About this episode…

Friend, let me tell you! There are so many things I remember experiencing and thinking “why did no one tell me about this part??” They’re not in movies, you don’t hear about them in birth classes, from friends until you experience them first hand. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s malicious and people mean to not tell you – I just think we all forget about those small details after the fact but they don’t seem so “small” when they’re happening to us. So, I asked my sister-friends on Instagram to share something they wish they had known before it happened to them and I’m rounding up the responses here! Just to preface, this is not a “lady-like” episode… we’re going there! Then again, what are big sisters for? Also, don’t fear these things happening! I didn’t experience every single one of them, just a few! But, I hope you read this and feel a bit more “normal” and kind to yourself than before 🙂 we’re in this together!

A few things we mentioned

A friend’s post about postpartum hair loss

Amazon Sheets

Tucks Pads

Depends

The Full List:

What is something you wish someone would have told you about pregnancy, labor/birth, and postpartum that you didn’t know?

“To prepare more for how to breastfeed than just after labor/delivery”
”How morning sickness can last longer than just the morning time”
”How much your back may hurt”
How anxious you may feel before walking into appointments”
”Round ligament pain”
”Postpartum night sweats”
”Postpartum body odor”
”That breastfeeding will take a while to figure out”
”The GOD AWFUL pressing on stomach every hour for 12 hours after delivery. wasn’t prepared for that”
”That half of my hair would fall out when the babe was 3 months old”
”Contractions continue after birth and just all the soreness of postpartum”
”That the 4th trimester is a real thing”
”That its normal to shake uncontrollably after an epidural. You’re not seizing sis”
”How emotional you’ll be after baby comes”
”The postpartum crying”
”Baby blues!”
”How freaking rough the end of pregnancy is”
”The hemorrhoids!”
”Going #2 for the first time after giving birth is stressful”
”Your hair can completely change! My hair is super curly now but was straight pre-baby”
”It’s okay to not feel an instant bond with baby, I thought I was a bad mom”
”The strep b test is a booty/vag swab”
”The gas that builds up after c sections!”
”That pooping would be so hard and painful afterward”
”My pelvic floor won’t be the same again – I’ll most likely pee when I laugh, sneeze, jump”
”Morning sickness can last longer than the first trimester”
”Postpartum depression is real HELLO! I felt so alone and guilty”
”That my hair would come out in clumps”
”I didn’t know I’d have to have a catheter with a c-section, makes sense! I just didn’t’ think about it”
”You’ll most likely poop on the table when pushing”
”When your water breaks it doesn’t just stop…it’s weird…. (keeps flowing)”
”Contractions post-labor while breastfeeding”
”It’s okay to get the shakes during labor”
”That your tailbone may hurt!”
”EXPECT A LOT OF BLEEDING AFTER”
” Breastfeeding/pumping will level your nipples sore, possibly even purple. it gets better!”
”PPD/PPA is real and it’s okay to ask for help. I learned the hard way”
”Sometimes epidurals don’t work! I felt a lot more than I should have!”

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the summer of 2023, Behind the Bliss Podcast was rebranded to the new title Real Talk with Rachel Awtrey. Some information and links may have changed since recording this episode.

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