Please share your stories about how it was recovering post delivery. How quickly did you recover, what sort of delivery was it and also anything you wished you would have known or practiced during this period? Any tips on fast recovery in your opinion? I am sure a lot would benefit from this!
Re: Post Partum Recovery
women told me to wrap a dupatta tightly around the tummy area within hours after delivery , it helps the skin going back and stops it from sagging .. dunno how true that is 
Also, MIL sent me some “daal” I think its full of nuts and desi ghee and what not .. she said you gotta eat it days before and after delivery, as this will help you recover faster …
MIL also suggested that during the last month before delivery, I should take warm milk every day with a spoon of butter mixed in it .. this apparently helps with the delivery…
I have no clue about how good the tips are .. as am yet to try …
Post Partum Recovery
I recovered pretty much in 2 weeks, only took that long because of the stitches otherwise I was ok. I had a normal delivery with no complications. My mum did give me some stuff to eat/drink with butter in it as didn’t have desi ghee an milk on a regular basis
I did take it easy for about a week. Husband and family were on hand if I needed anything so I didn’t have to worry bout cooking etc
Not heard of the dupatta thing cb
I think it’s panjeeri, I got some of that too 
very tasty do keep eating that it does help
I did that only a few days before my due date but added almonds and pistachio. wasn’t nice at all. I think the logic behind it so the baby “slips” out. 
Re: Post Partum Recovery
I’ve heard of the dopatta thing CB. I think a good corset would serve too. It makes sense, gives tone to the body and encourages return to normal instead of further sag from gravitational pull.
Zimzimma, did the baby “slip” ?
**
please keep this thread alive, now that the time is nearing first time mommies are scared of delivery and post partum recovery!**
Re: Post Partum Recovery
I dreamt the other day that I was in labor and popped out a tiny little thing, which I thought was a baby but was told its a doll and the real baby is yet to come 
I woke up sweating ! I cant possibly be delivering a baby AND a doll .. so yeah that was a nightmare !
Alot of ladies here also mentioned yakhni .. so I guess we should be having yakhni soon after delivery.
One more thing, MIL said to take some turmeric with me to the hospital. For after delivery until the next two weeks, having a pinch or two of turmeric in milk or tea would help the healing .. I know this one will definitely work coz turmeric has high healing qualities ..
Re: Post Partum Recovery
Here is my million dollar advice… Please please take care of yourself after having a baby!
That being said, I had a c section.. The only thing I was allowed to have was yakhni once a day! I had gallstones n my gallbladder was severely infected triggering pain even if I had a piece of candy or so so they put me on strict diet restricting everything that mommies want to give you I case I had another attack that required surgery. They wanted to wait at least 6 weeks after I had a second major surgery! I was bfing n very hungry all the time..this one time my mom gave me crushed almonds in milk but we were both so scared that I only had it once..my cousin from Canada brought me panjerri that her mom had sent from Pakistan for me but I wasn’t allowed to take it.., I so wish I could though. My back still hurts and my leg cramps haven’t gone away..my mom strongly believes that my body hasn’t healed completely because I had a dal chawal diet! I did end up with an emergency surgery 3 weeks post partum and that drained my body as well. I really can’t emphasize enough to take care of yourself..1 year later, I m still in pain n recovering!
Ps! Tying dupatta on your tummy.. Only if you deliver normally.. Don’t try that with c section!
Ps2! You will lose weight after delivery..I lost 20 out of the 25 I had gained BUT bf cravings are worse than pregnancy cravings and you are always hungry so if you don’t watch your diet..it will all come back in no time! Eat healthy, but don’t starve yourself!
Ps3! Did I say take care f yourself? Please do
Re: Post Partum Recovery
All three of my deliveries were natural and each time I bled heavily for 3 days and then like periods for the next 4 or 5 days.
1st baby
labour time in total: 9 hours
Pain relief: Gas and air, pethidine
perineum tears: Yes…big one
I was tired…and that’s all…felt no heavy pain or discomfort.
2nd baby
labour time: 5 hours
Pain relief: gas and air
tears: small tear
recovered very quickly after the birth and left the hospital after 7 hours. I hated the hospital management…so decided to have the next baby at home.
3rd baby (Homebirth)
labour time in total: around 2 hours
pain relief: gas and air
tearing: none
It was a very easy birth…and the fact that I was in comfort of my own home and had the freedom to walk around during labour.
I remember vomiting afterwards…but this is it. Recovered quite quickly…just 30 minutes after the birth I was putting the dirty sheets in the washing machine. 
Oh and the advice:
- Eat only healthy stuff…(no junk food otherwise you’d be paying for it during labour)
- Stay active…specially during the last few months of pregnancy…walk as much as you can…(you’ll have an easy labour)
- Don’t forget to massage your perineum everyday with olive oil.
- Don’t spend too much money on baby clothing and furniture.
Re: Post Partum Recovery
I never had postpartum pain, I never teared, I dont remember eating anything special. I was in hospital for 5 days after births as to get all tests for the baby done and relax before going home and starting doing house work again, so yeah I got one week rest yay! after delivery. I did eat healthy food, as hospital food was too good, I enjoyed being served, not worrying about home work there. Did me good.
But I didnt stay in bed after that week, I went out for walks with husband, later alone, did light shopping, u are not suppose to carry heavy stuff, take bath, intercourse for the next 6-8 weeks. Generally take it easy for both baby and mom.
One thing, forget food before after delivery or other things, if you are opting for a natural delivery, then learn the breathing technique, here we can do course on it, I dont think in Pak its really an important topic over there, with the right technique, you can really ease the pain during contractions.
Re: Post Partum Recovery
sigh breathing techniques. argh need to learn.
Re: Post Partum Recovery
don’t forget to keep taking your prenatal’s even after delivery! that is when you will need it soooo much.
crushed almonds in milk, panjeeri and lots of other healthy, fresh food is a must, too. you will lose the baby weight initially pretty quickly but beware! if your eating habits aren’t good, it will come back, and this time it’ll come back for reals. #truestory
i went from being my post-baby weight a month after the kid to being heavier than when i was pregnant now. DOH! i also didn’t take my vitamins and boy, did i suffer for it.
a big part of mental recovery also is to try and get out at least once a day. even if all you do is sit with the baby on the balcony or go for a short drive or a quick walk around the block. as a new mom, once the dust has settled and people go back to living their lives (including your husband who will be going to work every day and interacting with other adults), you MUST make it a priority to step outside with your kid. it will get depressing, overwhelming and frustrating otherwise because its such a big shock to your system to suddenly be only and always, thinking of this other little person in your life.
and like GTG said, please for the love of all that is right, do NOT tie a dupatta around anything or wear a corset after a C. you gotta let your stitches heal first. 6 weeks till you are fully mobile, up to a year before the internal stitches are healed, so TAKE IT EASY too. don’t be superwoman and try to do everything in the first 6 weeks- no matter how good you feel halfway through. 6 weeks means 6 weeks. enjoy the downtime!
Re: Post Partum Recovery
does downtime mean no exercise? no light walks etc sgc?
Hehe I can’t remember 
Re: Post Partum Recovery
I delivered normally with no complications n no meds…stay focused…learn breathing techniques…it took me 8weeks to recover i.e healing only…no backache or any other problem…but bleeding completely stopped at 8weeks n it was because i didnt took rest…take loads n loads n loads of rest mo matter how active you feel…just take care of baby n rest…no kaam shaam…n do go out for a walk or shopping for an hour or chat on fone with friends…eating was same like others said dryfruits,milk,haldi,cereals,fruits,yakkhni,veggies inshort same like in pregnancy but quantity or portions will increase due to bfeeding…oatmeal,masoor daal are really good for milk production…n do not getupset if people say healthy baby nai hai mera to healthy tha lol
Re: Post Partum Recovery
^ haha…healthy baby ho na ho mera hay, pakistani people want mota for healthy!
Re: Post Partum Recovery
i didn’t think postpartum recovery would be a big deal but it was for me. it made pregnancy and labor look easy. i had a normal delivery with second degree extensive tears. (second or third i forget). i bled heavily for 3 weeks. pad after pad after pad. going through 10 a day was normal for me. then it slowed down in the fourth week, and its only now in my 7th week that I’m comfortable wearing pantyliners only. finally i can resume namaz. the stitches didn’t hurt that much, but it was uncomfortable for a long while (still is) . i just felt incredibly numb down there and still do. the doctors didn’t tell me to do anything special just to take advil for the pain, which i did, but it really didn’t help so i gave up on that pretty soon. i was walking around and doing stuff around the house but it did cost an effort every step i took. i was walking weird with my hand on my ass like a really old person, because it felt for the longest time that my ass would fall off 
i don’t know what happened, but my guess is i couldn’t feel the muscles down there anymore. so please make life easier for yourself and do those kegel exercises religiously, so that you don’t go through what i did.
oh and please don’t take constipation lightly if you have it. you will develop haemorrhoids like i did, and it will literally become a pain in the ass going for number 2. (this is TMI i know, but i need to say it because i was never warned). take your fibre, and your stool softeners , and lots of water if you don’t want to feel like you’re pooping glass shards for the next few months.
i didn’t do the whole turmeric and panjeeri thing. and i also gave up on my prenatal pills, the doc was ok with it, but anything in my diet that was potentially giving me constipation had to go right off.
walking did help. it hurt and i would feel like gravity was pulling my lady parts down , but i still walked and im glad i did. baby didn’t really let me rest, but it wasn’t so bad. i had help too. i don’t believe in the rest rest rest concept after delivery, you need to take it easy, but not over do it. the days i walked made me feel better even if i was bleeding heavily.
the only things i wish i had done before delivering or even getting pregnant is exercise. I’m sure it would have made everything much easier afterwards.
the weight wasn’t really an issue since i only gained weight in my belly. i gained about 25 pounds and lost it all 2 weeks postpartum. i suppose the beast feeding helped. i still have a belly though. a small one. i lok curvier than before even though the weight is back to normal. and my stomach is quite darkly pigmented now with this dark line running down. I’ve heard it goes away with time, but if you get it don’t worry, its all normal
when i started breast-feeding, it hurt a lot for the first week, i was chapped, bleeding . but i used a nipple cream like 2 times and its been smooth sailing since. you will leak milk so don’t be surprised if you wake up raat ko with a wet shirt , its all normal. eww but normal. happened to me a few times.
oh and i remember waking up at night the first few weeks drenched in sweat. and i mean fully soaked, and it wasn’t even too warm or anything. my mother said not to take too many baths for some reason, but i felt so filthy that i had to . but i always felt sick afterwards and in more pain after i bathed or showered. maybe she was right.
its been 7 weeks now, and the pain is more or less gone. most of the issues have resolved, some remain. i am back to my normal routine more or less. i had my 6 week check up with my doc and he says I’m healed fairly well. so life is good