Revealing Your Postpartum Reality: What Happens After Birth?

[@mariekraft2738]

Ms. Tina, I’m a Child Passenger Safety Technician and noticed the video clip of baby in the car seat is incorrect. The chest clip isn’t in the correct place and the straps are too loose. However, thumbs up on having a blanket laying over baby. On a different note, I wish I would have found your videos when I was expecting. I’m learning a lot about what was going on before, during, and after I have had my two little ones. Thank you for everything you do and for the education videos.

[@mamanursetina]

Yes, unfortunately finding B-roll of newborn babies in car seats that are rear facing thats legal to include are hard. And different countries have different rules which I am Sure you know (it always weirds me out when I see them without a chest clip!) That’s why I think it’s important people review the safety of their own car seat in their own country before it’s time to take babies home in them!! I love the keen eyes of CPST on social media keeping us all safe and thank you for the comment! As you know we usually have to educate a lot for new parents on how to keep the littles safely in their seats.

[@mamanursetina]

I’ll pin your comment so people reading will see it 😊

[@chandrasunny]

Was wondering about the statement about bringing the car seat in to the ward. The car seat we got is rear facing but not easy to take in and out, it doesn't have a handle or anything because it's one that transitions with the growth of the child. What do you do with that?

[@holliebrokaw3716]

Ugh that fundal massage. I do wish you had talked a little bit more about it in general. I know I was given it without permission or warning after a c section (with no explanation afterwards why they thought it was necessary), and the automatic response I've seen on social media to anyone questioning it is "Oh I'm sorry, would you rather hemorrhage and die? Just shut up and take it" Which seems pretty extreme when routine, preventative fundal massages (ie. No boggy uterus etc.) aren't standard care in a lot of countries with better outcomes than the US (where a lot of people who comment on it are from) and it doesn't seem to be particularly helpful based on the controlled, randomized trials we do have. There also seems to be a lot of confusion on social media about what a fundal massage even is. People get it confused with fundal checks frequently and I've also had people confidently tell me that it's to get the placenta to detach after the c section (what? What???). I just think we need more good education out there about this. There's definitely a lot of well meaning but confused people.

[@natashaguindon2517]

Other than the fundal massage, my nurses barely checked on me or my son. I had to ask to be checked on regularly, especially after I nearly passed out when getting up to change baby. They didn't show me or help me with breastfeeding. They took my son out of the room to show my husband how to change diapers and bathe the baby, I wasn't included in this. This was the RAH in Edmonton, which is supposed to be an excellent women's hospital.

[@mooshpit]

DAMN! this process is so invasive. Thank you for being so thorough.

[@ShiningSakura]

my postpartum journey was awful. Spent the first hours shivering hard core while being stitched up after a 3rd degree tear.... no golden hour at all. Then me with absolutely no feeling in my legs got wheeled into my room exhausted, falling asleep, colder than ever; when I finally got my baby to the brink of falling over tired after 48 hour labor and incoherent thoughts and nurses were bugging me to no end to have my golden hour finally...... I just told them to go away and let me sleep. My husband meanwhile spent that hour with our newborn and had a full on panic attack while I was sleeping because my brain and body was so fried. What a fantasy golden hour can be..... Once up...... I could barely get out of the hospital bed to the bathroom even with assistance due to the emergency epidural dose from labor issues and nurses were quite short with me the whole time. I felt like a child being diapered up and my legs almost giving out constantly didn't help. Lactation consultant was a lady squeezing my breast so hard I wanted to cry and shoving my babies mouth in and said Your all good and left me to my own devices...... my baby fell asleep within a minute everytime and had tongue tie so he was starving for 2 days and I din't know till I got another lactation lady who spent time explaining things to me and helped us out. Then had cluster feeding from hell day 2 and had no idea what was going on as our little one was clawing his eyes and face out for food and the hospital refused to give us any form of supplemental food as I wasn't providing enough and milk wasn't in. Baby lost too much weight and despite my pleadings they did nothing to help and we had to visit the pediatrician 2 times after hospital stay to check weight gain. Doctor was pissed they didn't at the least give us a formula sample out the hospital door. Fed is best .... not so at the hospital though it seems. Spent an extra day at the hospital due to everything going on and only on the last day did we get the best nurses ever who actually cared, gave us a brief break for sleep, talked with us, and gave actual advice and a better lactation consultant our way to help. If not for them I would have lost my mind.

[@shellcshells2902]

Please go into the postpartum depression in another video. Thank you 😊

[@mamanursetina]

I’ll get working on it for you!

[@Jaden-l4d]

​@@mamanursetina2 REPLIES

[@justynaneuvonen3566]

We need it for sure. And anxiety after birth.

[@moo117]

Thank you, I’m having my first baby I’m due in two weeks and it’s nice to be informed

[@mamanursetina]

Oh so exciting!! ♥️

[@Jaden-l4d]

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[@angelbowman1486]

U.K -My goodness so much helpful info, and points I need to research! Thank you so much!!!! I am having to rely on a taxi home as I don’t have an appropriate vehicle. So I was worried about buying a car seat just for the ride home. But it turns out a newborn can ride on the lap so long as it’s back seat and in a licenced taxi. I didn’t believe it at first but turns out that is the case here.

[@hayleymyron9381]

Thank you for sharing such a detailed breakdown of what will happen after giving birth. I am expecting my first baby in March and a lot of the videos I have watched give a short overview but not a lot of direction. I appreciate this :)

[@mamanursetina]

Aw, I'm so glad!

[@Jaden-l4d]

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[@jenniferyambor1760]

I'm due March also!

[@daniellesoucie2470]

Love your videos!!!!! I’m 36 weeks with my first baby and your videos are life saving

[@natalieelskamp9677]

Just want to comment, I have 6 kids, 4 different hospitals, all natural births, and all of their policies were to check both baby and mom every 2 hours for the first 12 hours. I know because all my kids were born in the evening or overnight hours and i was checked all. Night. Long. I asked for less checks and they said no, it was policy. My 5th they checked is every hour, me one hour, baby the next. Even when I asked to put them together. It wasn't until my husband exploded on the nurse that we were left alone! 😂

[@vtheb1299]

this sounds really bad :( and why am I not surprised that they would listen to a man and not the actual birthing person

[@lisasmith3175]

Such an awful way to give birth. After 4 babies we switched to home birth. I also got sick of getting lectures from nurses who had no children. My favorite lecture was how wound up the nurse got when I told her the car seat was not professionally installed. We were using the lap belt!

[@Aky-mala]

In my country (Europe) after vagina delivery you stay in hospital 3 days, if you have c-section it is 4 or more. You don't get anything to bring home, you need to bring your own pads and they don't do anything with baby in room with you. Also, there is usually 3-4 other new mum's in room with you, and you can't leave room if your baby is in there.

[@jllgibson6036]

Hello Mama Nurse Tina; So wish someone like you had taken the time to share this information with me when my child was born 56 years ago... I know some of this info was there, there just was not the sharing with new Mom at that time... Glad to see this has changed thanks to you! Linda in Canada ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[@KatS-q1t]

My first baby was born 48 years ago and I too wish much of this information was available to expectant mothers back in the day.

[@AnnmariErasmus-w8n]

I was discharged 2 uur after giving birth my baby is still in hospital hope i can bring her home today

[@rebeccastanley9920]

Could you do a video on circumcision for baby boys? I’m realizing it’s become a massively heated topic and I’m not sure where to begin research.

[@mamanursetina]

It is certainly heated! I can see what I can come up with.

[@Jaden-l4d]

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[@Huckleberry_boots]

Yes, same!

[@natk1105]

​@@mamanursetina I'm not sure if you've already made this video, but if it's still in the works I hope you can include some context from around the world. Outside of the US and certain religions, circumcision of babies is not standard at all. I live in New Zealand and it's just not a thing here. All the arguments I hear from Americans claiming that it's for health reasons just seem so incredibly strange to me - we don't have those issues as far as I know.

[@joannak89]

This may be a silly question but when can mom take a shower? I’m sure there’s a lot of fluids that get on mom after birth from herself and baby. No one really takes about that little detail lol and I’m wondering if I have to wait until I go home to clean up?

[@mamanursetina]

Would depend on if you were Medicated or unmedicated and vaginal or c-section? Everywhere will have their own protocols on this but once you have gotten up to the bathroom on your own unassisted (like we are standing by but you’re doing it on your own) and are steady on your feet and your bleeding is controlled and your vitals are stable then usually that’s the time. This can totally be at the hospital for sure. Some people if they are headed home quickly will opt to wait

[@johnnyb48]

Very informative. Thanks for that!

[@mamanursetina]

❤️

[@haileyisim]

If you have any info to help me, I would be FOREVER grateful. I have ms and already have pelvic floor issues pre pregnancy. Obviously these issues have gotten worse with pregnancy. I've heard that due to my muscles, I may need assisted delivery if I choose to go natural (suction, foreceps) and I've also been told natural can lead to greater bladder and bowel issues in the future. Is this true? I'm not asking you make my decision for me but I am asking if you have any info on the long term effects of the bladder/pelvic floor with natural vs c section. I don't want worsening bladder and bowel control issues in the future but I'm also not sure I really want a c section and the info out there is pretty slim.

[@vtheb1299]

Hi Tina, I have a really stupid question, when can we eat?!? 😅 I think in another vid you said before birth we can't eat just in case of c-section. So I imagine that at some point we must be not only tired but also very hungry... thank you so so much for all your vids, I am 38w, first time, quite anxious, revising everything on your channel and feeling like I'm in good hands thanks to the info you provide. PS. it warmed my heart to know you're a fellow Canadian 🤩 you're amazing just huge huge THANK YOU

[@crsnow23]

I was allowed clear liquids before and after. After, if I kept down liquids then I could try easily digestible foods like crackers or apple sauce. If you can keep those down then you can eat your regular diet!

[@flyby3079]

I was told by my OB clear fluids only before the epidural to avoid vomiting & nausea but you can eat as normal beforehand.

[@Shadow-zp2zh]

I would also like to see more information on postpartum depression. I am currently due to give birth to my second child in less than a month, have a history of depression (has gone on for over 10 years at this point). For me all of my depression symptoms are a normal part of everyday life, though is there any difference between normal depression (generic), and postpartum depression? Are people that have a history or currently dealing with depression more at risk, or have other mental health concerns? Again as a person who has had it long term, is there a point where the everyday normal is no longer normal or a concern? I fully intend to talk to my doctor, but not all things happen when we try. Though i know these are questions i have they could also be questions or concerns others have. I guess my final question that comes to mind is does a parents depression or mental health affect the baby developing? Not necessarily physically but psychology is there concerns for children and babies that have parents with mental health issues?

[@bfam7492]

This is awesome!

[@SCARLIninotian]

what happens if i dont think im ready to be discharged when they go to discharge me?

[@lindseyprozanski2898]

Postpartum anxiety!

[@mamanursetina]

It can be so intense. I can include it in a video on PPD

[@SCARLIninotian]

what happens if you accidentally pee yourself during the fundal check?

[@genesisthiel5965]

I’ve been up all night worried on what to do about the tdap, eye ointment, vitamin k, and hepatitis B vaccines. This is my first baby and I’m beyond excited but no one is really helping me out, I know this is all up to me but I hear so many bad stories about these vaccines. Will my baby die or have problems if I don’t take these vaccines? Please I need help and I feel I can trust your opinion. Just super excited for my baby boy to come but I didn’t expect all this pressure and life threatening decisions I have to make for him 😥

[@mamanursetina]

You really have to make these decisions for you and your family. Do lots of research but make sure it’s from evidence based information and sources that are qualified to be making suggestions. Check their qualifications first! And talk with your provider too ❤️

[@flyby3079]

Thats a myth that vaccines cause death. Please do your research & look up real medical advice rather than rely on random people thru social media who have no experience. My toddler got all these vaccines as a newborn & is perfectly fine. 😊