How long do you rest after having a baby?

[ChristusG]

I delivered on Sunday morning. We came home Monday around lunch time. It is now Friday evening and I am officially bored out of my mind. I am not one to just sit around and that's pretty much all I've been doing. How do I know when it's okay to get back to normal? TMI...The postpartum bleeding has nearly stopped. And I don't want to do stuff to make it worse. I want to get out of the house. Shoot, I even want to clean LOL.

[Impish]

put up with the boredom a while longer. Overdoing it will set things back and you'll be bored for much longer.

[MHowell]

I never had issues healing, and was up and doing normal things (shopping, cooking, cleaning) within days of coming home.

 

I would take it slower than normal if you had a c-section, but I don't see why you need to sit around doing nothing.

[laundrycrisis]

I overdid it after DS2 was born, because I wanted to keep up with the house and with DS1 and that was fine with everyone else involved, and I thought it wasn't a problem because I felt fine. The pp bleeding ended up resuming and then was still going on 9 weeks later, and I was sent back to bedrest. It is easier to take the bedrest now that it would be to have to return to it later.

Edited October 29, 2011 by laundrycrisis

[Joyofsixreboot]

I stopped to do grocery shopping 18 hrs after number 7, LOL. Rest when you're tired and do what you feel like.

[Kate CA]

I delivered on Sunday morning. We came home Monday around lunch time. It is now Friday evening and I am officially bored out of my mind. I am not one to just sit around and that's pretty much all I've been doing. How do I know when it's okay to get back to normal? TMI...The postpartum bleeding has nearly stopped. And I don't want to do stuff to make it worse. I want to get out of the house. Shoot, I even want to clean LOL.

 

I never rested. LOL

[Osmosis Mom]

Yeah, I am up and running right away, pretty much, with the caveat that I rest and drink more so I can get the milk supply going. I have post-partum bleeding for 4-6 weeks which is normal.

 

In some cultures the mother goes back to her mom's place and stays lying down for 30 (or 60) days. I cannot imagine. I'd be bored to death and would have had only one child if so!!

[Jan in SC]

I had a c- section and we went out to eat by Friday. Do what you feel like doing, just rest when you first get tired and don't push it after that. My third had to stay in the hospital for about four extra days, and as I delivered out of town, I had a lot of rest at the hospital hanging out in the nicu.

 

If you feel good, do semi-normal things. It always made me feel better to move around and go a couple of reasonable places.

[catz]

Resting? What's that? :D If you feel like getting back to your normal grind, you're likely ready. If you get tired, take a break!

[Shellydon]

Rest, what's that? I was back to normal stuff within 24 hours. My pp bleeding always lasted 6 weeks.

[clarkacademy]

I never got rest, what's that??

 

First baby- I was driving the day I left the hospital

2nd baby - I worked the night I got out of te hospital

3rd baby- He was a NICU baby and I was in ICU for 4 days after I came home I had to take breastmilk to hospital several times a day so he didn't get no formula he came home at 8 days old I went to work that night

4th baby- (and surgery) I drove myself home from the hospital I came home to 4 kids one autistic one with tourettes and ADHD was back at a full schedule with housework childcare etc. Classes for me and three of the kids resumed when baby was a week old so I guess I got to rest a week before I really had to go anywhere except the grocery store, older daughters dance, cheerleading, gymnastics and the older sons therapies.

 

I have no clue now how I did all that but I guess I just did what was needed and yes all my babies were strictly breastfed. Shortly after 3rd baby I gained 2 more little girls that finally went back to their mother right before my last was born.

 

Funny thing the only time I remember really sucking being a mom was trying to cook Thanksgiving with a broken hand, dislocated shoulder and fractured sternum.

[FaithManor]

There's rest??????

 

Who knew! I didn't get the memo.

 

That said, I always pushed too hard and I always paid for it later. Dh says I'm hard-headed! :D

 

Faith

[mom2denj]

I was up and out after 3 or 4 days with child and all, except with my now 14 yr old dd who was a c-section. I was never one to worry about germs and all that. I always liked to be out and about, it has been just in the last couple of years that I just want to STAY home.

[Colleen in NS]

I am :svengo::svengo::svengo: reading all the comments so far. I cannot even imagine being bored and restless just a few days after giving birth! I'm not knocking anyone else's experience - I just have no clue what it's like to be up and around so soon after giving birth. When my kids were younger, I used to be shocked when I'd see mothers so obviously newly delivered, pushing their carts around in the grocery store, all made up/hair done/clean clothes, and their few-days old infants in the cart. I couldn't understand where they got their energy and how they weren't doubled over in pain, lol (I had both kids via c-section after very long labours and after being two weeks overdue).

 

OP, I say rest anyway! :D

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Here goes. "Clinical and research evidence would indicate that childbirth is “wearing” on a woman’s body, often resulting in prolapsed uteri, cystioceles, rectoceles, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, etc. Now that part that gets interesting is in whether this occurs in all pregnant women who have several (or more) pregnancies or whether the weakened pelvic floor muscles and weakened venous walls are a product of “childbirth lifestyle“.

 

After interviewing a number of midwives caring for women, many of whom are grand multips (I just love that we‘re considered “Grand“ after giving birth 5 or more times), the recurring voiced concern is “These mother don‘t realize they‘re going to pay later for what they‘re doing to themselves today.”…

 

She (a post-partum mama) has forced discipline to sit down and rest. During the first two weeks, she’s lying down or reclining al the time she is not going to the bathroom. In fact, she doesn’t lift anything heavier than her baby (and, if baby is a big 10 pound chunk of love, she’s better off lying with her in bed or on the sofa during this time” or drive anywhere or un the vacuum, sweep, mop, stand to do dishes, stand to cook, wag the laundry around, scrub the tub…do I need to go on?

 

The first six weeks following birth is a time of healing. A gift, mamas, God gives us to get to know our baby in a way that is achingly dear…This allows her pelvic floor to heal from the tissue trauma of birth (yes, birth is good, but we have to be honest and say it is traumatic to our body tissue). The uterus is still the size of a cantaloupe at this point. That’s a heavy weight to be pressing down on those already stretched and traumatized pelvic floor muscles. When she does begin to add back in home activities, she does so slowly.” Shonda Parker, Mommy Diagnostics

 

In many, many other cultures (and in our country's recent past), moms are required to rest after birth. With my last baby, I knew all this. I had 6 weeks of meals in the freezer, paper plates, forks, etc, and help from a girl in our church. I STILL over did it just cause I was feeling SO great! I went for a walk and had baby in the ergo (what was I doing using a baby carrier at this point pp???), and felt something happen in my rectum while walking. That something took months to feel better (and I developed hemroids after this baby...could be birth and/or pp related) and I know it was the weaking of all that structure down there. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I have a friend with 7 who dh "makes" her rest the first six weeks and she has no issues down there including hemrhoids (sp). Coincidence. I think not. :001_smile:

Edited October 29, 2011 by JENinOR

[staceyobu]

I bled for 13 weeks after baby #3. I did too much too soon and let other people pressure me into doing things immediately after baby was born. I don't think you need to be house bound, but I am now a big believer in taking it easy after having a baby. Go to a friend's house where you can sit and chat while the kids play, or go sit at the park. I wouldn't start doing anything strenuous yet.

[littlebug42]

I felt like I could have run a marathon after my kids were born. I was so miserable for both pregnancies but as soon as they were out, I was fine. I say do what you feel you can do but rest if you are tired. I was at the mall the day after I got out of the hospital with Sweet-pea. I never felt like I needed to rest excessively.

[Nakia]

Rest as much as possible, but don't feel like you have to lie in bed or sit on the couch all day. Get up, take a shower, do the dishes, rest...etc. Do a little, rest a little. No lifting heavier than baby. Take good care of you! And snuggle that baby as much as possible! :D

[linguistmama]

With dd2 I felt great after birth, except for the afterpains, and was ready to get back into life pretty quickly. I was going crazy not leaving the house and in my case my hg was no longer an issue so I felt wonderful. :) I bled for about 3 weeks. Everyone is different, but I would slowly ease back into things if you are feeling well and just make sure to check in with yourself to see if you need to slow down.

[UnsinkableKristen]

The more you rest, the less you bleed, the less wear and tear on Lady Town. :D

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

The more you rest, the less you bleed, the less wear and tear on Lady Town. :D

 

:iagree: and :lol::lol:

[ChristusG]

Thanks everyone!

 

Lying around all day makes me feel worse. When I just lie here, my body gets achy and I feel like I have the flu or something. When I can get up and about, I can feel my energy come back, the aches go away, etc.

 

I've been up a bit. I did a photo shoot with baby, I've taken a shower each day. I've made my lunch a few times. DH is being a big help and doing most everything though. I'm just extremely bored. I haven't been in bed....I spend most of my rest time either sitting on the couch or in my computer chair.

 

Maybe I'll rest through tomorrow and maybe go out to eat on Sunday afternoon.

[laundrycrisis]

I think what you are doing sounds fine. What I was doing was carrying a sleeping 2.5 yo up the stairs, hauling groceries in from the van and down to the basement, etc, and carrying DS2 around in a sling and being on my feet pretty much all day every day. That was my normal activity level. I don't think it should be a problem to be taking showers, making lunch etc.

[Munchkins_mama]

I felt great a few days after #3 was born. I think our bodies know how to heal faster after the first one. Even if you are feeling great, I still wouldn't go back to all your normal activity levels. I almost ended up back in bed two weeks after she was born because I did TOO much too soon, cause I felt fine! I don't know.

[MrsBasil]

I had a c-section on Monday. I'm going to breast feeding clinic and Dr's appts, playing with the kids, uploading pics on the computer, making lists, phone calls, and that's about it. I might start helping with kitchen work(cooking, hand washing some dishes) in a few days. It's possible I might be up for light shopping next week, we'll see.

 

DH is solely responsible for food/box store shopping,toddler baths, bedtime, laundry, and vacuuming....I can help with folding if need be. We pretend that there's no need to dust for the 2 months following birth. I think I've changed 3 diapers since she was born and it will likely stay low until he goes back to work.

 

My priest/church recommends skipping church for about 6 weeks and taking it easy. We have a special blessing ceremony for a babies first time at church which traditionally takes place around 40 days. He says to take the hint and extend that to the rest of your life as much as possible. So we're going to. ;)

 

Uh, anyway. DH and I are both big believers in rest after birth.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I was up and about for short excursions shortly after both of my vaginal births.

 

After my emergency c-section, I could hardly get to the bathroom for the first several days, and very short excursions left me breathless with pain. I stayed down a lot more ( thus began a long-standing love affair with Project Runway :D), and even at 4 weeks out, a brief shopping trip with my mom was almost more than I could handle. I was so grateful my DH had planned to take a month off. . . it was truly a blessing.

[Melissa in Australia]

I delivered on Sunday morning. We came home Monday around lunch time. It is now Friday evening and I am officially bored out of my mind. I am not one to just sit around and that's pretty much all I've been doing. How do I know when it's okay to get back to normal? TMI...The postpartum bleeding has nearly stopped. And I don't want to do stuff to make it worse. I want to get out of the house. Shoot, I even want to clean LOL.

I aways got right back into everything pretty much straight away. But I also bled for 6 weeks, maybe I should have rested:confused:

[MeaganS]

C-sections here. I was pretty much laying around for at least a week, it just hurt to much and I felt too tired when I tried to do things. After that, I'd slowly start to work my way back into things, usually going out for a short time around 1.5 or 2 weeks. I was usually back to full steam by 4 weeks. My bleeding has always lasted 4-6 weeks.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I don't ever remember resting. DH was back to work immediately since he's self employed. I was home alone her first night since he was out of town with his business. He brought us home from the hospital but didn't get to stay too long before he was back on the road.

 

Needless to say, after the twins were born, there was absolutely no rest with a 13 month old and 2 newborns.:)

 

I do remember not lifting anything heavier than the babies, and trying not to go up and down steps. Other than that, it was back to normal pretty quickly for me. I didn't have any help with cooking, laundry, cleaning etc...:001_huh:

[caedmyn]

I think I was pretty much back to doing everything 10 days after my first was born. But that was a light load with only one kid, not much housework, and a mellow baby who didn't wake much at night!

 

I tried to completely rest for a week after my 2nd & 3rd and take it really easy for at least another week afterward. I could definitely tell that I bled more on the days I tried to do more stuff. I think I would have been done bleeding at 2 week PP if I'd just rested the whole two weeks.

 

But I also tend to feel awful and exhausted for quite a while after my births (well after my 2nd & 3rd) so I'd be less likely to rest if I felt fine, bleeding or not.

[Heidi]

We moved into a new house a week after the baby was born. NOT a good idea, in case you were wondering.

 

I get bored too. I'm usually up and going as soon as possible. Not that I have much of a choice anyway with so many kids and a husband who works long hours.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

:iagree: a little longer before doing any "strenuous" stuff...I think I pushed myself too hard too soon after baby (even though I had other health issues).....