From birth to parenthood: Part 2
In Part 1, I talked about the birth. In this post, I'll be sharing my recovery experience and some tips for a smooth recovery.
I was not prepared for the recovery, so I was thrown when I found myself in bed for weeks not being able to walk. This is why I'm sharing my experience. Yes, this all TMI.
I had no idea my recovery would be as hard and as long as it was. I couldn't comfortably sit, stand, or lie down for weeks. For some reason, I thought I'd be released from the hospital and immediately be able to go about my daily life.
Not so much. Here are a few tips:
Read about the recovery process while you are pregnant. I was so caught up in the birthing process that I didn't spend much time on researching ways to have a smooth recovery. I wasn't aware there are degrees of tearing until I was told I had second degree tearing. (There are 4 degrees, by the way.)
With hazel...everything is your best friend. Pads, spray. If it says witch hazel, buy it. A friend recommended the Earth Mama Angel Baby - New Mama Bottom Spray to me, and I'm so grateful she did. Worked wonders. At my daughter's follow up, one of the nurses recommended lining a pad with witch hazel pads. Gross? Yes. But this was the number one thing that helped me to walk and sit comfortably. There are many brands of witch hazel pads. I just grabbed a container from our local Sprouts.
Ask family to come out and help you. (This applies to couples who have family out of state.) Every family dynamic and situation is different. And depending on your dynamic, you might think it's best to brave the whole experience on your own. Do what works for you, but it's definitely hard doing it all on your own. Between Tim's short time off and my inability to do much, we found ourselves in a tough spot. We certainly grew individually and as a couple, but having someone else do the grocery shopping would have been insanely helpful.
(If family doesn't travel) make meals ahead of time. There are a million recipes on Pinterest for frozen meals. I didn't do much meal prepping, but I wish I would have. We would have saved money on takeout and we would have had an abundance of meals ready to throw in the oven and eat.
Know and acknowledge your limits. There's a new baby in the house, but you are still your same self. You probably want to get up, go out, clean up, etc. Your body just went through so much. Give yourself a break. If someone comes over to drop off dinner and there's burp cloths everywhere, smile and say "thanks for the casserole."
I was not prepared for the recovery, so I was thrown when I found myself in bed for weeks not being able to walk. This is why I'm sharing my experience. Yes, this all TMI.
I had no idea my recovery would be as hard and as long as it was. I couldn't comfortably sit, stand, or lie down for weeks. For some reason, I thought I'd be released from the hospital and immediately be able to go about my daily life.
Not so much. Here are a few tips:
Read about the recovery process while you are pregnant. I was so caught up in the birthing process that I didn't spend much time on researching ways to have a smooth recovery. I wasn't aware there are degrees of tearing until I was told I had second degree tearing. (There are 4 degrees, by the way.)
With hazel...everything is your best friend. Pads, spray. If it says witch hazel, buy it. A friend recommended the Earth Mama Angel Baby - New Mama Bottom Spray to me, and I'm so grateful she did. Worked wonders. At my daughter's follow up, one of the nurses recommended lining a pad with witch hazel pads. Gross? Yes. But this was the number one thing that helped me to walk and sit comfortably. There are many brands of witch hazel pads. I just grabbed a container from our local Sprouts.
Ask family to come out and help you. (This applies to couples who have family out of state.) Every family dynamic and situation is different. And depending on your dynamic, you might think it's best to brave the whole experience on your own. Do what works for you, but it's definitely hard doing it all on your own. Between Tim's short time off and my inability to do much, we found ourselves in a tough spot. We certainly grew individually and as a couple, but having someone else do the grocery shopping would have been insanely helpful.
(If family doesn't travel) make meals ahead of time. There are a million recipes on Pinterest for frozen meals. I didn't do much meal prepping, but I wish I would have. We would have saved money on takeout and we would have had an abundance of meals ready to throw in the oven and eat.
Know and acknowledge your limits. There's a new baby in the house, but you are still your same self. You probably want to get up, go out, clean up, etc. Your body just went through so much. Give yourself a break. If someone comes over to drop off dinner and there's burp cloths everywhere, smile and say "thanks for the casserole."
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