The postpartum mom

As I am nearing my 6 week postpartum check-up, I would like to write about what postpartum life is like. First of all, if you have recently given birth to your child (doesn't matter if it was vaginal birth or c-section) give yourself a pat on your back. You did it! Welcome to being a mommy! Whether this is your first child or you just added to your brood, becoming a mom (or a mom again) is such a beautiful thing. Hopefully you have had some time to rest and recover and things are starting to normalize for you. If you have not had your baby yet (and you're feeling like this pregnancy is bound to last forever) let's see what you can expect after you deliver your baby.
   Your postpartum period starts with the delivery of placenta, the last stage of giving birth. Let's start at this very point.

Minutes after baby is delivered:
If you have had a vaginal birth, then your job doesn't end with your baby emerging from you. While you cuddle your newborn your doctor or midwife will ask you to push out the placenta. It's not as difficult as pushing out the baby, but you will need a little effort to get the job done. At this point any tears or episiotomies get stitched up and your nurse or midwife will help to pun on your underclothes and a sanitary pad.
If you have had a c-section, then the placenta is removed through the same opening as the baby before you are stitched up. At this point, the baby is being held by your partner The stitching up part may take a bit of time

First hour after the baby is delivered:
Ask to breastfeed your baby as soon as possible after delivery. Nursing baby helps to contract your uterus and lessen the bleeding. Remember, whether you delivered vaginally or by c-sec, you will have postpartum bleeding for anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks. At first, it will be equivalent to a heavy period and will lessen a bit after the first week. You might be very sore and have troubles sitting up. That is even more true if you had a difficult birth or a c-section. Take it easy! It's no time to try to do everything yourself. Utilize any help from nurses (if you're in a hospital) or midwives (if you're in a birth center or home). If you are allowed, take a shower and get into your comfy clothes while someone looks after your baby. Chances are that you will feel very euphoric and tired at the same time. If you had some drugs during delivery then you might feel a bit groggy too.

First day after the baby is born. 
You will likely be spending time getting to know your baby at this time. Your time will be occupied feeding the baby and watching him or her sleep. Take it super easy. Your perineum might be sore as the local anesthetic wears off (if you had stitches). You might also experience afterpains while nursing, so take some Tylenol and Advil (as prescribed by your doc or midwife)  to help with the pain. Your emotions might be running a bit high right now, and you might feel on the edge. Or you might feel like you could do anything and have excess energy. All emotions are normal. If you feel like it, take a nap while the baby is napping. Some newborns have a long sleep after birth (not all, as proven by Little Monkey who only slept in 45 minute intervals). Your non-pregnant belly will still look 6 months pregnant and you will need looser fitting clothing. Remember, it took you 9 months to grow a baby (and your belly), it will take some time for your uterus and your stomach to go back to normal (and normal might not be what it was pre-pregnancy!)

First week postpartum
If you are breastfeeding, your milk have likely came in. At this time you might feel that you are oosing from every orifice in your body. Your boobs are likely leaking all the time, you're drenched in sweat (very normal), you are regretting not having your period for the last 9 months since it came back with a vengeance (the postpartum bleeding) and you're likely cry at the drop of a hat. Give yourself a hug. It's a great, big adjustment in your life and you're doing the best you can. Don't focus too much on being a "mess of a woman" but on "beauty of motherhood". In the first week, you body is adjusting to not having a baby inside you and your pregnancy hormones are stabilizing. At the same time, your baby is adjusting to life outside. It's a journey for both of you. You might be getting very little sleep, your boobs might be sore and engorged, your nipples cracked and sore, your uterus painful, your stitches sore, your perineum bruised. It's all very normal (although not pleasant!) It will not last forever! Soon enough, you're going to be changing diapers at 2 am like a pro, and you will stop curling your toes in pain every time your baby latches on. Just focus on this cute little person you have created and less on the floppy stomach skin that is staring back at you in the mirror while you get into shower. People like this woman or this one do real disservice to postpartum moms. Don't listen to them. If you gave birth and you hit the gym the next day then your priorities are all wrong. Not to say that eating healthy food and going for a little walk with your newborn (they love fresh air too!) is bad. No! By all means, start slowly and work up to having some sort of exercise routine as it will keep you feeling good about yourself. But by no means  expect to win bikini model of the year just days after you gave birth. FYI, this is what real postpartum bellies look like!

First month postpartum:
Your postpartum body is slowly loosing it's pregnancy image. Hopefully you have either gotten used to living on very little sleep or your baby is one of the few who has this day and night thing figured out. Either way, you're becoming a very confident mama and your baby is benefiting from your confidence. You have made it through the hardest part of the journey. Give yourself a pat on your back. By now, you are probably rewarded with little smiles from your baby. Le's face it, your baby loves his mommy and loves how lovable she is. Also at this time your postpartum bleeding should have diminished or stopped altogether. Your boobies have also adjusted to the little person spending most of his or her awake hours sucking on them. And your milk production has hopefully adjusted to the need of your baby. Unfortunately, you might have noticed that your hair is starting to fall out a lot. Welcome to the wonderful world of things you didn't want to be happening after you delivered your baby. But on a good note, your emotions might have settled by now and you don't cry over spilled milk anymore. Chances are that if you have older kids, they too have adjusted to having a little brother or sister. In a couple of weeks you will have you 6 week postpartum visit which will usually end your care under a midwife or obstetrician who delivered your baby. You can start your regular exercise
routines now, just remember to ease into it and stop if you feel fain, your bleeding becomes heavy, or feel pain. The most important thing right now is for you to take care of yourself and your baby. Soon enough, you will look back at those first weeks and remember fondly not your floppy stomach skin, painful bottom, or leaky boobs, but the face of a newborn staring at you while he gulped his milk, and you won't even care to remember that it was at 3 am!