So I am now 1 month post-partum. I totally meant to update before now but it has been busy trying to get into somewhat of a routine and finding the time to complete blog posts!
C-Section Recovery:
So if you already read my labour and delivery story, you would know that I ended up having a c-section even though I really wanted a natural birth. As I mentioned in that post, I do not regret my decision at all but the c-section recovery was awful in my opinion. I had a couple people tell me it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be but I thought it was absolutely awful. As I mentioned in my labour and delivery post, I was in so much pain the first couple of days I really couldn't just enjoy being a new mom. I got absolutely no sleep the first week because I couldn't lie down and apparently I can't sleep sitting upright...I know everyone says you get no sleep, but the last couple of weeks I have been sleeping a lot better because I can lie down now.
I also had some complications from the C-section. The first complication that arose was that my milk came in late so Cooper lost a lot of weight. My milk didn't come in until day 6 when usually it comes in around day 3. I kept nursing and started taking Fenugreek which is a herbal supplement to increase milk supply. It worked pretty fast. Once my milk came in, I stopped taking it because it seemed like my supply was sufficient but I plan to start it up again just so I can start pumping more and storing it in case I want to go out.
Another complication that arose was on day 3 or day 4 after delivery. I got up and my legs felt very stiff. I looked down and both my calves and ankles were super swollen. I never had this problem before, not even during pregnancy. I didn't think much of it at first but then when I read my discharge book, it said that this could be a sign of a blood clot. I got really worried and called my midwife. It was suggested that I go to emergency to have it assessed. I was worried about going because it was midnight and I didn't want to leave Cooper plus I couldn't drive since I just had a C-section but I also didn't want to have a newborn in the emergency room with a bunch of sick people. I ended up calling the Civic Hospital and it was explained that my symptoms seemed more like fluid retention due to hormones and not much activity and that it was uncommon to have a blood clot in both legs. It was suggested that if my legs got painful, then I should go to emergency. Luckily it never got painful and the swelling went down when I started walking around a lot more.
Also, the following Sunday (day 9 post-partum) I had what my doctor thinks was an ocular migraine. All of the sudden I started seeing flashing lights. It lasted about two minutes and went away on its own. I never had a migraine before and I rarely get headaches so it was a scary experience. She thought it was most likely due to extreme fatigue and it appears that it is actually quite common in new moms. I went on a discussion forum on babycentre.com and other moms experienced this as well. Nonetheless, it was still scary and luckily it has not happened since.
It took about a month to recover from my C-section but I noticed a huge improvement after the first week. By day 10 I could sleep lying down and get in and out of bed pretty easily. My scar is starting to heal as well. It feels like there is a lot of scar tissue where my incision is but I am trying to massage coconut oil on it to help the scar tissue go down. The incision is really low on my abdomen so I can still wear a bikini and it won't show which is nice.
Physical Recovery:
Physically I am feeling great. I actually weigh less now than I did before I was pregnant. Before I got pregnant I was 127 lbs, right before delivery I weighed 139 lbs, and I am currently 125 lbs. Therefore, I have lost all the baby weight (I lost it all by 2 weeks post-partum). I am breastfeeding so that definitely helped with the weight loss but I only gained 12 lbs and my baby weighed almost 7 lbs so I didn't really have much to loose. I have noticed that I lost a lot of muscle tone though which I want to gain back. I read that it is hard to gain muscle while you are breastfeeding because breastfeeding increases estrogen in your body which inhibits muscle growth. However, I think if I slowly start doing more weights and resistance training, I will gain at least some muscle tone back.
I got the "OK" from my midwife to drive and to start exercising at 3 weeks post-partum. A lot of people take 6 weeks to recover but she said that my uterus had shrunk back down to its regular spot so it was safe for me to resume my regular activities. With the OK from my midwife, I started going back to the gym about twice per week. I am doing 1 hot yoga class with my sister on Tuesdays and then the other day I just do light cardio on the elliptical machine and some kettlebell exercises to get back my muscle tone. In the next couple of weeks I want to try and start going 3x per week but that is somewhat hard to schedule because I need to make sure my husband is home to babysit and that I have enough pumped breast milk for my son. Instead I might just try to squeeze in a run or two since it cuts down on the travel time and it will be easier to schedule with my husband. Plus I LOVE running in the winter believe it or not. It is so refreshing!
Before I got pregnant my waist was about 28 inches, right before I gave birth it was about 39 inches and now it is 31 inches so I have about 3 inches to loose. I really want to loose those 3 inches by the end of 2014 so I have exactly 1 month to do that!
The main physical symptom I have noticed is that I definitely have an increase in lower back pain. I am not sure if it is due to the spinal that I got for the C-section or just bad posture. I think it might be a combination of the two. I used to notice it when I was lying in bed but it has gotten a bit better since I have been doing yoga the last couple of weeks. I really notice it after I have been carrying my son in the moby wrap but it subsides a bit when I focus on engaging my core so I think that I just lost a lot of core strength due to not working out my core for so many months. Overall, I am really happy with my phyiscal recovery especially since I needed a C-section. Hopefully by 2 months post-partum, I will have lost those last 3 inches from my waist.
Mental/Emotional Recovery:
Mentally and emotionally I am doing quite well. The first week post-partum was definitely the hardest mentally and emotionally. I think the lack of sleep that first week really inhibited my mental recovery. As I mentioned earlier, the pain from the C-section really made it hard to enjoy my baby the first couple of days and I definitely felt guilty for that. I thought that I would be in a state of complete euphoria but on day 2 and day 3 post-partum, I really wasn't. I think I suffered a bit from the baby blues the first week or so. I didn't get much sleep or eat the healthiest which I think contributed to those feelings but I think just the natural surge in hormones during this time contributed to these feelings as well.
After the 1st week, I have been feeling much better. I was worried about feeling cooped up in the house, especially since it is getting pretty cold outside but I have made an effort to get dressed, do my hair/makeup & get out of the house each day. I think there has only been 1 or 2 days so far where it was a PJ day. A lot of the time I just get out for a short walk or go do some errands but it is enough to keep me mentally sane. I am a busy body and I can't stand just staying home all day in front of a TV so it helps a lot mentally to get out for a bit. Hopefully I can keep this up once winter comes.
Another thing that I think has helped is that I also take vitamin D supplements. I think it helps me so much especially this time of year when there is little to no sunlight. If anyone is looking for an overall health boost, try looking into vitamin D supplements.
As I mentioned above, I have started going to the gym a couple times per week which has not only helped my physical recovery but also my mental recovery as well. Going to the gym is my biggest stress reliever. Even just knowing that I have a yoga class in a couple of days helps relieve stress since it gives me something to look forward to. I also try and take some "me" time each day while my son is napping. During this time I work on this blog, catch up on my YouTube mamas, or read some parenting books. I think taking some me time each day is such an important part of my mental recovery.
Marriage:
I definitely think my marriage has changed since we had our son. I think it is impossible for it not to change in some ways. First, I think you gain a new level of respect for one another. I love seeing my husband bond with our son. I am surprised at how well he can comfort him and how quick he runs to him at every whimper. It is so sweet and heart warming. That isn't to say we both haven't been frustrated this past month. Sometimes I do get frustrated because I feel that I don't get as much free time or sleep as my husband and I have so much more responsibility when it comes to my son. A lot of this stems from the fact that I am breastfeeding so I can't really be away from my son too long since I am his only source of food.
I found it especially hard and frustrating the first couple of weeks when I was having trouble with breast feeding and in so much pain due to the C-section. I know it wasn't my husband's fault but it was hard to see him sleeping and then saying he was tired...seriously he may have been a bit tired but he didn't even know the pure exhaustion I felt. This frustration can be hard on a marriage but it is important to try and help each other instead of turning on each other.
Another toll on a marriage is the lack of time you both have for each other. I definitely feel that almost all of my time is spent with my son or resting when I can. We used to have our evenings with each other but now my evenings are spent napping when my son naps since I am up with him during the night. So far my husband is enjoying getting to watch as much hockey and basketball as he wants HAHA! We haven't been out on a date without Cooper yet because I am not ready to have someone else look after him. I have just gotten used to having my husband look after him alone but hopefully in the next few months we can get a babysitter and spend some time alone together. Right now I am looking forward to enjoying our hot tub that we got this summer but I wasn't able to use while I was pregnant!
Overall, my first month being a mom has been amazing. I truly love being a mom. Even the lack of sleep and getting peed on is totally worth it when I look at his smiling face. What they say is true. The love you will have for your kids is indescribable. It is something you can't understand until you have kids of your own. I hope this love is something everyone can experience!
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