GP: 3 Childbirth facts the experts forget to tell you

 

 

For some lucky moms the experience of childbirth is a beautiful, natural and serene experience.  They spend the hours of labor quietly meditating to the sound of trappist monks chanting, and give birth quickly and easily in a fuzzy haze of smiles and laughter.

 

For others, the experience is quite different! Labor is, well, laborious and painful and even the most detailed of birth plans can quickly go awry because of many unforeseen factors. Babies and childbirth are unpredictable, which makes planning in advance very difficult.

 

New moms love to share their birth stories, and it can be useful to listen to a few different stories to understand just how unique the experience can be. However, there are few common facts that new moms and experts forget to tell you, and these are likely to be the most important facts – situations you can prepare for!

 

Here are three of the most important facts that the experts will forget to tell you:

 

1. If you have a C-section, the catheter will stay in for a while

Whether your C-section was planned or not, you will be required to have a catheter inserted prior to the procedure, this is to ensure the bladder remains empty and well away from the site of the incision.

 

The hospital will hold plenty of catheter products, so there will be no need to prepare anything yourself prior to this part of the procedure, and recovery should be quick and straightforward.  The catheter will most likely remain in place for up to 24 hours post surgery.

 

2. Breastfeeding isn’t always easy and sometimes hurts

We all know the saying that ‘breast is best’ and if you listen to the experts you’ll believe that as a ‘natural’ part of having a baby, nursing your newborn will be easy and pain free. However, this isn’t always the case, and is a fairly tricky skill both you and your baby will need to learn before it becomes easy and natural.

 

In addition, even with the correct latch, breastfeeding can be a little uncomfortable for the first few weeks; your breasts will be sensitive and need to get used to being fed from several times a day.

 

The good news is that after a couple of weeks of perseverance and acceptance that it wont always easy peasy, you’ll both be breastfeeding pros… And yes, breast really IS best!

 

3. Your pelvic floor muscles will be weakened

Your pelvic floor is a large area of muscles, ligaments and sheet like tissue that stretches from your pubic bone to your tailbone – think of it as a trampoline, it can stretch when something is bounced on it, but extreme pressure can damage it over time.

 

Childbirth is one of the number one causes of trauma to your pelvic floor muscles, and you will need to exercise this delicate area as soon after childbirth as possible.  Ask your midwife how to do this.

 

Failure to strengthen and repair your pelvic floor could lead to incontinence problems in later life.

 

This article was written by Amanda Walters, an experienced freelance writer and regular contributor to Huffington Post. Follow her here: @Amanda_W84

 

 

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