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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

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

128 replies

TwinklyfLightAttendant · 11/12/2007 09:29

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?

OP posts:

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Lucyand2 · 13/12/2007 09:37

Urgh, I remember the forced shower and hobbling to the toilet in the night feeling like I was about to die...I managed to shuffle a little bit round hospital for the three days I was there but as soon as I got home I stayed in bed for about a week. I put it down to stitches and feeling like I'd been run over by a train. And had my bits beaten with a baseball bat

JamesAndTheGiantBanana · 13/12/2007 09:42

Psycho, I had quite yucky afterpains and it was my first. The midwife who examined me a few days later said everything had snapped back to where it should be already because my afterpains had been so strong as it meant that the muscles were really doing their job. So that's probably why you got back into your jeans so quickly! Not nice though. Ooh they were horrible.

ChristmasSendsMePsycho · 13/12/2007 09:44

oooh....so afterpains were in fact a wonderful thing then????

will remember to look back on them fondly then, rather than the hell actually were

awayinamuppet · 13/12/2007 12:02

Twinklylight I'm the same as you... putting one foot infront of the other required MAJOR effort for 1st 24 hours after birth... comletely understand where you're coming from with regard to feeling like you've been hit between the legs by a truck.

No jumping up to bake scones for me... much better to have a lie down and eat some cadbury's chocolate fingers.

soopermum1 · 13/12/2007 12:41

I was up and about in no time, it was the sitting down part that was a bit tricky

fairylights · 13/12/2007 12:50

yep, did feel hit by a truck but hadn't slept for about 36 hours. Had 2nd degree tear which was really painful so although i did get moving relatively soon (going upstairs having given birth downstairs!) it was painful for quite a few weeks. I did walk to the local spar 4 days after birth and thought i might collapse so took it easy after that!
Love the idea of how things happened in my granny's day whe you got looked after for 2 weeks - although i guess that was only if you could afford it..

bohemianbint · 13/12/2007 13:01

Was it only middle classes? My gran was working class and she was kept in hospital for 10 days afterwards, I thought that was standard?

love2sleep · 13/12/2007 13:35

With DS1 I was up and about as soon as the spinal wore off. I was full of energy, making all my visitors cups of tea and generally being supermum.

Then the painkillers that I'd been given wore off and I realised what a fool I'd been. Couldn't sit down properly for 2 weeks and couldn't stand for more than a few minutes.

WriggleJiggle · 13/12/2007 13:59

dd1 - was in bed for 3/4 days
dd2 - was up and about as normal withing 2 hours.

No real reason for the difference.

expatinscotland · 13/12/2007 14:03

see, i just took more painkillers, love2 .

i just hate lying around.

i had an ERPC on Monday, and i know it was foolish, but i was up straight after.

right now i'm having to force myself to sit here for a bit whilst DD2 is asleep and DD1 is at nursery, but it narks me off because i see some stuff i could be doing around this house and it pisses me off that my gut is just now trying to get back to normal after the general anaesthetic.

mumtoone · 13/12/2007 14:14

I was in hospital for 3 days after ds was born and I thought I was fine until I left hospital and realised that I'd not actually stood up for more than a few minutes in hospital. Once I got home I felt like I was going to loose my insides!!!! I suspect my pelvic floor had gone awol. My second was born at home and I made a point of not getting dressed for 3 days so that people didn't assume I would jump up and make cups of tea. I probably could have done more but I wanted to try and concentrate on feeding my dd. Thankfully I haven't found afterpains too bad although I did reach for the paracetamol with dd. I don't think I took any painkillers with ds.

expatinscotland · 13/12/2007 14:17

that is such an unpleasant feeling, mummy, though, isn't it?

it really does feel like your entire undercarriage is going to fall out.

no one ever told me about the incontinence, either!

i remember about 3 weeks after i had DD1 my mum took us all out to dinner and as we were leaving this gal fell down and when i giggled i leaked! i was mortified, but that served me right!

morningpaper · 13/12/2007 14:17

lol I remember hoovering in the evening after I'd had DD2 - then passed a HUGE bloodclot which made me think I should probably chill out a bit...

FioFio · 13/12/2007 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

gladders · 13/12/2007 14:23

had cs with ds. a trainee midwife whipped the catheter out the following day and told me to get up - cue me nearly collapsing....

i then spent about 3 weeks walking around stooped like an old woman as was frightened of straightening up......

with dd i new what was coming so made sure I was moving my legs in the bed after she was born - so i never stiffened up and when the midwife (fully trained and lovely this time...) took the catheter out and helpd me stand up, I could do it, and had the courage to try and straighten up. She was so impressed that she let me have a shower - cue me feeling more human and able to deal with stuff.

still don't think i did any housework though???

aikigypsy · 13/12/2007 16:55

My DD was born 14 days ago and I haven't gotten out of my pajamas... much. I had a 4-day stop-and-start induction, with two rounds of syntocin/pitocin/oxytocin and an epidural on the second round (when DD was actually born) which had 90% worn off by the time pushing came around. I don't think it slowed my recovery at all -- I was so exhausted when I asked for it, I honestly didn't think I could go on (and was only at about 3.5 cm). It was the 4-day induction (after about 2 weeks of occasional contractions) that really wore me out.

We were in the hospital for a little less than 48 hours afterwards. They wanted us to stay another day, but I was soooo sick of being there, as we had been there for almost 6 days at that point. My mother was here for the first week and a bit, along with DP, and they waited on me hand and foot. After my mother left (a week after we got home from the hospital) I was back to doing laundry, dishes, and the occasional bit of cooking, with minimal help from DP, who is not good at these things (I'm working on him, though).

I went out for lunch with MIL on the 5th day postpartum, and honestly I think it was too soon, but we managed. This week I've been out a couple of times, but am only just starting to feel restless. I think if I'd had a less exhausting (or SHORTER) labour, I would have been up and about much sooner.

Izzybel · 13/12/2007 21:10

I've not read the whole thread, but I was up and about more or less as soon as I'd given birth. The nasty midwife wanted me out of the delivery suite and didn't give me any choice! I'd had 65 hours of painful comtractions, 35 hours of established labour and epidural that hadn't completely worn off. I felt like I'd been hit by a bus and couldn't walk and she was just like "come on go and get your bath." I just wanted to lie there and actually get my head around the fact that I'd just given birth! It's totally understandable that it takes anyone a while to recover because giving birth is hard! That's why it's called labour. I felt knackered for days afterwards and it makes me when you hear of visitors coming round demanding cups of tea shortly after a woman has given birth.

Izzybel · 13/12/2007 21:13

contractions obviously not comtractions!

imdreamingofawhiteKITTYmas · 13/12/2007 21:19

I always remember my Mum and StepDad came to visit 2 days after I had DD2 (I was one of the up straight away ones but still) it was lunchtime and I was amking DD1 a sandwich and asked if anyone else wanted one expecting them to day no it's ok or we will make it but no they said yes so I made them both a sandwich and then my Mother turned round and said "oh I thought you were making bacon sandwiches" wtf yes I still get cross about it 2 years later.

If I am lucky enough to have another baby she is not coming near this house for at least 2 weeks after. This was the woman that said when she had DC you had to stay in hospital for 10 days and you weren't allowed a foot out of bed for the first 7, babies were brought to you every 4 hours for feeds (BFing non existent) and the MWs fed them at night to let you rest!!!!!!

Josie57 · 13/12/2007 21:25

I was up and about quite soon after the birth but I was really lucky in that my dh wouldn't let me do anything. So all I had to do was feed the baby so it was hardly hard work. However, I did struggle with walking anywhere because of the pain I was still in. We went out for our first walk at about day 5, I only managed to walk about 500m in 15 minutes and was totally wiped out when I got home!!! Even when we went to register the birth a week later there was an old lady with a zimmer frame who was walking faster than me - and I am not joking about this . So I guess what am I saying is yes technically I was up but my body was a mess. I'm really not sure how I will cope this time as we will have a 22 month ds who never stops!

Growing a baby and then giving birth is an amazing feat so I think I bodies deserve a bit of tlc and rest afterwards so don't feel bad if you need the rest.

PSCMUM · 13/12/2007 21:38

They are on prozac.

SpacecadetLovesChristmas · 13/12/2007 21:45

I could barely move after my first 3, but after dd (now 3), I was back down on the ward, 2 hours after giving birth and whizzing round showing my d off to everyone..however..I seemed to descend into bozarre manic ness as soon as I got home and the next morning was blowing up the dcs paddling pool when the midwife arrived, much to her horror, then that afternoon we went shopping..when I got up the next morning to feed dd and went out aand cleaned the windows at 5am, we had to address the fact that something was wrong..my underactive thyroid had gone overactive due to the increase in my meds during pregnancy and once the meds were adjusted, I came down to earth with a bump...and took to my bed for 2 weeks

juliewoolie · 13/12/2007 21:48

I came home 4 hours after the birth of DS, mainly because of horrible hospital. By mid afternoon I had 8 relitives round wanting to see my LO. Next time round I will tell them to feck off and take to my bed. It wasnt until 2 days later that I think the adreneline and meds wore off and I felt like I had been hit by a bus.

PaulaYatesbiggestfan · 13/12/2007 21:49

after dc 1 and 2 up and about and fine
dc 2 gave birth at 8 am was brewing tea and cakes for various family and ex family ( dont ask ) members by 12

dc 3/4/5 crippled in bed and bent double for days
rising from bed only to bleed my way to the bathroom with my torso at 90 degrees to my legs

i think it is age!

orangehead · 13/12/2007 21:53

I wont count ds1 as had a section but had vbac with ds2, but had alot of stitches and also lost alot of blood. I was in alot of pain afterwards and struggled to stand up and pick up ds2 for a couple of days. I was in hosp for a week. I am always surprised at how many women seem to come home a few hours after the birth

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