Please tell me how some women are up and about hours after having a baby?

[TwinklyfLightAttendant]

Please could someone tell me how, as I have been wondering about this for ages now - I have never been OK enough to get out of bed within at least 12 hours really, let alone go out, do housework etc. and it makes me feel a bit inadequate, or that I must be doing something wrong, when I read other people saying they were getting on with things as usual shortly after giving birth.

My first child was an easyish birth, 8 hour labour, I reacted to the epi I think which made me sick but otherwise there was no reason I should have been feeling awful for a couple of days after. Second birth was at home, 3 hr labour, no major complications but again, felt like I'd been hit by a truck and stayed in bed for a few days. It was mainly the fact my stomach muscles felt like they have been removed, so I couldn't stand up straight iyswim?

Can anyone give me any hints for next time, or reassure me that I'm not unusual, please?

you're not unusual! If you can't have a few days in bed doing not very much after giving birth, then when can you?!

I couldn't walk any distance for about a week after dd2 was born, due to blood loss.

Thankyou Belgo. I would love to be up and baking etc (!) but just can hardly seem to manage getitng to the loo let alone anything else.
Mind you I was quite anaemic as well, maybe that has a bearing.

don't beat yourself about this! have to say - i was ok to get up and go after mine - but spent most of pregnancies whimpering and vomiting
i think this may be your bodies way of protecting you after birth - not inadequate at all - just well designed!

I was up and about quickly after my 2 girls, but I really regret it. I was too keen to get back to normal, and I missed out on so much.

With DS (12days old) I have done naff all! Have been sat on my arse for a lot of it, and feel a hell of a lot better for having the opportunity!

But how did you walk, Northernlurker? I don't know how people can walk when their stomach has been turned into a jelly!!

[awe]

Jarm is little Mouse alright now? x

yes blood loss and aneamia will certainly make you feel very weak for weeks or in my case a couple of months.

Have to say I didn't experience any of this with either of my sons , though after ds1 my undercarriage was so sore/swollen/battered I kind of hobbled along for 3-4 weeks (but otherwise felt great).
Both my labours were short, though - 4 and 3 hours respectively (so I wasn't too knackered). I also had a massive adrenaline rush which carried me through the next few days (the comedown from all the pain - did ds1 with gas and air and ds2 without anything). Had a horrendous pg with ds1 and ds2 was huge, so physically it was wonderful to be free of being pg too.
I would, say, though that what you describe seems completely reasonable. Childbirth has to be one of the most physically strenuous things you can do I would have thought so it seems obvious that you need some recovery time.

never had any stomach muscles to speak of in the first place and very keen to get out of the hospital

Well, the morning after (as soon as epidural had worn off) I was running around getting brekkie in the hospital for everyone else.

Then the drugs wore off - and I sat at home in pain going, I hurt! I managed to do all the looking after dd stuff but didn't go out of the house for 3 weeks (!) and spent most of the time watching telly and ignoring the housework. Yes, you definitely need recovery time if you can.

Going shopping the day of giving birth is not normal. I felt quite good second time around but that just seems madness! Your body has gone through a major major event - some rest and recuperation is normal and necessary IMO!!

I had some weird adrenaline thing going on after DS3, I couldn't stay still, was up and about packing all my stuff away. DH sat holding DS3 and laughuing at me, telling me to sit down. Think it was also to do with the fact that he was huge and I could barely move the last few weeks of my pregnancy so it was a relief to be able to move again.

After DS1 and 2 I couldn't move, so sore and couldn't stand upright and DS4 was a CS and I took ages to recover from that.

DS1 I had a CS - and the spinal lasted AGES (he was born at lunchtime - at 8pm I was still pretty numb!) so didn't get up until the following day - went home 3 days later, and was "out and about" 5 days later.

DS2 - horrendous VBAC - failed pain relief, tried to get up about 5 hours after having him to go to the toilet - and was "caught" as my legs gave way and wheeled there in a wheelchair - it was the following morning before I was up and about.

DS3 - had him at 4.20pm - placenta delivered at around 5.15...went home at 9pm.....think I as just lucky

I got some weird hormonal rush and was shopping and cooking for guests who were visiting, whilst sporting immaculately coiffed hair.

You should have seen me ten days later when the high wore off - I was like some sort of hermit bag-lady.

(little mouse is fine thanks for asking, still a little snuffly, but loads better than he was saturday night!)

Barry - same here!!

I have to say I am one of those who was up and about quickly DS1 was born at home after a 36 hour labour (start to finish not established labour) he was born at 5pm we were on our own by about 6.30pm after the midwives left mooched round for the evening then went to bed and we all slept until 7am - but I then felt ok and so we walked to the dr's surgery (across the road) then to the village shop (5-600 meters) we came back here in time for the midwife visit then Mum & Dad. HOWEVER - I didn't bond with DS1 until he was about 12 months old and I don't know if that would have been different if I had taken time to get to know him instead of getting on with things.

I think things like this are like having pain relief in labour - there is no universal measure for pain - labour really does hurt more for some ladies and therefore it would follow that the discomfort and pain for some ladies afterwards is genuinely worse. It isn't about being a wuss

i think it depends on the birth, i did not have c section or epidural so i had no problems. most of the ladies in the ward who had had surgery or/and epidural found it difficult due to numbness and soreness.

I was lucky and had a fairly easy 4 hr labour, with no epi (not time for one once I arrived) and so could walk around ok after an hour or so. I would imagine having an epi makes a big difference.

with dc1 i couldnt get out of bed for a whole week! i had an easy enough labour, but my body was so exhausted from lack of sleep, my breast were so sore from trying to breast feed, i felt a wreck.

butwith dc2, it felt so much easier, i was back on my feet straightaway and didnt even feel like i had given birth and had a newborn.

It also depends on the pregnancy; even with an easy delivery, different shaped and sized babies lying different ways can do more or less damage to the stomach muscles and core muscles generally, especially towards the end.

My ds was 9 lbs 15 and 2 weeks overdue. I was pretty fit before getting pg and had such good stomach muscles the physio commented on them in the ward afterwards (ah, the memories .... don't think I have ANY stomach muscles to speak of now!) but late pregnancy and forceps delivery wrecked my hips and I was tottering around like an old lady with arthritis for 6 weeks. I spent ages feeling intimidated by friends who were up baking scones the day of the birth - took me ages to realise their experience was completely different to mine, I wasn't being a wuss I was actually injured!

A colleague of mine says looking back she was knocked out by anaemia for YEARS after PPH and no transfusion after her first baby, but she didn't realise what it was at the time until she eventually got treated and started feeling better.

Each pregnancy and birth are different and we just need to cut ourselves lots of slack and deal with whatever we get. So don't worry, you are not unusual Twinklyflightattendant!

Everyone reacts indifferent ways.

No Kerry, vb both times.