Anyone else being told....

[willemsmamma]

(by their MW or OB) that they are not supposed to go up and down stairs for the first 2 weeks after delivery... and not to carry anything heavier than the newborn for the first 6 weeks? (well, I knew the second thing but the first is news to me).

I wonder if that's why it seemed to take me so long to recover after ds's birth. I was back in school 10 days after he was born (going up and down stairs of course) and took the chiropractic National Board exams 3 weeks afterward....

Note to new mamas.... when they say take it easy... TAKE IT EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alegna]

Not in your group, but had to respond... that sounds way weird. I was told not to go up and down stairs the day of the birth (due to a weird tear that I declined to have stitched) and only once the second day and twice the third day. But 2 weeks? Ha. I live in a 2 story house. And not lift anything heavier than baby? Those sound like c-section instructions to me.

I did take it easy, but IMO that's ridiculous.

-Angela

[spughy]

That does sound weird. I have to go up and down stairs to get in and out of the house - we live on the top floor of an old house - there's about 30 stairs between me and the great outdoors. I'm pretty sure my midwives wouldn't want me cooped up inside for 2 weeks after the birth. It doesn't sound like their kind of thing to do. I will ask at my next appt though.

[flyingspaghettimama]

I live in a three-level townhouse.

Uh-oh...

[BensMom]

Those do sound like Cesarean Birth instructions to me. We live in a split foyer house, so I need to use the stairs to get in and out, so I cannot imagine not using them for 2 weeks.

But either way, taking it easy for the first 6 weeks is still good advice, because I think us modern day mamas want to get right back to normal way too soon. Its ok to let it all go and just rest with the babe. (Now what do those of us who already have kids, do? :LOL )

[zjande]

There are exactly 44 stairs between the street & our front door. I actually figured it'd be great- help me get some exercise after baby's out! :D

Those do sound like c-section instructions.

[MamaTaraX]

Not in your group ;)
I think the idea behind telling peopel those things is to get themto take it easy. Mamas tend to not rest, espeically mamas on baby #2 or more, immediately post-partum. Our society doesn't really foster for us theability to do otherwise,unfortunately. Community support is essential. I heard the no stairsthing for 1-2 wks post-partum w/my first and she (OB -- aweosme lady) said she really tells peoplethat to getthem to chill out and not do too much,not because women can't or shouldn't physically doit. The lifting thing is a trickledown from traditional societies where themother isn't allowed to doanything or liftanything but the new baby. I tried very hard to not do stairs after baby #2 arrived, when we had the first we had no stiars, withthe 2nd we'd moved and the laundry roomis downstairs. I had people carry laundry up and down stairs for me actually and I did rarely lift thingsheavierthan the baby (my 4-yr-old had to climb on my lap) I wanted to take it easy. Sorry to ramble. I don't think it's such a wierd or bad thing to be told and if you yeiuld to it, your body will thank you :)

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (7), Butterfly (2),and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[flapjack]

I was specifically told after Isaac's birth (the borderline PPH) NOT to go downstairs until my midwife had been round to check up on me again later the same day, under any circumstances whatsoever- and I ignored her. I apparently fainted on my way to the bedroom door.
So no, I don't think this is just c-section instructions. I think it could apply to heavy blood loss too, and anything other than a very very simple and straightforward birth. Birth is a normal and natural process, but it's not the normal natural condition for our bodies to be in, and it makes sense to give yourself time to rest. I know it's not fashionable, but it's what I'm planning on.

[Kavita]

Not c-section instructions! Going up and down stairs a lot is actually quite physical (hence the stairmaster at the gym!) It also tends to move things around in the pelvis (muscles etc.) which is why it is recommended before labor/in labor for correcting a crooked head, etc. After birth the perineum is healing (including any tears or episiotomies) and the uterus is healing and generally the mom is supposed to be resting and recovering and healing and taking care of the baby and herself. Not straining her muscles or anything else, which she will likely do if doing 5 loads of laundry a day in the basement, doing a lot of lifting, etc. It's not like going up or down a few stairs is going to kill anyone--but it's better to set things up as much as possible so that the mom doesn't have to be running up and down stairs all day. If she has a two story house and the bedrooms are upstairs and the baby's changing table is upstairs but she is spending most of her time downstairs, she should set up supplies and an area to change the baby downstairs rather than running upstairs every time the baby needs a diaper change. That sort of thing. The basic intent is to not strain yourself.

I've seen lots of moms who have a good birth and feel great, and try to do too much too soon, only to end up with problems (too much bleeding/increasing bleeding, mastitis, exhaustion) later when things have caught up with them. It's better to take it easy in the beginning, give time to healing, then start doing more later than to come out of the gate running and not really recover completely for a much longer time. I agree with the previous poster who said that it is hard to do in this society--sometimes it's like we're competing for some prize which will be awarded to the woman whose life is least changed/affected by having a child! I don't think that's a good thing.

[2tolove]

My MW says the same thing! She also says that I should not be expected to care for my dd ( 2.5 yo) and new baby alone for at least 2 weeks!! It think this is because ( as said above ) Mamas of #2 tend to not take it easy. The stair thing will be hard for me as well in a 2 story house, but we are trying to make our main floor as baby/kid freindly as possible so as to not HAVE to go up & down.

* *** Just a thought for those if you with stairs (or not), I put together a traveling changing table for dd That worked really well!!! It was a basket with diapers/wipes/lotions/rash cream/lip stuff ( for me) changing pad/qtips etc... I took it wherever we went & changed her right there. :thumb