What do you wish you knew about postpartum?

Postpartum depression and mental health!!!

Hair loss!

Hair loss. Anxiety. Just mental health in general. Everyone thinks everything can be solved with "when the baby sleeps, you sleep" well how on earth am I to get things done if my free time is spent sleeping😩🥴

haemorrhoids... for 3-4 months 🥴

That breastfeeding can hurt like a b*tch for up to 3 months, and then all of the sudden it’s a breeze you can do in your sleep 😆

Also the risk of prolapse, how to diagnose, and how to treat it.

Tongue tie affects one in ten babies so if breastfeeding is excruciating and everyone says there’s not a problem to trust your instincts and get it sorted.

Painful sex and pain from postural changes were two unexpected things I guess lol.

That baby will NOT be put down in their bed and you’ll have to stay up holding them all night. That breastfeeding is ridiculously hard and the support isn’t there. That you will cry a lot and sometimes for no reason. And that the horrible things you read about postpartum will not necessarily happen to you (I.e. I had no afterbirth pains that everyone had warned me was horrendous and going to the loo was fine even though I had a vaginal delivery)

The first wee after birth!

The milk shakes!!! When your milk comes in sometimes it can cause a crazy fever and my whole body was shaking I could not control it, felt so cold but my temp was so high! Not everyone gets it but I wish it was something I knew could happen.

That baby blues are horrendous, the pain down there is nothing like you've ever experienced even after the trauma of labour and you will dread going for a wee for weeks!

Anxiety & breast feeding is a challenge.
Also, everyone will get on your nerves about the baby. People will call your baby “their baby”, people will give you their opinions don’t do this or that without you having asked them, dirty hands near your baby

The amount of blood you lose in the first few days/weeks! That after labour your body is so exhausted just getting into and out of bed will feel like a full on gym session! The crying for no reason everyday. Your not happy, your not sad, your just crying

Omg the sore bum!!! Ive had Anal fissures and now think i have piles ! Sore sex sore to pee due to going so dry down there i also had emergency section i am 9 months pp and still feel like a train wreck there is more needing done to tell hs about all this

It’s normal for your baby to want to be held 24/7! I had such a hard time expecting her to be able to sleep in a bassinet or crib alone and it took me a while to accept that she was just a baby that wanted constant physical contact! Baby wearing is such a life saver. Lol.

And the pressure in the booty during recovery.

How difficult breastfeeding can be. That you can take as many naps as you want but you really need to find a way to sleep for at least 5 hours at a time sometimes. How you’re still going to be super uncomfortable and can have constant hip pain and may need physical therapy.

I wish I would’ve known more about postpartum depression. I didn’t want to tell anyone about the dark thoughts I was having because I thought I was losing my mind. I also wish I would’ve known that it takes time to learn your baby especially with breastfeeding. I didn’t realize how hard it would be. I felt like a bad mom because I found everything so difficult in the beginning. The second time around was so much better because I was prepared.

That you can just be sad and it’s okay. Hair loss doesn’t start right away. Mine took 3 months PP. You might not recognize yourself in the mirror anymore, not just your body from birth.

The baby blues are terrifying and you definitely need support to get through that emotional turmoil

Postpartum blues is real. I got home from the hospital and just cried for no reason and couldn’t stop. The first couple times you pee will burn like no other. The peri bottle is your friend. Breastfeeding was the hardest part of postpartum. It was so much harder than expected. Find time to sleep when you can!

The baby blues and postpartum anxiety! I literally thought something was wrong with me!
Also that you may not have that magical moment of love at first sight with your baby. I had an emergency C-section and the moment he was brought over to me I felt like it was some random baby.
Also the effects sleep deprivation has on you. I had hallucinating dreams for about a week! Very scary.