Post-Pregnancy Moan Thread

Penny Dreadful · 29-10-2014 8:33pm

My baby was six weeks old on Monday and she is a great little baby.
Overall I've been doing brilliantly, actually most people are stunned at how well I've recovered.
My only gripe now at this stage is that I am still bleeding.
The intensity of it has lessened and it's mostly pinky now rather than the dark red of the early days (sorry for the tmi but it's hard to discuss these things without doing so) but there were a few days where it was back to being dark red and clottish again. Maybe this was my period but how the hell do you tell where one beings and the other ends?
If it was my period it came around 5 weeks post partum and as I stopped breast feeding at 3 weeks it could have been.
I have to ask though if it was my period wouldn't the Lochia have stopped or why is it backs again.
I was with the GP for the baby's 6 week check yesterday and mentioned the above to her. She did think it was going on a little longer than it should and said when I was back for the little ones vaccinations in the next 2 weeks if it was still going on then she would take some swabs to check for infection.

Ms2011 · 30-10-2014 11:52am

Penny I bled for 4.5 months after my baby, sometimes light sometimes heavier. Like you I think some of it was a period or two but there was no break.
I went to the doctor & she did the swab & gave me a letter to go into A&E if the bleeding got too heavy. The swab came back clear & a week later the bleeding stopped. I actually think my hormones just went haywire after the pregnancy & took awhile to settle down.
I had a section & apparently you bleed less after as they 'clean you out' before they sew you up but that wasn' t the case for me!

73trix · 30-10-2014 12:25pm

Ms2011 wrote: »

Penny I bled for 4.5 months after my baby, sometimes light sometimes heavier. Like you I think some of it was a period or two but there was no break.
I went to the doctor & she did the swab & gave me a letter to go into A&E if the bleeding got too heavy. The swab came back clear & a week later the bleeding stopped. I actually think my hormones just went haywire after the pregnancy & took awhile to settle down.
I had a section & apparently you bleed less after as they 'clean you out' before they sew you up but that wasn' t the case for me!

4.5 months??!! Jaysus. 4 wks today and appears to be stopping finally. Fingers crossed!

SmokeyEyes · 30-10-2014 12:56pm

Ms2011 wrote: »

Penny I bled for 4.5 months after my baby, sometimes light sometimes heavier. Like you I think some of it was a period or two but there was no break.
I went to the doctor & she did the swab & gave me a letter to go into A&E if the bleeding got too heavy. The swab came back clear & a week later the bleeding stopped. I actually think my hormones just went haywire after the pregnancy & took awhile to settle down.
I had a section & apparently you bleed less after as they 'clean you out' before they sew you up but that wasn' t the case for me!

I think it's so great to know things like this, half the reason I was freaked out about bleeding after birth was because the books made out it would be a very short event and when it wasn't I got very panicky about it which mixed with haywire hormones, left me in a bit of a state sometimes.

Like the fact I still have mild swollen ankles 4 months postpartum, scared the crap out of me but doc doesn't seem very concerned, said she'll check my bloods in December but again can all be down to normal things as well so that's the thought route I'm choosing!

madeinamerica · 30-10-2014 3:45pm

SmokeyEyes wrote: »

I think it's so great to know things like this

This is one of the reasons I love these threads.

Ms2011 · 30-10-2014 5:18pm

73trix wrote: »

4.5 months??!! Jaysus. 4 wks today and appears to be stopping finally. Fingers crossed!

I don't thinking bleeding this long is the norm but it was normal for my body just no one warned me it could last this long so I got a fright when after 3 months it showed no sign of stopping.
I'm sure yours will stop soon

Penny Dreadful · 31-10-2014 11:26am

There are so many average things about pregnancy and the post partum end of things but to get the average there must be women on either side of that average. For some of these things clear up super fast for others they last longer. Without forums like this to help out with the " I can't be the only one surely?"thoughts I think I'd go a little ga ga.

73trix · 05-11-2014 10:07am

No bleeding for almost a week now. Hopefully that's the end of that!

I keep reading about the importance of kegel s after childbirth. Is this more for those who had vaginal births? I had a section and fortunately have no stress incontinence.. One thing i don't have to deal with at least. Haven't done any either way.

Sligo1 · 12-11-2014 10:26pm

Just got my period... First period in 18 months!

:(

SmokeyEyes · 16-11-2014 1:45pm

Sligo1 wrote: »

Just got my period... First period in 18 months! :(

Hope it was ok Sligo! In the middle of my 4th, first three were horrendous, this one wasn't so bad!! Very excited, hope it continuesðŸ˜€

Oscar has been sleeping through the night for the past week, mammy and daddy are VERY happy, we all have extra energy!ðŸ˜„ðŸ‘

Whispered · 14-12-2014 9:07am

Weirdly empty wobbly belly.

I feel like a certain fat man whose belly is compared to a dessert this time of year

Allirog · 14-12-2014 9:15am

Hope you don't mind whispered but that gave me a little giggle

madeinamerica · 14-12-2014 6:24pm

Whispered wrote: »

Weirdly empty wobbly belly.

I feel like a certain fat man whose belly is compared to a dessert this time of year

Lol, I'm the same. My belly is like a big loose bag

Whispered · 16-12-2014 7:45am

It's amazing how your body reacts isn't it. Getting regular contractions still (not sore ones) apparently this helps tighten your stomach again.

SmokeyEyes · 16-12-2014 11:10am

I hate my post pregnancy period, that is all!

Feel great otherwise but it's so heavy with fecking mini clots just to make things more unpleasant, doc said this may just be how they're going to be but they may change back, praying they will! This is number 4 now so I'll wait and see...

Otherwise greatðŸ˜€ Still have ankle swelling but got liver and kidney function checked last week so it's just a case of eat better, drink more water and lose a bit of weight!

73trix · 16-12-2014 11:24am

Whispered wrote: »

It's amazing how your body reacts isn't it. Getting regular contractions still (not sore ones) apparently this helps tighten your stomach again.

I remember some awful post delivery cramps. Told it was uterus shrinking. Only for few days tho.

Still have sore fingers 10 wks on and no periods yet. Otherwise back to normal.

Dolbert · 16-12-2014 1:48pm

A week on and I'm starting to feel a bit more human

My back pain where I had the epidural is disappearing and I'm a bit steadier on my feet. The lochia is still horrible

(why does no one tell you it smells like bleach?!)

but it's easing off at least, and my stitches are itching like crazy. For me the weirdest thing is the 'empty belly' feeling that Whispered was talking about, all of your abdominal core is all stretched out so even sitting up is a challenge sometimes! Maybe some support granny pants are in order...

Lashes28 · 16-12-2014 7:44pm

Ah the ' alien belly' you gain after birth not looking forward to that!!

madeinamerica · 16-12-2014 8:44pm

My little guy is 16 weeks today and while my womb has shrunk back down, my stomach muscles and skin are just so loose! Sometimes I hope him standing up on my belly and his little feet nearly disappear...

Marz66 · 16-12-2014 9:23pm

madeinamerica wrote: »

My little guy is 16 weeks today and while my womb has shrunk back down, my stomach muscles and skin are just so loose! Sometimes I hope him standing up on my belly and his little feet nearly disappear...

Glad I'm not the only one...I was prepared for a jelly belly but not this pouch thing.

My belly button is sunken in the middle. Decided to google it and came up with diastasis rectis. Presume if i had that that they would have noticed and said something in the hospital? I read something that said stomach muscles may take 6 months to go back to normal.

Dolbert · 24-12-2014 1:43am

Stitches givin' me itches

Penny Dreadful · 28-12-2014 8:37pm

For me at almost 15 weeks post delivery my moans are:
1) bleeding constantly for 13.5 weeks and not being taken seriously by the doctors in the hospital. Eventually they agreed that something was wrong and I had to be readmitted before Christmas for a small operation. Glad it's all over now though.
2) I'm such a wuss about sad songs or movies since my little girl was born. They bring tears to my eyes and never did before.
3) I'd kill for a day off yet hate being away from her too.
4) I was lucky and got no stretch marks and put on hardly any weight and my body looks like it's old self again but OMG how your boobs change! They feel so soft and kinda empty now or something.

VandC · 28-12-2014 9:39pm

Penny Dreadful wrote:

4) I was lucky and got no stretch marks and put on hardly any weight and my body looks like it's old self again but OMG how your boobs change!

what's your secret?! :-)

Sligo1 · 28-12-2014 9:52pm

Totally agree with all those points! And yep I'm slimmer now than I've ever been and only 8st4lb (5ft5), with no stretch marks at all... But my boobs which were once pretty huge are like empty sacks

.... And down by my belly button

Penny Dreadful · 28-12-2014 10:59pm

Sligo1 wrote: »

Totally agree with all those points! And yep I'm slimmer now than I've ever been and only 8st4lb (5ft5), with no stretch marks at all... But my boobs which were once pretty huge are like empty sacks .... And down by my belly button

It's weird isn't it? Mine look much the same as they did before I got pregnant but once I touch them they don't feel like mine anymore. It's almost like squeezing the air out of a semi deflated balloon or something.

Penny Dreadful · 28-12-2014 11:01pm

VandC wrote: »

what's your secret?! :-)

Stretch marks or the lack of them is down to genetics. My mum never got them even after 6 babies and neither did either of my sisters and they had 3 each.
The weight thing was a combination of nausea, heartburn, no weird cravings and when I did eat I was mostly quite sensible.
Then my baby decided to come about 4 weeks early and weighed 3.22kg so I'm sure that helped too.

Sligo1 · 28-12-2014 11:11pm

Mine don't look the same

.... My friends used to call me "wonder boobs".... Now it's more like "blunder boobs"....

Whispered · 28-12-2014 11:16pm

My boy is only 15 days so I'm not loathing my body just yet. I'm enjoying my ankles and delicate look to my hands compared to the last few weeks.

My moan is emotional. We went out for a coffee and a bit of a walk around a local shopping centre on the 22nd so it was very busy. I felt so vulnerable. My section mark was a bit sore but I kept thinking how if anything happened I wouldn't be able to protect him. I felt exposed and lost and helpless, despite being with my husband. It was horrid. We are going back to the centre tomorrow. Hopefully it will be quieter and I can not be a paranoid mess

Penny Dreadful · 28-12-2014 11:22pm

Whispered wrote: »

My boy is only 15 days so I'm not loathing my body just yet. I'm enjoying my ankles and delicate look to my hands compared to the last few weeks.

My moan is emotional. We went out for a coffee and a bit of a walk around a local shopping centre on the 22nd so it was very busy. I felt so vulnerable. My section mark was a bit sore but I kept thinking how if anything happened I wouldn't be able to protect him. I felt exposed and lost and helpless, despite being with my husband. It was horrid. We are going back to the centre tomorrow. Hopefully it will be quieter and I can not be a paranoid mess

I felt a bit like that too when I went out for the first time my own. My baby was only two weeks old and I left her at home with her Dad while I went to Blanchardstown to get a changing bag and a few other things I hadn't gotten before she came early.
The whole time I was there I kept putting my hands to my stomach to protect the baby bump that wasn't there any more. It was the oddest sensation to be out as normal but no longer pregnant.

73trix · 29-12-2014 11:08am

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

It's weird isn't it? Mine look much the same as they did before I got pregnant but once I touch them they don't feel like mine anymore. It's almost like squeezing the air out of a semi deflated balloon or something.

I dread this. My boobs are huge compared to pre pregnancy and I worry about the deflated factor after..Cringe. I've gone from 34b to 36d. This must put a lot of women off breastfeeding. I've been extreme ly lucky with my body too -back to old weight and no stretch marks but worry about boobs. Oh still have sore fingers!

RentDayBlues · 29-12-2014 1:30pm

I've been pregnant and/or breastfeeding since November 2011. By the time I finish it will be 4 1/2 years since I've seen my "old" boobs and I am so worried about what they will look like. They were always large but had volume, I have a feeling there are going to be no more than empty sacks, especially that they stretched all the way to a 38G

I think santa may have to bring me an uplift next christmas!

Penny Dreadful · 29-12-2014 8:44pm

73trix wrote: »

I dread this. My boobs are huge compared to pre pregnancy and I worry about the deflated factor after..Cringe. I've gone from 34b to 36d. This must put a lot of women off breastfeeding. I've been extreme ly lucky with my body too -back to old weight and no stretch marks but worry about boobs. Oh still have sore fingers!

My joints are very sore post pregnancy which is weird because they didn't bother me too much during it. In the morning my ankles, knees, wrists, thumbs and fingers are really sore. I did have SPD during the pregnancy but thankfully it disappeared as soon as the baby was born.

RentDayBlues · 29-12-2014 8:53pm

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

My joints are very sore post pregnancy which is weird because they didn't bother me too much during it. In the morning my ankles, knees, wrists, thumbs and fingers are really sore. I did have SPD during the pregnancy but thankfully it disappeared as soon as the baby was born.

I had this really badly after my first baby. Went to physio after I returned to football 6 months post partum and discovered my pelvis had been out since delivery and had in turn caused my knee to pull out and my ankle! Much better the second time around but I was more active and put on less weight

Penny Dreadful · 29-12-2014 8:55pm

RentDayBlues wrote: »

I had this really badly after my first baby. Went to physio after I returned to football 6 months post partum and discovered my pelvis had been out since delivery and had in turn caused my knee to pull out and my ankle! Much better the second time around but I was more active and put on less weight

Maybe I'll get some physio, never thought of that. It's quite bad so would be a worthwhile spend.

RentDayBlues · 30-12-2014 12:27am

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Maybe I'll get some physio, never thought of that. It's quite bad so would be a worthwhile spend.

I'd say it's worth an initial visit, I've previously had Achilles tendinitis so assumed it was that again, I had hip pain but my knee and ankle were my concern. He examined me, said your pelvis is out, let me put that back!! I had 4 sessions on my ankle but didn't need anything on my hip once it was back in place.

I know a girl who popped her pelvis during a football game, didn't realise and a year later 2 ribs and her shoulder blade had moved to adapt - months of physio to try to correct.

Penny Dreadful · 03-01-2015 6:53pm

So I finally got my first period since giving birth in Septmber. Thankfully it's not as painful as they were in the past but it's so much heavier than it was ever before. My periods were always light to very light, is this something any of you have experienced and does it stay that way from now on?

Ocean Blue · 03-01-2015 7:08pm

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

So I finally got my first period since giving birth in Septmber. Thankfully it's not as painful as they were in the past but it's so much heavier than it was ever before. My periods were always light to very light, is this something any of you have experienced and does it stay that way from now on?

I've had three periods since giving birth, starting back at 11 weeks. Unfortunately they are really heavy as well compared to my light pre - pregnancy bleeds. I never had pain before and still don't thankfully but the flooding

However I do think the third was a little lighter. I'm due today so I'm hopeful it will continue to ease up. It's a horror dealing with heavy periods after 20 years of getting off so lightly

SmokeyEyes · 03-01-2015 8:37pm

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

So I finally got my first period since giving birth in Septmber. Thankfully it's not as painful as they were in the past but it's so much heavier than it was ever before. My periods were always light to very light, is this something any of you have experienced and does it stay that way from now on?

Mine were always on the heavier painful side and I've had 4 pp and all but the 3rd are heavier with mini clots! They only last heavily for 2 days so I know some girls are far worse off but I hate them now.

Anyways I asked my doc and she said it could be something that settles down or it could be my new normal so I'm hoping it'll ease! I'm not on any pill at the moment though so if I do that it may help as well of course!

Dolbert · 06-01-2015 2:50pm

One month on and I'm still getting night sweats!

RentDayBlues · 06-01-2015 8:37pm

Dolbert wrote: »

One month on and I'm still getting night sweats!

Mine lasted til 9 months post partum!

comongethappy · 07-01-2015 12:08am

My stomach is covered in stretch marks and my skin is saggy and wrinkly - any recommendations ladies? Bio oil isn't cutting it 16 w on.

Tbh haven't had time to exercise yet, and I have supply issues and have worked so hard to get down to 3 top ups a day, I don't want to risk compromise it until I start weaning.

LegacyUser · 01-02-2015 11:07pm

Has anyone else experienced painful sex post natally? My baby is 2 months old and we still can't manage full intercourse

I had a second degree tear and it's so tender and tight around the perenial area where my stitches were. All is as it should be according to my 6 week check, no infections etc. We used lots of lube but it was still eye-watering :eek: Anyone got a similar experience? Is it just a case of powering throuhg until it feels better or do I need to go back to the doctor? TIA

mirrorwall14 · 09-02-2015 12:08am

Tired. Sore. Cranky. Cry at everything. Thank god there's a baby to coo over (except when he's cranky too)

Post-Pregnancy Moan Thread

Comments