16 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Labor And Postpartum, Now That I'm Almost A Year Into Motherhood
BuzzFeed
·12-min read
Hi, I'm Hannah. Last June, I had my first baby, a girl named Eleanor. I cannot believe she is almost a year old. This past year has been the fastest and the slowest of my life, and there have been so many moments I've felt overjoyed, overwhelmed, overtired, and everything in between.
One thing I can say for certain is that labor and postpartum come with many surprises. So whether you're a fellow parent, expecting a baby, or just thinking about maybe having kids someday, here are some of the aspects of having a child that I wish someone had told me a year ago.
And one more thing: I know this can be a difficult subject matter, whether you are struggling to conceive, experiencing postpartum depression, or anything of the sort. Please skip this post if reading this type of content is not helpful for you right now, and know I'm sending you love and support.
1.That my body still wouldn't really feel like mine for months.
2.That I would feel like life might never be normal again, but normalcy *does* return.
3.That after reading and hearing so many horror stories about delivery, labor, in my case, would be so much easier than expected.
4.That my boobs would change...a lot.
5.That the night sweats would last months.
6.That my hair would change drastically.
7.That I'd feel stronger postpartum than I ever did before.
8.That I would bleed a lot in the first weeks postpartum.
9.That sex would hurt...for a while.
10.That having a baby would challenge my relationship with my husband.
11.That parenthood would come with lots of anxiety and constant worrying.
12.That after-birth contractions are a thing.
13.That it would be really difficult to get minor, everyday tasks done for a while.
14.That my hormones would go pretty wild when I stopped breastfeeding.
15.That I'd have a huge amount of new respect for my own mother (and all mothers).
16.That it would be the most fun I've ever had.
Now that I've told you about my experience, I'd love to hear from you. What were some things about labor, postpartum, or parenthood that you were surprised by? What are the things you wish someone had told you sooner? Tell me in the comments or add your thoughts to this anonymous form.
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