Pulled muscles after labour - am I the only one?!

[Lotsie]

I have been searching the internet high and low and can't find any other accounts of this happening so want to know if its only me?!

Bit of background: I had a 24 hour labour with DD. After I had got to 10cms and been pushing for an hour the midwives were slightly confused as to why baby had barely moved and asked if I'd had any scans showing her size. Luckily, I had, at 36 weeks. Head circumference on the 96th percentile (no one had mentioned this might be a problem and I had figured it was still in the 'normal' range). 'Ah!' They said - am I happy for an episiotomy as this is likely to end in some damage otherwise. Absolutely - I then tried lots of different positions, squatting etc. 2 hours after I have started pushing (their usual cut off time) they say I am too close for any intervention and that I really have to give it some welly. And so I do exactly that. My husband describes it being akin to a body builder, every vein on my body standing up, 15 mins later, head delivers - shoulder dystocia. Big drama etc but she is delivered within a few mins nice and pink, absolutely fine. I have some further tearing but nothing that has done me any long term harm. I had absolutely no sensation in my body whilst she was born, couldn't even feel them injecting me afterwards despite not having any painkillers. Couldn't even hear anyone speaking during them trying to get her out. I think my endorphins from pushing just made everything totally numb to cope with the level of exertion as I don't remember feeling scared.

The part that confuses me however is that I completely destroyed my muscles for a number of weeks after. I couldn't walk down the stairs or even support myself in the car and would just hit my seatbelt if someone braked. I walked like I was 100 years old. I had mastitis 5 times in 6 weeks and was diagnosed with 'constrictive mammory syndrome' (basically your pectoral muscles seize up cutting the blood supply off to your boob - ouch) and had to stop at 6 weeks. I remember reaching over to my bedside table and just moving my arm at a normal speed caused all the muscles across my chest to essentially stop working and my arm was limp for a couple of hours and totally useless. Not ideal when you have a newborn. To say it felt like I had been hit by a bus was an understatement. I remember my facial muscles aching when I smiled and my scalp aching too! Crazy.

I however thought this was totally normal, after all it is called labour. But it has become pretty clear that none of my friends experienced this.....has anyone ever had this happen to them or have heard of something similar? Am now pregnant with a second and although I actually really loved the whole experience and find labour incredible, I'm not sure I can be out of action for that long again if it was to happen again.

Thank you!

How are your iron levels?

I would look into this.

I also recognise feeling like you were hit by a bus. I did after my biggest baby. I also had a (small apparently) PPH and my iron levels were through the floor. It was months before I was even well enough to go to the doctor.

@hawkmoth My iron is always on the low side and was in pregnancy. But not bad enough that I needed a transfusion and I didn't lose much blood at all. It was less exhaustion and more that my muscles felt destroyed! Those I know who have had PPH's, no matter how 'small' have taken a very very long time to recover with little support so I really feel for you. I think if that had happened to me I would have been face down on the floor!

Definitely felt like this after my first , he was 10lb and shoulder dystocia. No episiotomy so I really did have to give it some welly and ached for weeks after and although I absolutely loved the whole process and beyond , I definitely didn't feel right again for ages and had used muscles that clearly hadn't been used - ever ! Also felt like my entire internal organs and lower body had dropped and I was walking carrying it all sat in my spine
Just had our second and it was a blip in comparison , I was expecting to feel the same again but was absolutely fine and felt nothing like it but she was only 7lb3 so I think that definitely made a difference .

I'm wondering whether the bigger babies maybe play a part ? X

I had pulled muscles after my 5lb 11oz baby 😩
My upper arms, my thighs and chest. I also had burst blood vessels or no do I mean broken capillaries? in my face

@OkPedro in that case , I think it's all babies !

My SIL had shoulder dystocia with her 3rd. She couldn't walk the first weeks and it took a while (don't remember how long, but weeks after that, maybe a few months) before she felt normal again while moving around. She could do everything after tge first weeks, but she kept feeling very stiff for a while. It did get better on it's own. I don't think you can compare a shoulder dystocia to a normal delivery. The recovery is different.

Anyway, congratulations with your baby

On the positive side zoe I had no tearing, episiotomy or stitches! I could barely walk and my face looked horrific for a week though 😂

I'd pulled muscles in my arms from gripping the sides of the bed when I was pushing- that cleared up after a few days.

More longterm was my stomach muscles- they ached under my belly button for a good six weeks after my straightforward birth with dc2.

@Zoe2411 My DD was 8lb5 - can't believe you managed that with no epis and a 10lber!! Well done you! Did they look after you differently with your second - I've been told would have to be a CDS delivery, consultant let etc. Did they keep an eye on babys weight? And congratulations, so reassuring to hear 2nd time was much better!

@cranstonmanor That's so interesting thank you for replying. It's so good to know I'm not the only one!

@OkPedro So strange that your muscles suffered so badly too!! Its so hard to deal with when you have a newborn!

D was 8lb5 - can't believe you managed that with no epis and a 10lber!! Well done you! Did they look after you differently with your second - I've been told would have to be a CDS delivery, consultant let etc. Did they keep an eye on babys weight? And congratulations, so reassuring to hear 2nd time was much better!

8lbs5 is a decent size . They had prepped me for an epis and when my mom and OH told me that I went for gold haha stuck or not I think out of sheer panic of having them cut me I got him out lol
For definite this time I was looked after 100 times better! Although annoyingly have got it wrong size wise both times. A week before I had our son they said he was 7lb5 and he clearly wasn't ... this is mr 10lb and then 3 days before I had our little girl said she was 9lb8 and she wasn't , she was a dot and basically walked out after him paving the way lol
I was consultant led from the get go and had regular meetings and growths scans . Also being higher risk of shoulder dystocia - didn't quite realise how serious this was until I had the second and it was explained abit more ( I had no idea at the time and although kept saying he was stuck , just assumed everyone said that as that's how it felt , it was my first Baby and 20 people in a room was the norm - why wouldn't there be that many people , I had given birth haha )
I was told I'd likely need a planned c section and that was always on the cards or an induction . I didn't have either , spontaneous delivery and a textbook birth . Honestly just perfect and over so quickly x

You will smash it and I hope won't feel anything like you did the first time after x

@OkPedro this tickled me 😂😂
damn you Mother Nature letting you keep your vagina in one piece but giving your face some jip! She wasn't letting you have it all then ! 🙈 x

@Zoe2411 Thanks for the encouragement!! I knew exactly what a SD was and even knew the name of the manoeuvre they used to get her out, I wish I had known less though!! I think I would feel better about it if my first had been a boy...I just have it in my head that boys are bigger...so if this one is a boy - eek! Also, is it just an old wives tale that second babies are bigger?! I hope so... I'm considering a section but will see what they think as I'd love to labour again. So pleased they really stepped up for your second, makes me feel so much better!

@GrapefruitIsGross I swear no one prepares us for this! Birth is crazy.

@Zoe2411 I also had a great giggle at you thinking that many people in the room was normal! Your second must have seemed very boring in comparison! Haha!

zoe 😂🙈 I'm glad it was my face and not my vagina in fairness!
Best of luck lotsie maybe a section would work for you. I’ve heard a planned section can be a lot easier to recover from. You’re right though birth is crazy. I recovered quicker from an episiotomy, 18 hour labour than a relatively easy second 5 hour smaller baby no intervention labour 😳😆

I'm glad you did , I hadn't a clue . They explained the Mcroberts manoeuvre as we were doing it and threatened what I imagined was going to be Edward scissor hands clawing away - I know , how silly when it's nothing like that- I've learnt off friends who have had Epis since 🙈
They say they get bigger but in my case not so I don't want to fill you with false hope though and then your potential baby boy or even girl comes out a whopping 14lbs and you get in the papers mentioning some liar on Mumsnet who swore it wouldn't happen to you ! ... Imagine :D haha

Haha I am glad it amused you as it has me since . Who did I honestly think I was . That important that all those people were there just for my birth haha
Yes , although as amazing for different reasons we both agreed the second was very different and a little ' oh is that it ' - in the nicest way possible because we'd had such a crescendo with our first and then it was just me , Phil and a midwife and this baby calmly just came and was small lol

Absolutely go with what is right for you and the baby but if you want to labour again then you go for it !

Congratulations on number 2 x

@OkPedro haha 😂 Love it ! to be fair , you have a point, you could of been double whammied and had your vessels go and your vagina messed with 😱🙈😂 so I like your positive attitude on the swings and round abouts situation! 🙋🏼‍♀️😏

Completely agree and have friends who swear by there sections and opted for it when they had there second babies so if you do end up going for a planned section you might love it and recover quickly x

How crazy is that that you recovered better with your initial experience 🙈 x

You'll have to come back and tell us what happens and if you give birth to a toddler or a tiddler! 🥰 x

Not to the same extreme as you, but I absolutely felt like I had pulled every muscle in my body after DS was born. I did 1.5hrs pushing and really struggled to get him out. I was also on the drip, don't know if that made it worse. I felt awful afterwards and my arms were so weak I struggled lifting DS, who was a small baby!

If it helps at all my DD birth was a totally different kettle of fish. Baby born in a few pushes and I felt perfectly normal afterwards!