POSTPARTUM RECOVERY: 6 WEEKS LATER
It is completely insane that I am now writing a follow up to my postpartum blog 6 weeks later. The cliche that time goes by quickly could not be more true.
It was very scary to be so vulnerable online at a time in my life that could only be described by the word ‘vulnerable.’ But I have to say the response and support I received was overwhelming. My Instagram inbox is overflowed daily with messages from new moms telling me how much it helped them feel normal. From mom’s-to-be who found it simultaneously terrifying and helpful. And from moms with grown kids who said they wish this is something they had read years ago. These messages and stories made opening up to the world worth it.
In addition to these messages, however, I am also hearing from parents who have babies around Lily’s age or are still in the thick of the Fourth Trimester that want to hear what’s happening now. Has anything improved? How do I feel now that 6 weeks have gone by?
So this post will be a direct response to the original Fourth Trimester post for reference.
Before I get into specifics, a little disclaimer that this is my personal experience and I am only an expert on myself.
Alright, I’m going to go down the list of symptoms I wrote about here and give you a little follow up:
Waddling:
I am definitely walking normally now! This started to get better by the beginning of week 3. I still iced down there every day during week 3 but by week 4 I stopped. I also did not need any painkillers by the end of week 3. The longest walk I have gone for is about 40 minutes. After a long day of walking and lifting the stroller, carseat, bassinet, etc. I will definitely feel some achiness. I still try and take it easy!
Swelling:
This all went away pretty quickly. I would guess by week 3 my feet were no longer swollen.
Full Blown Period:
Week 5 is when I stopped wearing a pad. I still randomly get some bleeding but would rather ruin my underwear (which I have many times) than wear a pad anymore. SO over it! They say it is normal to continue bleeding into week 6 so if you still are don’t freak out. Your dr or midwife should be able to give you an update on what is normal at your 6 week check up.
Vagina Pain:
It is 99.9% gone. Only on days when I do too much (lift the stroller or bucket too many times) I will start to feel some achiness. I booked an appointment with a pelvic floor physiotherapist for after my 6 week OB check up and highly recommend you do as well before you start exercising!
Hemorrhoids:
Pretty sure those are here to stay? I just try and eat food with fibre and drink lots of water to keep things moving so I don’t aggravate the situation.
Trapped Gas:
Thank g-d this was only a temporary thing. It only lasted a few days but I kept up all the tricks to help it: tea, fibre, water, movement
Anxiety:
Out of all the symptoms, this is the one that isn’t quite going away so quickly. I haven’t officially been diagnosed but I’m 99% sure I have what would be diagnosed as postpartum anxiety. I have been very open with all of my medical practitioners about it and am going to be speaking with a professional as soon as I get an appointment.
I still work on pinpointing the triggers but sometimes the anxiety just comes on out of nowhere and I can’t figure out why. It has definitely gotten better since the first couple of weeks but is still very much present.
I would suggest using the coping strategies I wrote about in the blog but also going to get professional help. We all deserve to feel our best both physically and mentally and I am willing to do whatever it takes to feel better.
Engorged boobs/ sore nipples:
Breastfeeding has been f*cking hard. The cracked/bleeding nipples got better after 3 weeks. I stopped needing to use the creams as often and the nips just sort of toughened up. So I can say that definitely gets better as long as you figure out your latch.
However, I developed a condition called Vasospasm which is basically like Reynaud’s in your nipples. Essentially the blood flow is cut off to the nipple after feeding, they turn white and feel like 1,000 knives are stabbing after every feed. If they get cold, you are f*cked. Up until a few days ago I was wearing winter jackets out in the sun. I don’t need to go into all the details because hopefully chances are you don’t have this and won’t get it. There have been many dr’s visits and steps I have taken to try and heal it. It has gotten a lot better so I am still breastfeeding but if it didn’t improve I wouldn’t have been able to continue.
The engorgement has also leveled out. I am lucky to have a very good milk supply but at one point I had an oversupply which was super painful. If you are interested, I can do a post all about breastfeeding and my schedule, etc. Just let me know in the comments or DM me.
Crying:
I still cry about once a day. There have maybe been 2-3 days TOTAL since Lily was born that I haven’t cried. For the most part, they are tears of love. I can’t help but cry when I look at her, ESPECIALLY if music is on and a song I love comes on. Forget it. Otherwise, they are tears from anxiety. Sometimes triggered by specific things like being scared of a new situation or transition. Other times they are the anxious ‘I don’t know why I’m crying but I’m just scared’ tears. Either way, like I said before, just cry. It feels really good.
So that is it for the symptoms I described before. Luckily, there haven’t’ been any new symptoms I can think of.
If you are going to take anything from this post, I want you to take 2 things:
- Things do get better, even if only slightly. Something that really helped me was when my best friend told me to think about all that I had accomplished over the last few weeks. For example, when I took Lily for her first walk in the stroller by myself. My BFF had to come over to my house, watch Lily so I could get dressed, help me open the stroller, put Lily in, tell me if she was warm enough, etc. etc. Basically the only thing I did by myself was push Lily around the block for 5 minutes. Now, I take her on errands by myself, have taken her to the dr, can open and close the stroller in a second, drive with her, etc. It is truly amazing what I can do on my own now. I am proud and you should be too!
- If things don’t feel better yet, that is OKAY, but I would really suggest asking for help. With every symptom, there is someone who can help. Whether it’s a dr, therapist, friend or mom. Whether it’s with breastfeeding, anxiety or just needing someone to bring you lunch. It really does take a village and there are resources out there. Please don’t be afraid to use them.
I have learned so much about myself the past 6 weeks. I’ve learned I can’t do it all alone, I’ve learned it’s okay to not always be okay and I’ve learned that I have the ability to love more than I ever could have imagined.
My love for Lily is indescribable. My love for her is so intense that I physically feel like I can’t handle it at times. My love for her grows every single second even though I don’t think it’s possible to love her anymore than I do in this moment.
Being a mom is the most challenging but best thing to ever happen to me. I appreciate you all letting me share this new chapter with you. Please let me know if there are specific things you want to read about. I am always open to your suggestions and I am excited to continue to take you on this journey with me.
Photo by Scarlet O’Neill