Olive will be a week old tomorrow, and based on what other moms told me about their vaginal birth recoveries, I expected to be feeling pretty good by now.  Although I don’t regret having a VBAC, I think this recovery was actually way more difficult than my c-section recovery.  Of course I have to factor in the extenuating circumstances — I’ve had to walk back and forth from a hotel the past 4 days, which probably slowed down my recovery speed drastically.  And the exhaustion of living in the hospital lounge has also taken a toll.  But I wasn’t prepared for how horrible I’d feel since vaginal birth recoveries are supposed to be easier than c-section recoveries.

I don’t want to scare you, but I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve been experiencing post labor so that you’re better prepared than I was!

– General exhaustion/uncomfortable feeling – I hadn’t planned on taking any maternity leave so I thought I’d be blogging away at this point like I was able to do immediately after having Charlie.  The c-section pain was pretty well managed with percocet and ibuprofen, and I was able to function normally. But this time around I’m so tired, sore and uncomfortable that I don’t want to do anything but lay down.

– Sore, swollen pikachu and butt – It’s seriously like the size of a grapefruit down there afterwards. Everything is sore and I still can’t sit without feeling extremely uncomfortable. Ibuprofen and Dermoplast pain spray doesn’t really seem to have an effect. It even hurts to cough.  Sitting on a donut helps, but not much, and using a spray bottle of water helps momentarily. Hopefully sitz baths and refrigerated Tucks pads when I get home will help.

– Hemorrhoids – I have them from pushing so hard, and I think they’re making me feel like I constantly have to take the biggest dump of my life.   It is a horrible, horrible feeling, second only to the soreness.

– Constipation – Constipation is an extremely common problem post labor.  Although I didn’t experience constipation, I stopped taking Colace once I was discharged from the hospital.  BIG MISTAKE.  I had to poo and it was solid and so painful to push it out.  Colace is an absolute must!

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 – Bleeding + vaginal discharge (lochia) – The bleeding is very heavy the first 24 hours post labor, and then slowly gets lighter. With my c- section, I bled for 6 weeks so I’m expecting to bleed as long this time around as well.  I just hate the wet feeling of having to wear a pad all day, while being sore down there at the same time.  Not fun at all.

– Sore arms – I was pulling my legs back so hard when I was pushing that my entire upper body was sore the first couple of days post labor.  Evidently a sore jaw and neck is also common as well.  It’s largely gone now, but it felt like how you’d feel the day after working out hard when you’re out of shape.

– Headaches – I don’t know if it was the pushing or the stress/exhaustion of it all, but I still have really bad headaches so I’m taking ibuprofen daily.

– Uterine contractions – Your uterus contracts to shrink back to its normal size, especially when you’re breastfeeding or pumping.  I had to pump early on because Olive Bee was being treated for jaundice, and the contractions were so painful that I cut some of my pumping sessions short.  But on day 6 it’s definitely become a lot less painful.

– Incontinence – I already had incontinence post Charlie and would pee myself a little from time to time.  I don’t know if the incontinence is temporarily worse post vaginal labor, but I often can’t make it to the toilet and pee a lot in my pad!

– Gas – I don’t know if this is a common side effect, but I’ve had pretty bad gas with both deliveries.

– Extreme thirst – I am so thirsty that I’m drinking a ton of water.  The downside is that I have to go to the bathroom often, and it stung a little when I peed the first couple of days.

– Swollen legs /feet– I didn’t experience this with Olive since my labor was pretty quick, but with Charlie I had ridiculously swollen legs and feet from all the iv fluids I received.  It wasn’t painful… just comical!

The recovery varies so much from woman to woman.  Some people are up and about the next day (like my hospital roommate), while others like my aunt take a full month to recover.  I even have a friend that had separated abdominal muscles and required physical therapy, and another friend that lost her sense of smell!  But most women who’ve had vaginal deliveries told me they felt pretty good after a week or so.

I don’t think there is anything unusual about my recovery, though it’s probably slowed down because of all the walking and stress from Olive’s extended stay.  The worst side effect for me is really the soreness and feeling of wanting to poop constantly.  I’ll take abdominal pain from a c-section over this sore/uncomfortable feeling any day, but that’s just my personal experience.  Don’t let me sway your birth plan — I absolutely do not regret having a VBAC, and most women have a vastly easier recovery with a vaginal delivery than they would with a c-section.

What post labor side effects did you experience, and what was the hardest to endure?

Postpartum Care Essentials part 5 of 11

1. Postpartum Pain Relief by Checklists
2. Postpartum Essentials for Mom by Mrs. Checkers
3. Postpartum Survival Kit by Mrs. Superhero
4. New Mom Tips by Mrs. Bee
5. Post Vaginal Delivery Recovery - Day 6 by Mrs. Bee
6. Postpartum Essentials by Mrs. Pen
7. Postpartum Survival Kit by Mrs. Oatmeal
8. How to Survive the Early Days of Motherhood by Mrs. Tea
9. Things I thought were invaluable during the first month by Mrs. Chipmunk
10. Postpartum wardrobe - Where to Splurge and Where to Save by Mrs. Confetti
11. 5 things I wish I had known. by Mrs. Owl