The Truths of Post-Partum Recovery: From Hospital to Home

Having a new baby is so exciting. Birth is also painful, confusing, and overwhelming. Welcoming a new life can have so many different things attached but is such a beautiful experience. 

Whether you’re welcoming your 1st or your 4th, there are so many emotions that go along with it. I will soon be welcoming my 3rd baby, so I will be going right back into the post-partum recovery stage. The daunting 4th trimester. My biggest fear is how I will adjust to two toddlers and a newborn.

While in the hospital, the nurses have a way of making you feel so loved, encouraged and supported. You can ask all the questions your brain can think of and get all the help your nurses can provide. Those hospital meals, for me, aren’t the worst and having food catered straight to your bed is never a bad thing.

The nurturing your nurses provide for you, have a way of making you feel safe. If you have friends and family that have overstayed their welcome, the nurses will stress the fact of you needing your rest. Not that the nurses leave you alone for rest, but it’s nice that they have your back.

Going home is always a bit intimidating because you suddenly are forced to come back to reality. Getting back to business and creating a routine becomes a priority. Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you have to take on the world, immediately.

After coming home with my first, I wish I would have been warned about the huge flux of hormones. I was an emotional wreck and cried for everything.

When I came home after having my second baby, things didn’t seem too difficult, but I hopped into my regular life way to fast.

Please remember to take it easy for a couple of weeks and slowly bounce into your routines. After all, you did just have a newborn expelled from your body, leaving a huge wound inside to heal. Being back at home, no one’s going be reminding you on the hour to take your meds, or to remember which side you nursed on last. All of this is okay.

Being a new mom, no matter which baby this is for you can be scary but it is amazing. One of the biggest concerns about postpartum is your body and how you’ll heal. Take your time and realize, your body just took 9 long months putting together this miracle. Love your body, your baby, and take your time. Coming home from the hospital can seem a little scary but you’ve got this. Just as you have excelled through your entire pregnancy and birthed that beautiful bundle of joy, you will be able to make it through the postpartum stage.

Before going to the hospital, a good tip is to have your place laid out for you once you return home. My lifesaver was having a cart by my bed with all of the goodies I was going to be needing. There were nursing pads, diapers, a pump, extra swaddles, and wipes; whatever I thought maybe essential was right on that cart. Having a bin prepared in the bathroom is another must. , you won’t have to gather all of your supplies because everything you need will already be there. My favorites to have in my bathroom supply is depends, peri bottle, tucks pads and dermoplast, to name a few. Keeping organized will help you a long way.

Enlisting support for the first week or so back home is also very helpful. Having a mom, grandparent, spouse or friend around that can help take some of the weight off of you, so you can have time to rest and bond with your baby is so worth it.

I noticed a major difference between having someone for that first week and trying to balance everything on my own. Pre-cooked meals saved me because once my husband finally came home from work, I was extremely exhausted.

Try not to push yourself too hard and don’t be too critical of yourselves mama.  You’ve got this and CONGRATULATIONS.