I can’t believe it’s been a month (well 5 weeks) since Bean made his debut.  Life will never be the same (I wouldn’t change a thing).  I’m so in love with this little human!  I’ll tell you more about changes with Bean in another post.  This post is about changes with me!

First, healing…this will get a little gross, but it’s reality!

Luckily there was no tearing or stitches needed after delivery.  My healing has been pretty great.  I received so many stool softeners while in the hospital that I decided to research the reason.  Many moms have reported that the first bowel movement after birth is awful.  I was terrified…it took a few days to happen, but it was fine.

While I didn’t have to deal with stitches, tearing, or painful bowel movements…I did, indeed, have hemorrhoids.  If there was pain, my nurses made sure I didn’t feel any because they gave me tucks pads and cream.  Still…no pain or discomfort (yay).

Bleeding…it was intense while in the hospital.  They gave me the biggest pads I’ve ever seen in LIFE.  I’m not ashamed to admit I liked the disposable underwear though.  They weren’t quite mesh, but they were pretty thin (breathable) and they were boyshorts!  I made sure I got extra to take home…sexy right?! Anywho, the bleeding decreased tremendously after three days and I was stepped down to thicky yucky pads.  After about 2 weeks, the bleeding (which was already less than a period) ceased.  It’s been touch and go with spotting, but nothing a pantyliner can’t handle.

 Weight loss…Surprisingly my mid section shrunk tremendously within the first week.  I’m sure the combination of exercise during pregnancy and breastfeeding were major factors in my uterus and tummy quickly shrinking back to almost normal.  I’m about 4lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight and I’ve stayed steady at this weight since week 2.  I haven’t resumed working out yet only because motherhood seems to be quite the workout between cleaning, organizing (we’re moving), nursing, and keeping Bean entertained.  I plan to start light workouts this weekend and gradually increase intensity.  My major goal is to regain muscle, but that’s another post.

Baby blues/postpartum depression…I have had a couple days where I’ve felt blue.  Specifically I’ve felt overwhelmed with everything going on and feeling that I have to do it all myself.  While I know it’s normal, it’s pretty silly given I have one of the most amazing support systems.  Once I got over my anxiety about taking Bean out of the house alone (Bean’s dad went back to work after two weeks), things got better.  In addition to asking for help, it was great to have a couple hours here and there to get out of the house solo.  Yes, yes…most of my “outings” were to the grocery store, but I’m proud to say I managed to get my eyebrows threaded and a pedicure…just not in the same day or week.

All in all…I’m doing ok as a first time mom.  I’m learning more each day.  If you have any questions that I haven’t covered, feel free to leave them below.  Look out for an update about breastfeeding (yes, it deserves its own post) and of course…BEAN!