Two weeks postpartum

I listened to the midwife last week and I have been resting up.  I've continued to do some gentle exercises too and now when I'm feeding I try to do some ankle flexes and rotations or my pelvic floor, when lying on the floor playing with the girls I can do some clams, before I go to sleep I do more pelvic floor exercises, when I push the buggy/pram I try to remember to stand tall and hold my tummy in.  See, nothing too demanding!


I was discharged by the midwife yesterday and am feeling pretty good as the baby is putting on weight well and I am healing ok.    


My husband goes back to work on Monday but we're keeping our firstborn in her childcare three days a week until the end of June.  The plan is that it will help me and the newborn to settle into a rhythm (not a routine!) with each other and allow our eldest to retain something normal and predictable for her when home-life is a bit topsy-turvy.  I hope this will also mean that I don't get overtired.  It is next week when the challenge really begins: fitting timescales back into our lives.  

One week postpartum

Baby 2 was born 9 days early.  Our first-born spent the first night we were home with her grandparents which enabled us to get some sleep and have a few hours where it was just the three of us. 

I feel much better after this birth than I did after my first, even though both of them were fairly straightforward births without interventions.  I have a second-degree tear again and on day six the midwife told me that some of the stitches have popped, so I’m a bit worried about that and trying to be really careful about how I move.

Until I saw the midwife I was feeling much better than I expected, not too tired just sore and swollen.  It’s a big help that we’re not struggling with beastfeeding this time and she sleeps, what a revelation!  I hope this continues!  I’ve done some gentle exercises from Ready Steady Mums - pelvic floor, neck stretches, ankle mobilisation, the Ready Steady Squeeze and trying to remember my posture - and been out of the flat three times for some short walks.

Now I have had my wrist slapped by the midwife and told to rest up some more I’m also feeling pretty tired.  Is that a coincidence or just the week’s adventure catching up with me?  I’m still motivated to be active but I’m not in a rush to do more until I know that I’m healing ok.

My tummy is 84cm around my belly button but 89cm just below.