1. You still look pregnant and it's not pretty. Its all soft and flabby but you will feel skinny and great because the baby is out! The hard part is a few months later, there's a good chance you will still be carrying extra weight unless you are one of those lucky ones who all of us normal women love to hate. You know the ones...they look back to normal after about 3 weeks. Well, for me and most normal sized with normal metabolism women the weight doesn't just come off real quick. And each subsequent pregnancy it hangs on for longer. The good news is it CAN come off, but it usually takes some work and even once you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight, your clothes might not fit just the same...so be prepared for that.
2. You will be sore for a long time so take your pain medication and don't try to do too much too soon! If you tear or have an episiotomy then seriously don't expect to be able to walk normal for several weeks. It's sad, but true. I'm just being real here. My first birthing experience was not so easy and it took a LONG time for me to feel normal again.
3. If you have a c-section your scar will hurt for a long time and then you will be numb. It's awesome. I'm 6 months post c-section and I'm still numb around my scar but also around the area that my stomach ends and my uterus begins...right around the spot your panties hit. It's totally weird but I do hear its normal so I'm glad I'm not the only one.
4. You can get gallstones after pregnancy. They hurt really bad and the gallstone attacks are actually worse than labor. Mine started 3 weeks after my first pregnancy. I thought I was dying. I called my OB at 2 am because I was desperate. It feels sort of like a heart attack or heart burn but it starts in your back and comes around your right side in the chest area. I threw up every time I had an attack because the pain was so bad. I had an ultrasound to confirm gallstones and then had my gallbladder taken out when Ellie Kate was 10 weeks old. It was a little crazy. Apparently it's another lovely side effect of hormones in your body during pregnancy.
5. Your hair will fall out in clumps but don't freak out! It's just part of the process of your hormones going back to normal. Mine usually starts doing this about 3-4 months after the baby.
6. In addition to your hair falling out, you will get what my friends and I affectionately call baby bangs. They are really attractive. Basically about 5-6 months post partum you start getting new hair coming in around your scalp/bangs area. The hair will stick straight up until it's long enough to lay down right. Until then, I highly recommend investing in a good can of hairspray.
7. You will think you will never sleep again, but rest assured you will! I promise. It does get better and get easier. During those first few weeks accept any help you can get!
8. You will sweat a LOT especially at night. It's those darn hormones again.
9. You will cry a lot too. You might not even know why. It can feel really crazy but just tell yourself and your hubby and your other children (if you have them) that everything is okay, sometimes you just have to cry. Of course if it becomes more than you can handle, then ask for help.
10. After a c-section your feet and legs will be really swollen/puffy for a long time. I didn't realize that and it was really frustrating but after about a week they finally go back down and alleluia you have ankles again:).
So, that's about all I can think of right now. If you have more to add to this list, by all means share in the comments!
Of course, every single bit of the above is worth it. Even though you will be frustrated by many of these things, you will be so smitten by the miracle you are holding and caring for that they won't really matter. Children are truly a gift and the marks they leave on our bodies are beautiful treasures honestly. I have to tell that to myself when I start feeling down. Carrying a child and giving birth to a child was one of my highest dreams and something I thought I might not be able to experience. By God's mercy and grace, I have done it 3 times. That is still unbelievable to me! ME! I was the infertile one and now I am mother to four precious lives. Oh, that I would not get caught up in the frustrations and hormonal changes that happen after giving birth...but that I would be able to accept them and praise the One who made it possible. One of my favorite books is Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic. If you haven't read it, go buy it right now. Seriously. She writes about this topic so eloquently...
"Scars and stretch marks and muffin tops are all part of your kingdom work. One of the greatest testimonies Christian women can have in our world today is the testimony of joyfully giving your body to another....So realize that your body is a testimony to the world of God's design. Carry the extra weight joyfully until you can lose it joyfully. Carry the scars joyfully as you carry the fruit of them. Do not resent the damages that your children left on your body. Just like a guitar mellows and sounds better with age and scratches, so your body can more fully praise God having been used for His purposes, So don't resent it, enjoy it."
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