Pregnancy life. It’s a special brand of intense. And whether you love it or hate it (both are totally valid feelings, by the way!), you know it has an end date.
But what lies on the other side of pregnancy life? What does that mystical postpartum phase have in store for you?
Sure, we’ve all heard the sobering tales of rock-hard boobs, uncontrollable hormone-induced crying and mesh panties. But nonetheless, postpartum life deserves a little more credit than it gets.
So if your womb is getting ready to bring forth a tiny human, don’t fear postpartum life! Embrace it. It might not be as scary as you think. Here are 6 reasons why postpartum life is better than preggo life.
1. Pregnancy aches and pains go away
…and fast! Once your hormones make the switch from pregnant to postpartum, your body breathes a sigh of relief. Indeed, those loose, achy joints tighten back into place. The swelling goes down. And, if you experienced pregnancy carpal tunnel syndrome, it usually dissipates within days of the birth. Plus, conditions like gestational diabetes, hyperemesis gravidarum and pre-eclampsia disappear without a trace.
Sure, your postpartum body isn’t all sunshine and roses – your boobs leak and you still look about five-months pregnant until your uterus shrinks down. But hey, at least those pregnancy discomforts you’ve suffered through for nine long months are a thing of the past.
2. Your sleep is better quality (even if it’s taken in much smaller stretches!)
Chances are, at least one person pulled you aside when you were pregnant and knowingly said, “I hope you’re getting as much sleep as you can now. Because you won’t sleep much once the baby comes!”
And that person would be right. Once that baby makes its grand entrance, sleep is grabbed in short segments. But want to know a little-known secret? The sleep you do get after bub arrives is wayyy better than the sleep you’re getting now.
Pregnancy sleep SUCKS. Your hips are sore, you can’t get into a comfy position, your dreams are a special breed of whacky, and you might even be suffering from insomnia. After delivery, that all stops – almost immediately. So, okay, sure, you’ll only be getting sleep in 1-2 hour stretches. But that sleep will be GOOD.
3. You can eat what you want (sort of!)
During pregnancy, many mums-to-be are super strict about following the pregnancy-safe food guidelines (for good reason). And so, pregnancy is one long question of “Can I eat that?” “Has this been served hot enough?” “I wonder how long that was out of the fridge!” “Is this cheese pasteurised?”
The good news is that once bub is safely out in the real world, you can kiss all those food rules goodbye!
You can, however, add a few things to your diet to boost your milk supply (but that’s totally optional). And, a word to the wise, if you’re breastfeeding – eating copious amount of Darrell Lea liquorice is a big no-no. Unless, of course, you’re totally cool with a poop explosion! (Just to clarify I’m referring to the baby, not you.)
4. No more bump attention
It was novel the first time your sister rubbed your growing belly, and maybe the morning that your husband rolled over in bed and grinned, “Wow babe. You’re showing!”
But all the attention on your bump can grow old fast. From unwarranted touches to comments on your size, to gender predictions based on how you’re carrying, the pregnancy bump is basically the attention invitation you never wanted.
Once your little blessing is earthside, your battered old tum will no longer be front and centre. A cute chunky human will take its place. Literally, nobody will be looking at your stomach once there’s a baby in your arms. So you can think about that baby weight if or when you’re good and ready.
5. Way fewer doctor appointments
You would be forgiven for thinking your pregnancy feels more like a part-time job the further along you get. Between doctor appointments, ultrasounds, blood tests and that “lovely” gestational diabetes test drink, pregnancy life really isn’t for the faint of heart.
But once you’re postpartum, your health (and your baby’s health) generally become a lot more predictable and manageable. By the time you hit six-weeks postpartum, you rock up to one final appointment, get the all-clear and go back to living your life.
6. Baby snuggles
I mean, obviously. At the end of it all, your belly is empty, but your arms (and your heart!) are lovely and full. And if that’s not the greatest perk of postpartum life, I don’t know what is.
If you’re in the thick of pregnancy life, you need to know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel!
Postpartum life is strange and messy, but you can’t deny that there are some seriously unique aspects of it that you don’t want to miss.
So buckle in, mum-to-be!
