Body wrecked after second baby

[puffysthename]

Anyone else utterly wrecked after second baby? Feel like I have no immune system anymore. Recurrent utis, one kidney infection, now cellulitis! All after having sepsis at birth. Mind blowing! Will I ever feel well again? Anyone else in the same boat? I feel like an octopus that slowly blanches and dies after giving birth 😂

My stomach is wrecked, it's flabby & wobbly & my belly button is now huge, I'm only skinny too (size 8-10) My tits have shrunk, I've got from a C cup to an A cup. To top it off I also have an umbilical hernia, my stomach muscles split in pregnancy so now part of my intestine is protruding through my abdominal wall and every so often it sticks out and I poke it back in. Don't even start me on peeing myself slightly when I now cough or sneeze, fanfuckingtastic.

Yep. Totally lost it after baby #2. Posted on here and got some reassuring answers but for me 18 months on I'm still buggered.

After my third I could barely walk, stairs were scary. I had no energy and caught cold after cold. I had birth trauma, and had to see a physiotherapist for back pain and tummy muscle weakness, pelvic floor was awful. BUT now I run three times a week and feel great and rarely get ill. Stairs are no problem and I have so much energy. Please be kind to yourself! Healing takes me a while, but I'm stronger and fitter now three years on. You will feel fantastic again, but for now cuddle your baby, eat biscuits and put your feet up.

Thanks for the solidarity. I mean my body is so different from an aesthetic point of view but more importantly I feel like my immunity is just so low.

This is heartening to me. Thank you. I was on crutches at the end of the pregnancy and it is taking time to heal fully... to be expected as you say 🤗

I’ve had three babies now, youngest is 12 weeks but I’m giving my body 12 months to get back to some sort of shape before worrying!

How old is your baby? If you had lots of anti biotics when you had sepsis you might need to ‘heal your gut’ which could help your immune system get back up and running 😊 if your not already doing so get some decent probiotic tablets!

Oh three, how amazing. I'd love to have another if I can get myself together!

Yes it's terrible I've had antibiotics for sepsis, chest infection, uti, kidney infection, cellulitis... feel like everything is packing up!! Baby is 6 months.

Good shout on the probiotics... is there one you'd recommend?

Wow it sounds like you’ve had a rough ride!! Hope things start to pick up soon, the sleep deprivation that comes with kids really doesn't help either when you’re trying to get your immune system back on track!!

I’m just recovering from a bout of mastitis and a 14 day course of antibiotics so I’ve been drinking kefir and bought these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VITL-Probiotic-Friendly-Bacteria-Digestion/dp/B08TDPB129#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

Thank you so much 🙏 I will get these ones. Yes this second pregnancy and aftermath was so much harder than the first. I suppose I was more depleted to begin with but it is mad when I list all the horrible infections. Likewise I'm sure your bout of mastitis has been hell and I hope it is banished forever. Enjoy your newest little one 🤗

The octopus analogy made me laugh 😂

sorry you’re feeling so shit OP, I can’t complain as the worse I have is one boob 3 cup sizes bigger than the other….and by 3 sizes one is an E and one is a H! Surprised I’m not walking lopsided

Yes I’m constantly tired and I’m suffering from constant back pain and random pain here and there. My teeth are in bad shape (skipped too many dentist appointments last few years due to consecutive miscarriages and pregnancy). And mentally I have low resilience - I get over stressed by small things. i do take postnatal vitamins and high dose vitamin D. Like you, I would be happy for another but not confident my body is up for it. I’m not young (reaching 37) so I guess my body needs more time to recover.

Do you mind if I ask if you're breastfeeding? I'm just curious because sort of similar to you I had a long run of horrendous infections after my DC2 and I really put it down to breastfeeding. I feel like I was never fully well whilst I was breastfeeding like it took a big toll on my body. I did also have iron and vit D deficiencies during that time as well. DH had to actually take the odd days here and there off work during that time on a couple of occasions because I was so unwell with things like norovirus, COVID, terrible ear infection with a temp of 39.9 etc I genuinely couldn't care for the kids. I stopped breastfeeding at 10 months and basically went back to normal health after that. I only breastfed DC1 for 12 weeks.

That's so interesting. Im sorry you had a rough time too. Yes, entirely breast feeding and he's not into food yet so no respite. I BF my first for a year but she liked food more and so at 5 months the pressure lifted a bit. I just thought perhaps because I started in a more depleted state running around after a toddler and not getting fit after the first one that's why I've had trouble. It has just been one thing after another this time. The lack of sleep really doesn't help and like you I've nearly been at the brink of calling DH out of work. Hard.