# Stairs after the birth



## katarn (Apr 23, 2005)

my mw has this rule... no stairs the first three days postpartum

what do you think?

i'm planning on birthing downstairs in the living room but the bedroom is upstairs along with the toilet..(we'll probably have a comode for during labor)

i don't want to be stuck downstairs for three days. fwiw i did stairs up and down once the day after ds1..







:


----------



## skueppers (Mar 30, 2005)

I don't think I would have wanted to do stairs frequently until the next day, but once or twice I would have been fine to do on the same day.

I definitely have a tendency toward easy recoveries, though. And I'm not much for resting.









It seems to me that this is really about how you feel, not about your midwife's "rules".


----------



## Full Heart (Apr 27, 2004)

I have a 2 story and gave birth upstairs 4 times. It really depends on how the birth goes and how you feel. I am weaker this time and any more than once a day is really hard. I went down about 12 hours after birth because I had to and it was very very difficult. I was faint afterward. If you don't have to do stairs I suggest just using that excuse to sit in bed and relax. Enjoy your new baby and just rest.


----------



## koru (Sep 7, 2006)

i hope my midwife gives me this "rule."







if dh hears it from a professional, it'll be easier to stay in bed & have a relaxing few days. i did NOT relax after my first two babes & in retrospect, i regret it.


----------



## NatureMama3 (Feb 25, 2004)

hmm.. mine didn't have that, and I don't think I'd have obeyed if they did. I tend to do or not do what my body tells me. I walked up 3 long flights of stairs on day 4 after my last birth to show baby to hubby's coworkers.


----------



## ABand3 (May 21, 2005)

My midwife had a similar rule, particularly b/c I had a hemorrage. But she said I could go up & down once each of those three days, preferrable not all at once - i.e, come down in the morning, go up in the evening.

But if your only toilet is upstairs, that's a little more up & down. I would go based on how you feel, as long as you're not trying to do too much.


----------



## kaspar (Nov 9, 2005)

my midwife asked me to sleep on the sofa the first night, so i would be on the same floor as the washroom. but she had no problem with me going home (i gave birth at hospital, and our home is the top two floors of a house, so i had to climb a flight of stairs), and it was only the first night she was worried about. she did a home visit the next day and said i was fine to do stairs, but should be careflu to not overdo it.

so i would say give bierth in whatever room you want! climbing one set of stairs isn't likely to be a problem if you have a normal birth.


----------



## wifeandmom (Jun 28, 2005)

I can't imagine why on earth that particular restriction would be necessary across the board.

If you have complications such as a lot of bleeding or something, sure I can see it. Otherwise, it doesn't really make a lot of sense to me.

FWIW, I climbed stairs prior to 3 days post-partum after all three of my c-sections. If it can be done after c-sections, I fail to see why a woman couldn't do it after a vaginal delivery.

Strange.


----------



## Phoenix_Rising (Jun 27, 2005)

i'm sure glad my mw didn't say that! i had to do 2 (short) flights of stairs to our bedroom after climbing out of the hot tub where our babe was born. i did walk the stairs probably only 2 or 3 times a day for the first four or five days though.


----------



## moppity (Aug 15, 2005)

I gave birth in a hospital but would often walk my visitors out down the stairs and up again back to my room (leaving DD with DH) so I could get a little bit of exercise/see fresh air and did so the day after giving birth probably once/twice per day until I was discharged.


----------



## runes (Aug 5, 2004)

i think it's good advice.

our bodies go through so much with the late stages of pregnancy and then the birth, we are particularly vulnerable to stresses on the body immediately postpartum. putting undue stress on the pelvic muscles can cause some complications such as postpartum pelvic organ prolapse.

i believe that it is an investment for the rest of our lives to take care of ourselves and be mindful during the postpartum time. our culture values snapping right back into shape and getting back to business right after the birth, and it is a true disservice to women. and yet, women are having to have pelvic reconstruction, bladder 'slings' and even hysterectomies at relatively young ages and in record numbers in order to 'treat' pelvic organ prolapse. this is so much more common than we even realize. and i can't help but think that it's partially to do with the way that we push ourselves to be up and about and active right after giving birth. it's almost a badge of honor and a bragging point. and yes, i bragged about it too...but now as i wear a pantiliner sometimes and have to cross my legs and hold a kegel as i cough, sneeze or laugh or else i leak urine, i understand first hand my folly and shortsightedness.

take it easy during this precious time, mama. relax, rest and bond with your babe.

(ETA: i live in a duplex so i did have to do the stairs at least once a day.)


----------



## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Well I live in a split level, so if I wanted to go into my home from the hospital I had to climb stairs. I had no problems... I DID overdo it about 5 days after, and nearly collapsed at the store. I'd say listen to your body, which I did not. (It's a very long story why I was at the store...)

I drove one week after. Felt fine. My OB wanted me to wait 24 hours after narcs, which was not a problem as I did not need them after the hospital and one week after my c/s... basically because she knew I needed to be able to drive myself to see DD and she knew I was desparate for some independance from my family.


----------



## SublimeBirthGirl (Sep 9, 2005)

With my 2nd I gave birth in my basement, and went upstairs about half an hour after the birth. By the 2nd day postpartum I felt like a million bucks and never avoided stairs. I was a little more sore with my first, but was still on stairs pretty quickly. My house is a raised ranch so I'd have no choice if I wanted to go anywhere, which probably sounds nuts actually but I hate being stuck at home. I was out and about really quickly after both births. I think intellectually it's a fine idea to stay in bed for a few days and just spend time with the baby, but I'm prone to boredom. I say listen to yourself and you'll know what to do.


----------



## laohaire (Nov 2, 2005)

I birthed downstairs, the only commode was upstairs along with the bathroom.

No problem. I took it nice and easy going up the stairs with the help of DH. Not an issue at all. Then spent the next day upstairs. The day after I came down, I was fine, restricting myself would have been downright silly (not saying it would be the same for another birth, but for THAT birth, I was ok to go down stairs after a full day of rest).

I did, however, have a backup plan - a futon mattress to put on the floor downstairs if I wanted (though to be honest, I was thinking more for if I wanted to BIRTH on the mattress and didn't want to go upstairs, rather than for sleeping there that night).


----------



## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wifeandmom* 
I can't imagine why on earth that particular restriction would be necessary across the board.

If you have complications such as a lot of bleeding or something, sure I can see it. Otherwise, it doesn't really make a lot of sense to me.

FWIW, I climbed stairs prior to 3 days post-partum after all three of my c-sections. If it can be done after c-sections, I fail to see why a woman couldn't do it after a vaginal delivery.

Strange.

Just because it is *possible* doesn't mean it's ideal. And it's not a super strict rule -- it's a warning to avoid going up and down the stairs. They're not saying you can't climb stairs for three days under any circumstances. Also, you often don't know until you've done too many stairs that it was overdoing it. I think it's a good precaution.

And I agree with kidspiration.


----------



## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

To the OP- if stairs weren't a problem after your first babe, they probably wont be a problem this time either.







Listen to your body and do what feels right.

That said, my house has only one toilet (on the second floor) so there is NO DOUBT in my mind that I will be climbing stairs post partum again with this babe, just like I did after dd arrived. I go slow, take my time, and rest as needed during the day...but get to that potty I will!


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

My midwives have never imposed a strict rule about anything. They have, however, cautioned me to take it slowly and let my body recover from birth. Usually, I try to only do the stairs once a day, like going up to tuck in my older children at night.

It was explained to me and my Dh this way (very helpful for my Dh to hear): after birth, you have a placenta-sized wound in your uterus that needs adequate time to heal properly. The more work you do, the longer it takes for your body to heal.

They also strongly encouraged me to limit activities such as vacuuming, sweeping, lifting (except for baby), in order to let my body heal and recover. I've always had pretty quick recoveries; by the end of the first week, I always feel great.

Still, it is very easy to overdo it, thinking you are stronger than you really are. Give your body a chance to rest. Everything can wait, believe me, it won't go away! It will all still be there when you get around to doing laundry, cleaning bathroom, cooking, cleaning the floors, etc.


----------



## melamama (Oct 8, 2002)

With my first I birthed downstairs and wanted to go upstairs to my bedroom and be in my bed (this is post placenta, post clean up, everything) and I did pass out on the way up the stairs. Everything was fine, but it was unnecessary.
For my next 2 births I made sure that I stayed on the floor that I birthed on.

It's a good blanket rule for all the reasons kidspiration mentioned. Yes, many of us would be fine, but letting your body heal is a gift to yourself.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *katarn* 
my mw has this rule... no stairs the first three days postpartum

what do you think?

i'm planning on birthing downstairs in the living room but the bedroom is upstairs along with the toilet..(we'll probably have a comode for during labor)

i don't want to be stuck downstairs for three days. fwiw i did stairs up and down once the day after ds1..







:


----------



## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

I gave birth upstairs, tore and needed about 10 sutures. I stayed upstairs for the rest of the day, but the next day I got dressed and came downstairs. However, I went upstairs every time I had to go to the bathroom because my peri bottle and pads and everything were up there, and I didn't feel like moving it all downstairs. I still recovered pretty quickly.

I kind of wish I had stayed in bed for a few days, though, but that was more for my mental health. I mean basically I wish the ability to stay in bed and have people pamper me would have been an option.


----------



## luckymamato2 (Jun 3, 2006)

I had to go up 3 flights of stairs about 14 hours after birth to get to my 3rd floor apartment. NOT easy, but I had to do it - no elevator.


----------

