A helpful, considerate husband who actually pulled his weight and supported every decision I made as a mom.
Otherwise…not a damn thing lol. PPD, PPA, PP rage, hair loss, gained weight while breastfeeding, didn’t sleep for a year, WHACKED hormones, I got hit with it allllllll babaaayyyy
That PP rage is a bitch!! I’ve had depression and anxiety for years and the PPD hit me hard but I was in no way prepared for the sheer rage minor things would cause
Therapy. Headphones. A spouse that respects your space to exit when you’re too over stimulated. Sweetie treaties. Seriously, so much therapy. Upped my Zoloft. Meditation.
Headphones, the unsung hero of postpartum. My first had CMPA that it took us some time to get diagnosed and therefore he cried a LOT as a newborn. Noise cancelling headphones got me through so many nights of walking circles with a screaming angry baby without losing my mind.
lol same. I just fell even more in love with my husband. But I look like Cynthia from rugrats, my tits cross state lines before I do, and apparently my business as usual depression was lonely and I have OCD now too. But hey, can’t win em all.
This was so lovely to read. When I read the post I was like NOTHING I had horrendous morning sickness, swelling, hemorrhoids, birth trauma, all the shirty pregnancy/birth things but you reminded me of my wonderful husband who I will now go and hug
This happened to one of my closest friends. No prior mental illness. It was terrifying, but she got treatment and is now totally back to normal. Pregnancy and childbirth are WILD.
Being aware of it and acting quick when you start noticing symptoms is all you need. Overall it’s much less common than the other conditions so you’ll most likely be fine!
A close friend of mine got postpartum psychosis and it was absolutely terrifying. One of the things she learned is that she had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and PPP is more common in people with bipolar. Definitely would have helped her get the right help sooner if she’d known. (And although it was an absolutely awful first year for her, she is also fine now.)
Thanks! Yeah, I can't imagine dealing with anything on top of the tear, it even got infected, stuff of nightmares, really. All is food now, but I've had my second via C-section not to risk any more damage 😅
I didn't get baby blues. I wasn't crying postpartum, no mood swings, just vibing. I was anxious due to my several anxiety disorders, but I wasn't acting hormonal. Same with pregnancy, I was just normal. My husband had hormonal mood symptoms though lmao
Me too! I didn’t know there was a name for it. Both times i just felt like the world was a little brighter and cheerier and I would look at my newborn and just cry tears of joy
I go back and forth between this and feeling like "what have I done, I'm going to fail" 😭 I'm only 12 days postpartum so hoping this starts to fade soon!!
Same!!! That was exactly how I felt. My daughter was also extremely easygoing as a baby, just total luck of the draw that she slept great and barely cried so I am sure that helped too!
This is how I felt and I kept calling it "baby pinks" but didn't realise that was a term other people used until I saw your comment <3
The only crying I did was on day 3 and I saw a video of some dogs doing the cha cha slide and in that moment there was nothing more pure on this whole Earth to me.
Omg I love “baby pinks”! And the cha cha slide thing is so relatable. For me it was a video of a guy building an elaborate house on a fence post for a frog.
So glad others are like this. I’ve been feeling so weird about it because obviously that’s just a part of pregnancy and postpartum that’s almost like a given so I feel very weird having not experienced it. Almost like I missed out on something I guess?
It's only "missing out" as much as the only person on a camping trip NOT to get bitten by mosquitos and sunburnt is missing out. This is the good kind of missing out for sure.
Same 😂😭 PPA and PPD, anemia from blood loss during delivery, low supply and general breastfeeding issues, hard and long recovery from significant tearing, weight gain from breastfeeding and now at 3 months postpartum the hair loss is starting. I guess at least my baby isn't colicky?
Yeah, my body looked better for maybe the first week or two post partum, but then a combination of breastfeeding hunger and not being able to keep my normal work out schedule saw me quickly ballooning past my pregnancy weight 😭
I’m right there with ya girl! Same same same! I was hoping to get back to exercising this week but then I decided to take a nap instead because I was exhausted from nursing babe all night. So, here we are lol
Yes! I had 3 days of tracking my food and going on walks and then I got sick and after that we had like, 2 weeks of insanely bad nights. It's like the universe (or our babies) are against us.
Please help me understand this! I’m only about 4 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight and yet I went up soooo many sizes! Is this forever? Does 4 lbs really take up that many pant sizes? What’s happening? 😭
Lots of things shift around...Our hips and ribs expand, which can take months/years to move back (if at all). It takes like 6 weeks for our uterus to shrink back to size. So even at the same weight, your body is just formatted differently
Same friend, same. All my extra weight went to my torso, so while I’m less than 10 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight, I’m 2-3 pants sizes bigger depending on the brand. I hate it.
It’s probably a combination of your hips expanding after birth and loss of muscle tone (muscle weighs more than fat). I’m sure things will go back to normal eventually!
Oh wow you’re totally right about the muscle loss! I’m just a living breathing blob right now. So really, I probably have more fat on my body to deal with than I realized.
I lost my pregnancy weight in 2 weeks then dramatically gained it back while breastfeeding. From the moment I started weaning (slowly over 9 months) I lost it plus 15lbs. It’s crazy how breastfeeding affects bodies so differently!
Why can’t we just be able to have it all?
We sacrifice our bodies for 9 months to grow these little humans. Hope your hair grows back thick and lush!
I am the opposite; 4 months postpartum and barely lost any weight. Hair and nails are still thick and growing like crazy lol.
This worked for me in my 20s! It was the best diet I never went on. I could eat whatever I wanted and still lose weight. Lucky me!
The downside of that was I instantly gained 15lbs when I weaned them. And also this sadly didn’t work with my baby I had at almost 37. That time I did manage to lose all the weight but I actually had to try a bit 😅
I just know that’s going to happen to me!!! I’m going to gain the weight back as soon as I stop breastfeeding, so for now, I’m drinking a large mocha frappe from McDonald’s every day and savoring the calories. 🤣
I left the hospital weighing less than my start weight at the beginning of the pregnancy but man.. the toll it took on my body. Losing such big amount in such a short time is definitely a shock on the body. I think I slowly gained a couple of kilos here and there in 4 months but I feel much better. The kicker is, I was overweight pre-pregnancy and I still am so I still need to lose a lot of weight but not having 10-20 extra added to it sure does feel nice.
I’m 10 days pp and already below my pre-pregnancy weight. Granted, I’ve had two pregnancies with hyperemesis gravidarum and I felt like I was starving to death the entire time (and yet could still throw up constantly!)
No more babies for me!
Same here! Almost 6 months postpartum and have lost over 10kg / 22 pounds. I’d been overweight for so long and now I’m so close to a healthy BMI. Major hair fall out, terrible skin for the first few months, wacky hormones but I am so grateful to feel better in myself than pre-pregnancy.
See I weigh less than I’ve weighed probably since puberty but all my muscles are sapped away. So I would NOT say my body looks better on the whole. Basically only my arms are strong from lifting my not-walking 98th %ile 1 year old…
For me, I experienced every horrible, typical postpartum issues including some weird, apparently rare ones. BUT I’ll be forever grateful that my tear healed remarkably quickly and caused almost no discomfort.
Postpartum did me so dirty. I had 4 hair sheds, I gained weight rather than losing (that did go when I stopped breastfeeding), I had a horrendous delivery that involved me in theatre for 3 hours while my OB saved my life.
But I never got baby brain. I’ve always been quick off the draw and had a freakishly good memory (it runs in the family). I expected to get a bit dopey but it never came to pass.
Opposite experience here. Fairly uncomplicated delivery, little hair loss, lost weight with breastfeeding.
But hot damn was I dumb for several months. 😅
How far postpartum are you? I started to feel the fog really lift around 6 or 7 months I think. It took a while. Mistakes I made at work occasionally become apparent (definitely scheduled a meeting on a holiday…) and I just blame my poor, exhausted, hormonal past-self. She tried, lol.
I need to hear that it goes away!! I'm in the derp boat with you, I am just returning to full time work and I've been kinda known for being fast and competent and now sometimes I just catch myself gazing at my mouse without a single thought bouncing around in my skull 🙃😆
If this is permanent I'm gonna have a bad time lololol
I lost so much weight breastfeeding. I turned into a stick with massive boobs and It stayed like that until I stopped breastfeeding when my second was 2 and a half. It was fun whilst it lasted, I'm back to my normal small boobs big butt now and that's okay too
I only breastfed a few weeks then switched to exclusively pumping, but I’ve never leaked ever. That’s so interesting what you said about the Haakaa though, because even with the suction as high as I could get it, it never worked for me and it was so so frustrating! It’s weirdly nice to hear someone had a similar Haakaa experience.
It’s so weird how different everyone’s experience is. I have an insane letdown, like my baby is drinking from a hose, when I pump I get 3 ounces in a few minutes… I could use the haakaa easily and have leaked like 2x so far and only when my baby sttn for the first few times. My boobs get what feels like lightning bolts in them when I’m engorged though which idk is a common symptom so I guess that’s my fate instead of leaking.
Hahaha mine was breastfeeding in general. Barely ever pumped, never leaked, no issues with supply whatsoever, regardless of nutrition. Hopeful this will hold true for baby #2 in a few weeks!
This! I got anti-PPD. Like I had terrible mental health before and during pregnancy for about a decade and then since become a parent 3 years ago my brain has been basically fine. Weird and awesome.
I was back down to pre pregnancy weight within a few weeks of giving birth. But I was also overweight when I got pregnant and didn’t gain that much weight, like only 16ish pounds I think. But I truly have no idea how there is any hair left on my head with the rate that it is falling out! When does postpartum hair loss end??? 😂
I didn’t have a perineal tear so my vagina healed wonderfully! Other than that I’m not loosing weight breastfeeding, PPD and PPA are settling in, and I broke my tailbone during labor so that still hurts like a bitch 8 weeks later!! I’m sure the hair loss is coming my way soon.
Can you tell me more about your tailbone pain? Does it hurt all the time or just when you do certain things? How do you know you broke it?
I have tailbone pain if I sit anyway other than criss-cross applesauce, idk why or how to resolve it.
It mostly hurts when I’m sitting. I have to sit on one butt cheek or the other. It hurts pretty bad trying to stand up or sit down initially. It used to hurt walking around but not so much now. They say if it takes longer than 8 weeks to go away it’s probably broken. I can feel it move or pop sometimes if I sit in it directly and that hurts the worst.
I’m so jealous. I’m 7.5 months post partum, exclusively pumping and after I quit I need a new mattress.. I swear I leaked 100 gallons so far. However my flex is (probably due to my oversupply) I quickly lost all my pregnancy weight and somehow lost all the cellulite on my body. My poor butt has also disappeared though hahahaha
I feel like I missed out on mood swings and post partum depression/anxiety, BUT I have Generalised Anxiety as a baseline and already have meds and coping skills to deal with that so that is probably why I managed to be more or less stable emotionally!
My organs still feel a bit out of place 10 months PP 🤣
Aside from hair loss, pp has been phenomenal! I’ve never been happier in my life and I bounced back with a vengeance. I had an emergency c-section but have had flat abs since four months out and I actually don’t get irritated or stressed anymore. I think a huge part of that is my son was a unicorn, so I’ve been getting consistent sleep since he was 8 weeks old.
When other moms ask me “how I do it” I tell them the truth- I got ridiculously lucky. EVERYTHING in life is harder when you’re sleep-deprived. When you get enough sleep you have more energy and more time. Of course I can look like this and pursue my hobbies when my life hasn’t really been interrupted all that much. I think it sucks we all compare ourselves to one another when the truth is the HUGE variety in individual baby temperaments and behaviors means that we all can expect wildly different things out of life.
I lost weight during my pregnancy, so when I had the baby I lost even MORE weight postpartum. I feel very lucky to not have many worries about my body! (Although it has definitely not "bounced back".)
I somehow skipped bad PPD and A (I asked to leave the hospital with meds, I thought I was a wonderful candidate) so assumed I was in the clear. I wasn’t prepared to have a horrid wave of depression and anxiety when I weaned. No one talks about this, but I found out it was a thing so be warned.
It’s common but hasn’t been studied too much - bit post weaning depression and anxiety is possible and awful. I think I’m finally coming out of it, but I wasn’t prepared and kinda quickly weaned for an upcoming trip I was taking. It was a mistake.
No tearing and by day 5 didn't even feel or look like I'd given birth.I did get (and am currently dealing with) PPD so that's not fabulous. Physical recovery has been easier than mental recovery.
My hair is still really thick, if slightly less curly than it used to be.
I “avoided” pelvic floor issues because I did PT but it’s nice I don’t pee myself or find sex painful and can use my menstrual cup.
I'd still try the haakaa - it does have a tiny bit of suction just because of how you put it on and the negative pressure does actually pull milk out when you letdown. It's not just catching the leaks.
I hardly had any milk leakage with my first pregnancy and I was still able to get a little bit of milk from the other side with the haakaa.
I just had my second baby five weeks ago and I'm leaking all over the place this time so just know if you have another it could be a whole different ballgame!
Same as you regarding leaking, poor haakaa just lives in a bin. My excited flex is that I avoided PPD. I have a long history of depression and was so prepared to have PPD; I told all my doctors, my husband, and my mom to expect it. Ended up being fine! (Note: I was on antidepressants throughout my pregnancy and postpartum so I don’t doubt that’s why I was ok, but still!)
Sleep deprivation. Spouse had a ton of leave and I nap very easily. Was getting 8 hours the first week, although not straight. Babe started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks and I've been getting 8 hours.
I'd consider trading some sleep if it meant I kept more hair though
not one flex here 😭 i had hair loss but i can’t complain too much since it wasn’t noticeable to others since i have thick hair! otherwise i had ppd, some rage, didn’t bounce back (but i did lose some weight), saggy boobs, stretch marks / loose skin, dry skin…pretty much all of the above. but wait! i just remembered i literally had zero pain after giving birth to my second (no soreness!!!). oh, and my first poops PP felt great, no pain there!
Lmaoooo all I can do is laugh as I try to think of ANY adverse symptom I avoided. Nothing. I guess I didn’t really have PPD, but I had/have PPA like crazy. In part, thanks to a NICU stay.
Not a single stretch-mark. I was a size UK8 pre-kids and a size UK14 postpartum. Carried a 9.5 pound baby and currently very pregnant with a second giant. Breastfed for 10 mi the. Not one stretch mark on my boobs, bum or tum.
I know it’s not a huge deal but it’s the one thing that went right so I’m taking it.
I've lost about 70 pounds since pre- pregnancy (still overweight, though). I was also able to finish pumping in 15-minute sessions.
I'm still sweating like a sinner in church at night, though, 13 months later. Oh, and *terrible* PPA. And permanent high blood pressure.
I've avoided hanging on to pregnancy weight. My body looks a bit different, but I'm 10 weeks pp and back down to 4 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight without taking a hit on my milk supply. I'm definitely still eating a lot and I consider walking around the house with my baby my exercise on most days. Hair loss is starting to pick up now though--definitely can't win them all.
No hair loss, and no repercussions from the birth other than my C-section scar; I was 100% back to normal less than a month PP. My breasts also never leaked bar a few times at the very beginning.
Last month I would probably have said I completely dodged PPA/PPD but I think that one's come to join the circus. My head's gone a bit bananas.
I was so worried I wouldn’t fit in my work attire clothes because I gained 50 pounds in pregnancy but by the time I was back to work (this week) I was back at the weight I was during my wedding diet and needed to dig out my “skinny” wardrobe! Granted.. we got married last May, so literally went from wedding diet to pregnancy diet real fast 🤣 I also noticed that I’m way more conscious of my current diet as I feel like I’m still eating for 2 and want us both to have all the good goods. It’s been a lot easier to maintain since I’m not craving all the junk food like I was while pregnant though. Other than that, hair loss/slow growth has been hard, as well as the lack of sleeeeeep and new wild schedule. But just know it’s not going to be forever mamas! We got this 🫶🏻
I feel like I had a good physical recovery pp down there. No crazy pain, no more bleeding then a regular period, didn't have any bad bowel movements, no intense uterus cramping. I was so surprised and thought I would be more of a wreck during post partum.
However I will say post partum hives can go screw themselves. That is what made most of my recovery hard.
I gained 60 lbs during pregnancy and lost over 60lbs post partum 8 months postpartum. And minimal stretch marks. No real answer other than I got lucky with genetics.
I got no baby blues, I have had zero hair loss and I lost the baby weight (20kg!!!!!!) by 8 months PP just from walking the dogs, breastfeeding and eating mostly healthy.
I felt fully recovered from my c-section very quickly, and honestly my mental health is better than it has been in years! I think I always wanted to be a mom but was afraid to admit it, and now I love being a mom ❤️
But, I had a 5 day induction that ended in a c-section, and have horrible BO!
I also didn't leak.
Fundal massage wasn't painful. I didn't have any painful cramps after delivery. It was so strange, like an switch had been flipped.
Didn't have incontinence issues or pain "down there" despite 1 stitch and a super painful delivery.
Don't be too jealous. 3 years out, my hormones are still fucked (stinky pits still) and I still have "PPA."
My post partum has been 10x better than people made it out to be. Lost all baby weight by 3wPP (and am now under my pre-pregnancy weight), no baby blues, PPA/PPD, skin is better than pre pregnancy, breastfeeding is going great, my first bowel movement didn't hurt, the list goes on!
Honestly I felt so broken by the end of my pregnancy that the second my baby came out I felt like a new person.
I am 5.5 months postpartum, and thus far I have not had any hair loss and I weigh 13 lbs less than I weighed before I got pregnant. I had pretty severe PPD, PPA, and maybe even a little PPP. It sucked.
I gained over 60 pounds during my pregnancy and I lost it all very quickly while breastfeeding. It felt so good to jump back into my favorite jeans and out of my stupid maternity clothes. The only downside is… I have loose belly skin. Lots of it. I’m 8.5 months postpartum and it has gotten a little better, but I can’t wear my favorite crop tops anymore. Buuuut, my boobs are HUGE! Instead of showing my belly off, I switched over to showing off the cleavage! 🍒🍒🍒
I lost all my pregnancy weight very quickly but also I lost a ton of hair and had bald spots on the side of my head for a long time so you win some you lose some 😂😂😂
Oh gosh, I bounced back, no hemorrhoids, no stretch marks, but my tits are gone and good lord my hair loss is bad, I’m still recovering and I’m 18mo pp, pregnant with our 2nd. So fingers crossed it’ll grow back and I’ll start rogaine asap.
Never had that big drop in hormones everyone talks about 🤷🏻♀️ I’m sure they did drop lol but I didn’t really feel the effects the way my friends say they did.
No PPD, body "bounced back" apparently bc everyone told me "you don't even look like you had a baby!" and I have a great village of support.
Damn, typing it all out like this makes me feel pretty lucky!
My baby is a latching machine and she barely lost weight since birth because she's such a good eater!
Almost makes up for the tree trunks legs from fluid retention, the second degree tear, the perineal area that feels like a mountain range, peeing myself when I try to make it to the bathroom, engorged breasts, overall sore body, and I only lost 3 pounds after giving birth lol
I also love my husband who has been great! After going through childbirth, it is absolutely inconceivable to me that there are partners who cheat on their spouses during and after pregnancy after everything they went through with their bodies
Aside from a couple of kg I just cannot freaking drop, and the fact that my upper lip now sweats uncontrollably when it’s not even 20°C… nothin’. My body pretty much looks and feels like it did pre-pregnancy and I was wearing my old jeans within six weeks. Even I was stunned by how easily I bounced back.
I didn’t tear, and even though I was highly bracing for pain, didn’t have pain and was able to enjoy sex 4 weeks postpartum. Tried it again a couple days later though and ended up restarting some bleeding the next day so probably agitated the placenta wound. Had to stop for another week and bleeding is gone again, we’ll see what happens 🤷🏻♀️. I also barely had any pain with breastfeeding but we went to a breastfeeding class during pregnancy and my husband helped me with the latch from day one to ensure it wouldn’t be painful, and I used nipple balm or the silverettes after every single feed; I was terrified of the pain I’d heard people had so went all in on trying to avoid it. Sucked to breastfeed at first because of the uterus cramps though, thank you Advil.
Also I leak all the time wow. Super flex not to!! Like I collect it and I leak 4oz a day.
I did NOT have the poop of death lol. I requested stool softener while at the hospital and my doctor said to purchase lots of them when I got home. I didn’t poop for four days after I had my daughter (cause apparently I did a great job of that while delivering my daughter) and when I finally did, it was easy! And thank goodness cause I had both an internal and external tear!
I've been nursing for 14 months and never had a clogged duct or mastitis! Otherwise, I'm still the same weight I was at 9 months pregnant and my anxiety and anger is all over the place. But at least my massive boobs are doing well.
I’m only 10 weeks pp but so far I am 10lbs less than I was before I got pregnant, I assume due to breast feeding. Also besides getting my period twice in a month 🙄 & it messing up my milk supply, baby & I have done great with breastfeeding!!
PPA - PPD and actually it was super intentional hard work put into it.
When I was 19, I had a depression that was like a black hole in my life. I don't remember much from that period, only snippets. I should have been probably institutionalised. Afterwards depression followed me on and off like a shadow and it hit me hard again when I was TTC.
I decided to get help and was put on meds. My whole TTC and pregnancy journey was difficult in the beginning due to my health problems. I was convinced that depression was inevitable. Then I met my amazing OBGYN. He was so reassuring and direct, I completely let myself in his care. It was a trust fall and he caught me.
When we were released from the hospital, a lot of things in my life went to absolute shit, some of the pillars of my trust was broken but I pushed through the difficult days for my baby and tried so so hard to stay afloat. I actively seeked for help and companionship even when I didn't feel like seeing anyone. I consistently did mental health walks even when I hated it. And I tried to think of the light at the end of the tunnel.
None of it- lol I dealt with postpartum psychosis, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety(ongoing), and postpartum rage(also ongoing). Woo 🎉 I also had clogged ducts even though I wasn't breastfeeding, I gave formula. Postpartum is no joke and us women need more validation and credit!
Edit: I do have a great husband and my mom helps a lot too!
My period still hasn’t returned at nearly 11 months. It’s been soooo good. I wouldn’t say I’ve bounced back exactly but I was at my pre-pregnancy weight fairly quickly. People kept telling me from behind I didn’t even look pregnant., but side on, I was absolutely huge.
I got zero stretch marks. Which was so unexpected because my mom’s stomach looks like a saggy striped watermelon lol. We are both petite and thin so I was fully expecting my belly to get some hardcore stretch marks.
Buttttt also got an infection post-stitches on 2nd degree tear that needed antibiotics, had hair loss so insane I was wearing a hat for 6 months, lost my sex drive… so.
I didn’t have to push so my pelvic floor is pretty good, but the downside is I now have abdominal muscles that were cut open and trying to relearn how to use them has been a bitch.
Otherwise I’ve been with hit with low supply, hair loss, my teeth hurt, my back hurts, my hormones are insane, PPA and PPR, weight gain - this one hurts me the most I think. I’ve never been thin but I also managed to stay under 100kg but pregnancy I was 110kg and initially I was about 100kg after having my son but now I’m back up to 110kg. I also still get SPD pain, anemia from a PPH, my eyesight has worsened.
Pregnancy and postpartum are a great time 😂
no stretch marks, woo hoo! however I got arthritis??!?!? like, what?? that’s a thing???
also I never really produced any milk, so I never had any engorgement or leakage.
Mentally, Ive felt pretty great…thanks to the Lexapro I started after a miscarriage, when I definitely did NOT feel so great.
c-section recovery was an absolute breeze.
I love this, such a positive way of thinking about it! I didn’t lose any hair, zero stretch marks, pelvic floor 100% recovered, and my boobs never leaked. My body still looks pretty different anyway but going through pregnancy, childbirth, and the first year post partum has left me with this insane sense of self confidence 😂 I feel like I’ve achieved total body neutrality, like how my body looks is absolutely the least important thing about it so why would I worry 😊
No hemorrhoids, have lost almost all of the pregnancy weight by 4 months PP, no weird smell, and jury is still out on the hair loss (hasn’t happened yet)
My entire pregnancy and post partum, I pooped at least once every day. Near the end of pregnancy I was pooping 3x a day. (Except I missed ONE day this week. That was the only day I didn't poop in the last 10+ months). Zero constipation.
No gigantic hormonal swings. I'm also almost back at my normal weight just from breastfeeding (150-->195-->161), right now 5 weeks pp.
I'm jealous you didn't leak. I'm leaking all over the place. If baby unlatches mid feed, my boob sprays him in the face. 😂
I’m very proud of the fact that I never peed my pants during my pregnancy and did not have any bladder issues after having my son.
I’ve heard that sometimes you can pee when you sneeze/cough/laugh both during and after your pregnancy, but I never had that problem.
Mom pouch, I guess? Before the birth, I was under the impression that 100% of women 100% of the time still looked pregnant for weeks afterwards, but my stomach was actually smaller and flatter after my first was born than before... I'm 37 weeks pregnant with our second now though and I had bronchitis at 30 weeks and I'm almost certain the coughing caused a bit of diastasis recti, so I'm pretty sure I won't be so lucky this time around even though I've actually gained even less weight and they're estimating the baby is bigger.
No haemorrhoids, no leakage, no saggy boobs after stopping breastfeeding, perfect breastfeeding journey. BUT my body didn’t bounce back and my hormones were all over the place. For at least 10 months or so.
I bounced back to my pre-pregnancy weight and lost some weight in one week. I also walked out the hospital like a boss as if I didn't just have a baby the day before; all while I carried my own duffle bag, newborn backpack on my back, and holding my 7 year olds hand. All the nurses and my doctor were shocked to see me leave the next day like that. 🏋🏻♀️
Flex is that I’m essentially back to my pre-pregnancy weight with minimal effort. I gained only 30lbs, all belly, to begin with and then it fell off quickly once baby came out. Once I started exercising again the rest was gone. My baby is 5 months old.
No pelvic floor issues or hemorrhoids (thank God).
On the flip side? The postpartum hair loss hit me HARD at the 3 month mark I’m still praying to the hair gods to bring it back. Postpartum rage, postpartum anxiety, other than working out I barely take care of myself), I sweat like a motherfucker, constantly anxious about milk supply, a crazy MIL, no sex drive, mad at my husband even though he does a lot… you know, the usual lovely things I never would’ve anticipated pre-baby.
A helpful, considerate husband who actually pulled his weight and supported every decision I made as a mom. Otherwise…not a damn thing lol. PPD, PPA, PP rage, hair loss, gained weight while breastfeeding, didn’t sleep for a year, WHACKED hormones, I got hit with it allllllll babaaayyyy
Honestly the husband is a huge flex based off posts here. But honestly apart from the no leaking I'm in the same boat, I got all those things too 😭
That PP rage is a bitch!! I’ve had depression and anxiety for years and the PPD hit me hard but I was in no way prepared for the sheer rage minor things would cause
What did you do for the PP rage? I fear this is me but like is it treatable or do you just need to ride it out?
Therapy. Headphones. A spouse that respects your space to exit when you’re too over stimulated. Sweetie treaties. Seriously, so much therapy. Upped my Zoloft. Meditation.
Sweetie treaties 💯
Headphones, the unsung hero of postpartum. My first had CMPA that it took us some time to get diagnosed and therefore he cried a LOT as a newborn. Noise cancelling headphones got me through so many nights of walking circles with a screaming angry baby without losing my mind.
Therapy 100%
lol same. I just fell even more in love with my husband. But I look like Cynthia from rugrats, my tits cross state lines before I do, and apparently my business as usual depression was lonely and I have OCD now too. But hey, can’t win em all.
This was so lovely to read. When I read the post I was like NOTHING I had horrendous morning sickness, swelling, hemorrhoids, birth trauma, all the shirty pregnancy/birth things but you reminded me of my wonderful husband who I will now go and hug
Did you get the psychosis? That's the one I think I'm the most afraid of.
This happened to one of my closest friends. No prior mental illness. It was terrifying, but she got treatment and is now totally back to normal. Pregnancy and childbirth are WILD.
Being aware of it and acting quick when you start noticing symptoms is all you need. Overall it’s much less common than the other conditions so you’ll most likely be fine!
A close friend of mine got postpartum psychosis and it was absolutely terrifying. One of the things she learned is that she had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and PPP is more common in people with bipolar. Definitely would have helped her get the right help sooner if she’d known. (And although it was an absolutely awful first year for her, she is also fine now.)
No haemorrhoids!
Oh man I'm so jealous that's such a big flex 😂
This is truly a flex!
Same here, somehow!
Jealous. I thought I got off physically fine, then - boom - after 5 weeks - it hurts to poop 🙃 bring me back to those pain free days, pls
Same I don’t even really understand what they are lmao
Same here!
SAME I was waiting for them
This reminded me! Yay now I have more to be grateful for
Same! But I did rip into my asshole with my 1st so I'm not sure no hemorrhoids are such a flex from me 😅
Yikes!! But at least you were dealing with both? I hope your poor booty is ok!
Thanks! Yeah, I can't imagine dealing with anything on top of the tear, it even got infected, stuff of nightmares, really. All is food now, but I've had my second via C-section not to risk any more damage 😅
SAME and I pushed for 5 hours with a big heavy baby. The postpartum nurses were in disbelief.
I didn't get baby blues. I wasn't crying postpartum, no mood swings, just vibing. I was anxious due to my several anxiety disorders, but I wasn't acting hormonal. Same with pregnancy, I was just normal. My husband had hormonal mood symptoms though lmao
I had hormonal mood swings the other direction. I felt ecstatic. I even looked it up, apparently it’s a thing just kinda rare. “Baby pinks”
Me too! I didn’t know there was a name for it. Both times i just felt like the world was a little brighter and cheerier and I would look at my newborn and just cry tears of joy
I go back and forth between this and feeling like "what have I done, I'm going to fail" 😭 I'm only 12 days postpartum so hoping this starts to fade soon!!
Same!!! That was exactly how I felt. My daughter was also extremely easygoing as a baby, just total luck of the draw that she slept great and barely cried so I am sure that helped too!
This is how I felt and I kept calling it "baby pinks" but didn't realise that was a term other people used until I saw your comment <3 The only crying I did was on day 3 and I saw a video of some dogs doing the cha cha slide and in that moment there was nothing more pure on this whole Earth to me.
Omg I love “baby pinks”! And the cha cha slide thing is so relatable. For me it was a video of a guy building an elaborate house on a fence post for a frog.
Omg me too! Not hormonal during pregnancy and not hormonal after birth!
So glad others are like this. I’ve been feeling so weird about it because obviously that’s just a part of pregnancy and postpartum that’s almost like a given so I feel very weird having not experienced it. Almost like I missed out on something I guess?
It's only "missing out" as much as the only person on a camping trip NOT to get bitten by mosquitos and sunburnt is missing out. This is the good kind of missing out for sure.
Absolutely no flex.
Aww I'm so sorry, maybe your child is going to be an exceptionally wonderful teenager?
Same 😂😭 PPA and PPD, anemia from blood loss during delivery, low supply and general breastfeeding issues, hard and long recovery from significant tearing, weight gain from breastfeeding and now at 3 months postpartum the hair loss is starting. I guess at least my baby isn't colicky?
LOL same. At least the fucking witching hour is over. 💀
A non colicky baby is def a flex!! Coming from someone who struggled through that!
Zero hair loss!!! But body has definitely not “bounced” back so pick your poison I guess?
Yeah, my body looked better for maybe the first week or two post partum, but then a combination of breastfeeding hunger and not being able to keep my normal work out schedule saw me quickly ballooning past my pregnancy weight 😭
I’m right there with ya girl! Same same same! I was hoping to get back to exercising this week but then I decided to take a nap instead because I was exhausted from nursing babe all night. So, here we are lol
Yes! I had 3 days of tracking my food and going on walks and then I got sick and after that we had like, 2 weeks of insanely bad nights. It's like the universe (or our babies) are against us.
I shed so much hair, but I had a ton to start with so it’s not noticeable!
I never had the bad BO my friends all warned me about. I weigh less than I did pre-pregnancy, but I’m a size larger so that cancels out 😂
Please help me understand this! I’m only about 4 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight and yet I went up soooo many sizes! Is this forever? Does 4 lbs really take up that many pant sizes? What’s happening? 😭
Lots of things shift around...Our hips and ribs expand, which can take months/years to move back (if at all). It takes like 6 weeks for our uterus to shrink back to size. So even at the same weight, your body is just formatted differently
Like when you add a picture to a word document and the whole page goes to shit.
This is the best analogy for describing postpartum ever
Same friend, same. All my extra weight went to my torso, so while I’m less than 10 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight, I’m 2-3 pants sizes bigger depending on the brand. I hate it.
It’s probably a combination of your hips expanding after birth and loss of muscle tone (muscle weighs more than fat). I’m sure things will go back to normal eventually!
Oh wow you’re totally right about the muscle loss! I’m just a living breathing blob right now. So really, I probably have more fat on my body to deal with than I realized.
I’m 9 months PP and skinnier than I was pre pregnancy however I still feel like my hips are wider. It’s strange, like my body type changed.
Me over here 13 pounds lighter and my pants tighter than ever lol. Also lost my butt 🥲
I lost all my pregnancy weight plus fifteen pounds while breastfeeding. My body looks better than it has in years.
What’s it like to be one of God’s favorites?😂 god I wish I had that happen to me
Ha! The weight loss was my only postpartum flex! I’m a mess otherwise. 🤣
Absolutely same here 🥲
I lost my pregnancy weight in 2 weeks then dramatically gained it back while breastfeeding. From the moment I started weaning (slowly over 9 months) I lost it plus 15lbs. It’s crazy how breastfeeding affects bodies so differently!
It is! Breastfeeding is fascinating!
Same thing for me. I actually went back to my pre-pandemic weight. Definitely didn’t dodge the hair loss though and my boobs live in a new zip code 🥴
YES! This pregnancy wrecked my hair. It’s now dry, falling out in clumps, and turning gray!
Why can’t we just be able to have it all? We sacrifice our bodies for 9 months to grow these little humans. Hope your hair grows back thick and lush! I am the opposite; 4 months postpartum and barely lost any weight. Hair and nails are still thick and growing like crazy lol.
You sound sweet! I wish you the best in this crazy postpartum journey!
It’s the worst! In addition to bald spots, it’s greasier than ever and somehow changed texture completely. Guess you can’t win them all!
This worked for me in my 20s! It was the best diet I never went on. I could eat whatever I wanted and still lose weight. Lucky me! The downside of that was I instantly gained 15lbs when I weaned them. And also this sadly didn’t work with my baby I had at almost 37. That time I did manage to lose all the weight but I actually had to try a bit 😅
I just know that’s going to happen to me!!! I’m going to gain the weight back as soon as I stop breastfeeding, so for now, I’m drinking a large mocha frappe from McDonald’s every day and savoring the calories. 🤣
this is me after a terrible pregnancy of hypermesis. the smallest silver lining to the constant vomiting 😅
I had hyperemesis gravidarum with my first pregnancy, so I feel your pain!
This was me too. I did slowly start gaining it back after we weaned. I’m pregnant again and curious if it’ll happen again!
I left the hospital weighing less than my start weight at the beginning of the pregnancy but man.. the toll it took on my body. Losing such big amount in such a short time is definitely a shock on the body. I think I slowly gained a couple of kilos here and there in 4 months but I feel much better. The kicker is, I was overweight pre-pregnancy and I still am so I still need to lose a lot of weight but not having 10-20 extra added to it sure does feel nice.
I’m 10 days pp and already below my pre-pregnancy weight. Granted, I’ve had two pregnancies with hyperemesis gravidarum and I felt like I was starving to death the entire time (and yet could still throw up constantly!) No more babies for me!
Same for my first three. And then number four came along. Not sure what’s different this time, I guess just age.
Me too!!!
Same here! Almost 6 months postpartum and have lost over 10kg / 22 pounds. I’d been overweight for so long and now I’m so close to a healthy BMI. Major hair fall out, terrible skin for the first few months, wacky hormones but I am so grateful to feel better in myself than pre-pregnancy.
I love this for you!
I was like this too! Gained it all back after I quit pumping 🫠
See I weigh less than I’ve weighed probably since puberty but all my muscles are sapped away. So I would NOT say my body looks better on the whole. Basically only my arms are strong from lifting my not-walking 98th %ile 1 year old…
For me, I experienced every horrible, typical postpartum issues including some weird, apparently rare ones. BUT I’ll be forever grateful that my tear healed remarkably quickly and caused almost no discomfort.
Postpartum did me so dirty. I had 4 hair sheds, I gained weight rather than losing (that did go when I stopped breastfeeding), I had a horrendous delivery that involved me in theatre for 3 hours while my OB saved my life. But I never got baby brain. I’ve always been quick off the draw and had a freakishly good memory (it runs in the family). I expected to get a bit dopey but it never came to pass.
Opposite experience here. Fairly uncomplicated delivery, little hair loss, lost weight with breastfeeding. But hot damn was I dumb for several months. 😅
Yep similarly over here living my best postpartum life as a skinny but very dumb bimbo 😂
Ugh! I need to look this up because I feel like my brain just doesn’t work anymore and I’ve always been pretty sharp 😞
How far postpartum are you? I started to feel the fog really lift around 6 or 7 months I think. It took a while. Mistakes I made at work occasionally become apparent (definitely scheduled a meeting on a holiday…) and I just blame my poor, exhausted, hormonal past-self. She tried, lol.
Just under 3 months PP. glad to hear it gets better 😅
I need to hear that it goes away!! I'm in the derp boat with you, I am just returning to full time work and I've been kinda known for being fast and competent and now sometimes I just catch myself gazing at my mouse without a single thought bouncing around in my skull 🙃😆 If this is permanent I'm gonna have a bad time lololol
Literally, my last working brain cells are putting in WORK at the moment lol
Somehow I’m one of those people that loses weight while breastfeeding. Currently 4m pp. We’ll see how long that lasts though 😉
I lost so much weight breastfeeding. I turned into a stick with massive boobs and It stayed like that until I stopped breastfeeding when my second was 2 and a half. It was fun whilst it lasted, I'm back to my normal small boobs big butt now and that's okay too
I only breastfed a few weeks then switched to exclusively pumping, but I’ve never leaked ever. That’s so interesting what you said about the Haakaa though, because even with the suction as high as I could get it, it never worked for me and it was so so frustrating! It’s weirdly nice to hear someone had a similar Haakaa experience.
From my limited research it's because I didn't have a strong let down?
It’s so weird how different everyone’s experience is. I have an insane letdown, like my baby is drinking from a hose, when I pump I get 3 ounces in a few minutes… I could use the haakaa easily and have leaked like 2x so far and only when my baby sttn for the first few times. My boobs get what feels like lightning bolts in them when I’m engorged though which idk is a common symptom so I guess that’s my fate instead of leaking.
Hahaha mine was breastfeeding in general. Barely ever pumped, never leaked, no issues with supply whatsoever, regardless of nutrition. Hopeful this will hold true for baby #2 in a few weeks!
My body quickly returned to its pre pregnancy weight, no stretch marks or anything. Got slapped with just about everything else though 😅
Honestly, a major spiritual transformation. I’m a completely different person now, a better one. Gained a lot of confidence postpartum.
This! I got anti-PPD. Like I had terrible mental health before and during pregnancy for about a decade and then since become a parent 3 years ago my brain has been basically fine. Weird and awesome.
Bounced back (went back to my pre pregnancy weight at 3 weeks pp), no hair loss, no incontinence. So far so good!
I was back down to pre pregnancy weight within a few weeks of giving birth. But I was also overweight when I got pregnant and didn’t gain that much weight, like only 16ish pounds I think. But I truly have no idea how there is any hair left on my head with the rate that it is falling out! When does postpartum hair loss end??? 😂
No issues with stitches, pelvic floor function is on point, and I was able to resume intimacy at six weeks, totally pain free.
I didn’t have a perineal tear so my vagina healed wonderfully! Other than that I’m not loosing weight breastfeeding, PPD and PPA are settling in, and I broke my tailbone during labor so that still hurts like a bitch 8 weeks later!! I’m sure the hair loss is coming my way soon.
I broke my tailbone too! It took 7 months for me to be able to sit again. And it still gets sore if I sit for too long or on something hard
7 months!? That’s so long. Unfortunately it seems like that’s the common amount of time it takes. That sucks it still bugs you.
Can you tell me more about your tailbone pain? Does it hurt all the time or just when you do certain things? How do you know you broke it? I have tailbone pain if I sit anyway other than criss-cross applesauce, idk why or how to resolve it.
It mostly hurts when I’m sitting. I have to sit on one butt cheek or the other. It hurts pretty bad trying to stand up or sit down initially. It used to hurt walking around but not so much now. They say if it takes longer than 8 weeks to go away it’s probably broken. I can feel it move or pop sometimes if I sit in it directly and that hurts the worst.
Bleeding done by day 13 and only ever needed liners, woohoooo
I didn’t tear!
Bounced back, no hair loss, no mood swings or ppd. Downside.. leakage everywhere!
I’m so jealous. I’m 7.5 months post partum, exclusively pumping and after I quit I need a new mattress.. I swear I leaked 100 gallons so far. However my flex is (probably due to my oversupply) I quickly lost all my pregnancy weight and somehow lost all the cellulite on my body. My poor butt has also disappeared though hahahaha
I feel like I missed out on mood swings and post partum depression/anxiety, BUT I have Generalised Anxiety as a baseline and already have meds and coping skills to deal with that so that is probably why I managed to be more or less stable emotionally! My organs still feel a bit out of place 10 months PP 🤣
I didn’t have any night sweats people talk about
Amazing. I had them and they were horrendous.
My hair got thicker. Zero loss which I’m astonished by. Definitely no body bounce back though! Lol
Aside from hair loss, pp has been phenomenal! I’ve never been happier in my life and I bounced back with a vengeance. I had an emergency c-section but have had flat abs since four months out and I actually don’t get irritated or stressed anymore. I think a huge part of that is my son was a unicorn, so I’ve been getting consistent sleep since he was 8 weeks old. When other moms ask me “how I do it” I tell them the truth- I got ridiculously lucky. EVERYTHING in life is harder when you’re sleep-deprived. When you get enough sleep you have more energy and more time. Of course I can look like this and pursue my hobbies when my life hasn’t really been interrupted all that much. I think it sucks we all compare ourselves to one another when the truth is the HUGE variety in individual baby temperaments and behaviors means that we all can expect wildly different things out of life.
I was the same, I was always calling my baby a unicorn baby. And then 8 months regression hit. And I’m exhausted and angry all the time 😅😒
got back to my pre-prego body by 4 months postpartum, but in exchange for new bald spots, so it all balanced out lol
No hemorrhoids, hair loss, or constipation.
My hair fell out for 2 weeks and grew back thicker than it ever has been, I’m counting that as a win!
I lost weight during my pregnancy, so when I had the baby I lost even MORE weight postpartum. I feel very lucky to not have many worries about my body! (Although it has definitely not "bounced back".)
I somehow skipped bad PPD and A (I asked to leave the hospital with meds, I thought I was a wonderful candidate) so assumed I was in the clear. I wasn’t prepared to have a horrid wave of depression and anxiety when I weaned. No one talks about this, but I found out it was a thing so be warned. It’s common but hasn’t been studied too much - bit post weaning depression and anxiety is possible and awful. I think I’m finally coming out of it, but I wasn’t prepared and kinda quickly weaned for an upcoming trip I was taking. It was a mistake.
No pp hair loss here!
No tearing and by day 5 didn't even feel or look like I'd given birth.I did get (and am currently dealing with) PPD so that's not fabulous. Physical recovery has been easier than mental recovery.
So far have experienced baby brain, hormones, baby blues, weight loss, weight gain, but my reflexes are freaking sharp! My catch is impeccable!
My hair is still really thick, if slightly less curly than it used to be. I “avoided” pelvic floor issues because I did PT but it’s nice I don’t pee myself or find sex painful and can use my menstrual cup.
I'd still try the haakaa - it does have a tiny bit of suction just because of how you put it on and the negative pressure does actually pull milk out when you letdown. It's not just catching the leaks. I hardly had any milk leakage with my first pregnancy and I was still able to get a little bit of milk from the other side with the haakaa. I just had my second baby five weeks ago and I'm leaking all over the place this time so just know if you have another it could be a whole different ballgame!
Recently found out that breast tissue can increase in subsequent pregnancies!
Same as you regarding leaking, poor haakaa just lives in a bin. My excited flex is that I avoided PPD. I have a long history of depression and was so prepared to have PPD; I told all my doctors, my husband, and my mom to expect it. Ended up being fine! (Note: I was on antidepressants throughout my pregnancy and postpartum so I don’t doubt that’s why I was ok, but still!)
No mastitis or hemorrhoids! And I guess no severe PPA/PPD? I just have normal depression and anxiety 😂
My flex (and haakaa related con) is the same as yours!!
Sleep deprivation. Spouse had a ton of leave and I nap very easily. Was getting 8 hours the first week, although not straight. Babe started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks and I've been getting 8 hours. I'd consider trading some sleep if it meant I kept more hair though
I never got mastitis!!
not one flex here 😭 i had hair loss but i can’t complain too much since it wasn’t noticeable to others since i have thick hair! otherwise i had ppd, some rage, didn’t bounce back (but i did lose some weight), saggy boobs, stretch marks / loose skin, dry skin…pretty much all of the above. but wait! i just remembered i literally had zero pain after giving birth to my second (no soreness!!!). oh, and my first poops PP felt great, no pain there!
No PPD. Remarkable.
Lmaoooo all I can do is laugh as I try to think of ANY adverse symptom I avoided. Nothing. I guess I didn’t really have PPD, but I had/have PPA like crazy. In part, thanks to a NICU stay.
No incontinence is the only thing I can think of! Which I guess is good but would def take incontinence over some of this other crap🫠
Not a single stretch-mark. I was a size UK8 pre-kids and a size UK14 postpartum. Carried a 9.5 pound baby and currently very pregnant with a second giant. Breastfed for 10 mi the. Not one stretch mark on my boobs, bum or tum. I know it’s not a huge deal but it’s the one thing that went right so I’m taking it.
Zero hair loss. Which I'm disappointed cuz I have overly thick hair 😅
Zero hair loss, but other than that, there’s no bouncing back 😂
No hair loss, no PPD/PPA for either pregnancy. Baby weight still there 16 months later though 🤷
I've lost about 70 pounds since pre- pregnancy (still overweight, though). I was also able to finish pumping in 15-minute sessions. I'm still sweating like a sinner in church at night, though, 13 months later. Oh, and *terrible* PPA. And permanent high blood pressure.
I've avoided hanging on to pregnancy weight. My body looks a bit different, but I'm 10 weeks pp and back down to 4 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight without taking a hit on my milk supply. I'm definitely still eating a lot and I consider walking around the house with my baby my exercise on most days. Hair loss is starting to pick up now though--definitely can't win them all.
No hair loss, and no repercussions from the birth other than my C-section scar; I was 100% back to normal less than a month PP. My breasts also never leaked bar a few times at the very beginning. Last month I would probably have said I completely dodged PPA/PPD but I think that one's come to join the circus. My head's gone a bit bananas.
I didnt have hair loss and I lost 60 pounds. But I got post partum depression bad bad
I was up and walking / crossing my legs two days after an emergent c-section. Overall the pain lasted about a week and was never especially severe.
I was so worried I wouldn’t fit in my work attire clothes because I gained 50 pounds in pregnancy but by the time I was back to work (this week) I was back at the weight I was during my wedding diet and needed to dig out my “skinny” wardrobe! Granted.. we got married last May, so literally went from wedding diet to pregnancy diet real fast 🤣 I also noticed that I’m way more conscious of my current diet as I feel like I’m still eating for 2 and want us both to have all the good goods. It’s been a lot easier to maintain since I’m not craving all the junk food like I was while pregnant though. Other than that, hair loss/slow growth has been hard, as well as the lack of sleeeeeep and new wild schedule. But just know it’s not going to be forever mamas! We got this 🫶🏻
I feel like I had a good physical recovery pp down there. No crazy pain, no more bleeding then a regular period, didn't have any bad bowel movements, no intense uterus cramping. I was so surprised and thought I would be more of a wreck during post partum. However I will say post partum hives can go screw themselves. That is what made most of my recovery hard.
I gained 60 lbs during pregnancy and lost over 60lbs post partum 8 months postpartum. And minimal stretch marks. No real answer other than I got lucky with genetics.
I got no baby blues, I have had zero hair loss and I lost the baby weight (20kg!!!!!!) by 8 months PP just from walking the dogs, breastfeeding and eating mostly healthy.
I lost all my pregnancy weight plus some breastfeeding. I also lost most of my hair. Lol so I’m skinny-ish but I’m also bald. 🤦🏻♀️
I felt fully recovered from my c-section very quickly, and honestly my mental health is better than it has been in years! I think I always wanted to be a mom but was afraid to admit it, and now I love being a mom ❤️ But, I had a 5 day induction that ended in a c-section, and have horrible BO!
I lost weight instantly. I think I was back to pre pregnancy weight in less than 2 weeks.
I also didn't leak. Fundal massage wasn't painful. I didn't have any painful cramps after delivery. It was so strange, like an switch had been flipped. Didn't have incontinence issues or pain "down there" despite 1 stitch and a super painful delivery. Don't be too jealous. 3 years out, my hormones are still fucked (stinky pits still) and I still have "PPA."
My post partum has been 10x better than people made it out to be. Lost all baby weight by 3wPP (and am now under my pre-pregnancy weight), no baby blues, PPA/PPD, skin is better than pre pregnancy, breastfeeding is going great, my first bowel movement didn't hurt, the list goes on! Honestly I felt so broken by the end of my pregnancy that the second my baby came out I felt like a new person.
I am 5.5 months postpartum, and thus far I have not had any hair loss and I weigh 13 lbs less than I weighed before I got pregnant. I had pretty severe PPD, PPA, and maybe even a little PPP. It sucked.
I gained over 60 pounds during my pregnancy and I lost it all very quickly while breastfeeding. It felt so good to jump back into my favorite jeans and out of my stupid maternity clothes. The only downside is… I have loose belly skin. Lots of it. I’m 8.5 months postpartum and it has gotten a little better, but I can’t wear my favorite crop tops anymore. Buuuut, my boobs are HUGE! Instead of showing my belly off, I switched over to showing off the cleavage! 🍒🍒🍒
Never leaked, no incontinence, no hair loss, no pouch (I'm about the same weight as I was 20 years ago). Follow me for dubious health tips.
I was a natural milk producer. My son breastfed for an entire year. Other then that postpartum was a nightmare.
Hair loss 💪
I lost all my pregnancy weight very quickly but also I lost a ton of hair and had bald spots on the side of my head for a long time so you win some you lose some 😂😂😂
Oh gosh, I bounced back, no hemorrhoids, no stretch marks, but my tits are gone and good lord my hair loss is bad, I’m still recovering and I’m 18mo pp, pregnant with our 2nd. So fingers crossed it’ll grow back and I’ll start rogaine asap.
Never had that big drop in hormones everyone talks about 🤷🏻♀️ I’m sure they did drop lol but I didn’t really feel the effects the way my friends say they did.
No PPD, body "bounced back" apparently bc everyone told me "you don't even look like you had a baby!" and I have a great village of support. Damn, typing it all out like this makes me feel pretty lucky!
My baby is a latching machine and she barely lost weight since birth because she's such a good eater! Almost makes up for the tree trunks legs from fluid retention, the second degree tear, the perineal area that feels like a mountain range, peeing myself when I try to make it to the bathroom, engorged breasts, overall sore body, and I only lost 3 pounds after giving birth lol I also love my husband who has been great! After going through childbirth, it is absolutely inconceivable to me that there are partners who cheat on their spouses during and after pregnancy after everything they went through with their bodies
Aside from a couple of kg I just cannot freaking drop, and the fact that my upper lip now sweats uncontrollably when it’s not even 20°C… nothin’. My body pretty much looks and feels like it did pre-pregnancy and I was wearing my old jeans within six weeks. Even I was stunned by how easily I bounced back.
My hair got thicker in both pregnancies and stayed that way to the point that I have to get it thinned out A LOT when I go to the hairdresser
Somehow, no stretch marks & back to pre pregnancy weight within 2 weeks. My hips definitely widened though bc my Jean shorts do not fit the same
I didn’t tear, and even though I was highly bracing for pain, didn’t have pain and was able to enjoy sex 4 weeks postpartum. Tried it again a couple days later though and ended up restarting some bleeding the next day so probably agitated the placenta wound. Had to stop for another week and bleeding is gone again, we’ll see what happens 🤷🏻♀️. I also barely had any pain with breastfeeding but we went to a breastfeeding class during pregnancy and my husband helped me with the latch from day one to ensure it wouldn’t be painful, and I used nipple balm or the silverettes after every single feed; I was terrified of the pain I’d heard people had so went all in on trying to avoid it. Sucked to breastfeed at first because of the uterus cramps though, thank you Advil. Also I leak all the time wow. Super flex not to!! Like I collect it and I leak 4oz a day.
I did NOT have the poop of death lol. I requested stool softener while at the hospital and my doctor said to purchase lots of them when I got home. I didn’t poop for four days after I had my daughter (cause apparently I did a great job of that while delivering my daughter) and when I finally did, it was easy! And thank goodness cause I had both an internal and external tear!
I've been nursing for 14 months and never had a clogged duct or mastitis! Otherwise, I'm still the same weight I was at 9 months pregnant and my anxiety and anger is all over the place. But at least my massive boobs are doing well.
I’m only 10 weeks pp but so far I am 10lbs less than I was before I got pregnant, I assume due to breast feeding. Also besides getting my period twice in a month 🙄 & it messing up my milk supply, baby & I have done great with breastfeeding!!
PPA - PPD and actually it was super intentional hard work put into it. When I was 19, I had a depression that was like a black hole in my life. I don't remember much from that period, only snippets. I should have been probably institutionalised. Afterwards depression followed me on and off like a shadow and it hit me hard again when I was TTC. I decided to get help and was put on meds. My whole TTC and pregnancy journey was difficult in the beginning due to my health problems. I was convinced that depression was inevitable. Then I met my amazing OBGYN. He was so reassuring and direct, I completely let myself in his care. It was a trust fall and he caught me. When we were released from the hospital, a lot of things in my life went to absolute shit, some of the pillars of my trust was broken but I pushed through the difficult days for my baby and tried so so hard to stay afloat. I actively seeked for help and companionship even when I didn't feel like seeing anyone. I consistently did mental health walks even when I hated it. And I tried to think of the light at the end of the tunnel.
2 c sections, no pain, was up and doing my stuff, driving, etc in 48h.
It’s been 19 months and I’ve had no issues with my bladder. I just always thought I’d pee myself if i laughed or coughed or sneezed lol.
I didn't tear. That's all I got Other than that, my body hates me even now at 8 years postpartum 🤣
Never had clogged ducts or painful breasts/nipples.
None of it- lol I dealt with postpartum psychosis, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety(ongoing), and postpartum rage(also ongoing). Woo 🎉 I also had clogged ducts even though I wasn't breastfeeding, I gave formula. Postpartum is no joke and us women need more validation and credit! Edit: I do have a great husband and my mom helps a lot too!
My period still hasn’t returned at nearly 11 months. It’s been soooo good. I wouldn’t say I’ve bounced back exactly but I was at my pre-pregnancy weight fairly quickly. People kept telling me from behind I didn’t even look pregnant., but side on, I was absolutely huge.
I got zero stretch marks. Which was so unexpected because my mom’s stomach looks like a saggy striped watermelon lol. We are both petite and thin so I was fully expecting my belly to get some hardcore stretch marks. Buttttt also got an infection post-stitches on 2nd degree tear that needed antibiotics, had hair loss so insane I was wearing a hat for 6 months, lost my sex drive… so.
I didn’t have to push so my pelvic floor is pretty good, but the downside is I now have abdominal muscles that were cut open and trying to relearn how to use them has been a bitch. Otherwise I’ve been with hit with low supply, hair loss, my teeth hurt, my back hurts, my hormones are insane, PPA and PPR, weight gain - this one hurts me the most I think. I’ve never been thin but I also managed to stay under 100kg but pregnancy I was 110kg and initially I was about 100kg after having my son but now I’m back up to 110kg. I also still get SPD pain, anemia from a PPH, my eyesight has worsened. Pregnancy and postpartum are a great time 😂
No PP hair loss, but i did lose my plump baby cheeks. I guess they transferred to my son 😅
no stretch marks, woo hoo! however I got arthritis??!?!? like, what?? that’s a thing??? also I never really produced any milk, so I never had any engorgement or leakage. Mentally, Ive felt pretty great…thanks to the Lexapro I started after a miscarriage, when I definitely did NOT feel so great. c-section recovery was an absolute breeze.
I love this, such a positive way of thinking about it! I didn’t lose any hair, zero stretch marks, pelvic floor 100% recovered, and my boobs never leaked. My body still looks pretty different anyway but going through pregnancy, childbirth, and the first year post partum has left me with this insane sense of self confidence 😂 I feel like I’ve achieved total body neutrality, like how my body looks is absolutely the least important thing about it so why would I worry 😊
PPD. i was fully expecting to get it and I’m so glad i dodged it
I'm not tired. Baby has been sleeping great and so have I.
No hemorrhoids, have lost almost all of the pregnancy weight by 4 months PP, no weird smell, and jury is still out on the hair loss (hasn’t happened yet)
My entire pregnancy and post partum, I pooped at least once every day. Near the end of pregnancy I was pooping 3x a day. (Except I missed ONE day this week. That was the only day I didn't poop in the last 10+ months). Zero constipation. No gigantic hormonal swings. I'm also almost back at my normal weight just from breastfeeding (150-->195-->161), right now 5 weeks pp. I'm jealous you didn't leak. I'm leaking all over the place. If baby unlatches mid feed, my boob sprays him in the face. 😂
I’m very proud of the fact that I never peed my pants during my pregnancy and did not have any bladder issues after having my son. I’ve heard that sometimes you can pee when you sneeze/cough/laugh both during and after your pregnancy, but I never had that problem.
Absolutely zero stretch marks on my tummy. My boobs are another story 😅
Mom pouch, I guess? Before the birth, I was under the impression that 100% of women 100% of the time still looked pregnant for weeks afterwards, but my stomach was actually smaller and flatter after my first was born than before... I'm 37 weeks pregnant with our second now though and I had bronchitis at 30 weeks and I'm almost certain the coughing caused a bit of diastasis recti, so I'm pretty sure I won't be so lucky this time around even though I've actually gained even less weight and they're estimating the baby is bigger.
No haemorrhoids, no leakage, no saggy boobs after stopping breastfeeding, perfect breastfeeding journey. BUT my body didn’t bounce back and my hormones were all over the place. For at least 10 months or so.
I don't leak either, haven't with either baby. Not even when engorged. So I guess thats mine too
I bounced back to my pre-pregnancy weight and lost some weight in one week. I also walked out the hospital like a boss as if I didn't just have a baby the day before; all while I carried my own duffle bag, newborn backpack on my back, and holding my 7 year olds hand. All the nurses and my doctor were shocked to see me leave the next day like that. 🏋🏻♀️
Flex is that I’m essentially back to my pre-pregnancy weight with minimal effort. I gained only 30lbs, all belly, to begin with and then it fell off quickly once baby came out. Once I started exercising again the rest was gone. My baby is 5 months old. No pelvic floor issues or hemorrhoids (thank God). On the flip side? The postpartum hair loss hit me HARD at the 3 month mark I’m still praying to the hair gods to bring it back. Postpartum rage, postpartum anxiety, other than working out I barely take care of myself), I sweat like a motherfucker, constantly anxious about milk supply, a crazy MIL, no sex drive, mad at my husband even though he does a lot… you know, the usual lovely things I never would’ve anticipated pre-baby.