# How long did it take you to feel normal again after birth?



## laohaire (Nov 2, 2005)

I refer to a physical state of feeling whole - not talking about the inevitable life adjustments of having a baby, or losing weight or anything. Just getting over feeling like a truck hit you (if you ever felt that way that is).


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## boscopup (Jul 15, 2005)

I didn't really feel like a truck hit me, but I did have to walk slowly, etc. for a couple weeks due to stitches (so voted for "2 weeks"). I really didn't feel *good* until those stupid things fell out around 3 weeks. Other than that, I felt pretty good within a few days of birth. If I'd not torn, I would have felt pretty normal within a few days, I think.


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## jeanine123 (Jan 7, 2005)

I voted for my most recent birth. I felt great right away, no feelings of a truck hitting me or anything like what I felt after my first birth. Course this one was at home wheras the first was in the hospital with a vacuum. So, even though baby number 2 was 10lbs 10oz which was 2.5lbs bigger than my first son I felt normal pretty much right away.


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## Nora'sMama (Apr 8, 2005)

I put greater than 10 weeks even though I felt "fine" 2 weeks after the birth...but things were not "back to normal" for some time. Maybe I am just super sensitive. I bled for 6 weeks, and had some pain during sex for 4 months. (I only had a small tear but it was internal).

However, now I wish I could vote differently, because thinking about it, that "truck hit me" feeling probably didn't last much more than a couple of weeks. When my hormones dropped about 5 days postpartum I felt awful - the mood swings, but also I would feel super cold all of a sudden - the worst feeling. But that quickly passed. I was super super constipated for weeks, though, and obviously extremely tired. It's all so hazy! I wish I could remember better. I know that on the one hand I had plenty of energy, did not have PPD, and took my babe everywhere, I wasn't debilitated at all. OTOH getting used to having a baby was difficult psychologically and physically, so I definitely hadn't made the full transition at 2 weeks out - more like 10 weeks plus, as I voted.


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## laohaire (Nov 2, 2005)

I felt fine by about day 3. Then starting at about day 10, I felt like a truck hit me. It took until 10 weeks PP for me to reliably get out of bed. I think the adrenaline helped for the first couple of days, then baby was hospitalized and I thought of nothing else but her. After she was released, I kind of collapsed. BMs were excruciating (I passed out once), I didn't have any energy (not even to just go downstairs and make a sandwich), etc.

Thank god for DH who worked full time AND took care of us (coming home for lunch, etc.).


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## KiwiZ (Apr 4, 2004)

I chose "right away" but really it depends upon the ever changing definition of "normal" LOL

I said "right away" cuz it just felt so amazing to not carry my kids inside me anymore, but in my arms; a definite milestone. However, my 1st dd was born via C-sec and it took a week to not feel a good amount of pain and about 6-8 weeks to totally heal. With my 2nd dd (born via VBAC), I felt minimal pain from my 2nd degree tear, much better healing. I might also say that I felt "normal" again after about the 3-4 month mark, when I had lost all the pregnancy weight and was starting to get more sleep. And again, I might say that I felt normal again after weaning, when my sex drive returned and my breasts went back to non-pregnancy/nursing size. But if normal is how a woman is/feels before babies I will never go back to that and I don't want to!


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## LaceyTX (Mar 1, 2006)

I'm 16 weeks pp and still waiting. Lots of episiotomy pain, and lifting something heavy makes me feel like I'm giving birth again. And I won't even talk about going to the bathroom.


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## mama_at_home (Apr 27, 2004)

I'd say at least 10 weeks, but more like 3 or 4 months. I still don't feel back to normal and my twins are almost 6 months. But around 3 or 4 months I felt pretty good.


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## courtenay_e (Sep 1, 2005)

Okay, so here's what I experienced with both of my babies. It took me six solid weeks before I cared if I got out of my jammies for the day. I LIKED to shower, but didn't really care until that point if I absolutely didn't get to have one. At six weeks pp, I would reliably be out of bed at a decent time, showered, teeth brushed, hair done, dressed, kids fed (if not dressed).

That said, it took me a SOLID six months to give a flying flip about anything other than baby, me, and food. At six months I started to notice mess on the counters, dirty toilets, and dusty shelves again. I started to invite people over for lunch or tea and could reliably trust that I wouldn't have to stay up all night the night before to "clean" my house, because I would be able to do a little bit every day.

Thank god I breastfed and cloth diapered. If I had had to worry about making and warming bottles and running out of diapers, there may have been real problems!


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## kalirush (Jun 14, 2005)

Everything had basically gone back together about 6 weeks. That was when I could comfortably walk around, and I felt basically normal. I still had pain in sex until more than three months, though, and it was probably about three months until I had the stamina I had pre-baby. And I think I really felt "whole" when I started going back to work and working out (more importantly) at four months. By then, the stretch marks had really begun to fade, and the linea negra was mostly faded and exercise helped my belly firm a little. I started wearing belly shirts again at maybe 8 months.

Julia


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## ABand3 (May 21, 2005)

I voted about 1 week, altho it was just a few days, but definitly not right away because the afterpains with #3 were nealy worse than labor itself!


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

With dd1 it took about 6 mos because I had breast problems, but I also had moderate PPD. That took about 2 years to go away.

With dd2 it took about 2 years because of her health problems and PPD. Dh and I were severely sleep deprived until recently. Like less than 3 hours of sleep per night on a regular basis. I honestly don't know how we survived. I recovered physically very easily. About 2 weeks later I felt all healed and everything.


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## Stephanie L. (Jun 7, 2005)

I have two children. After the last birth, I was the ONLY person awake and walking around the birthcenter carrying my newborn. I had adrenyline and euphoria and couldn't sleep.







I couldn't believe that I was up and about and peeking in on my sleeping midwife and my DH sleeping with my DD1. And I ate a lot right away.

(After the first birth I'd lost a lot of blood, passed out a few times, had an IV, didn't eat for a couple of days, and was very tired for about 4 or 5 weeks.)


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## WinterBaby (Oct 24, 2002)

The day after birth I definately felt like I'd been hit by a truck - long labor, hard pushing. Within 3 days, I felt recovered and pretty darned good. So I voted about a week, but really just 3 days and I was ready to be about all my normal things again.


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## Snowdrift (Oct 15, 2005)

I don't really know. It really depends on what the question means. I'm 6 weeks pp now and still have a bit of numbness from a very small but unfortunately located tear. I still have a lot of unpleasant pressure when I squat or sit in certain position. But I never felt hit by a truck. Immediately pp, I felt a bit sick-ish--I was dehydrated and had a sore throat from throwing up a lot--but I didn't feel bruised or weak or anything like that, and those issues resolved within two days.

I have been finding it a lot harder to cope with daily life--mostly because I'm pretty unmotivated about anything but taking care of the baby and partly because I haven't really figured out babywearing while doing housework. Partly it's because of tiredness. A lot fo that is due to less solid sleep, but really I've had little sleep deprivation. i've always been able to sleep well during the day and mine and the baby's sleep cycles are pretty in sync, so I guess some of the feelings of being physically and emotionally overwhelmed could be the result of birth.

So really, I don't know. I was posting on MDC about five hours pp. I left the house within 24 hours (against my will--DD needed cranial-sacral asap and it was too far for a house call on such short notice). Started driving again within a week. Went back to class on day 10 pp. Started walking the dog with DH again after two weeks or so. Stopped bleeding at three weeks, but started again for a couple days at week four. Altogether it's been easier and faster in some ways that i'd expected, but I'm a bit surprised that such a small tear is continuing to give me so much trouble for so long. And the enormous pressure when squatting or goign to the bathroom is my offical "thing I wish someone had told me about."


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I voted 7-8 weeks BUT that's cause I've had 3 c-sections and honestly never feel "whole" again so to speak but feel a little more normal about 2 months post-partum.

It would be soooo awesome to give birth and feel wonderful less then a week later! I would have loved to have that experience


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Hmm, with this distribution, as someone who hasn't had a birth yet, I'd like to see another poll with >10 weeks broken down.


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## lizabird (Jan 19, 2004)

I felt pretty good right away but I voted for 1 week because I tore and my rear end hurt for about a week afterwards, mostly while standing or sittting. Other than that I think I felt pretty much fine!


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## paxye (Mar 31, 2005)

I was up and moving right away after both of my births... I was hungry and thirsty, I made a few calls, I walked around with ds and just felt great and full of energy...


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## babybun (Mar 22, 2006)

I voted 5-6 weeks.

It's so hard to seperate the emotional from the physical after giving birth. Six weeks seemed to be a magic week for both me and my baby, from both a physical aspect (stitches healed, breastfeeding established and no longer painful) as well as over-all emotinonal aspect (more comfort and confidence as a mother, connection to baby and ability to respond to needs etc).

That doesn't mean I felt awful for the first 6 weeks!







I was up and moving soon after birth, and was going out for daily walks after about a week. I just remember at around six weeks thinking, "Well, now I feel like myself again!"


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## RockStarMom (Sep 11, 2005)

A long time. I had bad tearing and was in excruciating pain for weeks, then felt so weak for several months- I didn't even feel safe wearing my daughter in the sling until she was about 3-4 months old. So around that time was when I felt stable and whole again.


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## Peppamint (Oct 19, 2002)

Most recent birth, felt great right away (well, I needed a long nap cause it was a middle of the night birth). No tears and my third birth so I think my body knows what to do. I was popping Advil for the afterpains the first two days but the birth high made up for it, ya know?


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## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

I'm 7 weeks PP and I realized about a week ago that things were pretty normal again. The bleeding was long gone, the 'rhoids had (mostly) cleared up, I was getting adequate sleep, we had DTD with very little discomfort, I was getting things done around the house, and I was feeling confident in taking the baby with me wherever I needed/wanted to go. I kept saying things like "everyone who said it gets easier at 6 weeks was totally right!"


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## frannyfresh (May 21, 2005)

I voted 10 + weeks. I know this is going to sound dramatic but my DD is 20 months old and I still don't feel quite right. I suspect in my case nursing has kept me feeling like my joints have'nt really tightened up again. I have alot of hip pain and feel loosey goosey.







:


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## greenlace (May 23, 2005)

i voted right away but it was really 3-4 days, i tore above and below my "birth canal" and had stitches so my bottom was sore. actually the worst part was when my milk came in......THAT was painful!


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## henhao (Dec 17, 2004)

4 months. I lost a lot of blood and wasn't over the anemia for 6-7 weeks. Then I returned to work at 8 weeks and never felt rested. I didn't feel safe carrying my baby for the first few months because I was so light-headed; I could not even walk 1/2 a block.


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

I'm coming up on 4 weeks and I am starting to feel normal again. I still hurt in a few places and I still have to be careful about my energy levels and I'm still sort of feeling the blood loss/anemia, but in general I'm doing some nomral things again. I really did feel like a truck hit me the first week, though.


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## eco_mama (Feb 10, 2006)

I'm starting to feel back to normal and ds is 17 days old today. I'm not 100% back to normal but almost there.


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## annarosa (Aug 30, 2004)

I felt physically pretty normal after about 4 days - could sit down and use the bathroom like normal and had pretty much my usual energy levels
emotionally though I was well into newborn baby and mamma land for a loooong time - maybe right up until I started to tail back on breastfeeding at 3 years old !


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