This guest post is an article specially written for postpartumtogether.com by Alison Woods There are always risks to pregnancy and some of them are linked to genetics. Even though birth defects are only found in 1 out of every 33 births, it can be helpful for mothers and mothers-to-be to go through a genetic screening. These …
What is Genetic Screening and Should You Undergo the Process? Read More »
If you are a mom who has given birth vaginally, you know that the perineum can burn like hell after birth. Regardless of whether or not you tear during birth, there is trauma to the muscles and tissue involved in birthing your baby. As you look for postpartum recovery methods, make sure to prepare yourself …
There are so many transitions that come after baby and we’re talking specifically about 5 things I wish I would have done in the third trimester as I was preparing for baby. Want to learn more about when the Third Trimester Starts? Read my recent piece on Zulily. Tip 1: Created Stations The first thing …
Top 5 Things I Should Have Done in the Third Trimester Read More »
So you have confirmed all of the early pregnancy signs and are ready to share the news. It is time to make a pregnancy announcement and tell your partner that you are pregnant. You might be excited. You may be nervous. Or, you may not know how you feel yet. No matter how you feel …
5 Great Ways to Tell Your Partner You’re Pregnant Read More »
Symptoms, Growth, To-Do List During the 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy So you’ve crossed the threshold of the first 13 weeks of pregnancy and entered into the 2nd trimester. Congrats! Maybe now it is feeling real. Hopefully, the nausea and some of the initial symptoms of the first trimester are subsiding. You are feeling more energetic …
The Second Trimester: Exciting Things you MUST Prepare During Pregnancy Read More »
Maybe it was feeling morning sickness or perhaps you missed your period. Maybe you just felt different and thought to take a pregnancy test. No matter how you learned you were pregnant, the realization makes you think about all the things to do in the first trimester. Let’s not forget, all the things to avoid during the first trimester.
We’re talking about gender disappointment, medical disappointment, and birth disappointment. Maybe it’s just not being ready to be a mom yet. Maybe it’s the disappointment of how something has gone differently than the way you anticipated. The struggle I see here is that we don’t often feel okay to have joy and disappointment coexisting with gratitude. Many new moms have this feeling of grief and disappointment over how something has gone.
As you track your pregnancy week by week, you likely know what size fruit your baby is or what should happen on your pregnancy trimester timeline. Sometimes, though, you need a relatable laugh to get you through when the weeks feel like years and the symptoms feel unrelenting.
Following a belly birth, most women are instructed on how to watch for infection, easing back into activity, and what to do in those early days. However, many women have shared that they were not instructed to perform scar massages on their belly incisions.
Shit happens, but sometimes it doesn’t. After giving birth, up to half of women will deal with constipation. This is another part of life after baby that isn’t discussed but we are here to give you the rundown: why postpartum constipation is common, what you can do to get things moving again, and when you should talk to your doctor about constipation.
Cramps after giving birth are called involution. This is the process of your uterus returning to normal size and is often marked by short, sharp pains. Throughout your pregnancy, your uterus grows around 25X its’ normal size. These cramps after giving birth are helping the uterus to shrink back down. While the process usually takes around 6 weeks, you likely won’t feel these pains for that long. As the days pass, the cramping will reduce and then subside.
A fundal massage, also known as a uterine massage, is a normal part of after-delivery care. This typically happens shortly after birth (or birth loss) and can continue for hours or days depending on the needs of the patient. Who doesn’t want a massage after the labor of bringing another human into the world?
