Things People Don't Tell you About Post-Partum

First, I'm still spotting. It's almost been three weeks--I guess I didn't realize it would go on for this long! Some of the people on my message board (a group of people all expecting babies in November) have been bleeding/spotting for SIX WEEKS! That is just crazy. I really hope that I'm not bleeding for that long, and that the spotting stops soon. ::sigh::

Second, I'm constipated as hell! And, according once again to the people on my message board, this is a normal post-partum thing . . . it's not even related to nursing--some of the people who are formula feeding are also constipated; AND some of the people who weren't even constipated while pregnant are now constipated post-partum. I guess it's just something that happens a lot of the time after you have the baby. (Yeah, WTH?)

Third, I was honestly surprised by how long it took me to recover after having the baby--it was six entire days before I was really able to be up and about--and apparently I was pretty ashen after a few hours of this (according to my family).

Fourth, nursing is a hell of a lot more painful than I thought it would be. It is totally still worth it and in other ways I love it--that the milk is always with me, warm, ready to use, and never runs out. I also love how much James David loves it--he gets this look on his face when he first latches on, and he is SO serious and determined--it is like the most important thing in the world to him (seriously) and I love that I can do that for him.

Yet, honestly, it is now almost three weeks since I had him, and while the pain is no longer excruciating, and my nipples appear to have recovered (no longer blistered and scabbed), it still definitely hurts sometimes--especially when he's been nursing for a long time or I'm engorged. I didn't think it would take this long to adjust to nursing but I know it does eventually become painless, so obviously I'm still adjusting.

All these things definitely surprised me!

In other news, I attempted to post another video but even after (literally) hours of "uploading it", I decided that it was not actually going to upload. Sooooo yeah. I'll try again tomorrow. ;-)