Experiences after birth

Immediately after you give birth, you may experience some things which may be new for you. It is common to experience discomfort, bleeding (known as lochia), cramping similar to period pains (after pains), bruising, and perineal pain. Emotionally, you might feel anxious, exhausted, or down, which is normal in the first week or two. If these feelings last longer, it's important to seek help from a midwife or GP. Following birth, you may experience injury to your perineum. These could be bruises, grazes, or tears. Some tears will heal by themselves but others require stitches. You may feel different down below following a pelvic floor injury and if you get an infection, you may require antibiotics. Other physical symptoms like urinary incontinence or difficulty urinating may occur, especially after certain types of labour. If you are worried about any symptoms, please contact your midwife, health visitor, 111 or GP.

Skin-to-skin involves placing the baby directly onto either the mother's or birthing partner's bare skin following birth. Skin-to-skin is encouraged as soon as possible, as it is beneficial for both the mother and the baby, promotes breastfeeding and helps with bonding.

There are three options for feeding your baby. These are breastfeeding, formula and a mix of both (combi feeding). You will be encouraged to start to feed within an hour of birth where possible. Your midwives and doctors will support whichever decision you make regarding the type of milk you choose for your baby. We recommend breastfeeding if possible as there are health benefits even if you breastfeed for a short time. Breastfeeding is not right for everyone and there are lots of different factors. If you would like to/need to use formula milk, you can use the first infant formula for the whole first year of your baby’s life. To prepare feeds safely, bottles should be sterilised.

Experiencing some mental health problems may be normal following birth, such as baby blues. But it is really important to reach out when the normal becomes abnormal so you can receive the appropriate care. Postnatal depression, PTSD, postpartum psychosis and self-esteem issues can all be experienced after giving birth. If at any point you feel that something is not right or you feel you would benefit from help, seeking it out is the best thing you can do.