Your health after giving birth

[WelshOneEmma]

How did everyone feel afterwards? I understand the tiredness bit, but what about general health?

Emilia will be 2 weeks old tomorrow and I feel so ill. I wanted to see if it was normal?

I feel like I am fighting something off. Not hungry at all, so having to force myself to eat and its making me feel sick. woke in the night with stabbing pains in my stomach and was heaving, but unable to be sick. Lots of headaches, so trying to drink lots of water. A little tired, but not too bad.

Also I have a rash. It started on the backs of my knees when i was pregnant (a few days before she was born) and spread up my legs. A few days after she was born I got a small rash patch on one bum cheek. Now started getting these itchy spots on my belly and arm. They only itch if you catch them. The one on my bum the Dr said looks a little like shingles, but they havent blistered and she said would be really painful if they were shingles. I had to have a rubella jab after Emilia was born - could they be related?

Hubby is also fighting off a cold, so maybe I am too? Unless it is normal to be run down???

 

[Sproglet]

I also felt very ill after Robyn arrived- I thought it was to do with the section and getting breastfeeding established and sleep deprivation.

Daft as it sounds, a hot bath can really work wonders, I used lavender oil and milk in mine and it was lovely!

Don't know about the rash though- if it started before emilia was born but your rubella jab was after then it's unlikely to be related.

 

[littlegreenie]

Congrats on your baby!
I felt like that for a couple of days after giving birth but I was quite a bit better but just tired at about 2 weeks. What did your doctor say about how you were feeling generally? Are you feeling that you are improving or getting worse? Think it might be worth going back.
Try eating lots of fresh fruit and veg to give you the extra vitamins too. I got a rash over my face but that also went within a couple of days. Good you feel better soon.

 

[fairydust87]

I felt ok in general just very sore. I had an episiotomy and the wound opened up so it was very sore. Plus had hemroids (sp) sorry tmi plus my boobs were like sore swollen mountains. Over than that I was ok lol

 

[Scottish mum]

Yes my appetite went and I felt like I had the flu. It's normal my lo is almost 2 months and my muscles are still sore when I go walking!! It just takes time xx

 

[shx]

I also didnt feel like eating very much and generall felt run down. I would keep an eye on the stabbing pains in your tummy. At 12days after i was having quite bad pains and they turned out to be remaining products left behind. Hope u start to feel better soon. You've been through alot and it might just take a little while to get back to normal! Congrats on the baby xxx

 

[missk1989]

I felt OK. Lack of appetite for a few weeks and the usual cramps that are the womb contracting back to its normal size but that's all really. Maybe you could talk to your mw aswel as your doctor as she will have seen many women post labour.

 

[bitethebullet]

I felt sore (c section) and tired but not ill as such. It sounds as if you might have caught one of the bugs going round or as you say, could have shingles (something which usually happens when a person is run down). hope you feel better soon.x

 

[Noelle610]

I felt that way, too, and was really confused by women on BnB saying they felt great shortly after because I'm in good shape. It passed after a few weeks. I feel really good now, although tired.

 

[Larkspur]

I was quite slow to get around at that stage owing to stitches but I felt good otherwise so you may be fighting something off.

 

[Samiam03]

With my first I was sore for a week and I remember I spent almost a month chilling with my son in bed. It is all a blur to me so I can't remember exactly how I felt but for me to stay in bed it had to not be so good.

With my second I was walking around and feeling amazing an hour after giving birth and didn't feel like I had a baby.

 

[ffwife0218]

Everything went okay for me, My water broke July 4th at 7:30 that night. Made it to the hospital around 8:00. I was only 3 cm dialated when I made it to the hospital so they gave me pain medicine so I could not feel the contractions. They induced me the next morning at 7, at that time I was 5 cm dialated. They did the epidural and got me situated and stayed 5 cm.... it was a draggggg!!! I was completely pain free all day up until 2 that afternoon my epidural wore off & my anesthesiologist was in an emergency c-section, so I was in full blown labor pains for 2 hrs!!!!! It was dreadful! Finally at 4:30 he comes back in and gave me 3 shots of 4x's stronger of what I had before! (still 5 cm, so he said we are going to start getting you prepped for c-section) Well.....about 4:45 not even 20 mins later I told my nurse I was feeling pressure in my hips and my pain was coming back. She said well honey let me check you and she did and when she looked at me she had the biggest eyes and a SHOCK look on her face! She then said omg Victoria I cannot feel your cervix! I was like what in the heck do you mean you cannot feel my cervix! She then got up cleaned up really fast and said you are 10 cm dialated and ready to push! She rushed out to call my doctor. My mom walked it from taking my sister home and luckily she made it in time. My body starting pushing and I could not stop!!!! My nurse saids ok hun you can start pushing Dr. Clary will be here in 10 mins. Well I pushed 5times and couldnt stop and he came out!!!!!! I then started hemorrhaging bc he came so fast without giving my body time to prepare and he ripped me completely all the way around!! As soon as they packed me they removed the packing gause. My Dr. then walked in and was horrified by what she saw and all she could say was "I am so sorry I was not here in time to cut you myself so none of this would have happened." She continued to apologise the whole time she was sewing me up (which I could feel, she had to keep giving me numbing shots after every 4 stitches) Then when she was one the last couple of stitches my vision started going blurry and I could not see. She then hurried up! It took her 45 mins to sew me up! I believe healing from that was the worse part of everything from labor to healing! I could not wear nothing besides underwear for 2 weeks. It was very painful!

 

[WelshOneEmma]

OK, glad it may well be the norm.

I know i am run down as i have had one coldsore and another starting, which only happens when i am run down. my iron levels went down to 7 after the birth so wondering if thats part of it, even if i did have the iron transfusion?

I also had an episiotomy and know that a small section split but they said is healing well, so left. The bleeding is calming down and at the last MW appointment she said my uterus was right down, seemed quite surprised. the cramping when BF has stopped so assume thats back to normal size.

When i last saw a MW she just said talk to the Dr? She wasnt the usual one i had been seeing though. Didnt like the natural organic creams we were using on Emilia either, preferred the standard ones.

 

[GracieGoo]

Congrats on your baby!

I was diagnosed with shingles after having my baby - they said it was due to the physical stress the last few days of pregnancy and the labour had on my body. I ached, had a rash and felt really poorly - flu like. The rash itched if I remember rightly and was just uncomfy in general. I was prescribed antibiotics and hydrocortisione cream, and it cleared up within a few weeks, although I ached for about 4 or 5 weeks after diagnosis, and it actually hurt to carry my new baby.

I would try and ring your own midwife if you feel more comfortable just to seek advice from someone that knows you. It probe wont help that your iron count was so low either. The nhs website has some great information on shingles as well.

Hope you are feeling better soon x

 

[LilyValley]

I felt like I had been hit by a bus, then I felt like I had the flu but was told it was normal to feel like that. I had a pain in my back but it was near where my epidural had been so I put it down to that. On day 6 I started to shake, put it down to hormones but when my shaking got worse I went to the dr. Turns out I had an infection in my bladder and my uterus which had turned into sepsis because I left it (I honestly didn't realise I was ill, I thought it was normal) and I was very ill. I'm not trying to scare you but anything you feel is not quite right should be checked out, I had to spend a week away from my baby which was unbearable - I'm traumatised by it. It probably is just a reaction to labour but please get checked out anyway. I've been back to my dr twice, precautionary both times, they really don't mind. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[SamGoPanda]

So ill too no appetite, energy, bones aches and I have a nasty cough. Kinda thought I was meant to feel alot better after having a baby, apparently not! X

 

[socitycourty]

i still feel that way at times and it's 7 months past! giving birth or having a section is a huge shock and trauma to your body. no sleep can make you feel like you're ill all the time. i still get days where i feel dizzy and sick, no appetite, etc.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

well i'm def fighting something off. not only do i have a really sore throat and feel sick, LO now has a swollen lymph node so she's fighting something too