When I was pregnant with my first child, it seemed there were a few things that people forgot to mention to me that would happen once I had given birth. That was until I experienced them for myself, so I thought I would share them with you. You may be able to relate to this post if you have experienced them for yourself or hopefully you will find this post helpful if you are currently expecting!
So here are 5 things people don’t always tell you may happen after giving birth…
1. BLEEDING
Once you have given birth, whether you had a vaginal delivery or caesarean section, you will bleed (very much like a period) quite heavily for around 10 days. Light bleeding and spotting can continue until four to six weeks after delivery. This is why it’s best to stock up on some maternity pads and be sure to pack plenty in your hospital bag too.
2. AFTER PAINS
3. ENGORGED BREASTS
Within the first few days of giving birth, your breast milk should come in. It will change from small amounts of colostrum to larger amounts of liquid breast milk, which means your breasts may swell and feel big, hard and very tender.
4. NIGHT SWEATS
These are in fact very common in the weeks after giving birth, as sweating is one of the ways your body gets rid of extra water retained in pregnancy. Many women experience hot flushes and night sweating for several weeks post-pregnancy.
5. BABY BLUES
You may have already heard of the ‘baby blues’, which is where Mums may feel down, irritable and weepy during the first week or so after childbirth. This is thought to be the hormonal changes your body is making after pregnancy. The baby blues are not to be mistaken for Postnatal Depression, which usually occurs within 4-8 weeks post-partum.
Did you experience any of these things after you had given birth?
I never got after pains with any of mine which I'm glad about. the bleeding though, that was horrendous, as were the painful breasts that felt like rocks x
Oh I bet you're glad about that! I've heard the after pains get worse the more children you have?! I remember those other things well too! x
All of them! Except for the baby blues… Why do we put ourselves through this again?! X
I really don't know haha! x
I had horrendous cramps and bleeding (after both pregnancies), neither of which i was prepared for. I feel very thankful that i skipped the engorged breasts and night sweats though! xx
I had no idea what to expect either! x
I found the cramps lasted longer than that and usually happened when breast feeding- convenient!! xx
Oh I remember them so well, they were so painful! xx
I experienced all of these after having my son Blake. Some like the night sweats and bsby blues were totally unexpected but the bleeding etc inane about.
I didn't expect the majority of them to be honest! I had no idea what was happening x
YES! the night sweats were the oddest – what is that all about?!
Oh I don't know – but it was horrible! x
Ohhh I was so naive about ALL of these! It's so true, nobody tells you. Engorged breasts are so painful! And the bleeding…it's insane how long it goes on for and how much. It can be frightening. x
Me too! I agree – nobody tells you these things! x
I have had four children – I would add the soreness after a vaginal delivery – especially if you have stitches. It sounds obvious but it needs saying lol! Kaz x
It's funny isn't it! No one talks about the afters…I've been filling expecting friends in on them all too! Including giving birth to the placenta, which they didn't know about! Lol xx
I had all of these!! Although didn't really get the night sweats too bad. I'd forgotten about them till now, and now I have 11 weeks to get used to the idea of having them all again haha 🙂 x
Yes yes yes. With both pregnancies the bleeding and the swelling of the breasts was an absolute nightmare and you were not allowed to have a shower… Well you were but the water couldn't touch the breasts.
Yes to all of these but oh my how horrendous were the night sweats! I had to sleep on and under a towel!! I only got them with Jack though and not Phoebs thankfully x
So much to look forward to when I have kids haha! Great post x