Lessons from a Postpartum Bod

It was about 3:30 in the morning on January 29th. Just hours before, my sweet baby boy was born. I was lying in the hospital bed, going over what had just happened and all of the emotions of the experience. It was a sweet time filled with emotion and the Spirit. Tyler was sleeping on the pull-out couch and my little man was snoozing in the bassinet. I couldn't sleep because of the elation. And then, suddenly, I realized that I wouldn't be able to sleep because of the cRaZy post-delivery contractions. They were so intense...I was having to breathe through them. I thought, 'You've got to be kidding me! I just had the baby." I had been offered Ibuprofen or Percocet and I'd just taken the Ibuprofen...I hadn't needed anything stronger with the other two. But then hours went by and the contractions kept coming and they were becoming harder and harder to bear. I finally decided that I had JUST done natural childbirth - I had nothing to prove. GIVE ME THE PERCOCET! Luckily I only had to take one and then ibuprofen was sufficient. I was talking to the morning shift nurse about it and she told me, "Those after-birth contractions get harder with each baby; it's not in your head. It will be even worse with the next one." Say what?!

Last week I was on the phone with my mom, lamenting that my postpartum bod was bringing me distress. At this point with my other two I was a little further along with getting my shape back. I pointed out that I'm not getting any younger (I'm going to be 30 this year!) and that probably has something to do with it. She adds, "And, Dana, it is your third baby." So I guess since I have chosen to bring more little people into this world, I am going to have to work doubly hard to get rid of the bigger hips and thicker middle, huh? Ugh.

Shouldn't it be easier the more kids you have? I think so. However, I have decided that maybe there are lessons to be learned. One of the lessons (for me) is patience. I've got to be patient with this body of mine that has carried three tiny people. I've had three little humans inside of me! I'm going to try to love my shape because of what has come from it looking the way it does -three children who bring me more JOY than I knew existed. *Yesterday Max very proudly came in from playing outside with a fistful of uprooted weeds that were topped with some pretty white flowers - "I thought you would like these, Mom. Aren't they beautiful?" Those 'weeds' are now sitting in some water on the windowsill* And maybe if I learn that patience with my body it will help me to be a more patient mom. I do have three children to be patient with now. *Kelly just came up to me, holding out her finger with poop on it from her diaper. Awesome. Then Everett started screaming just as I was changing her diaper.* Maybe there is wisdom in - and lessons to be learned from - a chubby postpartum body after all.

I haven't come up with a good lesson from the painful after-birth contractions. Suggestions?

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This morning Max and I were talking to Everett about how glad we are that he came to our family. Then Max, in a high, sweet, talking-to-baby voice says to Everett, "The delivery was great! Mom's water broke and that's why you are here! Her water broke and now you're here in our family and I get to play with you and teach you things and show you things!" He never asked questions about how Everett would come out, just listened and observed as things were happening...and I guess that's what he got from it. He was there when my water broke, Dad came home from work, we ate dinner, I received a blessing, Mom and Dad headed to the hospital; the next morning he woke up and got to come see his baby brother at the hospital. He's heard me say several times that the delivery was great. That's all he knows about it. If only it had been that simple. :)