What happens after birth??

[Hannabee123]

Hi everyone

1st pregnancy and no one seems to be answering my many questions What happens after the baby comes out!? Do you bleed for a while how long does it take to get settled (assuming the birth is natural with no complications)
Everyone's happy talking about pregnancy and birth but I want to know what happens afterwards as I'm sure everything isn't just perfect down there
Quite nervous

I don't know if anyone upthread has mentioned (I couldn't see when I quickly scanned the thread) but the bleeding is called lochia.

I had a csection, and the bleeding went on for about six weeks. Then it fades away to hardly any blood (but quite a lot of mucous) until it's just mucous being passed, then that turns into normal vaginal discharge.

I bleed more when I was breastfeeding as it makes your womb contract pushing blood out.

One thing - when you first stand up after giving birth, don't be afraid if a lot of blood comes out. When I first stood up (no knickers) it just fell out. DH thought I was dying. Apparently it's quite normal if you've been lying down for a while.

If you do end up with a csection, don't be afraid of that either. Yes, the recovery is a bit of a pain (not being able to turn over in bed for a few weeks is really annoying), but it really is okay, and I don't regret having one for a second (it was an emergency, not elective one).

What I wish I'd been told is that your life will be taken over by midwives and health visitors when you get home.

Remember they are in your home and they should behave as respectful guests. If you are o erwhelmed you can refuse students and limit their numbers and be very clear that contradictory advice is unhelpful and challenge them. They should tell you when to expect them and HVs should make proper appointments. If They don't you can ask them don't turn at a more convenient time.

If you feel unwell or are worried about the baby's health contact your doctor for proper medical advice rather than Ill informed opinions from nurses.

Good luck. Remember you are the customer.

With my first,I remember the crazy amount of aches and pains all over my body ,being constipated for 5 days and the huge need for lovely warm bath.

My advice is that days 3 and 4 are the worst, but you will get through it. Best to just stay in bed and avoid people. That's when the hormones hit, your bruising comes out and your nipples feel like sandpaper. Also you might be hallucinating with tiredness.

After that it gets markedly easier.

Oh and don't be surprised if your ribs hurt with all the effort. This only happened to me when I had my third and fourth babies (the first two were little), it was awful.

If you're lucky the hospital people will teach you how to bath the baby. Take note! It's well scary if you don't know what you're doing. Slippery noisy red thing and cotton wool everywhere!!!

I refused to leave until they showed me how to bath the baby. The ancillary who'd spent all day yapping had to mask her irritation.

The other thing that might take you by surprise us that after you have your baby, you might still have a bump that is just nearly as big as it was beforehand - only now, instead of being firm and full of baby , it is squishy and soft

It does deflate within a few days though.

All the best

the midwives will want to be there when you first get up and out of bed (high risk of fainting), when you pee the first two-three days it will burn, so take a bottle of cold water and run it down your vulva as you're peeing. best advice from midwives "pooing tends to scare people. it shouldn't." - indeed, pooing didn't pose any problem.
baby's first night is relatively easy, they sleep a lot. starting from the second night however...
good luck and enjoy meeting your LO!

One thing that might happen that no one ever mentioned to me is night sweats! Like hot flushes, I would wake up and be drenched. Apparently they can happen after delivery, particularly if you had lots of water retention before hand or you had a drip during labour.

Afterpains when your uterus is shrinking can be quite painful especially if triggered by breastfeeding. That does stop a few days or so after delivery.

Also, just to say, no matter how many other stories you read, no matter how many women you speak to, your experience will be totally and utterly unique. I had no after pains at all, I didn't feel the tear or the stitches, I had two catheters, my tea and toast was vile, my epidural wore off half my body, my baby latched on immediately, I hardly bled afterwards and certainly wish I hadn't used maternity pads. I didn't need half the stuff I spent months worrying about and researching that I'd "need" in my hospital bag. I was induced as I was 11 days over and was perfectly happy with that.

As long as you're happy with the choices you make and the treatment you get you and your baby will be fine and you will deal with things as and when they happen. It was the best and the worst day of my life all rolled into one!

Also the nipple cream I was told to stock up in is still unopened in the fridge and I am still very much breastfeeding. I had no pain or cracking or anything. Putting pads in the freezer is pointless in my opinion, they were very marginally cooler than in the bathroom. Nipple pads are a godsend but but good ones, cheapies are gross after an hour or so.

This is a GREAT question to ask! So many women go into labour only thinking about the actual labour. I've lost count of the amount of women who have told me that post labour was far more stressful than actual labour, as they had no idea any of that was going to happen.

I had a ventouse delivery and more stitches than actually should be allowed on your fanny and couldn't walk properly for 6 days for my first. The next 3, I was doing the school run later that day and the enitre post labour bit was a blur.

Good luck and enjoy every minute you can as having your first child is awesome. Except when it's not.

And I ALWAYS cried irrationally day 5. It felt like the entire world was going to end. And then day 6, I felt BRILLIANT!

I had big tears. So I needed quiet s few stitches. Which actually didn't hurt as much I thought it would. I needed a donut to sit on for a while. The first wee was agonising. But did get better by the second and third pee. I didn't open my bowels for about a week. Sorry tmi. I had very heavy bleeding like a very heavy period. For about a week. Aches and pains. But still managed to move around and do what I needed to. I did take emergency bottle and milk with me just in case. Right after birth they offered me tea and toast. Felt a little nauseous but took a few sips to get something in me to get a little energy back. Baby was tucked inside my gown soon as all her checks were done. and stayed that way for about an hour.
best time ever.

Hi @Hannabee123

Basically as soon as your baby is born they will put baby straight on you for skin to skin and might ask your partner if they want to cut the cord. I don't remember delivering the placenta as I was occupied with my baby but I know I had the injection to make it come (even though I wanted it natural). And then they weigh baby and do the apgar scores and he had his vit k injection too. Which I think he knew nothing of lol.

I was bleeding as soon as he contractions started! Bled all the way through labour (normal apparently) and bled very heavily after. The bleeding lasted around 2.5/3weeks! Although very light at the end.

Once they stitched me up I was shown (and made) to have a shower luckily my mum was there to help me (you feel very weak after giving birth) but fresh pjs and fresh body and hair helps

I was then wheeled on to the main maternity ward (I was one of the lucky ones in my own room!) and then you're just sort of left to it really. Baby just sleeps but they pop in to check on you and check on baby. Check they can feed and wet nappies etc. You can ask them for advice and help. We asked for help a lot and none of the staff seemed to mind

To be honest it's all a bit of a blur but it's such an exciting time! All the best x

my tea and toast was vile
I'm sorry I couldn't get past this line samatam that tea and toast after you've just given birth is literally the single most amazing thing you will ever put in your mouth, food of the actual Gods!
I can't believe you think it was vile don't listen to her OP she crazy

So do you still bleed and go through all of this if you have to have a c section? I don't want one but in case of emergency... what is the recovery like for that?

Because I had an epidural my personal experience may be different. I couldn't feel my legs for a bit but when I could I asked for catheter to be taken out which was a lil uncomfortable not to sore. I bled quite a bit and did pass a big clot which midwifes asssured me was normal. It wasn't as painful as I thought. I did get pains while breastfeeding as my uterus was shrinking back, felt like a period pain. I stopped bleeding within three weeks.

Yes! I've had 2 c sections, one EMCS after a long and unsuccessful labour, one as a more urgent EMCS without going into labour.

The bleeding is the same, you're still going to shed the lining of your uterus and have discharge from the area where the placenta was attached, until it heals. You have the added issues of having a catheter that will need removing, the c-section wound itself which needs to be treated gently, and you will take longer to get up and mobile after delivery. The second time around, I found it helpful to really work at feeling my legs again. So as soon as I could feel my toes I was wiggling them as much as I could, then my feet, then my lower legs etc. I felt it helped me get up and mobile more quickly. You'll need assistance when you first stand up in case you are wobbly, and you might need help to the shower. The midwives will want to know you can wee ok after the catheter, so you'll have to wee into one of those cardboard bowls and leave it to show them! They check that it's a normal amount etc.

With a c-section wound, you have to be very careful not to strain your stomach for a while, until you are healing. Sneezing and laughing can be painful!

I had a complicated delivery ending with forceps, episiotomy, severe tears and surgery for a retained placenta so my recovery may not be what you'd expect from a straightforward birth. I hope yours goes smoothly (most do!). I bled for nine weeks in all, heavily for the first four or five. Take lots of the massive pads but your hospital will also provide. Once the epidural wore off I was very sore and bruised downstairs - morphine helped lots initially - but after that they will prescribe you decent painkillers, and some to take home if you need them (you might not). If you need more pain relief, ask! Yes to taking black/dark towels, plus massive knickers and comfy big pjs or a nightie for in hospital. If you have an epidural, don't be frightened if you start to shake a lot, I did and it scared me but it's common.

If you experience heavy blood loss during labour they will give you iron tablets for up to 2 weeks afterwards - in this case make sure they give you some lactulose too and get some for home. They bung you up terribly and believe me you do not want to be straining when you're sore/stitched!

Yes to nipple cream, I found Lanisoh the best.

I never got my tea and toast 😩 was bloody starving too.

I lost quite a lot of blood in labour, passed big clots (one as big as a tennis ball) afterwards. That was what I couldn't stand- I wasn't expecting clots like that, at all.

I agree about taking a water bottle for use when you poo. HOWEVER, as a note of caution, if this pain gets worse, flag it- I ignored increasing pain and was ultimately very ill with a womb infection and UTI.

This thread is so interesting and useful! thanks for starting it OP!

I didn't know half of this!

^ my phone auto corrected 'pee' to 'poo'. Sorry 😂

I recommend you read Preparing to give birth for the first time. It covers all types of recovery.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0713Q795Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501171845&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=preparing+to+give+birth+for+the+first+time&dpPl=1&dpID=41ol2vM04nL&ref=plSrch&tag=mumsnetforum-21
All the best

This is a great question, I wish I'd asked it. Even if you have a vaginal delivery, recoveries are so different. I have a friend who popped round for coffee on foot a couple of days after birth; I couldn't walk any distance or sit on a normal chair for a couple of weeks. I was so upset about how sore I was until my mw pointed out that I'd had a forceps delivery and episiotomy and you use your pelvic floor for everything!
Other stuff I didn't expect; I vomited immediately after birth so didn't get my tea and toast 😡. I was wet myself for a couple of days but didn't realise that was temporary! Breastfeeding went really really smoothly; but I'd read a lot (mostly on Mumsnet, but Emma pickett's 'you've got it in you' is very good) about what to expect. Night sweats were horrible! I was so so hungry, make sure you've got plenty of food you can eat with one hand.

@ohtheroses

I agree with everything you say, it is really good advice/info. I remember coming home from hospital and being completely unaware of the amount of contact midwives and HVs wanted.

Apart from "ill informed opinions of nurses", first of all, midwives arnt nurses. Second of all, they are not ill informed and certainly don't/shouldn't base thier advice and information on thier opinions, but on evidence, research and proper knowledge. Unfortunately Of course there is always going to be a few midwives who have bad practice but that goes the same for doctors too.