You expect the engorged breasts, the saggy stomach and the dark circles under your eyes. But, wait, there’s more!
Here are ten more ways your body changes after giving birth that will leave you asking, “WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL US ABOUT THIS???”
Your body after baby
You’ve done it. You’ve endured nine months of swelling, expanding and ballooning in places you didn’t even know could balloon and you’ve given birth to a beautiful baby. So now your body will return to normal, right?
HA!!!
Oh no. The weird and wacky body changes that occur during pregnancy are actually just the beginning. These, new mums, are some of the insanely odd things that may happen to you after giving birth.
1. Your taste buds change.
Discovering a newfound love for foods that you recently hated? Yes, this is one of the joys of post-birth. And, if you’re breastfeeding, you probably also feel about 8 trillion times hungrier than you ever have before.
2. You bruise all over.
After a vaginal birth, it makes sense that your lady bits might take a bit of a bruising. But some women find that they look bruised all over, including in the face. The bruising will subside in a few days.
3. You lose your hair.
You can kiss your luxurious pregnancy hair goodbye and prepare to lose clumps of it in the shower. You can expect rapid hair loss for the first six months postpartum as the oestrogen levels return to normal.
4. And it possibly changes colour too.
I went from a natural blonde to a natural brown after the birth of my first child. And after my second, my hair decided to stay a permanent grey colour, ensuring I spend a fortune on hair products FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
5. Your bladder gives up on life.
Bouncing on a trampoline or doing jumping jacks with a somewhat full bladder will never be the same. And it won’t end well.
6. You kind of stink.
Hello body odour. Thank your hormones for this one. And you can also expect your sweat glands to work overtime as well, making you a sweaty, stinky mess. Call it the New Mum smell.
7. You develop an intolerance to some foods.
And possibly allergies too.
Some women find that after having a baby they become gluten or lactose intolerance. Others have noticed that they get hay fever and have other allergic reactions to things that never bothered them before.
8. Your nipples become unrecognisable.
Your breasts are obviously going to change shape and size when the milk comes in but so will your nipples. They will most likely become darker, bigger and rounder.
9. Your uterus assumes a baby is still in there.
Known as phantom kicks, you may feel like you can still feel a baby kicking inside you after you’ve given birth. This has got to be one of the strangest sensations and one that may not go away. My daughter is four and I still get these sometimes.
Above is Annette when she was nine months pregnant and one week postpartum, proof that you won’t just spring back!
10. Your feet grow.
You’ve probably heard that your feet can grow up to one full shoe size during pregnancy. But, guess what? They don’t always go back to the pre-baby size.
But, hey, at least you get to go shoe shopping.
These are a few other unexpected after-birth symptoms that you may experience. Some new mums have also reported that their voice deepens, their skin changes colour, their tummy muscles separate and their sex drive takes a massive dive. All changes can pretty much be blamed on the fluctuating hormones and changing oestrogen levels.
Like everything about motherhood, you really never know what symptoms you will experience (if any) until you’re at this stage. But, it’s always good to be prepared. We recommend buying at least three new pairs of shoes, you know, just in case.
