Giving birth to a child can be one of the most incredible experiences a woman ever experiences. After months (and sometimes years) of waiting, you finally get to bring your beautiful little bundle of joy into your arms and you feel like you never want to let go.
And then the work starts.
The work of parenting, yes. With all the trip-ups that give way to learnings and the frustrations that give way to ear-to-ear smiles as you just can't get over how cute your baby is.
And there's the work of recovering and healing.
Not only are you having to recover and heal from the birth itself, you are also recovering and healing from 9 months of being pregnant. You might have felt like you body was going through rapid changes week-to-week during your pregnancy. But nothing compares to the rapid change your body goes through after giving birth.
Your body had months to get used to steady, progressive growth of your baby. Your body adapted each week and month to the baby getting bigger, your blood volume increasing, your joints getting more flexible, etc. W
But within a matter of minutes, your baby is birthed and your body suddenly changes again. Your hips and spine have to suddenly get used to the biomechanical difference now that your baby isn't in your pelvis anymore. Your neck and shoulders have to suddenly get used to carrying your bungle of joy in your arms (and feeding your baby and changing your baby's diapers and cleaning your baby...)
On top of all of this, you're under the stress of being a new parent and learning your baby (and your baby learning you), you're sleep deprived with round the clock feedings and your hormones are trying to find a new balance now that your body isn't pregnant anymore.
None of this makes for an easy time let alone an optimal environment for recovery and healing.
While challenging, this time doesn't have to be horrific for you as a new mom. There are tons of resources available to you and many ways you can help yourself (and enroll others in helping you) through this time.