 and it took me much longer to feel 100% normal and get rid of the sciatica and stuff.

I found it SO much easier when I was a fit young thing!

notaprincessbutaqueen · 22/09/2015 14:38

We got married when ds was 28days old!!! But when you have older children life goes on and you just have to get on with it. School, homework and clubs don't suddenly stop just because you have a baby and once dh's paternity leave was up I just had to do it all x

BestZebbie · 22/09/2015 14:41

I'm finding that I keep thinking 'oh, I'm back to normal!' every few weks/months and then a few months later I will suddenly notice that I'm even more 'normal' by then, if you see what I mean?
I'd say it took about 2 weeks to feel like I understood how my body worked again, 6 weeks before the all-consuming baby haze faded a bit, at both 3 months and 6 months I felt I was 'back' (started part time work again within 3 months), by 9 months my body more strongly resembled how it had been before birth (bar a couple of permanent changes), the baby is now a year old and I'm getting interest back in hobbies which had just seemed less attractive than being with the baby all the time when he was very new.

sherbetpips · 22/09/2015 14:42

I was quite surprised to be physically injured after birth. I was expecting all the other stuff but I had back to back stitches and had really bruised my cocyx so could not sit down properly. I couldn't run or even walk fast as it felt like my 'undercarriage' was moving. That took about 4 weeks to resolve. General knackeredness was another 3 months, by the time I went back to work at 6 months I was functioning pretty normally.

ceejoy · 22/09/2015 14:45

I had an emergency section which opened when the suture was drawn out. LO is 8 weeks old and it's just now closed so that slowed me down a lot! I'd say I've felt ok for the last 2-3 weeks or so while being very careful of my tummy!

gemdrop84 · 22/09/2015 14:57

Dd: was sore for about 6 weeks but got out and about as normal the day after.
Ds: after a fairly quick text book birth, I had a major pph, went home the next day but bed rest was ordered by midwives as I was very ill, couldn't do anything physical apart from hold ds for feeds, this lasted just over two weeks. It was another two months until I was completely back to normal physically.
I felt emotionally fine throughout although looking back I do think I was in a bit of shock after what happened when I had ds.

goblinhat · 22/09/2015 14:57

All so different.

I think part of the tiredness is not just die to the birth, but the process of being a mother- night wakenings, breastfeeding etc.

I felt great after giving birth, a little tender in the trouser dept, but no real pain. I was at Tesco pushing a trolley around doing the weekly shop with a toddler in tow within 24 hours of giving birth to my 2nd ( OH couldn't get time off work)
Having sex again within 10 days.

goblinhat · 22/09/2015 14:58

Oh and I was 40 when I had my second- not sure age has got much to do with it.

CultureSucksDownWords · 22/09/2015 15:02

I'm really quite envious of all those who have managed to pop their babies out with hardly a scratch or a bruise to show for it, and are out running that afternoon. Is it just pure luck, or is there some secret to it that no one has told me?

pocketsized · 22/09/2015 15:06

6 month old here that is still routinely waking every hour and a half, refusing to nap, and won't be put down in the day. Birth was fine, but this is shit.

goblinhat · 22/09/2015 15:06

I don't think anyone is out running, but for some of us it's just necessity.

My OH only had one day paternity leave, I have a disabled mother to care for and I had a toddler, due to unexpected arrival no food in the house, so it's starve or go to Tescos, ( even though DD was only 18 hours old)

Boosiehs · 22/09/2015 15:17

elQuintoConyo you are on the money. DS was born 2 years ago (plus a week), and I am still not feeling back to normal. I'm also 5 months preg but hey.

Shoulder distocia and forceps have pretty much ruined my lady parts, and really ruined sex for me. Episiotomy and 2nd degree tears have fecked that all up.

I couldn't walk to the end of the road for 2 weeks, and it was nearly 6 before I could walk without serious discomfort.

I wish I had demanded a c-section rather than going through a near 39 hour labour. :(

Next one is coming out of the sunroof!

IceBeing · 22/09/2015 15:18

4 and half years and counting....

Still in pain, still suffering, still unable to do certain hobbies or complete my job to anywhere near the standard I could pre-child birth.

RandomMess · 22/09/2015 15:20

It was different with each birth tbh even though I had unassisted VB with no tears (had a nick and grazes with the first)

Anything from a few days to years tbh.

HazleNutt · 22/09/2015 15:20

why would you laugh at people who had fast recoveries, ickle? Or did I misunderstand something?

as for age, I was 34 and 36 respectively, back participating in fitness classes after a month and teaching them after 2 months. Partly luck, but I do think the fact that I kept active helped as well.

CultureSucksDownWords · 22/09/2015 15:22

There's necessity, and then there's what's actually possible. At 18 hrs post delivery I was still in the high dependency unit at the hospital and DS was in SCBU. I couldn't have been up and about, just not possible. Just goes to show how very different people's experiences are.

(Btw, If anyone does know the secret to a straightforward birth could they let me know?!)

ISpidersmanYouMeanPirate · 22/09/2015 15:27

DS1 - physically ok within a few days, and out and about. However extreme sleep deprivation has completely changed my life (he still doesn't reliably sleep through aged 4)

DS2 - lots of pain 4 days after giving birth due to serious complications. So physically I took a couple of months to recover. He is also an amazing non-sleeping baby, so I am struggling a lot from sleep deprivation (he's 16 months and woke 10 times last night, which is standard )

I actually felt worse and worse as the boys got older because at least when I'd just given birth I could rest a lot. I went back to work FT each time at 6 months and it's really really hard. (I was in tears on the way to work today, I'm just not coping)

Wearyheadedlady · 22/09/2015 15:30

I am still a bit wonky after my last one which was almost 8 years ago. But that's my fault as much as anything.

Flip

1 2 3