My Postpartum Experience after Given Birth to Evelyn

Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening, this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish. 

I know that all Mum friends has experienced different postpartum experience after giving birth to each child. I would like to share about my postpartum experience after I’ve given birth to Evelyn. I’ve given birth to Evelyn at 32 weeks and 3 days via emergency c-section due to complications. 

For the first 4 days of Evelyn’s life; Jacob and I’ve stayed at the hospital, I was pumping breastmilk 8 times in every 24 hours and Jacob and I was able to visit Evelyn twice in every 24 hours. Each visit has lasted an hour. Jacob and I took turns of holding Evelyn, we took photos and videos of Evelyn including ourselves to help us remember these precious moments.   

The times that I wasn’t pumping; I was feeling so exhausted. I had multiple naps, I was chatting with my family members, I was eating snacks and meals that the hospital has provided, and so forth. The nurses has encouraged me to walk within several hours after I’ve given birth to Evelyn. 

I was also taking painkillers to ease my pain from having the c-section. Each day while Jacob and I was at the hospital together; I reduce amount of painkillers to consume and I hoped that I wouldn’t need to rely on them by the time I got discharged from the hospital. 

Whenever I’ve coughed, sneezed and laugh, the incision hurts but I was able to overcome that pain feeling eventually. It took several days to adjust it was normal for incision hurts each time that I've coughed, sneezed, and laughed. I wasn’t expecting it would hurt so bad because no one didn't tell me to prepare for it.

I was feeling nervous about having my first postpartum shower. I had my first postpartum shower within two days while Jacob and I was still at the hospital. I remembered that I could barely stand up and I had to sit down on a chair in the shower. With Jacob's help, he has helped me to feel ease and comforted while I was having my first postpartum shower.  

By second day or third day of Jacob and I was staying at the hospital; I was able to walk without any assistance. By the third day; I was free from consuming painkillers and I was able to stand up and have a normal shower. My second postpartum shower at the hospital was definitely much better than my first postpartum shower.

I didn’t want to leave the hospital knowing that Jacob and I wouldn't be able to take Evelyn home with us when I got discharged. Evelyn wasn’t ready yet to be discharged from the NICU. Jacob and I’ve made sure that we were able to visit Evelyn sometime before we went home. 

I didn’t have any restrictions against me except for one restriction. I didn’t get told about no lifting anything heavier than Evelyn weighs, I didn’t get told that I wasn’t allowed to bend over, and so forth. 

During the time that I was at home while Jacob went back to work; 

I continued pumping 8 times in every 24 hours - I’ve freeze and store the breast milk that I’ve pumped, I continued taking naps whenever I get tired, I continued doing laundry which required me to bend over when I put the clothes in the washing machine to be washed and to pick up the clothes from the washing machine to hang them out to dry, I continued cooking homemade meals - no meal was too complicated to make), and I watched TV for some entertainment to let some time to go by. 

While Evelyn was in the NICU; there was some days when Jacob got off work early enough in the afternoon for us to get ready and visit Evelyn. I always hoped that Jacob would always finish work early. I always looked forward to visiting Evelyn.  The walk from the hospital parking lot/car park to the NICU wasn't so bad but it has helped me to build the strength to continue walking normal and lose the weight that I have gained (35.2lbs/16kg) when I was pregnant with Evelyn. 

Some days while she was in the NICU; I was able to give a NICU nurse of some breastmilk that I’ve pumped for Evelyn to consume during her scheduled feeding times (which was every 3 hours; 7am, 10am, 1pm, and so forth). She tolerated most of the breast milk that I’ve pumped, thankfully. 

Each visit and including the 10 days when Jacob and I wasn’t able to visit Evelyn in the NICU (due to we’ve been exposed to some family members being tested positive for coronavirus); I always ask the NICU nurse about Evelyn’s progress. Along the lines with the following questions: 

- Has she been eating well? - How many mls/oz is she tolerating for her scheduled feeding times? 

- Has she gained any weight? What’s her new weight? - What’s her new height? 

There has been multiple times when the NICU nurses would tell me and Jacob that Evelyn doesn’t like to be swaddled. Jacob and I had to wear face masks and we hated it. There was times that Jacob and I took off our face masks because we wanted Evelyn to see our smiles, and whenever we talked to Evelyn. 

We had our family prayers towards the end of each visit; Jacob and I took turns of who is saying the prayer. I remembered seeing Evelyn waving while she was in the incubator after I’ve said “Daddy and Mommy is here.” 

What have I learned from my postpartum experience after I've given birth to Evelyn? 

- Don't feel afraid of asking for some help with doing house chores (such as doing laundry, washing dishes, etc).

- The restriction that was against me during the first six weeks postpartum has helped me to recover quicker.

- It is normal to feel pain while pumping breast milk when I didn't have the right flange size.

- Don't feel afraid of asking for some help with cooking and preparing meals. 

- It is normal to feel pain while sneezing, coughing, and laughing for the several weeks to up to six weeks. - It is normal to feel nervous for having the first postpartum shower after giving birth. 

Stay Tuned until next time.