Don’t get me wrong – I read the books and heard the tales. I was aware that there were symptoms, aches and pains after having a baby, but it went in one ear and out the other. All I cared about was getting through what I once considered the hardest part – labor & delivery. It didn’t occur to me until later that the challenging but rewarding parts were just beginning.
I didn’t want anything to distract me, though. I wanted the challenging and rewarding parts of parenting, and not the challenging and unrewarding parts about postpartum symptoms. If I had listened more, I would have been more prepared.
And with my second child, I was! Granted, I was sent straight to the hospital from a routine 38 week doctor appointment, and I had no time to pack or prepare for that day, but luckily I already had a list of what I would need in my hospital bag or at home for the days after the hospital. One of the most important things may surprise you, but so might these symptoms!
1. Your hair will probably fall out. Have no worries – it WILL stop. It’s just that your body held onto hair during pregnancy, and will now shed the hair your body held onto all at once. For me it was from 3-6 months postpartum with both kids.
2. Breastfeeding might hurt. A LOT. Or maybe not at all. There all sorts of adjustments to be made with your body. Not breastfeeding might hurt too because milk might come in, even if you plan to let it dry up. Either way can be tough!
3. Hormones are no joke. The beginning can be tough in so many emotional and physical ways with fluctuating hormones. Physically, don’t be surprised to find yourself sweating through the night or even getting a low grade fever.
4. Phantom baby? Your bigger stomach may not go away right after birth. With my first, I was surprised at how it looked right after birth and for the first several weeks or months. It was actually faster with my second but more for different activity levels. I also still felt phantom kicks after both of my children were born! I guess I got used to that feeling!
5. There will be postpartum bleeding. For the first few days after birth, it will be bright red and look like a heavy menstrual period. It may come out intermittently in small gushes or flow more evenly. It will change in volume and color after a few days but may keep going for about ten days. The hospital will give you mesh underwear and terribly clumsy pads. I had a friend give me something even better – Depend Silhouette products! They were wonderful and SO much better than pads.
To help spread #Underwareness, though, the primary use of Depend Silhouette Active Fit products are for bladder leakage – and that is certainly another VERY common aftereffect of giving birth. And not only that, it might not go away completely the way the other symptoms will. Luckily, Depend has incredible products designed for discretion, comfort and dependability.
Des was very curious about the Depend Silhouette Active Fit package because he is potty-training. He was wondering if the briefs also came in Superman print just like his underwear does. Sadly they don’t.. but..
• Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs have a lower rise+ for an underwear-like look, fit and feel.
• As a category first, Depend SAF is available in black and beige colors
• More people with bladder leakage are in their 20’s than their 80’s
• The average age of someone with bladder leakage is only 52!
• More people with bladder leakage are 50 or younger than 60 or older!
Depend is entering year two of #Underwareness (clever, no?), a social movement & charitable cause aimed at breaking down the bladder leakage stigma. As part of Underwareness, the Depend brand encourages people to show their support for women with bladder leakage. For every photo & video shared using #Underwareness – featuring Depend products, the Depend brand will donate $1, up to $3 million, through 2016 to fund charities that advance the research & education of bladder leakage.
Since I haven’t experienced bladder leakage at all, I interviewed a close friend who has been experiencing it:
• When did you first experience bladder leakage? It actually started when I was still pregnant and made any sudden movements or got up fast. Sadly, it didn’t go away after I had my baby.
• How did you go about finding solutions for protection? I was embarrassed but asked my doctor. She suggested kegel exercises and also using Depend products.
• What feelings did you have when you realized you have bladder leakage? Very embarrassed but as I’ve talked to friends and family about it, I realize it happens to MANY women.
• Do you have any tips or advice for others experiencing bladder leakage? Don’t get too hung up on it because it’s very common and there are products to help us. Also it does get better with time.
Ah! Another fun part of getting older! I thankfully don’t need this year – but good to know that there are products to help!
I agree! My grandmother used them at the end. I didn’t necessarily want to mention her in the post, although I doubt she would have minded. They are pretty awesome!
Ah another fun part of having babies and getting older. My bladder is shot and I have to pee like 3 times a night!! If I get woken up in the middle of the night the first visit is to the bathroom or it will not end happily for me….My mom says these under pads become a woman’s best friend as we age.
I have the strangest bladder – I didn’t even have to pee a lot when I was pregnant! My theory is that I never drink enough water, though.
Your mom is very wise!
I totally never would have thought to use them right after birth and used those hospital sized pads, but wish I would have known as these probably would have been more comfortable to say the least. So, definitely think this will help many woman who are about to give birth or just have. So, thank you for sharing about this with all of us 😉
That’s what I used with Scarlet! For Des, someone gave me a grocery bag full of these that she had left over and it made a HUGE difference. Holy cow. And I was running back and forth to the NICU during that time so it really made a difference.
I didn’the have the strongest bladder before kids, now it is really a problem. I have used Poise products, but the silhouette line seems worth trying. It’s especially bad when I’m working on dance numbers with my high school students! Kegels definitely help as another commenter said. I’ll stock up before I start my next show!
I’ve never tried Poise but these Silhouettes were really a blessing for me after Des. A very wise friend gave them to me.
Kegels are smart!
Considering I’ve breastfed four children, I was very surprised that it hurt a LOT with only one, the other three were relatively painless. Having four c-sections, I don’t have any leakage. Small benefits of being cut open instead of pushing them out.
Yes, breastfeeding only hurt with my first! I never really thought about the c-section aspect! I wondered if just the weight of pregnancy still impacted the bladder but it’s nice to know not!
That picture of Des made me almost need a pair of Depend Active Fit!
hahaha! I appreciate that! I was laughing as I took it.
The pictures of your children are so adorable; especially Des peeking into the box. Too bad these were not around when I had my son back in 1999…I highly doubt I will ever need them after childbirth, but maybe in my old age…Ha!
Maybe! My grandmother used them in her 90’s and they were incredible for her.
So many things I didn’t even know!!! Thank you for sharing!
Melanie @ meandmr.com
I didn’t know it either until she was born. It’s totally interesting! That’s one word for it..
This is great! Awesome things for new moms to know and awesome products from Depend!
My mom used to say, “You can depend on Depend!” So true! haha.
I do have some leakage when I laugh sometimes. That’s not fun.
Oh no – not fun at all. I’m glad you shared. And I bet you laugh a lot!
Oh I definitely had leakage at the end of my pregnancy and for several months postpartum! Thankfully it seems to be under control. And yes, all the things you don’t think about right after you have a baby. I was definitely in a bit of pain for almost 2 weeks after having Eve. And yikes, the bleeding. It’s crazy to think about going through that all again one day!
That picture of Des looking at the Depend is adorable, by the way 😉
I’m glad it went away for you eventually! And it is crazy to think about doing it again.. for SURE!
Thanks about the photo! It made me giggle.
Yes to the hair falling out! Like a full year later! When we had our back-up issue in our basement you should have seen the clumps of hair they pulled. I was so embarrassed surrounded by all guys and was apologetic! I am sure it wasn’t the cause of the whole issue but you could have made a wig with my lost tresses!
Now I need to laugh about that story! It was so bad! I have massive amounts of hair and it’s super long and dark so it was probably just..everywhere. I’m certain even in the baby’s diaper.
Oh my god with the hair falling out. And no one tells you!! I was certain I had a horrible disease…
I kinda knew.. but kinda didn’t! I was in a beyond birth class and someone mentioned it one day and you could hear a collective sigh of relief throughout the whole room. We were all like, “me too!”
I remember my doctor telling me that I should wait to run and I did start up a little earlier because I felt fine…and then he said to me, don’t come crying to me when you’re in your 40s and you’re having bladder leakage! Sadly, he was right.
Oh no! I would never know that running would cause it. People always say trampolines! Or laughing! Or laughing on trampolines.
I’m terrified about my hair falling out and the phantom baby…oh dear! LOL I’ll have to document when I have a baby.
The phantom baby thing (at least the kicks) is kind of cool. I would say, “Oh the baby just kicked!” And Cassidy would say, “Umm.. she was already born!” Oh yeah!
Luckily I haven’t had this problem yet, but my poor mother needs to have surgery because her bladder leakage is so bad. I’ve been hearing great things about the Depends – I will pass the info on to her.
Oh wow – I hope it works for your mom! My grandmother used them and loved them. I’m sure my mom might be tempted too!
I will only wear superman protection. 😉
No just kidding. We have paid reeducation here in France. You go to a special doctor and they help you through a series of Kegals, with about 10 sessions. O_o
Effective though.
Batman for me!!
Umm.. I’m moving to France.
I don’t have leakage issues, but there is a whole group of moms in my zumba class who do & there is always a collective sigh when a song with jumps comes on!
Oh, that’s funny! Not funny but humor in solidarity.
My husband has been horrified when he noticed how much of my hair was falling out. Unfortunately, it’s pretty thin anyway, which means that it was far more noticeable when it started. I had a friend at work who had serious bladder leakage issues, and her life was so much better once she started using Depends products.
Cassidy was horrified here too. I guess with Des, we were at least expecting it and it was just as bad!
Glad your friend has success with Depend!
Yep to it all. Especially breastfeeding. They say if it hurts your doing it wrong but that isn’t true. It didn’t hurt for 14.5mos for #5 but for #6 I was in pain for weeks and it was due to his powerful suck.20 months later we are still going strong and no more pain it lasted a few weeks!
It hurt with my first and not with my second. I remember wondering if I just got used to it, or if the first had been my body adjusting and I had already paid my dues!
Either way, I didn’t think I was doing it wrong either!
I’ve never heard of the phantom baby syndrome! That kicking sensation would be a little freaky.
It’s so weird! And I don’t know that it happens even that often but I kept thinking I felt kicks and my husband was like, “Umm.. she was born!”
What a genius idea to use Depend after having a baby!! Why did I not think of that!?!? Seriously, no one told me about the aftermath.
Superman Depends should be a thing, I’m with you, Des. 🙂
XOXO
I never would have thought of it but my friend gave me a grocery bag full of ones she hadn’t needed. It was brilliant and discreet!
But.. not Superman. haha.
This is very good to know. I am not a mother, but I hope I will be in the near future. I didn’t know breastfeeding hurt.
I didn’t either! And it doesn’t for everyone. It’s just that it can. For me it was painful with my first but not my second.
Having kids definitely changes you in ways you never would realize! I think a lot of things surprises most people when they have a baby!
Exactly! And I imagine that even if you’re warned, it’s just the kind of thing you need to experience to understand.
And…. I just sent this link to my SISTER – ha! 😉 — She is due in less than a MONTH.
PS: my cousin is the PR person for Depend! Maybe you spoke to her when signing on to this campaign?! OH SNAP – small little world.
ha! Tell your sister to never read it! Just kidding.
As for your cousin, it just might have happened! Although I think I talked to a man..I think?
ha ha – well my cousin is not a man, so obviously there are more than one people in charge of Depend’s PR team, LMFAO!
Clearly there are more than one. They do a great job, though!
Oh, boy! I needed this when I was preggers! Such a helpful post! Great job!
Thank you! I felt like I had something to share with others with this product.
I want kids, but then I read about hair loss and leakage, etc., and then I think, “I can wait a few more years.” 🙂
ha!! Well the hair loss might not happen for you. The leakage definitely didn’t for me. So you might be a-ok!
Thank you for sharing these tips. I wish I knew some of these when I gave birth. The belly thing was such a surprise. I wondered what was still in there. LOL
Me too!! I was like, “Are you sure the placenta came out? And if not, does it weight 40 pounds?”
They said, “Fat chance.”
Your photos and kids are just adorable! Yes, no one ever tells you about leakage when you’re pregnant! Not Fun!
Thank you!!
Yeah, I had no idea what I was in for!
Yes, Yes, and Yes. I remember all of the above. Thankfully after 3 kids, I did not have bladder leakage! (yet!). And I love the pics of the kids!
Nice! That’s encouraging! I don’t after two and I was always wondering if the third would be the one..
I don’t think I’ve experienced bladder leakage but I was quite overwhelmed and surprised with the bleeding. I consumed a gazillion pads! I didn’t realize it would be that intense for me. I’m so thankful for technology. People actually discover products to help us women in our challenging times.
Yes, it was so overwhelming! And with Des, I was going back and forth to the NICU and nursing and caring for a toddler at home so there was no time for clumsy pads. Enter Depend!
Hormones are really no joke. And i really disliked the bleeding after giving birth. I wish I had poise
Yeah it really took me by surprise! With my first, I just used those terrible pads. With my second, I had the Depend products!
These things can definitely blindside you. With your mind focused on the baby, you forget!
Yes, for sure! And that was both a good thing and a bad thing for me.
Yeah, I guess you don’t really think about possible side or after effects. Certainly not when having a baby.
I actually felt like the laparoscopy that I had done recently to remove a cyst, fibroids and along with it one ovary… had some effect, too. No leakage, but all of a sudden when I needed to go… I needed to go – thankfully that has also gone away after a month. I am happy to hear that you had none of these after effects 🙂
I’m so glad that went away for you! It can definitely be uncomfortable for whatever reason it is.
Ah yes, the joys of both childbirth and aging! Certainly not something I thought about before having kids!
Definitely not! And the fact that aging seems to speed up after having kids.
I totally didn’t know about the postpartum bleeding until a coworker warned me about it. I remember being so shocked! And yes, breastfeeding my first hurt, so much that I had to keep motivating myself to keep going those first few weeks. I was also totally more worried about the pain of labor, not knowing that that was actually the ‘easy’ part 🙂
Both things shocked me a lot! The postpartum bleeding, though. Wow. With all the back and forth I was doing, it was rough.
Great article Tamara!!! I think it is wonderful to have children and I like to be informed about everything about pregnancy and being a mother! Have a great week-end 🙂
Thanks! It’s certainly a lot of strange info but people don’t talk about it as much as some other stuff.
Have a beautiful weekend!
My hair is STILL falling out! And I still pee when I laugh or cough, or jump on the trampoline! LOL
Still?? Very uncool. Your hair is so gorgeous, though.
The trampoline thing – I’ve heard of that one a lot.
Breastfeeding can feel like someone has your nipple in a vice! At least that part passes. These would have been amazing postpartum, I don’t plan on ever experiencing it again, but will pass on the tip to my pregnant friends!
A vice! Exactly!!
I feel the same way – I don’t think any of it will happen again for me, unless I’m feeling very brave.
Brilliant post, Tamara!!! I’ve been reading a lot of pregnancy books lately, and there has definitely not been anything about bladder leakage in there–ha! So this is insanely good to know!
ha, then I’m especially glad you read this! Those books gloss over some details. I did enjoy the What to Expect books but they talked a lot about vomit during the first trimester and I didn’t have that problem so I had to stop reading for awhile!
My hair was the worst at this point in my life. So oily! I am glad you were real and shared these tips.
“They” kept saying I’d have the best hair and skin of my life too! Not so much.
Never thought about Depends being great for during and after pregnancy. Luckily I didn’t have any bladder leakage problems with either pregnancy. However, my ankles were swollen with both and I hated that.
Ouch about the swollen ankles! I think my feet seemed bigger too, but only at the end. And then it took a few weeks to be back to normal.
Two years ago I sneezed really hard and a little bit of pee happened. I was like,”what da hell?” It was a really powerful sneeze. As for being pregnantficated. I am sooo over it.
hahahaha. You win.
I have to say this. Your blog is totally unfair. Your pictures are soooooooo gorgeous! lol! Beautiful family!
haha, thanks!! I’ve been doing photography for so long so it’s nice to be noticed!
I do remember my hair falling out like crazy – that was weird. I don’t remember the rest – lol I guess you do forget the bad parts after all otherwise nobody would have babies lol
sounds like a good product! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The hair thing is very weird! And sometimes it grows in a different color or consistency. Bizarre.
I have been very fortunate not to have the bladder issues, but I definitely used these products after each birth. I’d never seen one until the first birth—oh the things that come with growing up!
Same here, and same here again with the births! It was the most helpful thing!
I may just pick a box of those up at the store so that I can jump on the trampoline this summer. 🙂
There you go! Summer bucket list. Dream big.
ohmygoodness I had NO idea what to expect after giving birth. No. No clue what a huge recovery process it was. I mean, seems like common sense but never really thought about it. I totally cannot jump rope anymore without oddly crossing my legs!
I just love that you jump rope! I mean… maybe I would have trouble too but I haven’t tried in ages.
I loved them for Nana!
I loved your wisdom on the subject!
I have heard about the boobs hurting during breastfeeding. Also one of my friends said she experienced a lot of pain when taking showers, b/c they were so sensitive. Good lord, there’s no shortage of things that women have to think/worry about, is there? LOL. I appreciate you being honest about what to expect when you’re expecting… and after you’re done expecting 🙂