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Pregnancy, as we all know, can do a number on your body — frequent trips to the bathroom, unusual cravings, sore breasts, and morning sickness. But we're usually prepared for it all, due in part to the myriad resources available detailing pregnancy changes and symptoms, neatly laid out week by week.
What's often not talked about are those weird postpartum symptoms most new moms experience in the fourth trimester.
While this may be because these postpartum symptoms are deeply personal in nature, it also stands to reason that many new moms think that because what's going on is so unusual, they're the only ones experiencing it.
I recently posed this question to "been there, done that" moms: What are the strangest postpartum symptoms you experienced? Here's what they had to say:
Your postpartum body: Weird side effects you might not have expected
Now that baby has arrived, you're ready to settle into new baby bliss with your bundle of joy. But that bliss is often interrupted by back pain, uncomfortable vaginal discharge, or the sudden urge to use the bathroom.
"Dear Lord, why did no one tell me about the pooping?! For almost a year after having my baby, my poops were so weird and painful. I was either constipated or on the brink of diarrhea at all times, and basically every poop felt like sharp, stabbing knives. I read in an online forum that this happens for some women as their digestive system goes back into place, but I had never heard about it before!" – M.H.
"Vaginal discharge is weird and annoying postpartum. My discharge smelled super strong, and I had so much of it all the time that I had to wear a panty liner 24/7, otherwise it would feel as if I peed my pants. But then, when it was time to have sex, it was drier than dry down there. Thanks, hormones.” – CL
"After I had my baby, I had the worst uncontrollable gas! It smelled so awful! I felt really bad for my husband, but there was nothing I could do about it. Also, I felt like he couldn't really complain after I birthed a human." – D.S.
"The labor pains after I had my third child were unreal. They were way worse than my unmedicated labor and happened for days after giving birth — especially when I nursed my baby. I was about ready to ask for a postpartum epidural!" – C.D.
"I developed weird nerve sensations. My hands, arms, and feet would fall asleep super easily and often, and I would have to deal with that tingling pins-and-needles feeling. It finally went away about four months in, but it was so strange!" – K.P.
Postpartum body odor and other annoying changes
Chances are you'll also experience a few annoying postpartum symptoms, too. You'll have hormones and excessive sweating to thank for postpartum body odor.
"Postpartum, my armpit smell could rival a junior high boy! Yes, I was bathing. But I could not get it to go away! I had to use my husband's deodorant, because mine wasn't cutting it. Ah, special memories." – W.S.
There's an old adage that says that moms lose one tooth for every child they have. A study by the New York University College of Dentistry confirms that there may be some truth to this. Of the women studied, those with multiple children had a higher risk of tooth loss.
"My teeth got super sensitive after having my son. It went away after a couple of months for the most part, but even now they are still more sensitive than they were before I had him." – W.A.
Finally, while pregnancy may have brought strong nails and thick, healthy hair, postpartum brings with it hair loss and sometimes extreme changes to your skin.
"I developed terrible scalp psoriasis after having my first child. My dermatologist said that while heredity does have something to do with it (my dad has it), it's often onset by stress and hormone fluctuations. It's gotten worse with each of my three pregnancies as well as immediately postpartum, and there's not really much you can do for it while pregnant or nursing." – L.H.
"After having my baby, my face was drier than the Sahara desert! No face lotion was strong enough to quench it. The rest of my skin was completely normal though!" – A.S.
Postpartum emotional changes and how to know when to seek help
Feelings of sadness, resentment, exhaustion, anger, or any combination of these are common after giving birth.
"You wonder how you're suddenly an adult changing poopy diapers. You cry, questioning, 'How did my partner make me think this was a good idea?' You think that you don't know what you're doing. At all," Laura Lifshitz wrote for Mom.com.
What may be unusual is when these feelings continue and turn into intrusive thoughts, extreme anxiety, or depression.
"The deciphering factor between postpartum depression, PPD, and the baby blues is that the baby blues are transient in nature and last roughly two weeks," perinatal mental health professional Jodi Drake, MA, PMH-C, CReC, told Mom.com. "If symptoms persist beyond two weeks, women are advised to seek help immediately and should be screened by their healthcare providers."
Reach out to your doctor if the postpartum emotional changes you experience extend beyond two weeks, or immediately if you feel you may harm yourself or your baby.
