How did you feel immediately after birth?

Question

I am trying to work out how to organise visitors after I give birth. I want to see my mum and my sister and my best friend most of all. but I am pretty sure I am only allowed 2 visitors at a time and my mum will want to come in with her boyfriend (they have been together for like 15 years so he is more like my step dad) and then I know my husbands parent will want to come in and aaaargh it's all just too messy.
So what I am hoping to do, is take my baby out to meet everyone at the same time.
Did you feel up to doing something like this after you gave birth?
I know everyone is different and there will be a range of answers but just wondering what your experience was\Thanks in advance

I know that all my plans are likely to fall out the window but I feel as though I will stress less if I at least have some idea of how I want things to go.
As for walking around... LOL.... I will definitely have a wheelchair... it's hospital policy

Answer 1

I had a vaginal delivery. 9 and a half hours of labor.
When it was over, I felt so much RELIEF that my baby was out and perfect :) .. and then about 5 minutes after delivery my body started shaking uncontrollably. It was very scary for me (and my husband!) but come to find out that is perfectly NORMAL and almost always happens. I wish they had made that more clear when it was happening because it's very scary to be shaking uncontrollaby and not know why. So please if you start shaking .. don't freak out!
As for after the shaking ended, they have you go pee (and you will be bleeding A LOT) and your legs will be very weak (if you get the epidural) so you will have to have assistance to get to the toilet. After that first pee .. you will most likely be transferred to the room you will be staying in for the remainder of your stay. At that point, you should feel fine to see people. I did. I felt great and was ready to show off my baby! (I barely slept the whole time I was in the hospital .. I wanted to just sit and adore my baby ... I never let the nurses take him out of the room except when they needed to check his daily vitals.)
My sister in law, however, had a c-section and she was emotional and started crying because so many people were coming to see the baby. She just wanted to be alone with her husband and baby. And she insisted that the nurses take the baby into the nursery for a few hours so she could get some sleep.
I guess it all depends on the person

Answer 2

There is no way you will be up to long visits. You will be exhausted. Most new mom's just want to sleep.
The baby is most often to a room to be washed up and dressed. That is a good time for the nurse to hold up the baby at a window where everyone can see.
If family wants to see you, measure how tired you are. Have your bf or husband an idea of how you can deal with visitors.
He can let two come in at a time and tell them how long they have and be firm on that.

You mother's boy........Just say this is my step dad, which what he really is to you. Or just say this is my mom & dad.

With my daughter giving birth to her first one. The hospital wasn't close to everyone. I was there for the birth. Her dad, my X came by when the baby was being washed.
Other family members came the next day.

There are hospitals who bend the rules. It depends on who the headnurse is. When my daughter gave birth to her second child, the room was full right after it happened. She had a daughter & the doctor saw ultra sound & said it was another girl. We were so suprised to have a little boy.
My daughter limited who was in on the labor & delivery.
She was sleeping for a while. We gave her some time to get settled in her room. She took a short nap. And then a whole bunch of family & friends showed up. The baby was a delight and people took turns holding him. When my daughter was tired we all left. It was a wonderful day. She is having her 3rd child in Jaunary.

Answer 3

I felt relieved right after the birth, I was so glad it was over! I was exhausted but couldn't sleep because people were coming into the birthing suite to see the baby and I just really wanted to have a shower and wash my hair. If you have an epidural you probably wont be able to walk for while after giving birth. Maybe you could give yourself an hour or so of rest and THEN notify everyone of the birth. Are you having a planned C-section? I had my baby naturally so I didn't know what time she would come, my waters broke at 1.30am (just as I was going to bed!) and then I gave birth at 11.30am and I had visitors waiting for me right from when they knew I was in labour! Its nice to just lay in your bed though and let visitors hold the baby and look at the baby and they are usually quiet and will let you rest, if you are shy of breast feeding remember to let your visitors know when you want some privacy as this was something I didn't feel comfortable with doing when people were around. Good Luck to you!!! All the best for you and your baby :)

Answer 4

You feel sore all over and tired. I instructed my mom (the only person I allowed there for the birth) NOT to call ANYONE until I had had my son and was refreshed (and re-made up) in my room. I got to my room, put my frizzy and messy hair in a ponytail, added some lipstick and powder and let her call people. They all came at once in my hospital... well, my mom and aunt were there but others came on in when they arrived and no one stopped them. The whole time people were visiting, I remember thinking, "when the hell can I have some dinner?" I do remember distinctly telling my best friend "no" when she asked if she could hold my son. I feel bad now because it was so selfish but I didn't want to lose hold of him for a minute. And I was afraid anyone else would drop him. I got NO sleep that night because my son was up the whole time (I guess I would be too after that kind of trauma) and I remember thanking the lord when the nurse wanted to take him for his circumcision the next morning. That's when they finally allowed me to shower- thank goodness. And I left the hospital less than 4 hours later.

Answer 5

You more than likely be tired and drained. Please also take into consideration that your baby may not be born during visiting hours. (My daughter was born at 12:02am, by the time they had me and her ready to go to the maternity room it was almost 4am.) I would suggest that you allow yourself some time to recooperate before you have a brigade of visitors. Remember, there will be tons of pictures taken, and you will be happy if you aren't sweaty in all of them (trust me!) You do have the final say about when you get visitors though. You can write something specific in your birth plan, or just tell the nurse that you would only like visitors after they have been approved by you. This way you can take as much or little time as you would like. Also, remember that they will take the baby to take a bath and checked out. (This could buy you some time!)

Whatever you decide will be great. Congrats on your upcoming arrival and good luck!!

Answer 6

I felt fine, but even though I wanted to my family to see the baby, I pretty much wanted to use most of time to just be with my baby - and nobody else, including my husband. Also, I didn't want my newborn to be exposed to extra "outsider" germs in that first day or two at least.

I did, however, want to be able to freshen up before seeing anyone. Also, I did see it as my "personal experience" that I needed to digest by myself. Physically, I was fine, and emotionally I was about as happy as anyone could be - but I wanted that alone time that I saw as just mine.

If you have the baby the "regular" way you're only in the hospital for about a day and a half. People can go look through the glass at the baby, stop in and see you for 45 minutes, and then leave.

Answer 7

I ended up having to have a c-section with my son, and I was extremely drugged up. My epidural got a "hot spot", and I ended up being able to feel my entire right leg-from right above the hip to my toes. I was in a lot of pain, and they gave me a lot of Stadol, and then 2 more injections through my epidural. I was pretty much totally out of it when they delivered my son.
After I came out of the recovery room, they took me past the nursery...where they held my son up for me to see. I was still pretty out of it, so I mumbled "Is he mine?" and "He's so fat!". They took me on to my room, which I don't remember, and I think I slept for about an hour there. When I started to wake up, I remember the nurse saying that my son could come in the room now, and I agreed. Then, I fell back asleep for a little bit, and woke up to my family passing my son around. I was still a little groggy feeling, but other than that I was in a good mood, and super excited. My parents, husband, best friend, and my in laws were all in the room with me. I think that there are a set # of ppl allowed in, but many times the staff looks over it, as long as the baby is healthy and the mother is okay with it. The next day, we had like 20 family members all in my room at the same time! It was a little nuts, but I was okay with it, I felt great, and was up walking around. My incision wasn't too sore.
On the other hand, my friend that gave birth 3 months before me had her child vaginally and was a "beast" after giving birth! She wasn't in a good mood at all, and kept complaining about how she was completely starving!

Answer 8

The first time... exhausted and drained... all I wanted to do was sleep. The second time... If the epidural hadn't kicked in 5 minutes after giving birth, I felt as though I could have packed up and gone home right then. Every birth is different.

Answer 9

Meeting everyone at the same time is very overwhelming. You don't know how you're going to feel after the birth.
I was totally hyper , my brain was racing, but every time I tried to walk I fainted.
I think its best to see what you're like after the birth and if your mother and sister are most important to you that's who you should ask to come. I really don't think that immediately after birth is the time to start worrying about who will feel comfortable and who won't and who will be insulted. That is your special time and it is for you to decide who are the people most important to you at that time.

Answer 10

You will definately be tired afterwards but the new mother adrenalin kicks in and you feel good!
I felt ok after my third even tho i had to have 2 blood transfusions and had no sleep - the exhaustion doesnt kick in for a few days because the feeling of relief and elation is so much stronger!