How soon are you able to walk around after natural birth? - Page 2

[ani'smommy]

i took a shower 10 or 15 minutes later, but didn't go for a long walk or anything.

[Patchfire]

I walked from the birth pool to the futon on the floor right away. I sat there and drank hot RRL tea and cooed over the baby and ate cinnamon rolls and tried to convince her to open her eyes and all that jazz for about 45 minutes, then I took a shower. I probably wouldn't have been so excited to shower except she started getting rid of her mec within 5 minutes of being born.

With ds, I walked from the birth pool through the house to the bed within five minutes of birth.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by ani'smommy

i took a shower 10 or 15 minutes later, but didn't go for a long walk or anything.

Yes, same here. After the shower, I ate and called family and started to nurse the baby. I really got the "new momma high" from natural childbirth.

[snowmom5]

I went to the bathroom to pee not long after. But generally I felt like my mid-section had been hit by a truck (I got the same feeling after my medicated births, once the meds wore off, which was pretty quickly). The hit-by-a-truck feeling I get usually lasts more than a few hours and I prefer to lay in bed, getting up for the bathroom and nursing only, that first day. I usually don't make it to the shower till the next day - just too tired (why is it that I never have a good sleep in the days leading up to delivery). I guess I'm one of the few who appreciates two days in the hospital for this reason - surprisingly, much more peace and quiet than my own house and with far fewer demands on me.

The one aspect that, predictably, has gotten more difficult with each birth is the pain with nursing, or afterpains, as my mother used to call them. I had to stop nursing my most recent one (baby #5) in the middle of his first nursing session because the contractions were pretty darn painful - much like labor. It wasn't until later that I discovered percocet lol. Next time, if the birth is without meds again, I'll request a percocet the moment that baby is out, to prepare me for that first nursing (I can't take ibuprofen when I'm about to start coumadin, and the tylenol didn't touch this pain). The afterpains were that bad for about three days, gradually improving after that.

[hanno]

once the placenta's out

you can walk before that but it's odd

[dogmom327]

I could but for reasons unknown I was in a weird state of shock. I was shaky and very uncertain of anything. I did get out of the pool right after the placenta was delivered and got into bed but I had some help (my balance wasn't great). Later (after being stitched up) I got up and used the bathroom and then sat on the couch and ate some food while I held the baby.

[Right of Passage]

It was probably an hour and a half, not because I wanted to wait that long, but because everyone took their time. I was stitched up, and waited until after baby wanted to nurse (not interested at first, too curious) and got a good amount of time nursing. I will also say after my c-section I was moving my legs before I hit the recovery room. I would have gotten up and walked had I thought it was an option.

[JamieCatheryn]

Soon as the placenta came and I'd met with baby for a while, maybe 20 minutes after birth? I took a shower then was getting baby into the ring sling to walk to the other hospital room when they brought a wheelchair in, it seems I wasn't allowed to walk anywhere or carry my baby.

[paquerette]

Well, I was able to go to the shower and bathroom with just a little leaning on people in the first day, and then able to go to the bathroom alone in the following days. But I really recommend not trying to get up and around too much even if you do feel like it. Your body needs to recover no matter how good a birth you had. Pelvic organ prolapse is not fun.

[lacysmommy]

My first birth was pretty rough on me, and I had issues with passing out afterward, and although it was a drug-free birth, I stayed in bed for about 24 hours or so afterward because I was afraid I was going to pass out! My second birth was also drug-free but I was up in the shower about an hour later, maybe a little sooner, though I could have gotten up before then if I wasn't busy nursing my new little one! My second child was bigger and in an unideal position for birth and labor was twice as long, yet the recovery was so much easier all around.

[the_lissa]

I was up within a few minutes.

[lisa_nc]

15 minutes for me.

[luckymamato2]

I was up 2 hours later.

[Peony]

Originally Posted by hanno

once the placenta's out

you can walk before that but it's odd

Isn't that the truth, I walked around a minute after DD2 was born but before the placenta came and it is an odd feeling.

[texasnurse3]

Most women are ready to get up and at least go to the bathroom about 1-2 hours after birth, and some are fine with taking showers at that time also. I work at a birthing center, and most of our moms leave 4-5 hours after birth. We tell them to take it easy and stay in bed for the first 24 hours and just focus on eating well, nursing, and resting. Some find that they need longer than this and others are up and about the next day. It really depends on how well you take care of yourself during pregnancy, how well you take care of yourself and are cared for by others during labor, how much you bled after birth, and how well you eat and drink after birth.

[MyBoysBlue]

With my first born in the hospital I was up and in the shower within a half hour of his birth and minutes after the placenta was out.

With my UC I was up squatting over a bowel trying to get the placenta out about a half hour after he was born. But I ended up having to walk to the toilet and pushed out the placenta there. Yes weird feeling.

[boscopup]

First one, it was probably an hour and a half or maybe 2 hours after the birth that the nurses helped me to the toilet. I had had stitches, so that's the thing that made me a bit wobbly.

Second one, placenta took about 30 minutes to come out, and then I probably rested in the bed for another 30 minutes to an hour. Then I went to the bathroom several times (had an urge to pee but couldn't pee yet) and I think I took a brief shower as well. I left the "birth house" about 5 hours after the birth, went home, and rested in the recliner the rest of the day. The next day, I was up doing diaper laundry and pretty much felt normal, except I couldn't do long walks. I think about a week after the birth, I tried to feed our dog that lives with the goats. It's a bit of a walk to the pasture where he is, and on the way back, I felt like my organs would fall out. So I had DH feed the dog for another week or two. Otherwise I was fine though. Just no long walks.

[scrapadoozer]

About 30 minutes. I wanted to get up to pee earlier than that but the hospital wouldn't let me without having a nurse there to make sure I didn't pass out.

[madsommer]

I am soooo excited after reading these posts! :: My first birth I had a very strong epidural and I couldn't move my legs for a really long time. I hated not being able to walk to the bathroom unassisted. This time I plan on having a natural birth (my first labor, even with the epi was so quick I figure it'll be even faster!) and I can't wait!

[MsElle07]

I could not walk for about 36 hours. I had serious blood pressure issues where I felt like I was going to pass out whenever I stood up. When I did get up to go to the bathroom, I had to walk hunched over at the waist. It wasn't a leg issue or even a pain issue (I had no tearing our anything). My body just had trouble adjusting to the new change in circulation, apparently. You'll just need to listen to what your body tells you and adjust accordingly.