6 Surprising things new mums might experience soon after giving birth

You've read the pregnancy books and know what to expect after giving birth - or do you?

Read this gallery to find out about 6 things you never expected to experience soon after giving birth.

There will be blood. Lots of it.

If you thought labour was messy, be prepared for lots more blood immediately after delivery.

According to Dr Michele Hakakha, author of Expecting 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy, "Within the first 10 minutes after delivery, you lose more blood than would fill a pint-sized container of ice cream — and in some cases more,"

In the few days just after birth, it’s quite normal for you to experience a large amount of bleeding, especially after you’ve been lying or sitting down. You may even feel yourself gushing blood while breastfeeding.

All this is perfectly normal and the bleeding will decrease of the next few weeks.

You might have swollen lady-parts

If you had a vaginal birth and pushed for a long time, you might experience a fair bit of swelling down there. According to Dr Hakakha, your labia could even triple in size!

All we can say is make the ice pack your best friend.

You will probably still look six months pregnant

You’d imagine that as soon as your baby is born that your stomach will deflate. Not true. Don’t be surprised of you still look at least six months pregnant soon after giving birth.

This is mostly due to your still-enlarged uterus, which should gradually contract, helping it shrink in size over time. Breastfeeding can help your uterus contract so do try to latch on your little one as soon as possible.

You might start shivering

Some women get the shakes – full-on total body shivering like they’ve been hit by an Arctic wind – just after giving birth.

Dr Hakakha explains that this is quite normal and is caused by "the immediate hormonal shifts that occur after delivery". Sometimes, the shakes might be a result of the anaesthesia (if used) or the rush of endorphins.

Whatever the cause, this shivering is just temporary and should go away soon.

Your baby might not start breastfeeding immediately

We all known and have heard about the benefits of breastfeeding and how important it is to latch on your newborn soon after birth. But some newborns show little interest in nursing immediately after being born, for 15 to 30 minutes sometimes.

If this happens, just hold your baby close, as getting skin-to-skin contact is as important to your little bub as those first drops of colostrum. He or she will soon be ready for his first meal… and don’t hesitate to ask for the help of a lactation consultant if needed.

You might not bond immediately with your newborn

Throughout your pregnancy you may have heard how you’ll fall in love with your baby the moment you see his or her face.

While this happens to many mums, sometimes, it takes a little longer for other mums to bond with their baby, especially if they had a difficult labour or pregnancy.

Take your time to get to know your little one, mums. But do watch out for signs of post natal depression (PND) which is more serious than the more common "baby blues", and seek the appropriate help if needed.

What other unexpected post-natal experiences should be on this list? Do let us know in a comment below.

Written by

Nalika Unantenne

motherhoodNew mumstips for new mumspostpartum period