What is going on with my body??

Your Post-Delivery Body: What Happens in the          First 24 Hours after Giving Birth

Once your precious bundle is born, the toughest part of your pregnancy journey may indeed be over, but the process of childbirth continues for a couple of weeks as your body starts to recover and adjust to its new role. Here's a look at what you'll likely encounter in your first day as a mother. Yes, some stuff is challenging (or painful or gross), but it's all temporary — and one look at that tiny face and you'll know it's all worth it.



A post-baby belly

Remember Her Royal Highness Kate Middleton's still-round belly during her baby prince's debut? Just like the duchess, you'll still have a baby belly even after the baby's out. You probably know the reason why: During pregnancy, the uterus, abdominal muscles, and skin are stretched (and stretched and stretched) over a nine-month period, so it's no wonder it takes weeks (if not longer) for that area to shrink back after giving birth. If you have a C-section, you should also expect some extra weakness and swelling in the abdomen due to the incision.

Excess Water Weight

First, the good news: Immediately after giving birth you will lose about 10 to 13 pounds, which includes the weight of the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid. But you'll still be carrying excess weight in those first 24 hours, much of which is water. (After a C-section you'll probably notice extra swelling throughout your body as a result of the IV fluids you receive during the procedure.) Fortunately, this water weight is not yours to keep — you'll start shedding it within a week after delivery, so be prepared for plenty of peeing and perspiring.Night sweats are particularly common after giving birth, so consider sleeping on a towel you can change out in the middle of the night until your fluid levels are back to normal.

Bleeding 

After a vaginal delivery or C-section, you'll experience a vaginal discharge called lochia, which consists of leftover blood, mucus, and sloughed-off tissue from the lining of the uterus. For lots of women, the bleeding is quite heavy in the first three to 10 days postpartum (sometimes heavier than a menstrual period), but this is perfectly normal and will taper off over the next several weeks. And don't be alarmed if you notice sudden gushes of blood or blood clots either — this is also standard. Just load up on pads and wait it out. If, however, you think your bleeding is excessive, let your practitioner know ASAP.

Pelvic Cramps

Sorry, Mom, but those darned contractions last well after giving birth. Once the baby arrives, your uterus starts to tighten as it returns to its pre-pregnancy size and location. That means shrinking from more than two pounds to about two ounces and making its way back down into the pelvis. These postpartum contractions are called after pains — they're particularly noticeable when you breastfeed, which triggers the production of oxytocin, the hormone that causes the contractions. The good news is that after pains are short-lived, with the most noticeable contractions subsiding within a week (even the most subtle contractions disappear within six weeks). Just think of these pesky cramps as a reminder that things (namely, your uterus) are getting back to normal.

Soreness

This one comes as no surprise: After giving birth, it takes time to heal. If you deliver vaginally, your perineum (the area between the rectum and the vagina) will be stretched, swollen, bruised, and possibly torn. Whether you need stitches to repair the perineum or not, it may be uncomfortable to sit down at first. Ease pain with a sitz bath (where you soak the perineum in water), and use a squirt bottle with warm water to clean up after going to the bathroom. It's also helpful to place ice packs and witch-hazel pads on the area to alleviate swelling and pain.

If you have a C-section, you'll be recovering from major abdominal surgery, which will likely cause soreness around the incision, nausea (a side effect of anesthesia), constipation, and exhaustion. Your practitioner can give you pain relievers that are safe to take if you're nursing, and you'll likely need to stay in the hospital for three to four days after giving birth. Once you're home, if you see redness, swelling, or oozing around the incision, notify your doctor right away.

Elimination Issue

After you've pushed out that baby, the thought of pushing anything else out of your body can be a little intimidating. If you delivered via C-section, peeing can be difficult once the catheter is removed, and anesthesia can slow the bowels down, resulting in constipation. With a vaginal delivery, a bruised bladder and sore perineum can make it painful to pee. What's more, all of the pushing involved in delivering a baby often causes a sore rectum and hemorrhoids, which can lead to some pretty uncomfortable postpartum BMs. The simplest way to get things moving is to drink lots of water and eat high-fiber foods.

Breast Changes

While breast milk doesn't usually come in until the third or fourth day postpartum, your breasts will produce small amounts of colostrum (a thick, yellowish precursor to breast milk) immediately after you give birth. Because newborns tend to be very alert within the first two hours after delivery, this is an ideal time to try that first feeding. But know that as the two of you work together on perfecting the latch, your nipples will likely feel tender and sore. The best way to alleviate nipple pain — and future breastfeeding problems — is to get help from a lactation consultant or other expert early on to ensure that your baby is latched on correctly. Once you get that right, nipple pain should ease up.

Mood Swings

The day your baby arrives will be among the happiest of your life, but it's also normal to experience emotional highs and lows in the first days or weeks after giving birth. There's a lot going on to trigger mood swings, including hormonal changes, physical discomfort, and getting used to your newborn's demands, which translate into a shocking lack of sleep for you. To cope, be sure to give yourself time to adjust to the new normal, enlist help from family and friends, and try to rest whenever you can, all of which will help stabilize your mood. If you continue to feel down for more than two weeks, or if you feel like you can't take care of your baby, don't keep it to yourself. Tell your partner or a friend, and seek professional help as soon as possible.

Link

Gender Disappointment??

Your heart was set on having a girl (or a boy), but genetics decided otherwise. It's okay to be disappointed. Here's what to expect if you're currently suffering from gender-reveal blues.

The Boy-Girl Blues: Dealing with Gender Disappointment

Right around your 20-week appointment, people ask: "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" You say you simply want a healthy baby, even though you're secretly wishing for a particular sex. Then the ultrasound reveals the results, and you pretend to be thrilled despite the fact that you're heartbroken. It's a feeling that Katherine Asbery, author of Altered Dreams: Living With Gender Disappointment, knows well. She had hoped her second child would be a girl but instead she had another boy. Before she got pregnant for the third time, she tried tactics that she found online to help her conceive a girl. She ate yogurt to try to change her pH balance, and she made her husband take hot baths to alter his sperm. When she discovered that she'd be having another boy, she "cried and cried and cried," she says. "Then I felt guilty." Like Asbery, many women have sobbed during their big ultrasound, but there are ways to deal with your mixed feelings -- and get excited about the sex of the child you're having.

Accept Any Emotions

The first step toward moving forward is to recognize your disappointment and be honest with yourself, says Stephan Quentzel, M.D., a psychiatrist specializing in pregnancy and childbirth issues at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York City. "It can sound ugly to say, 'I wanted a boy and not a girl,' because you're expected to love the child no matter what," he says. But it's normal if you're not immediately thrilled; soon enough you will be.

Moreover, don't feel ashamed if your sadness shows. "Many women make sure they dry their eyes, fix their makeup, and plant a smile on their face before they leave the ultrasound room," says psychiatric nurse Joyce Venis, author of Postpartum Depression Demystified. But if you don't eventually let your emotions show, it'll be harder to keep your negative thoughts under wraps. "Feelings aren't good or bad or right or wrong -- they're just feelings," Venis says. So acknowledge them out loud to yourself and to your partner, and let him do the same. If you're unable to discuss this with him, consult a therapist or confide in a nonjudgmental friend instead.

• Save some money with these baby gear bargains.

Work Through Your Concerns

Ask yourself why you feel the way you do. Are you upset because you grew up with brothers and pictured living-room wrestling matches and games of flag football with a son? Did you imagine going shopping and doing crafts with your little girl? Keep in mind that the daughter you're having might be a rough-and-tumble gal who's a standout on the field -- or perhaps you'll give birth to a creative, art-loving boy who's disinterested in sports. What's more, even if you had gotten the gender of your choice, your kid still might not grow up to have the interests or personality that you expect based on his or her sex.

Perhaps your letdown stems from doubts that you'll know how to be a good parent to the child you're having. "A lot of it is fear -- stuff like, 'I don't know how to play baseball, so how can I teach my son?' " Venis says. "You don't have to know, and you don't have to like playing with Barbie dolls to raise a girl. You will learn what you need to as you go along." If you're really worried, make plans with friends or relatives who have kids of that sex, so you can explore the experience that's ahead of you, Dr. Quentzel suggests. For example, if you're having a boy, make an effort to spend some one-on-one time with a friend's son. And ask your sister plenty of questions about how raising her son has been different from raising her daughter. Unsure how to handle the daughter you're about to have? Invite your niece to spend the weekend at your place.

Trust Your Ability to Love

Finally, realize that any discontented, guilty feelings you have now won't last forever. During pregnancy, all you know about your baby is his or her sex. Once your little bundle arrives, you'll have the whole package -- which includes a personality and quirky traits. "Gender disappointment typically only lasts until your child's birth day, when you finally meet each other," says Diane Ross Glazer, Ph.D., a psychotherapist at Providence Tarzana Medical Center, in Tarzana, California. In fact, oxytocin, the powerful hormone that your brain releases during labor, helps you fall in love with your baby. This was certainly true for Asbery. "My children are a blessing to me," she says. "Each of my boys is different, and each of them brings something fantastic to our family."

link