1 Week Postpartum Update

Hey Scholars,

Tuesday marked one week since Leo was born and I wanted to share how I'm doing so far.

**This post contains information that may be graphic or too informative for some readers. If reading about the human body after birth bothers you, this is not the post for you. Please exit now and check out some other posts on the blog.**

Emotional Health

I feel very emotional. I get upset easily and I still cry frequently. The other day I watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and I teared up when Harry had to go home at the end of the year. I don't feel unstable, but I do notice that I am still feeling very much the same way as I did during my pregnancy.

Physical Health

Despite avoiding the epidural because of my experience last time, I'm having some problems with my Sciatica. My lower back aches frequently if I am not active for hours at a time (sleeping, for example) or if I am too active (a quick walk to my local Rite Aid, which is about 6 blocks from my home, round-trip).

I am also still feeling sore from the delivery in general. I use the items the hospital gave me to take home in my "care package" to increase my level of comfort. I have ice packs that can be used on the vagina to soothe it and they work well, but I don't use them very often. There is still a lot of swelling in that area, so I just gently clean with a mild bar soap (that is unscented), warm water, and a soft washcloth. That does the trick. 

With breakthrough pain I take the medication prescribed to me, which is the 650 mg tablet of Acetaminophen. I really feel a great deal of relief with this medication, especially during breastfeeding when my uterus cramps. I tried using my heating pad, but I derived very little relief from that method alone.

Overall, I feel reasonable for someone who has just given birth and needed to be stitched up.

I decided that I am going to begin stretching today (Wednesday) to start off my fitness routine. I might add lifting in the next few days, by doing a few sets with my 5 pound dumbbells. I'll see how I feel.

I am going to be posting a new fitness routine in June, so look out for that.

Mental Health

Because I suffer from Dysthymia, I already spoke to mental health professionals and decided to seek therapy as a preemptive strike against Postpartum Depression (PPD). I feel that this is the best choice for me because I want to be a good mother, a capable mother for my boys. I feel fine now, but just in case I don't later on, I'll have a strong support system behind me.

I am less forgetful than I was during pregnancy, but I still find myself unable to concentrate sometimes. It is really interfering with my ability to read materials for my college courses. I believe that if this doesn't pass within the next 8 weeks I'll consider ADD medications that are "breastfeeding friendly".

That's all I have for now.

Until next time friends,