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Dear Daisy, It is your first day at school...

1 week postpartum

Before the panic sets in don't think for one second that I'll be doing these updates weekly or even on a regular basis. I had in mind that I would do week one and then maybe week six?

 

I've got to say I completely forgot what it was like after you had given birth, how does your mind let you forget these things? To con you into having more babies that's why. 

I should say that actually this recovery has been easier than with Daisy. I felt like I could barely walk for fear of hurting my stitches and "grazes" (yeah, the glamour!), as if I was dragging my bottom half around with me and as if my boobs had their own heartbeats for what felt like weeks. This time there was not much of this. Yes my stitches hurt when I did too much and yeah every muscle ached for a few days but it wasn't as dramatic as last time! The most awful thing has been trying to wee without wincing! 

I was up and home within a few hours of having Alex and up and out of the front door pretty much the day after. I just made sure I took it steady and didn't put myself back. 

The one thing I had erased from my mind was how horrible going to the toilet was for the first few days after, and I'm not talking about the thing everyone warns you about. I simply mean having a wee!! It actually sent me to tears a few times, it is like a form of torture! All I would recommend is to drink as much as you possibly can so when you do go your urine is as weak as possible and therefore less stingy! Use moist toilet wipes and dab and sit in the bath as often as you can too! 

Breastfeeding doesn't seem to be too much of an issue again, I think I've fallen lucky. My nipples have been a little dry and when baby first latches it does hurt for a few seconds but I do remember with Daisy having to count to ten through gritted teeth!! His latch seems good I think it's just the toughening up process taking place, I've probably not been as religious with the nipple cream as I could have been. 

The other thing I had no idea about was the after pains, my god they should warn you about those things! I thought I was going into labour all over again and then every time I fed Alex they'd start again, apparently on your 2nd baby they're much worse and get worse with each child! Something to do with scar tissue when your uterus is contracting and shrinking back. Luckily they didn't last too long, just a few days. I was recommended to take paracetamol and ibuprofen together and it seemed to help. 

Overall I am feeling pretty good, I get the odd cramps sensation more often than not when I'm feeding and I'm still losing but that is all normal. I have been amazed yet again how quickly the human body shrinks back to normal, well I say normal lightly! A more squishy version of my normal! My tummy has shrunk, all signs of a bump have almost gone and I am now back in my jeans. I do still have a sticky out belly that's a little wobbly but it really does amaze me how a baby lived in there for so long and then ta- da the baby is out and the bumps gone. 

I'm not changing my diet over the next few weeks, I still believe that the body needs the calories to continue recovery and more importantly feed my baby. There is plenty of time to start thinking about toning up and losing any excess weight yet! (I may not be saying that in a few weeks when the newborn haze has worn off a bit!)

Lots of love,
Hayley xx

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