After I had my first baby, I had a very minimal idea of what to expect postpartum. My hope is that after you read this post, you will feel more prepared for all of the postpartum body changes you may experience.
This list isn’t meant to scare you, but to prepare you for the postpartum body changes that can happen after the delivery of your baby. Some of these postpartum body changes you will definitely experience, like lochia (vaginal discharge/bleeding after delivery) and breast enlargement when your milk comes in.
But rest assured that you may not experience every postpartum body change on this list! Everyone’s experience with postpartum can be so different. But I sure do wish someone had told me about what to expect in those weeks following bringing my baby home. Your body after pregnancy will go through even more changes, but you truly will experience a love like never before.
This post is all about what you might expect with postpartum body changes.
Postpartum Body Changes
1. Lochia
I listed lochia as the first because everyone post-pregnancy experiences this, even if you have a C section! A lot of women who have a C section are really surprised by this. Lochia is the vaginal discharge/bleeding you experience after the delivery of your baby. It’s your uterus’s way of getting rid of all of the extra blood and tissue needed to sustain your baby in the womb.
You can expect this process to last about six weeks, give or take since every woman’s body is different. The bleeding will change from red to reddish-brown, to pink, and then to white as the weeks progress. Always call your OB if you have any concerns or heavy bleeding postpartum!
2. You Will Still Look Pregnant
This is another one that surprises many women. Once your baby is born, your abdomen will go down slightly but you will still look about 6 months pregnant. It will now be squishy and may sag a bit due to the weight of your uterus. You can expect this to go down over the next 2-3 months as your uterus shrinks back to regular size.
3. Large Breasts
A few days postpartum as your breast milk starts coming in, your breasts will grow in cup sizes. In my experience, those first few days I grew about 3 cup sizes larger! Yikes! Over time as my milk supply regulated, my boobs came back down to only about a size larger. Again, every woman is so different so your breast growth may not be as drastic but you will most likely experience a change.
4. Afterbirth Pains
I think this is the one that surprised me the most. Unfortunately, after delivering your baby, your contractions are not over quite yet… After delivery, you will feel similar contractions in your uterus which are called afterbirth pains. These contractions help your uterus return to normal size and prevent heavy postpartum bleeding.
They may feel even more severe the first few days when you latch your baby to your breast. There is a special hormone released during breastfeeding called oxytocin that also triggers your uterus to contract. The good news is after about three days they should start to improve.
5. Shoe Size Change
Something else that may change in size is your feet! This one isn’t as common but many women do experience it. Your shoe size may increase during pregnancy, especially at the end when you’re swollen. When the swelling goes down you may go back to your normal shoe size, or you may be stuck at half size or one size larger.
6. Body Aches/Soreness
You may not realize it, but you’re doing a ton of work with those muscles all throughout your body working to get your baby out. Once your baby is born and for a week or so after, you may have body aches and feel very sore all over. When you think about the positions you are in during labor and while pushing, you can understand why your body may be so sore! This will improve that first week postpartum.
7. Back Ache
Speaking of aches, you may also experience a backache due to the shifting of weight distribution within your body. You no longer have that placenta and baby sitting in the front of your belly. This shift may cause your back to ache while adjusting to your new normal again.
8. Hair Loss
You know that thick, luscious hair you developed throughout pregnancy… don’t get too used to it because it may not stick around. Thanks to all of the postpartum hormones, that extra hair you were holding onto during pregnancy will now fall out, sometimes along with other hair as well.
You may develop thinning in your hair, especially around your temples. The good news is after a couple of months it does stop and your hair will grow back in.
9. Body Odor
Your postpartum hormones may also cause you to have some pretty smelly body odor. As a person who doesn’t usually get body odor, this one also surprised me. I remember after having my first I wanted to shower multiple times a day because I couldn’t stand the smell of myself.
I tried multiple different deodorants and it seemed the only thing that really worked for me was time to let my hormones work themselves out.
10. Night Sweats
Along with the body odor, you may also experience night sweats. Some nights I would wake up and couldn’t tell if the bed was soaked from my breast milk or my sweat. Not the greatest of feelings, but it did pass after a few weeks or so.
11. Swollen Legs and Feet
You may have experienced swelling in pregnancy, but you may also experience swelling postpartum too. During labor, you may have gotten IV fluids, been lying in bed due to having an epidural, and also there’s a lot of shifting of fluids within your body post-birth. All of these things can cause swelling in your legs and feet.
12. Vaginal Pain
If you delivered your baby vaginally, you can of course expect some tenderness and soreness down there. If you had a perineal tear or episiotomy during delivery, you may also experience some pain as well. You may want to stay as comfortable as possible and sit on something with a cushion those first few weeks postpartum. The nurses will also teach you all about caring for that area if you have any tears.
13. Hemorrhoids
Some women experience hemorrhoids during pregnancy, some postpartum after delivery, and some not at all. But just be aware that during the birthing process, all of that pushing and pressure may cause you to experience some hemorrhoids. Very common and again, speak with your OB if you have any concerns postpartum before your six-week check!
14. Constipation
That first poop postpartum can be terrifying! After delivering your baby, everything in your body is shifting back to place and you now have weakened abdominal muscles. This can cause constipation those first few days postpartum. Make sure you take the stool softeners provided and drink plenty of water.
15. Abdominal Separation
Your abdominal muscles will be very weak after delivering your baby. I remember after having my baby and coming home, my dog jumped up into my lap as she usually would and it literally felt like her paws went through my stomach and touched my back. My abdominal muscles were so weak and squishy.
You may also experience some abdominal separation called diastasis recti. This is where the two muscles in your abdomen literally split apart and can have anywhere from a 1-4 finger separation. Check with your doctor at your six-week check-up to see how those muscles are doing!
16. Stretch Marks
It is very common for stretch marks to appear during pregnancy, but not many women realize they can actually come postpartum too. After you deliver your baby and your skin isn’t being stretched as much anymore, some stretch marks may appear.
17. Acne
With all of the changes happening within your hormones, you may develop some acne postpartum. This can be annoying and uncomfortable but usually passes as the postpartum hormones level back out. Check-in with your doctor before using any products to make sure they’re safe if you’re breastfeeding. Often a lot of acne products contain ingredients not safe while nursing.
18. Depression/Baby Blues/Anxiety
And last but certainly not least, this is something that should be talked about so much more! We need to normalize that these experiences don’t make you a bad mother, and should be talked about so you can get help!
After having my first baby, the first 2-3 weeks I experienced what you may hear of as “baby blues”. It wasn’t full depression, just times where I felt a bit overwhelmed and would also get a bit sick to my stomach when it would get dark outside. I talked to my husband, it was definitely manageable, and thankfully it passed by the third week.
With my second baby, the whole experience itself was very stressful due to having a baby during a pandemic. As time passed, I couldn’t tell if it was the stress of the pandemic, my hormones adjusting, or if I was experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety. About 3 months in, I started having intrusive thoughts of bad things happening to my kids. At this point, it became hard to work through myself and that’s when I reached out for help and started therapy.
As you can see both of my experiences with each of my kids were completely different. Just know you’re not alone, and always reach out for help if you need it!
Everyone’s postpartum recovery timeline is different, and if there is one thing you will be reminded of many times in motherhood, it’s to try not to compare yourself or your baby to others! Your postpartum body week by week will change and you may not recognize your body anymore. Remember that you just created life which is a pure miracle itself. Your body was made for this and you should be proud of yourself! Give yourself grace and be gentle to yourself.
I hope after reading this post, you feel more prepared for all of the postpartum body changes you may experience.
Other Posts You Might Like:
- 10 Breastfeeding Must Haves for New Moms
- The Best Proven Ways to Increase Your Breastfeeding Milk Supply
Great article! I didnt have most of these. Only acne, back pain and hair loss!
http://www.LinhyBanh.com
It’s so interesting how different everyone’s body is!