By: Bernice Maune
You are nearing the last few weeks of your pregnancy and you can’t wait to hold your baby in your arms. It’s been months of feeling him kick in your belly and as your due date comes closer, you have waited in anticipation of this precious moment. The birth itself will be even more special as your child makes his grand entrance. It will be the first time you meet him and you probably can’t wait for that day.
Family and friends have likely been advising you about the birth and if you are having a natural or Caesarean birth, you are aware of what the experience entails. Yet as much as one can prepare for the birth, there are some details that not many people even your obstetrician can fully brief and prepare for you. We’ve spoken to two first time mothers who shared their experiences of what happened after they welcomed their babies into the world.
Twenty-seven year old Mbali Gushu gave birth to her daughter, Phillipa in 2015. She had an emergency Caesarean birth as Phillippa was in distress and her heartrate was dropping. Mbali says after the birth, she was in intense pain and couldn’t stand up or walk.
“It felt like I got stabbed multiple times in my lower abdomen. It was so painful and even the painkillers were not strong enough to fully relieve me of the pain. I still had to try and move about and not just lay there even though that was what I wanted to do, stay in bed all day until the pain went away.
“The nurses told me to not stay put though and move around. You have to push through the pain, in a week that’s when you start feeling better.”
Amusingly Mbali says her hair was a mess and that she was not fully prepared to deal with it.
“I would advise new moms to get their hair done right before the birth. A simple style like braids or plaits will keep you looking neat and tidy because you will barely get a chance to look after your appearance after the birth.”
Mbali also adds that her first menstrual period after giving birth was unusual as her flow was heavier than normal and she bled for longer than usual.
Refilwe Moagi, gave birth to her son Logan three years ago. She says her birthing experience was nothing like what she had been told.
“My mother and family told me what to expect when having a natural birth but nothing fully prepares you,” says Refilwe.
While walking around the maternity ward to cope with the contractions and to speed up dilation, Refilwe says she suddenly felt her son’s head and rushed to her bed to begin pushing.
“It took minutes to give birth to my son and he practically flew out. While he was coming out I had a bowel movement which was completely unexpected because I had emptied my stomach earlier.
“What made this even more cringe worthy was that the father of my child was in the room and having him see me like that was really weird. I know now that nothing fully prepares you for birth and my doctor neglected to tell me that a bowel movement could happen at the same time as pushing.”
Here are five more unexpected things that happen after birth
- You may be emotional and breakdown in tears now and again. The levels of hormones in your body are still high and being emotional is normal. If you feel down for longer than a month, you may want to consult your psychologist to ensure it is not the onset of postpartum depression.
- There is a third stage of delivery where your body expels the placenta and all the remaining products of conception. Over the course of the next few days, you will experience bleeding as your uterus completely empties itself to get back to normal.
- Bowel movements after a vaginal delivery may be uncomfortable and painful. Buying a mild laxative will help to ease the pain.
- Breastfeeding may be painful as your nipples are sensitive and adjusting to having your little one pull and suck on them. Buy a nipple cream to massage onto your nipples in-between feeds.
- You may experience brittle hair and hair loss due to hormones.
