Postpartum Class
Friday, January 16, 2009
For once we showed up a couple minutes early for one of these classes...walked in the room at 6:25 to see the sign saying the class didn't start until 7! I thought it was total placenta brain again but I checked my hospital class schedule and it said the class was from 6:30 until 8:30! SO annoying...so we chilled at the hospital (have I mentioned before that I cannot STAND hospitals?) for 30 min for no reason!
It kind of set me up to not enjoy the class very much. She did a powerpoint for 30 minutes then showed a 30 minute video and that was it. Not a TON of info was discussed but here are some things I learned (if you're reading this and delivering at SGMC this should be enough info to cover the whole class, I'd skip this one!):
It kind of set me up to not enjoy the class very much. She did a powerpoint for 30 minutes then showed a 30 minute video and that was it. Not a TON of info was discussed but here are some things I learned (if you're reading this and delivering at SGMC this should be enough info to cover the whole class, I'd skip this one!):
- I'll have afterbirth pains (oh the wonderful things people fail to mention before you get pregnant haha) for 3-4 days after giving birth and mine will hurt worse due to breastfeeding.
- The hardcore period I'll experience is technically called Lochia (gross word for a grosser thing) and it can take place for the whole six week postpardum time! It's so funny because you think "I'm pregnant! Score! No period for 9 months!" But it's just saving that junk up to give you the worst period of your life after!
- To help with the lochia I need to use the bathroom every 3-4 hours, walk around a lot as soon as I can after giving birth, and monitor it (should saturate more than one pad, those HUGE pads, in an HOUR).
- The baby + placenta + amniotic fluid weighs about 12 pounds (did I mention yesterday that they predicted Clover will weight between 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 pounds?). Then without even trying I will lose around 20 pounds. So basically anything I gain over 32 pounds will be up to me to lose!
- Won't have a true period for 7-9 weeks BUT can STILL get pregnant (we don't want to be another Courtney!!!)
- If I have to have an episiotomy (where they cut you down there) then they will give me this numbing spray (dermoplast) which I can spray before I go to the bathroom to minimize burning
- 80% of women experience the "baby blues" (I thought of you Rachael!) which is just extreme emotions and lots of crying.
- One out of every 10 women have postpardum depression (one of the symptoms is not caring about appearance, I told Zach if I don't care how I look to people then I'm FOR SURE postpartumly depressed!)
- For both my sake and Clover's visitors should be limited for a few weeks after going home.
- It's important for Zach and I to be a team, to not criticize each other's parenting, and to use "I feel" statements to communicate to each other
- We need to keep a list of things that need to be done so when people volunteer to help us we have stuff they can do that we don't mind someone else doing (grocery shopping!)
- If we can TRY to get a minimum of 5 hours of sleep a night we'll be a lot happier parents! They suggested I pump and we switch of nights of who takes care of Clover.
- We should record our outgoing message with important updates about our little family so when people call, and we don't answer, they at least know what's going on.
- They suggested lots of family walks together to get us out of the house, promote the bonding of our family, and help with some exercise!
- They also mentioned that it's important for me to find a playgroup or another mom to switch of childcare with so Clover can experience other babies, I can have a support person who understands, and I can get a break to have ME time!
