Most women are well prepared for what is going to happen during their labor but they are
often surprised about the things that can happen after a delivery, particularly during the first
24 hours. Yes. So, in this video, we are going to share with you the 10 things they don’t tell
you about the first 24 hours after your delivery, at least, based on what women regularly tell us.
And of course, we are also gonna give you a couple of tips on what’s the best thing to do
in each situation. Right. This is Nathalie, a pregnancy and birth consultant and TCM therapist, and that’s
Mathias a researcher and science geek and we are here to help you and your baby naturally and science-
based! So, here are the 10 things they don’t tell you about the first 24 hours after your delivery !
For obvious reasons, it is commonly believed that contractions stop after a delivery. I mean,
after all, your baby is delivered, right? What they don’t tell you though is that you will most
probably continue feeling contractions, not only during those first 24 hours, but also during the days,
sometimes weeks after your delivery. Well, that’s because first of all,
after your delivery, your uterus shrinks back to its original size.
Yes. And second, whenever you breastfeed your baby, your body releases Oxytocin.
And Oxytocin can make your uterus contract even after a delivery. Luckily, these contractions are
normally not as painful as during active labor. However, they tend to be more painful if you have
given birth to babies in the past already. But don’t worry: eventually, they are going to stop.
Most women haven’t heard about postpartum chills. It basically means that your teeth suddenly start
to chatter. And you start to shiver as if the temperature just dropped sub-zero. Yes.
Scientists do not yet know why this happens but it’s a common postpartum phenomenon that a woman
may experience at the end of labor or hours after her delivery. Obstetricians say that
it is not a reason to worry. But they still recommend informing your midwife or doctor.
Thats because chills can be a warning sign if you also experience other symptoms at the same time,
such as fever, right? So, please do inform your midwife when you experience chills!
Many women believe that if they suffered from pelvic girdle pain
during their pregnancy, it would stop once their baby is born. But what they
don’t tell you is that this is unlikely to happen. In fact, in most cases, a woman is still going to
experience pelvic girdle pain after a delivery before it finally gets better. The good news is
though that it will get better eventually, normally within 4 months after a delivery.
It is true that breastfeeding should be established as soon as possible after a delivery,
ideally within the first hour because scientific studies show that this increases infant survival
rates. To our surprise though, many women still don’t know that their body does not produce milk
in abundance straight after a delivery. It can take up to 5 days for the milk to flow! And so,
many women panic because they believe they don’t have enough milk initially to satisfy
their baby’s hunger. Yes. But that’s not the case. It just takes time for your milk to flow.
And in the meantime, your breasts produce what is called colostrum
which is a highly concentrated form of milk. It contains lots of calories, maternal antibodies and
nutrients and that’s all your baby needs at the beginning. So, no need to bottle
feed your baby! No need to use a breast pump. Everything is exactly how it’s supposed to be.
Most pregnancy guides make it sound like it’s so simple: you simply put your baby to your
breast and then the breastfeeding starts. And yes, sometimes, it can work straight away. Some babies
instinctively know what do. But most of the times, it’s not that simple. Yes. First of all, your baby has
never done this before. And if this is your first pregnancy, then you most probably have never
done this before either. And so, it can be very difficult to establish those first latches. On top
of that, breastfeeding may also be painful during those 24 hours after birth and even thereafter.
The most common breastfeeding issue initially are sore nipples, particularly if the latch is not
optimal. Because of that, we encourage you to make use of the breastfeeding knowledge of people
around you, whether that’s your midwife or doula or a doctor. Let them show you what you have to do. And
always keep in mind: it’s a learning process for both of you. No matter how difficult and painful
it may seem during those first couple of days or weeks, you will get there eventually. And
the nipple pain should get better once the baby is latching on well and the sensitivity fades. Yes.
The first attempts of breastfeeding can be even more difficult, if your baby is very
sleepy. Babies are normally very awake and alert when they are born. At least for the first one
or two hours after birth. But what they don’t tell you is that some medications against pain
relief that you might receive during childbirth, can cross the placenta and cause drowsiness in
your baby. Yes. In fact, sometimes, the effect is so severe that they give your baby another drug
to reverse the effect of the medication. So, please keep that in mind because some women are
worried when they see their baby like that right after birth. We also recommend that you ask your
doctor if the kind of medication for pain relief that you receive has an impact on your baby.
You are tired and exhausted from your delivery. But instead of having that good night sleep that
you so much deserve, you are not going to sleep a lot during that first night. And it’s not
necessarily because your baby wakes you up. It’s rather because initially you need to feed your
baby every 2-3 hours whether you and your baby like it or not. Your baby needs to eat regularly
because there is no longer a placenta which provides for them. And second, frequent feedings
stimulate your breasts which will help establish that milk flow. Yes. And the second reason why
you won’t sleep a lot is because your midwife is going to check in on you regularly, for example,
to check your temperature. And they obviously do that to make sure that you are doing alright.
So, don’t expect to sleep a lot during that first night and actually also during the nights after
the first night.
Many women experience pelvic pain after they have given birth to their baby.
And this can have several reasons. First of all, it can be caused when the baby’s head presses on
your pelvic bones in a certain way which may cause a tiny gap between the front bones of your pelvis.
Doctors often call this "phenomenon separated pubic symphysis". And it’s that gap which can
cause pelvic pain. Right. The other reason for pelvic pain can be tears or episiotomies, either
because the healing process itself causes weakness in the pelvic floor or because the tear affects
the pelvic floor which, however, is only the case in very severe cases of tearing. Yes. And finally,
pelvic pain can also be caused when the tailbone bruises. And this is something which can happen
when the baby moves through the pelvis at a not so optimal angle. By the way, if you wanna know
which challenges a baby faces when moving through your pelvis, warch our free mini birthing course.
In that course, we also teach you how to breathe during labor. Anyways, whatever it is that causes
pelvic pain, we recommend talking with your doctor because it is important that you do something
against it as soon as possible after your delivery
particularly, if it is an ongoing pain that you experience.
During your pregnancy, your hormones almost certainly cause mood swings, including crying and
irritability. Some are even mean to their partners when they are pregnant. So, that had to be said.
Not me! You were!
But what they don’t tell you is that your hormones will not go back to “normal” right after your
delivery. Right. In fact, many women go through what is called “baby blues” which basically means
that they get super emotional. It might involve difficulties sleeping, crying without any reason,
anxiety, mood swings, etc. And this often starts within 2 or 3 days after birth, but sometimes
even within hours after birth. The good news is that this phase normally does not last too long.
Normally, it only takes up to 2 weeks. But if it is not getting better after 2 weeks,
we would go an see a doctor so that they can exclude that it’s a postnatal depression.
As long as you are pregnant, you can only imagine what your baby will look like. And so,
you obviously have that perfect picture in your mind of that angel’s face.
Big expressive eyes gazing at you, perfect skin, perfect looks. Yes. What they don’t tell you is
that the reality is often very different. Babies are often covered in hair and a thick coating of
white, greasy vernix. Moreover, their head may look misshapen from the delivery, particularly,
if you had an instrumental delivery. And so, parents are often shocked when they see their
baby for the very first time. Yes. We can tell you that this particularly often happens to daddies
who may ask themselves: am I really the father of that baby, or is the father an orc.
Yes. If you want to know more about the things that scare parents when they see their baby for
the very first time, watch the video that pops up now! You can also find it in the description
below this video. A final word: whenever you experience any postpartum symptoms that may
worry you, don’t hesitate to call your doctor! Don’t take these symptoms lightly, no matter if they are
physical or mental. It is always better to make that call than not to do it! Making that call can
save lives! Right. So, if you like, watch our free mini birthing course. And if you have found this
video helpful, we would be super grateful if you could leave us a like! Yes, and for useful tips and
tools on pregnancy and baby-related topics in the near future,
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