When does body feel normal again?

[Puppie]

Okay I know things will never be 'normal' again (this is my first baby) ....but when do the aches and pains and general physical rottenness go away after birth? Feel like I cant relax and look forward to meeting my baby as at any one time I seem to be suffering from about 10 unpleasant symptoms. (sorry for rant)

I remember asking the same question on here last December, wondering how the hell I was going to cope with giving birth just before Christmas and the inlaws booking themselves at ours for Christmas day!! But in fact I went from a hobbling old lady with a walking stick (loose back joint agony) to feeling pretty OK almost at once. Yes the repair stitches were sore (warm bath + salt was good), and I got piles briefly ( get the Anusol bought now, it worked a treat!) Took 2-3 weeks for things to heal up fairly well. I would say though that BFing was really painful on the nipples and back - next time I will make very sure I have a supportive chair and sit properly from the start (not hunched up in bed) plus get some of those Silverette things to speed up healing. Very best wishes and I hope it all goes really well for you

To an extent I'd say I'm still not feeling 100% right 14 weeks post birth, it's such a huge adjustment.

Physically my body was knackered for about a month after the birth. I had quite a big cut and 2 sets of stiches which were so sore, I wasn't expecting them to be that bad. I was walking like a hunchback for weeks because I was in quite a lot of pain. I think the pain was heightened for me because I didn't expect it, I kind of thought that I'd have my dd and it'd just be a bit sore for a couple of days. Couldn't have been more wrong.

I never had any problems going to the toilet, and didn't think it was painfull. Never got piles, but the state of my stomach is still a to me. It's all jelly like and covered in stretchmarks, and I have 2 stone to loose. My back still gets a bit achey every now and then, and I also have numb spots on my legs (permanantly), I'm guessing because I had an epidural.

I thought I had honestly had enough by the end of my pregnancy and was fed up and hurting all over. But what I experienced after the birth was to me, far worse because I was unprepared for it. I didn't like being pregnant and had various complaints like cramps, heartburn, back aches, bad moring sickness, not sleeping well etc. But even with all that, I found after the birth the worst time for aches and pains etc. Throw in a screaming baby and the baby blues and I felt like crap!

But then one day it honestly just all seemed to be ok. I noticed it getting better, but then it just went. No more pain

Puppie, herewith my list of essentials to have at home for after the birth (I finally got organised enough to have everything for no. 3):

lavender and t-tree oil - add a few drops to baths to help with healing tears, stitches, etc.
paracetemol (safe for b'feeding)
kamillosan for sore nipples
super pads with wings
wheat/lavender bag - fantastic on sore boobs, back, anything (you heat them in microwave).
Rescue Remedy for when your gorgeous new blob has been crying just a little bit too long ...
Infacol in case it gets wind
Gorgeous husband with large piece of jewellery (ha!)

good luck with everything

Thanks so much for all your experiences and advice everyone. What I've taken from this is that I should probably be expecting a few new complaints to take over the old ones that disappear with the birth but I figure that if you expect it it isnt quite so much of a shock! And also that the baby hopefully will make it all worthwhile and seem unimportant.

I think your concept of "normal" will alter radically You may physically recover within 6-8 weeks but your general well being will be very dependent on the type of baby you have and how sleep deprivation and 24/7 demands affect you.

its nice to be able to lie on your tummy again and fling your legs about a bit!!

normal - ah well, id go with at least one year!!

Just to add another positive, all my discomfort went like the flick of a switch apart from my swollen ankles/feet (took a few weeks) and a cramp in my calf I'd got from vigorous pushing!!

Puppie - I felt bloody and truly awful through my whole pregnancy (sounds like you do too) Ok so the birth was horrendous, as was the constipation following the birth but I felt soo much better about 3 days later.

Yes, it is hard with sore nipps and trying to breastfeed etc but I still felt miles better than I ever did when pregnant.

I would say it took until 9 months to feel back to my old self though and I am on the last leg of losing weight to get back to pre pg weight now (LO is 11 months). We are even going to TTC again in October Although this time I am going to have acupuncture all the way though

Best of luck and hope you are feeling better sooner rather than later.

36 weeks is a kind of so near yet so far stage to be at. I felt physically well the next day with my dd but had a bit more of a shock when it took me a few weeks after ds to feel well again. Don't worry about all the horror stories. Everyone is different and however naff you feel you will have a lovely fab baby and it will all seem worth it.

physically it took about 3 months to not have any aches and pains - my ds is nearly 10 mo now and i guess i feel like myself again inwardly - although having experienced a seismic shift!
don't expect too much of yourself, i look back now and realize i should have just chilled out post-birth and accepted things would be a bit hard for a while. And yes sleep deprivation can make "normal" quite an odd word...
all the best

As you as both of mine were out I was amazed that I could a)lie on my back again b) not feel horribly constipated - just like that! Now 14 weeks after dd2 am having to constantly remind myself that even though I am exhausted - more so than last time because coping with two is quadruple the work - at least I am not having to get up six times a night to wee (which I truly was) and lying in agony being kicked to buggery. So that bit is all much better, downside as everyone else says is the shock of caring for a newborn - as someone mentioned you might luck out and get an easy one, but if you do don't post it here because I for one will hate you . And I hope you don't have a section, I've had two and recovering from both has been horrible, I think the drugs in my system must affect me more than most because it's taken at least a month to feel them wearing off and then this second time I've been unable to lift my toddler until 12 weeks which has meant I've needed 24/7 help and been no fun at all. Plus second time round pg weight isn't falling off from bf like it did the first. But they are worth it and I wish you all the luck and happiness in the world with the birth and beyond

sorry meant as soon as both of mine were out
Sleep deprived

Both my pgs were similar - fairly symptom free but that general discomfort of the hugeness and 'jabba the hutt' state of the last few weeks was horrible and I was glad to be induced both times!

I had stitches both times and healed fine so I would say, once the adrenalin euphoria of the labour and 1st week or so disappears, which is followed by a week of total exhaustion and a 'hit by a train' feeling (and I am fit and strong so had never experienced this) around 6-weeks until I felt physically reasonably OK.
But as others have said, you will be generally totally knackered for at least the first 6 months (unless you get a rare good sleeper) and your world will completely skew off its axis so what you may have considered 'normal' before may not necessarily be normal once your baby arrives.
Anyway, HTH and good luck!

12 months and 2 weeks.

After 1st PG it took ages (sorry!): I think by the time DD was 1 year old I was kind of feeling like myself again, both mentally and physically: Not leaking breastmilk on every shopping trip, able to get to the gym a couple of times a week, starting to freelance again.

After 2nd PG it took about 2 days - didn't have stitches, was bursting full of energy. I think I've probably done irreprable damage to my pelvic floor by going on big shopping trips and carrying a new microwave around about 5 days after DS was born...

I think a lot of it is also to do with how much your whole life changes after baby number 1, whereas by baby number 2 I was used to life with kid(s) and so DS just fit in to that.

I felt amazing after my DS was born (well not immediately - I'd had a CS) because I could walk again! I had too much amniotic fluid so was massive and was breathless and my hips really hurt the whole time in the last 2 months. So for me it was about 2 weeks to have the bliss of being able to go for a long walk without feeling like a very old lady.

5 months on I wouldn't say I'm back to normal as in pre-pregnancy but my boobs have never leaked and I've never had piles. I try not to look in the mirror though

I felt totally grim througout pregnancy - hated it - felt instantly better in some ways straight after birth, no heartburn, no back ache, no vomming - but didn't feel totally myself again until i stopped b/f when DD was 6 months and I went back to work. But as many have said here, you're never going to feel quite the same again. Which is kind of the point... and all absolutely worth it!

Post birth high made a big difference for a few weeks, although I was shocked to discover that it took about 12 weeks for the worst of my water retention to go down (everyone had told me it would be immediate). For some reason my feet had got particularly bad and it took about 9 months to get back into some of my shoes (actually, I'd given up all hope, then suddenly discovered most of them fit again!). I had a fairly bad birth and a lot of stitches; even with really good aftercare that took about 9 months to get back to normal (intercourse was really painful for a while). But to be honest, I didn't really start feeling myself again until about 18 months after the birth, when I finally lost the last of my baby weight...such a relief!! Felt great for about 2 months, then got pregnant again!!!
But all the good stuff (DS, basically) totally outweighed all of the grumbles...I'd do it all again (in fact, I am!!) to end up with another temper tantrumming (right now), wonderful, funny, little 2 year old!!

I would just like to add to those who have told you how they felt instantly better - my lo is now 12 weeks, and I have forgotten how uncomfortable I was at the end of pregnancy - I felt instantly lighter, less puffy and bizarrely more energised as soon as she was born - as in instantly! Yes, some of the new aches and pains are not exactly great, but if you have got some good support around you, it makes them much easier as you will get lots of sympathy!

My aching hips and pelvis went away immediately after birth however piles arrived within a few days to replace them but at least you can treat them! I didn't tear significantly with either of my births so I can't comment on that aspect. I guess i felt fairly normal after a few weeks apart from the usual tiredness that goes with having a newborn baby.

I recovered from the physical bits of a difficult labour after about 2-3 months, but I didn't feel "normal" until I stopped bfing which really sapped my energy levels for 9 months (I didn't realise how much until I had stopped).

I felt totally back to my old self when ds was about 1.5 years and I had lost all the weight and could fit in my pre-pg clothes again.

I was quite fit before each of my births, so recovered quickly each time.

I didn't feel really 'me' for quite a while each time though. I think this time has taken longer as I have been more tired with three children to look after now. I'd say with DS1 I began to think at 8 months that a little companion for him would be nice, probably earlier than that for DS2 as he slept better, and now that DS3 is a year, I feel completely normal. Sleep deprivation and hormones are a nasty combination, so expect ups and down, but remember it's all just a stage and it just gets better and better .

Hi, I have given birth almost 2 months ago and although physically I feel normal (sort of...), mentally it is harder. there is so much to do and so little time and there is only my husband and I. how do you juggle everything? I struggle to find time to have a shower, and i used to have long baths before gicing birth

albmum - it gets easier, 2 months is still early days yet, i promise you'll soon get into your own little routine and you'll be amazed at how you can have a good shower and wash your hair in less than 2 minutes flat! (but finding time to shave your legs - now that's the hard bit!)