The Real Deal on The Post-Labour Experience

It's a beautiful, life-changing moment to bring a tiny person into this world with just the power of your own body and mind. But it can also be traumatic to said body and mind. I work in a field that is dominated by women. One advantage to such an environment is that I was forewarned about the strange and sometimes icky details of post-partum recovery. Sure, these things can be found in the books and websites, but they are often glossed over. My colleagues were extremely candid about their own personal stories and I appreciated it. So here are some truths about what happens to moms after the baby is born - weird, gross, sometimes both together. But as always, no two births are exactly alike, blah blah blah, here we go:

- You will have your period for 6 to 8 weeks and it will be heavy. You will pass huge disgusting clots that may frighten you. Toonie-size seems to be acceptable while golf ball is not. But really. Would not any one seek medical attention if she birthed a crimson Titleist into the toilet? Let alone an emotional, paranoid new mother?

- You will cry suddenly and inconsolably in the first few weeks. Maybe it's due to overwhelming love for your baby. Maybe it's because your partner is returning to work and you have to go it alone all day. Or perhaps you just saw a poorly-acted Tim Horton's commercial that tugged on just the right heartstrings. Regardless, the tears will be torrential on occasion, so be forewarned. And perhaps warn your spouse as well, in case him not hanging up his coat is the last crack in the dam, and he is suddenly faced with a sobbing wreck of a mama.

- Your hair will fall out. Pregnancy hormones create few positive changes, but long, lustrous beautiful hair can be one of them. It makes you feel like a model in a Pantene commercial. Or at least Pert Plus. But a few months after your sweetpea makes her debut, you will notice strands around the bathroom vanity that build into tumbleweeds against the baseboards. Buy a hair strainer for your bathtub or you'll be investing in some Drano.

- There will be pain and discomfort throughout your body. Your legs and feet may swell from excess fluid. Bending, walking, traversing stairs will all be tasking. And the first time you attempt nocturnal activities? Yeesh.

So rookie mamas like me, please know: there are priceless, awe-inspiring moments of love with your newborn. There is beauty and excitement with the constant learning you will both undergo. But there are also issues like those above... few will discuss these things but I want you to know some of the ugly truths too.

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