5 Postpartum Nuggets
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even though this was my 3rd time giving birth, i left the hospital with a few share-worthy gems from the amazing, seasoned L & D nurses who assisted us during our stay. WHAT a job. i am impressed and inspired by the L & D nurses every single time i see them in action! i can imagine that there is no typical day in their world; every shift brings a new adventure.
as i sat up in bed to prepare to receive my epidural, i felt another contraction coming on. i distinctly remember my nurse instructing me to just hold her hands and breathe until it passed. well i squeezed the crap out of her hands!!! it was the last contraction i remember enduring before the meds kicked in and i appreciated her so much for sacrificingherbody helping me through it. whether you are a 1st time mom or pro, i hope these nuggets of info help you out too:
the more the..not so merrier :(
the more kids you have, the more intense your uterine contractions will be while nursing. HELLO! oh my word. i knew to expect them as i nursed Kosi in our postpartum hospital room but whoa. hearing one of my nurses say this confirmed that i was notcrazy. after about a week or so, thankfully the contractions went away completely though.
but first,
we know that as baby sucks away (especially in the first 2-3 weeks after giving birth), it aids your uterus in returning back to its normal size and position. however, if you have a full bladder before baby starts going to town, it could cause your uterus to shift and unnaturally settle to the right or left of its original position as it contracts (because your bladder is obstructing its path). this could potentially be a problem if you plan to have more children (e.g. tilted uterus).
fiber up
most likely you are given stool softeners during your stay at the hospital post-birth. it is extremely important to keep that going once you get home. extremely. chug plenty of water as hydration helps to keep things moving along too. upping the fiber in your diet while in the hospital (have/add in some dark, leafy greens with every meal) and once home is crucial to keeping your digestive system running as smooth as possible as your body heals. the less processed your diet, the better. prunes are one of my go-to natural laxatives (thx, Dad!) and a handful of them per day is golden. although i did not tear 'down there' this round, i did have some pretty disrespectful hemorrhoids. #whatisTMI
ouch! #thatstings
when you get back home and take that first amazing, uplifting, incredible shower (they really do make you feel THAT good), don't forget to use scent-free, alcohol-free body wash. keep that going until you heal completely. i cracked open one of the Johnson & Johnson baby shower gel's Kosi received for a shower gift; it was perfect and didn't irritate my lady parts. very important! if you did tear or received stitches, a soothing sitz bath helps you heal and keeps things from getting stiff down there.
one less thing to worry about
HAIR. so as most of you know my hair is 100% natural now and i'm loving the versatility that comes with it! this is the healthiest my hair has ever been and i have not one regret about my decision to finally let go of the creamy crack. micro braids are normally my protective style of choice, but i'm loving faux locs and i'm rocking them for a second time thanks to my girl, Ogechi! i cannot stress enough the convenience a cute, protective style is for the 3rd tri and postpartum stages. focus on everything else; surviving those last uncomfy weeks or months of pregnancy, your new babe once he/she arrives, and should you have a visitor or three at the hospital or home, you'll be (somewhat lol) picture ready already! now all i need to do is just get some microblading done and i'll really be set, haha
if you found this helpful, let me know below and please share!
