Tell me your story: What were you feeling like 24 hours after delivery?

[sostinkinhappy]

Hey experienced mamas -

Would you mind sharing your stories about how you were feeling 24-hours after delivery? Physically, mentally, emotionally - all of it in it's gory, glorious, details.

I was just thinking about how I feel 24 hours after delivery. At that point, I am dealing with the uterine cramping, the bleeding, the surging hormones as my milk comes in and my body adjusts to not being pregnant, and my raw & swollen girlie bits. While I am elated, I am also exhausted - not just from the delivery, but the last excruciatingly sleepless weeks of my pregnancy, the every 4-hour checks by the nurses, and the visits from the family. And that's after a natural, normal, short delivery without any residual effects of pain meds either.

Also, I would love to know if you would you have felt comfortable making major, life-altering legal decisions 24 hours after you delivered? If not then, when do you think you might have been up for it? A week later? A month? 6 weeks? A couple of months?

Thanks - I look forward to hearing what other mama's experiences are like 24 hours after baby arrives!

M.

[MaerynPearl]

very sore and exhausted... I wouldn't call it worse than childbirth but man it sucks lol... can hardly enjoy the little one and people just want to come see you and NO I just want to be alone lol.

as for the legal decision... it depends on what it was. divorce? no. robbing a bank? heck no. child custody? probably.

[elisheva]

I personally *would* be up for making major, life-changing decisions (unless they involved fertility...it usually takes me until day 2 to even think that maybe someday I might want to do this again).

Sore pretty well describes it but otherwise I feel relatively normal. The weepies don't usually hit me until day 2-3 and then they hit hard. Not sure I'd make life-changing decisions then for a few days.

[kalamos23]

I was SO dang tired (48 hour labor through 2 sleepless nights and then a newborn who nursed every 10 minutes the 3rd night, plus a PPH). Like overwhelmingly tired.

Everything else hit on day 2 - milk came in, stitches started hurting, and so forth. I don't know how well I could have handled making major decisions honestly.

[at_the_hip]

Crampy mostly, but nothing the ibuprofen doesn't take care of. When I had PPH, then I felt more weak and tired, compared to when I didn't. Mostly I'm over the moon with joy and the rest is totally bearble. FWIW, my husband was still recovering from surgery 6 days prior and had to go back to the ER within 12 hours of my birth with #4. I was totally fine taking care of him, and all of my kids. In fact, the day after that, I took them all to our community parade! LOL

[laohaire]

Let's see... I gave birth 6pm-ish on Monday. Then spent 3 hours trying to get the placenta out, that sucked bigtime. Then spent 3 or 4 hours in the ER getting stitched up. (I do remember I was still on the birth high there, bigtime). Went home, passed out. (Not like that, just fell asleep, and hard).

The next day, I was sore but clearheaded, sure. I wasn't really feeling up to cleaning the house or cooking or anything but I didn't spend the day in bed either. I felt in full command of my facilities.

In fact, I was in great shape until maybe a week or 10 days later, then I crashed. For months.

[claddaghmom]

I remember:

My bottom finally came to life (I had lidocaine/stitches)
I finally became aware of my legs and knees from birthing (sore muscles?)
I realized my teeth were dirty and I needed a shower.
And I had a terrible, horribly case of cabin fever
I also felt...light...I think part muscle fatigue, part missing baby tummy haha

I don't recall any afterpains. And I had a really nice birth high.

The cabin fever was strange though. I mean, I HAD to leave the house. We went shopping, we visited family and friends...I even started my ebay stuff 2 days after birth. I think it's b/c my labor was so long and we stayed inside the whole time.

ETA: I think the reason I felt good at 24 hours is because we literally all 3 of us slept like rocks. I barely recall latching her on a couple times and that was it. My mom came over, finished cleaning, dropped off some goodies and dinner. We were dead to the world for an entire day. I hope that works out the same way this time around!

[Gray's Mommy]

1st birth --i felt like a mack truck had driven over me 5 times (hospital birth, pit, narcotics, epi--then no drugs for pushing over 3 hours)
2nd birth--just tired & exhilerated (homebirth)
3rd birth--still waiting to find out!


No life altering decisions for me until at least 3 days after the births & before the exhaustion sets in from learning your new normal.

[MammaB21]

I had a 24 hour labor which lasted all through the night. DD was born at 6:30am-ish.

The first thing I felt after delivering the placenta, being stitched up and settling into bed:

HUNGRY

After eating half the cafeteria, I was tired physically, but mentally extremely alert. I wanted to talk all about it, and stare at my baby all day. That lasted quite a while. I know I slept at the hospital, but I don't specifically remember it. I'm sure I didn't sleep much, and it wasn't a concern to me. I couldn't have even if I tried.

I was really sore, and kind of shocked at how much bleeding there was. I didn't experience any cramping sort of after pains. My stomach felt empty and physically weird, but I also felt a sense of emotional detachment that took a few weeks to get over.

All in all I was in really high spirits, and although physically I was in pain I don't remember it being a big issue for me. It was annoying at most. And that isn't because the pain was tollerable, but because I was on a beautiful birth high. I certainly was in no condition to make any serious decisions and would have been irritated if anyone would have asked.

[jecombs]

I had a NCB in a hospital and felt pretty good the day after. Although I was very, very tired because DD did not sleep hardly at all during the night. In addition, it seemed like every time she and I would doze-off a doc, nurse, or MW assistant would come into my room and want something (check baby's temp, get some blood, check my BP, look at my bottom, etc.). That was super annoying. My bottom was a bit sore, but my arms and chest were even more sore. Nothing that ibuprofen didn't take care of. I was also starving. Like so hungry even the hospital food looked delicious!

I still felt very joyful. And ready to go home.

[ivymae]

The first 48 hours, i am still high on endorphins, and feel like I can take on the world. I made a huge breakfast feast after DD1 was born, and we had a birthday party for DD1 12 hours after DD2 was born. It's the third day that hits me hard. Milk comes in, my muscles start to feel the burn, and my hormones start dropping.

[elmh23]

Let me put it this way, I'd rather do childbirth all over again than the first 72 hours or so after. I've had pph after both of my births though so I don't know what a "normal" after birth is.

I honestly don't remember the first 4 days or so of my second's life because I was so bad off (I refused transfer for some stupid reason.)

There is no way I could (or should) have made life-altering decisons until they were at least 2 months old (with my son, probably more like 4 months old.) It was just that bad!

[Kidzaplenty]

I felt great 24 hours out. A bit crampy still, and sore (like I had a hard work-out), but very good. Totally clear minded and ready for just about anything! (I have been known to go shopping within 24 hours of birth.)

[Maluhia]

I would never make a life-altering decision in the first three months post partum.

[RedOakMomma]

Originally Posted by Maluhia

I would never make a life-altering decision in the first three months post partum.

ditto.

[GoBecGo]

24 hours out i felt incredibly proud and high and wonderful. Physically like a horse had kicked me in the vulva, but otherwise marvellous, and certainly joyous enough emotionally not to mind the kicked vagina feeling. I was at home, so no unwanted guests, and when people DID visit i felt like the Queen of Sheba holding court from my bed Day 3 my hormones crashed and i began to cry, 12 hours later my milk came in, by 14 days out i was so sleep deprived i was seeing things.

I made an incredibly life-changing decision 8-weeks out (split from my DD's father) and it turned out to be one of the wisest things i have ever done (and it wasn't a violent or abusive situation where ANYone could see i should go, it was far more subtly unhappy). So i wouldn't put limits on myself.

[Pinoikoi]

Depended on the delivery.. my last came on his own, and I could have gotten up for a run the next day.. my first two births were LONG inductions, though and I could have slept for days straight instead..

[chai]

Originally Posted by sostinkinhappy

I was just thinking about how I feel 24 hours after delivery. At that point, I am dealing with the uterine cramping, the bleeding, the surging hormones as my milk comes in and my body adjusts to not being pregnant, and my raw & swollen girlie bits. While I am elated, I am also exhausted - not just from the delivery, but the last excruciatingly sleepless weeks of my pregnancy, the every 4-hour checks by the nurses, and the visits from the family. And that's after a natural, normal, short delivery without any residual effects of pain meds either.

Also, I would love to know if you would you have felt comfortable making major, life-altering legal decisions 24 hours after you delivered? If not then, when do you think you might have been up for it? A week later? A month? 6 weeks? A couple of months?
M.

I'm 24 hours after delivery now (well, maybe 27). I actually feel pretty good. My labor/birth was ideal, I'm healing well, baby is doing great... and this is in stark contrast to what my last birth was like.

That's probably why I'm so content - my last birth I felt horrible 24 hours later (labor was LOOOONG, baby ended up in the NICU, I spent the first night at home without him, pumping, crying... traveled back and forth to the hospital in a taxi because my DH couldn't bear to see the baby in the hospital... etc). Let me tell you, I was DEPRESSED last time. And completely emotionally/physically spent. I felt like I had just been in a serious car accident. I had post dramatic stress disorder for a couple of years after that (which, BTW, can be induced by any event YOU find traumatic, despite how traumatic it might seem to others).

So... I think it really depends on your experience, and whatever you're feeling is valid - your genuine response to the events/hormones/etc.

If you don't feel ready to make legal decisions, then don't do it! Despite feeling well I wouldn't want to right now. I didn't even feel like taking a shower this morning, which I normally look forward to every morning. I just wanted to hang with my baby and not THINK too much! Not DO too much... just let my body relax and enjoy.

However, we are planning on moving across the country for DH's job in two months!!! I agreed to that before giving birth, and who knows if I'll be ready then!

[sweet_tart_vt]

With my last babe, which was #6, I was on the biggest high for the first 36hrs. My labor was 6 1/2hrs, gave birth in the bathroom (our 3rd planned UC)and sat there on the floor nursing and waiting for the placenta for about 45mins. I got in the shower after placenta came (me and babe) and we enjoyed a long warm shower together. Dh and kids cut the cord and I went out in the kitchen to cook everyone dinner while our new little man got fawned over by the other 5 big siblings. When I came into the living room with dh's plate, I found him and ds totally conked out in the recliner all covered up with a blanket (Awww). I asked him what he was so tired for and just got some type of mumbly sleep response. I cracked up, him lying there snoring and me buzzing around like a bee on speed! The kids and I hung out in the living room watching TV and bonding with the new babe for the evening, and later on I roused Dh and we all headed to bed. I had so much adrenaline I couldnt sleep and contemplated going downstairs to clean the bathroom but told myself to chill and just left it for someone else.
The next morning got up about 8:00am, showered, took a pain pill (after pains were starting to break thru the high) ad went to the grocery store with dh and new ds to grab a few munchies. We had some company drop by that afternoon, we visited and by then my body was saying "hello..... youve just given birth here.... have some afterpains why dontcha". They kicked in killer after that (theyve gotten wretched the more babes I have) and I knew it was time for me to head to bed or the couch and spend a good day off my feet. After a couple days rest I was ready to take on the world again. I think Id be ok to take on a big decision in the 24 hrs after birth, Im pretty clear headed and focused then. During labor however I am in my own little world and have to be completely alone. If anyone comes near me Im like a mama lion. Wouldnt have to worry about divorce at a time like that, murder would be the more likeky. lol.
Looking forward to doing it all again soon with #7

[HappiLeigh]

I felt tired and had a tear that was quite sore. I also had bad afterpains. But I felt terrific to not be pregnant (I remember being so excited that when I went to pee, I actually had a lot of pee!), and emotionally I felt great--I actually was prepared to feel rotten post-partum after all the things I'd heard, but instead my spirits were mostly up in the days and weeks after delivering. I felt happy and calm most of the time. I don't think this is a typical experience, though, and I'm trying not to count on it happening again. I would probably avoid major decisions for a couple weeks, in any case.