5 Postpartum Symptoms I Wish I Knew About Before Baby Arrived

 

Photo courtesy of Flickr, Nelson Kwok

By: Daina Sparling

They tell you that after the birth of your child you’re going to start feeling normal again, eventually.  But what they (whoever ‘they’ is) don’t tell you is you will feel anything but normal during the postpartum period. Lasting anywhere from 1 month to a few years, postpartum symptoms are nothing to joke about.

Here are 5 Postpartum Symptoms ‘they’ don’t tell you about until it’s too late…

  1. You sweat.  We aren’t talking about the dewy glow you get after struggling to rip open a Pilates DVD (you swore you would do it during the kids’ naps).  Investing in a gigantic towel to sleep on so you aren’t changing the sheets every day may be a good idea.
  2. Your breasts leak.  While people eventually wise up and get a nighttime bra to keep those breast pads in place, the first few weeks after birth can leave you sleeping in a puddle of milk.  It seems as if there is very little rhyme or reason to why your body decides to let down.  Thinking about your baby?  You leak.  Taking a shower?  Check.  Looking at that carton of 2% while shopping?  Maybe not.
  3. Day 3.  Anecdotally, (and I’m no doctor!) women say that pregnancy hormones peak on the third day after giving birth.  This can make you into a barely recognizable version of your formerly sweet self.  I, for instance, was trapped in a Dairy Queen drive through with my screaming newborn when my moment came.  Suffice it to say that by the time we got home he was not the only one screaming.
  4. Hair loss.  Some weeks or months after baby is born, you will be shampooing away, minding your own business, when BAM!  Handfuls of hair.  There will be hair on the floor.  Hair on your pillows, in your laundry, and on the couches.  Those long, luxurious locks you had during your pregnancy can’t stick around forever.  And though you’re left feeling half bald, chances are no one has noticed (except maybe your husband who, had to unclog the drain.)
  5. Baby blues.  Does the fact that you can’t button your pants bring on a wave of tears?  Are you boo-hooing because you spilled some of that preciously pumped breast milk?  Chances are the combination of sleep deprivation and the baby blues are to blame.  Fear not, it won’t be long until your sanity returns to you.

While some heightened emotions are to be expected initially, postpartum symptoms like depression is nothing to make light of.  Please talk to a physician immediately should your symptoms persist or become severe.  You can also visit www.depressionhurts.ca for further information about depression.

Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give your children!

Daina is a wife to Darryl, mother to Jacob (2 years) and Audrey (3 weeks) who lives in Edmonton, Alberta.  She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and looks forward to the day where she can once again have more than 3 hours consecutive sleep.

 

The post 5 PostPartum Symptoms I Wish I Knew About Before Baby Arrived appeared first on ModernMama.com.

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