I’ve already said this in previous posts: our bodies are veeerrrry clever. They fool you. They trick you. They make you think pregnancy, labour and birth were all fine and dandy by helping your mind forget all the crappy parts. Then you do it all again (fools I tell you!) I’d written a post about this for pregnancy and I seem to have followed suit in my head for after Piglet’s delivery!! The post partum days are not fun.
There were some many little things I had forgotten and I was brought back down to post pregnancy reality with a bump:
- The constant need for pads, both knickers and bra (TMI?). The after effects of pushing a baby out and milk leakage. I feel pretty gross.
- Just feeling sore, achy and tired for a bit after birth. I don’t think you remember or can believe how much labour takes it out of you and it does take a little while to get over this and feel fully like you again.
- Night sweats. These seem to be subsiding but I had to change my pillow case every night for a week and waking up sticky is just plain ming.
- The squishy belly that replaced my rock hard bump. I’m moisturising every night thinking this just feels WEIRD like an empty sack! Back to the gym I go.
- I should write a whole post on breastfeeding but the nipple spraying if Piglet falls off, leaking milk, the tingling let down reflex and realising I’ve forgotten to put on a breast pad!!! Sore, huge boobs and my daughter is still fast asleep is one of my faves.
- Thinking holy moly I need to consider contraception again before hubby goes near me or I could end up with two under 18 months….argh!!!!!
- Malting and random hair growth. Already there are hairs growing down my neck that won’t fit in my pony tail so I look insane. I’ll be chopping out all the hair picked up by the Hoover before I know it!
- Wishing I was still pregnant! I know…after all my moaning towards the end; this is unbelievably ridiculous but I cried a couple of days after Piglet was born, as I was just so sad.
- Having to wait to get back to exercise. I wasn’t as bothered after the gremlin, as think I was more in a newborn fog. This time, I have really missed my exercise and those endorphins which crazily help after a very bad night.
- All the appointments! Midwife, health visitor, hearing check, 6 week check, Piglet is getting her hips checked, getting her weighed….the list goes on. I am definitely using my phone calendar more.
As I write this, I am 4 weeks post partum and a lot of these lovely things are passing. I write quite scathingly but I know deep down I will miss all the pregnancy and post pregnancy joys. It is all so worth it eh?