Mom Explains Why the Postpartum Phase Is So Painful
A Mom Opened Up About Why Postpartum Is So Painful in a Candid Post
Although women aren't always willing to talk about it, the postpartum phase can be an intensely trying time for new moms physically. In a poignant Instagram post, Luci — a 30-year-old mom of three and blogger — recently shared why her post-birth experience was particularly painful the third time around, and we love how candid she is.
"Postpartum. The part no one really talks about. No, not postpartum depression, but the recovery. The moments, minutes, and hours after delivery," explained Luci. "It's a moment filled with happy tears, celebration of a new life, and pure magic bringing a baby into the world."
While there are tons of unforgettably sweet moments that come with bringing new life into the world, Luci is the fist to admit the recovery phase can be extremely taxing.
"It's also a moment filled with painful tears because it hurts to use the restroom," she confessed. "It hurts to walk less than a feet away. It hurts because of the contractions that are still there even after your baby is out."
She continued: "It hurts and it's so painful. Sometimes you feel like you have to 'hide' all of that hurt so people don't misunderstand and think you're ungrateful. I finally cried last night because I couldn't get through another contraction without doing so. I cried last night because I'm traumatized having to sit down and pee. I cried last night because I felt weak and broken down."
While every labour is different, Luci admitted she was surprised by how much pain she was in with her third child after giving birth.
"I called my husband (who's home with the kids) at 1 in the morning," she wrote. "I just wanted to cry because of all the pain my body was going through. I said, "It's so much harder this time around and I don't know why. I don't remember postpartum being like this. It hurts so much. He might not completely understand the level of pain I am in, but he was able to hear it in my voice."
Despite her ongoing recovery, Luci's taking the time to publicly acknowledge how incredible strong women's bodies are.
"The human body is amazing," said Luci. "But the woman's body is beyond amazement. We go through so much in our pregnancy, then again during and after birth. We should be proud of ourselves for being so strong — strong enough to bring life into this world. Strong enough to be given the title, 'mom, mother, or mama.' Crying and talking about how hard postpartum is doesn't make us ungrateful beings, it makes us HUMAN. This is the truth, the reality of childbirth. We sacrifice our body because of someone we love. That someone calls us 'mom.'"
