Postpartum - a true story

No, I don't want to write about these couples today. I want to write about the postpartum period. And you have to know that this is one of the greatest trials that a woman and a man go through when they decide to live together. It's not about whether someone throws their socks into the trash can or carelessly balls them up and throws them by the bed. It's about how the other person reacts to scars, sweat, tears and excrement.

It's more fun with two people

You have to take my word for it. I wouldn't have been able to get myself together after giving birth on my own. Starting with the wonderful ladies in the postpartum ward, who encouraged me to get into an upright position, tempting me with a sponge cake "as a reward for my effort", and ending with the father of my children, who brought the baby to my breast while I sat on the toilet, while puerperal feces (because that's what the body cleanses itself of after giving birth) were leaking out of my body like red cables. At that time, I was obsessed with observing everything that came out of me. I noted the changing colors of my secretions and kept my partner informed about it, because it was important for both of us that we were going in the right direction and that everything was happening at the right time, in the right order: red, brown, yellow, white. We went through this difficult time together and waited for the end, which was tantamount to the green light for... Oh, more about that some other time. During the postpartum period, it was common to wash dirty pajamas, towels or bed linen, as well as scrub the toilet or floor from blood stains. The household members were also familiar with the sight of strained or bloody nipples or scars with stitches, which, after all, had to be aired out frequently in order to heal faster.

Caesarean section wound

As for the wound itself - its care was very uncomfortable (not to mention annoying) for me. It had to be washed frequently (I washed it three times a day) with water and detergent ( the only right one , of course!*) and wiped with a disposable towel. At first I was afraid to touch the wound, but how can you wash yourself without touching your skin? :) The removal of the stitches was unusual for me, because due to the circumstances, the midwife removed them in my living room. It wasn't too complicated, because it was one simple thread that you just had to pull with a smooth movement, but it was one of the moments when I really, really needed someone else's hand to crush my ankles a little. My postpartum period wasn't the shortest, fortunately it was within the norm. The postpartum period should normally end after about six weeks after giving birth, my body needed five weeks. Those were looooong weeks when I ran straight from the shower to my baby, and from the baby back to the shower because I bled more during feedings and often fed standing up so as not to flood the bed or couch. That's when the baby's dad did the dirty work, and I was mainly focused on shuttling between the bathroom and the baby.

Postpartum check-up

A check-up is simply a visit after a full six weeks of giving birth, during which your doctor will conduct an interview about your condition, the course of the postpartum period, and then examine you, checking, for example, whether your cervix has closed properly and the condition of any scars. My doctor also asked me about my future plans for expanding my family and chose contraception for the period of breastfeeding . It is important to mention any doubts or concerns at such a visit. Giving birth is a difficult ordeal, and a postpartum check-up is the culmination of this difficult period and the beginning of getting back into shape - in small steps!

*I'm of course talking about Your KAYA , which was originally intended for intimate hygiene, but turned out to be absolutely for everything, even baby's navel care. I'm in love with it, I proclaim it to everyone that it's irreplaceable!