Physical and mental health recovery after childbirth

[Cia50]

Hi ladies, just read a study that said the standard six-week recovery period after birth is a “complete fantasy,” What was your experience like? How long was it before you felt physically and mentally recovered from childbirth?

I'm 8 months pp and had an emergency section.
My body felt "fixed" after 6 months but mentally I'm not there at all yet x

I think maybe i was lucky, but i felt pretty much completely recovered by 4 weeks. FTM aged 27, 30hr labour, vaginal birth with ventouse, episiotomy and a small tear. Was back in my jeans by a week later, stopped bleeding, stitches healed and sex life back on track by the time DD was a month old. My mum, grandma and aunts were all the same, i think we're genetic lottery winners when it comes to childbirth. Lost out on the grey hair and eyesight bits though...

My midwife told me 9 months on, 9 months off....

In reality it took around 3 years the first time due to various gynae issues and moderate pnd. The second it took around 1 1/2 years to feel normal - in my mind that’s wanting to exercise, socialise etc.

It’s quite relative to the individual I think, in the entirety of your life it’ll only be a small time and accepting that is half the battle. I felt better after reading about confinement which happens on some cultures.....wish we treasured mothers more straight after birth in this country!

Mentally i don't think I needed to recover at all. Labour felt powerful and empowering. Gotta love an epidural.

I don't think my body or my mind went back to how it was before. I felt physically recovered from the abdominal surgery quite quickly, but I had joint pain for a year.

I very much see my life as before kids and after kids. There is no 'recovery' for me.

First birth - daughter whisked off to NICU with suspected HIE. Was advised possible brain damage etc.. "wait and see if she recovers" etc etc. Just awful. I'm so surprised I didn't come out of it with PND. (She's fine now thankfully). I think as I was so busy I didn't even notice any physical problems. I don't remember being in any pain afterwards really. Mentally I was so happy bringing my baby home and the relief as she hit her milestones, I don't remember feeling down at all.

Second birth was a 50min labour. DS flew out but was fine. Felt physically battered afterwards. Very sore. Like I'd been beaten up. Had a UTI and high blood pressure for a couple of weeks. I think by week 3/4 I felt physically better. Mentally I felt quite low when I was in pain. Then we went into lockdown so although I felt better physically it's mentally been draining. I still get some days where I feel down about my baby's first months of life in a Pandemic! But I think that's more general annoyance now- the same as everyone else is feeling!

I had ds, my only, aged 45. I had a long difficult labour (30 hours), forceps delivery, then spent three days in the maternity unit.

I was on my feet by day 6 and up to leaving the house on day 14.
I could drive, carry ds, put car seat in car etc and do all normal chores after about four weeks. I was uncomfortable for several months and sex life didn’t resume for 6 months.

I recovered in a few weeks from the birth itself. My neck and back have never recovered though and my periods are awful. I also now get anxiety and worry alot more. The resources are clearly not there.

My DD never had a two year health check. My son's two and his health visitor phoned up 2 months ago. Left me a voicemail as I missed it. I phoned her back twice. She never called again.

First EMCS and took 5 months to physically heal, mentally far longer and probably still not.

Second ELCS healed in 6 weeks physically and mentally.

Physically recovered in about 6 months. I tore upwards towards my clitoris and it took a long time to heal. Also had pain when going from sitting to standing for a long time. Mentally I'm still not recovered 20 months later. Can't watch anything to do with childbirth. Struggle when my friends are pregnant and sending me scan photos. It's awful really.

I know I'm not the OP but reading that other parents didn't magically recover at 6 weeks is so comforting to me x

Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for your comments, you have been really helpful❤️