What I learned 6 weeks postpartum

As a first-time mom who loves reading blogs, I’m very upset that the postpartum period is still a secret to women who haven’t given birth yet. I wanted to give a concise truthful account of my first six weeks. I hope you enjoy reading and can plan for a better postpartum life.

I’m a mom who is a teacher in Texas which means maternity leave is unpaid. I was unable to get disability because I had switched districts in the middle of my pregnancy (I had already accepted the job when I found out I was pregnant, and I have no regrets.) I went back to work exactly 6 weeks after giving birth for multiple reasons. If I could have done it over, I would have gone back after 8 weeks.

I was fortunate to be paid for all the time I had off because I had saved my days in twelve years of teaching. I would have loved to have my baby in the summer, but it didn’t happen, and not missing a paycheck ensured my mental health was in a good place. I took one day in the fall and two days in the spring on average in twelve years to have almost 60 days saved up. I highly recommend if you know you are going to stay in teaching for more than five years do the same if you are planning on having a baby. I know that isn't feasible and most teachers I know had children before 35. However, living in a state that doesn’t offer paid maternity leave requires future planning.

In an ideal world, I would have saved more to take longer maternity leave. However, life happens. My husband and I have gone through all of our savings twice for unplanned emergencies. I’m thankful to not have gone into debt over an emergency, but it made the idea of staying home longer scary. (One of the reasons I’m open about budgeting as a teacher is because it is a huge stressor and more teachers (who are paid a decent wage) could take one less stressor out of their life if they learn how to budget. However, I don’t believe in shaming people because life happens and everyone has different priorities in their budget.) So why not empty out my leave bank completely? I didn’t empty my leave bank because my son will most likely not attend daycare for the first two years of his life, and I wanted to be able to have days saved if his grandma or I get sick. Working for free or blowing through my savings for not a true emergency isn’t in my plans. Below are the five major takeaways I wish I had known before giving birth.

I didn’t buy enough newborn diapers. I was very blessed with gifts, so I bought most of my diapers. I used mostly coupon blogs to help me stockpile. One newborn box was not enough! My son sometimes would cry with a couple of droplets and he wanted to be changed. He often pooped a minim of three times a night. I tried Pampers, Huggies, and the Target brand in newborn size. I would recommend all three when it comes to no leaks for my child. It took two weeks before I tried the newborn cloth diapers donated to me. I’m so thankful because my son had an allergic reaction to Huggies. I thought it was a normal diaper rash, but as soon as I used cloth for four hours straight it was completely gone. I have continued using Pampers Swaddlers, Huggies special delivery, Honest, Target brand, and cloth diapers now that my son is almost seven months.

I’m not a fan of onesies. In the middle of the night, I don’t want to button anything! I prefer zipper sleepers especially since my son goes nowhere except to the doctor. Cloth diapers are bulky, and I prefer zippers that don’t make it difficult to get his feet out of. I wish I registered for more sleepers and wearable blankets. As a reminder, my son was born in the winter and outdoor activities were not considered because of COVID surges.

I don’t have a preference on sleepers. I have used target brand and Carter’s.

I didn’t buy enough postpartum care products. I had a level two perennial tear. Everybody is different, but the pain after birth was worse for me than the actual birth. I made about 20 padiscles and bought plenty of adult diapers. I ended up needing much more. I would recommend making forty-five or more. I didn’t buy enough witch hazel pads which was an issue because I only liked the name brand that I couldn’t find in grocery delivery. I did find plenty at Target and would do delivery from there if I had known. My hospital gave me hemorrhoid cream and Dermaplast. However, I needed more and was prescribed a hemorrhoid cream by my ob-gyn at my six weeks visit. I also didn’t get enough Tylenol. Get yourself the huge bottle, you will need it! Some women feel fine after a week after going birth, but it took me about eight weeks to be pain-free.

Have an honest conversation wither your partner about the possibility of shifts so everyone is able to sleep. My husband and I also discussed that he may need to look for signs of Postpartum Depression or Postpartum Anxiety. While I didn’t experience either, I’m glad I was able to have the daily check-in with my husband about my mental health. I didn’t breastfeed which helped me get to sleep. My husband and I had about eight different sleep shifts during the first six weeks. I wish we discussed the sleep schedule weekly until waiting until six weeks. Also, be upfront with your family about the help you need. If you need them to wash the dishes more than hold the baby say so. My son was born during a spike in Covid cases so my house was on lockdown. My family and friends respected my decision, and I never felt guilty they couldn’t see the baby.

Lastly, create your village before giving birth. I know many people don’t have family or friends to help them, but in your village, there can be strangers. My HEB delivery driver is now a part of my village. Is it a random person every time? Yes, but it’s worth every penny when you didn’t create enough freezer meals. Waffles and a turkey sandwich are a dream come true when you are sleep deprived and hungry. One of my friends was able to use her gym’s provided childcare to get a break. Some churches provide single mothers with meals. I find that most people desire to have community, but build their lives not creating that community. We all need help at times, don’t be afraid to ask.

I would love to know your tips on getting through the first six weeks. Let me know below.

*I am not a finical advisor or a medical provider. Please seek professional help when necessary.