to choose from What to Expect at the Hospital After Birth You anxiously awaited the hour when you d meet your new baby. Now, the delivery is FINALLY over. Congratulations! You re entering a new phase in your life. Yet, you may have questions about what to expect at the hospital after giving birth. Let s look at what you can anticipate in the first day or two after giving birth. Vaginal Issues Once your baby has entered the world and you ve met your new family member for the first time, you re probably exhilarated but exhausted. You may also notice that your vaginal area is sore, especially if you had a vaginal tear and episiotomy. The nursing staff will give you instructions on how to care for it. They may recommend sitting on a special ring or pillow and using an ice pack to help with the pain and swelling. Another sign to expect vaginal bleeding and discharge called lochia. You may experience bleeding that will last several days. Slowly, the bleeding will die down and change to a colored vaginal discharge, although it may take 4 to 6 weeks for this to happen. Although this is normal, let the staff know if the discharge has an unpleasant odor or you have pain or heavy vaginal bleeding. Using the Bathroom Using the bathroom may feel uncomfortable right after giving birth. For one, the tissues surrounding your urethra, the opening through which you pass urine, will likely be swollen and sore. This can make urinating uncomfortable. Having bowel movements may be unpleasant as well if you developed hemorrhoids, swollen veins in your anal area, during pregnancy. Unfortunately, some women experience leakage of urine or feces after a vaginal birth. Special exercises called Kegel exercises may help you with this problem should it persist. Also, don t be surprised if you notice your weight drop right after giving birth. You ll subtract the weight of the baby along with several pounds of water weight. All in all, you can expect to be between 12 and 14 pounds lighter right after giving birth. Contractions Contractions? Bet you hoped you were through with those. However, you may feel contractions off and on for a few days after giving birth. Fortunately, these contractions are not as severe as the ones you experienced during delivery. They re more on par with menstrual cramps and are usually tolerable. Just remember, these cramps won t last for more than a few days and will seem tame after giving birth. Mood Changes Giving birth is a hard job! You may feel a mixture of emotions during the first day or two after delivery. On one hand, you re excited to finally meet your baby, yet you re exhausted from all you ve been through. Don t feel bad if you don t feel an immediate bond with your new baby. You ve been through a lot and it takes time to get to know the little person that emerged from your body. You might run the gamut of emotions from exhilaration to feeling a bit weepy and emotional. It s all to be expected. The Bottom Line Now you have a better idea of how you ll feel in the first few days after giving birth. Keep in mind that all women are different. The most important thing to do is congratulate yourself on a job well done and get some well-deserved rest. References: Mayo Clinic. Labor and Delivery, Postpartum Care to break down
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