Pregnancy is full of surprises. More surprising is the fact that you won’t receive all the information related to the process of becoming a mother from a single source. Your doctor will provide you with some vital information, relatives or friends could be your advisors, and internet would be the thread connecting the points and will answer your queries. Yet, there are a few things, which you will learn only through your own experiences.
Here are a few surprising things that you will discover on your way to becoming a mother and after your delivery. You might find some of them annoying only to get used to them over time.
1. Peeing And Pooping During Delivery
This might come as a surprise, but there are chances you could pee or poop during labor and birth right in front of a team of doctors attending to you. This isn’t unusual as you are applying pressure on your pelvic muscles during labor—the same ones that help you to urinate and defecate.
Even the doctors and nurses are prepared for it and don’t get bothered because they get to see a lot of it. Don’t get embarrassed or disappointed—the nurses will clean you up without a hint of disgust.
2. Bleeding And Hospital Underpants
After the delivery, your vagina will bleed for about 2-6 weeks to clear out the remnants of the blood and tissue inside the uterus. Though you may come to the hospital prepared with a pack of maternity pads for your convenience, the hospital will provide the mothers with the all-round-protection of light underpants equipped with comfortable pads. Enjoy the free service.
3. Your Baby Girl May Menstruate
Don’t fret if you find a few drops of blood in her nappy—when no more under the influence of the mother’s hormones, a newborn female do bleed slightly within days after birth. Her genitals could even be swollen at the time of birth or have a milky white discharge. This is common and will subside in the subsequent days.
Gently wipe clean her genital with warm water sans soap. Wipe from back to front—no need to go deep, the vagina will cleanse itself naturally. The next they will menstruate will only be at maturity.
4. Baby Farts Are Louder And Frequent
Baby farts can be funny, unexpected and surprising for parents. While your baby will be sleeping, swaddled next to you, you might hear the farts, loud enough to sometimes even scare them awake. For some babies, it is lesser, but others may seem to love feeling the relief of passing gas—awake, playing or feeding.
It is okay for a baby to be gassy unless they are experiencing pain or discomfort. In that case, a pediatrician could be contacted.
5. Vaginal Tears Are Common
There is a reason why you are told not to indulge in sex for 6 weeks after having a delivery. Keeping vaginal soreness and swelling on one side, vaginal tearing could put you at discomfort. As many as 95% of mothers experience tearing with their first birth.
Depending on the severity of the wound it may take somewhere between 10-15 days for the wound to heal. The area still remains sensitive. Here are ways to avoid a perineum tear during childbirth.
6. Pain And Swelling Stay Back After Birth
The agony of motherhood doesn’t end right at the time of delivery—the period after birth is a slow path to recovery, which is accompanied pain and discomfort. Sometimes, swelling in the feet post the delivery comes as a surprise to few moms—since the blood flow in the lower body gets increased during childbirth, you could experience swelling in the feet, ankles or legs.
The area between the leg often goes numb after birth, so is the case with the area where you received stitches. However, the pain may strike back the when the medicinal effect wears off—really, not the most pleasant experiences after birth.
7. Nature Takes Back That Thick Hair
It is disappointing to know that after the childbirth, the hormones come down to their normal levels and take back the good things that came along with pregnancy—one of them being lustrous and thick hair.
Some women experience hair loss as if they are going to turn bald the next day. This is a recovery phase and it will take about a year of postpartum for your body to come back to its previous self. Eat a nutritious diet, sleep well, and give your body some time to heal.
8. Your Breasts Will Leak Milk
Yes, even when you hear your baby cry or get to listen to the cry of any baby, you could lactate right in your bra. This is a natural response of your body that produces milk on hearing the cry of the little one. The most evident response of a mother is to pacify them is by breastfeeding, hence the milk discharge happens naturally.
Wear a proper maternity bra or breast pads to prevent wetting your top unexpectedly.
9. You Could Wet Yourself
You may still have trouble holding onto pee after giving birth. After a hearty laugh or a quick sneeze, you will sense the leak of disgust at not being able to control your own bladder. That is alright moms, start practicing Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles and regain control. Here is your guide to Kegel exercises.
10. Looking Away From Your Baby Is Difficult
The tiny human that you and your partner created is so fresh, adorable and straight down from heaven and that you won’t be able to take your eyes off them. It isn’t wrong to stare at that tiny piece of life after it has stayed inside you for 9 long months. No amounts of cuddle and kisses are enough to express your love towards them. You will be surprised at yourself how long you can stare at your baby with immense love and care, brimming from your eyes.
Becoming a mother is a beautiful yet grueling experience, recovering from pregnancy and childbirth is in itself a task. Take ample rest and don’t shy away from asking for help. Eat right and exercise mildly but regularly once you are back on track. We wish you luck and joy.
