14 Things Nobody Tells You About Your Postnatal Body

Okay, so you kinda expect the stretch marks and baby weight.

… But what about all of the stuff that everyone else is eerily silent on?

What can you expect to happen to your body after you’ve given birth?

And – gasp – is it as bad as you’re imagining?

Don’t worry – even if they won’t fess up, we will.

Here’s what you need to know about your postpartum body

The good stuff about your body post birth

1. The feels are real. Holding your baby against your (admittedly rather lush)
boobs is the BEST falling-in-love feeling you’ll ever have in your whole life.

2. The pride is just as real. You grew another human in your body, girl. You
are strong and powerful and now you know it!

3. You’ll feel tough. Giving birth via a C-section or vaginally (yep, vaginally is a
word, and you kinda say it a lot now) is no cake walk. Forget Tough Mudder;
you ARE a tough mother.

4. Perspective. All of those little things you used to worry about? Yeah, they
don’t effing matter anymore. #priorities

5. Your boobs will have a life purpose. Sure, they’ll look good. But even
better, they’re coming to the party with some real value-add: Food!

6. Hat tip to your new biceps. Carrying bubba around all day means you’ll
quickly cultivate some Supergirl-esque arm strength.

7. You’ll be moving more than ever. Okay, so your gym membership might get
a little dusty at first, but you’ll get LOTS of incidental exercise from running
around doing laundry, chasing your baby, lifting your baby, playing with your
baby and lugging that stroller around.

The not-so good stuff about your body post birth

1. Breastfeeding blows. Painful nipples are, sadly, your new reality. And when
your breasts are super full (which feels all too frequent considering how often
you get up to feed your bub), they feel like they’re going to EXPLODE! It’s like
having to pee really, really badly, but not being able to actively empty it all out.
Instead, you have to wait for an adorable if slightly sadistic tiny human to feed
and offer relief.

2. Vaginal delivery? Hello bruised, cha-cha. Post vaginal delivery, it’s not
uncommon for bruising and swelling. Nor is it unusual to be sporting some
stitches. This will mean putting your feet up and icing your cha-cha at least a
few times a day.

3. Farewell, luscious locks. Sadly, even if you managed to have the best ever
pregnancy hair, once you’ve had a baby, you’ll be shedding enough of it in the
shower to make a wig.

4. Your jiggly baby belly doesn’t go away overnight. Baby out; belly remains.
BUT – healthy eating and healthy living, including getting lots of vitamin D and
exercising, will help the collagen repair and exercise will tighten the muscles
beneath.

5. You’ll feel like you’ve broken your back. Not literally (hopefully). But with all
of that forward-bending you’ll do as part of your regular baby care and
feeding, your neck and upper back will feel like crap. Your baby is absolutely
the most beautiful sight to see but remember to take breaks during feeds to
look at the ceiling or rotate your head side to side. Also, a doorway pec
stretch after each feed is a great reset to baseline.

6. C-section scars can be thick and/or painful. If they’ve become adhered,
they can also hurt when you start to exercise and move. That’s why, it’s a
good idea after six to eight weeks to start some gentle scar mobilisation on
the skin a few times a day.

7. Your ligaments may stretch, and your feet could get bigger. Which
means buh-bye beloved shoes … but it could also mean hello NEW shoes
(which makes this kind of a good thing too?)