Birth

Birth is more than a physical transformation, it is an evolution of spirit, mind and body. Physically, mentally and spiritually, you will find yourself experiencing a metamorphosis that at times leave you feeling you are having a personal rebirth.

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The birth of a child can be a momentous occasion in the life of a family. It’s not just the parents who are impacted by the birth of their child. Friends and family members may also be surprised by how much they’ve changed since the baby came into the world.

Birth will expose your strengths, challenges and show you how resilient you are. Birth will wrap you in a blanket of assurance- reminding you:

You are Amazing
You are Incredible
You are Worthy
You are Enough– Just the Way You Are
You can do Anything

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Birth is a life event that will transform you physically, mentally and emotionally. Birth can reveal your strength, vulnerability and ability to love beyond comprehension. Yet, it can also be a scary experience for some women, but one that is worth it.

This article will explore the physical, mental and emotional changes that come with birth.

Physical Transformations

Just wrapping your mind around the fact that your body grew a whole human is enough to make you feel like a tower of strength and miracles! Some physical changes that occur after giving birth that may not return to prebirth are:

Breast: your breast may never return to pre-pregnancy shape and size. During pregnancy your breast become larger and fuller due to hormones and weight gain.

Wider hips and Larger shoe size: Due to skeletal changes. You may notice your new body has wider hips, a bigger shoe size and even a different posture. These are do to the skeltal changes in your body during pregnancy.

Teeth changes: Tooth decay increases during pregnancy. Pregnant women undergo hormonal balance changes during pregnancy, including a decrease in calcium concentration. These changes can result in damage to teeth and gums. Increasing oral hygiene during pregnancy can help protect your teeth after (Yenan,et.al.,2019).

I want to bring attention to these changes to prepare you. You may notice your body not being “your body”. I want you to applaud you for this, not encourage you to “snap back”. I want you to take on the perspective that your body has adjusted, changed, adapted, transformed into a vessel to bring forth a whole human. This is to be applauded, recognized and honored.

Mental/Emotional changes

My nurse perspective for moms-to-be is to prepare to change mentally. The one main thing expect is to feel that you will forever feel linked to your baby. You will discover the ‘mama bear’ within. Ready to fight, defend, honor, protect your little one. Prepare to feel as if this little person has always existed. You will find yourself literally having to think about if she/he was born at the time you were remembering, because it will seem they were always there.

I always want you to prepare yourself that you may experience baby blues, postpartum depression abd/or anxiety. I want you to know, it is not your fault if you find yourself experiencing this. This does not mean you don’t love or care for your baby. It is nothing you caused or could have prevented. You have done nothing wrong. Typically, a dramatic drop in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in your body may contribute to postpartum depression (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20376617).

The most important thing to do if you experience :

Feeling of sadness and anxiety
Sleeping a lot or too less
Eating too less or too much
Unexplained aches, pain or illness
Anxiety, irritation or anger for no reason
Sudden mood changes
Poor concentration
Difficulty in remembering things
Feelings of worthlessness, guilt and hopelessness
Recurrent thoughts of death and suicide
Lack of pleasure in things that were earlier enjoyable
Feeling disconnected with the baby (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20376617).

Speak with your provider. Your healthcare provider can provide you with support and assistance you need to help adjust to this phase of your life.

The Amazing You After Childbirth

Prepare to embrace you. Embrace the mystifying, majestic, miraculous experience of childbirth. Prepare to feel your heart grow larger than you ever imagined, and feel empowered that you, your mind, body, and spirit worked to nurture and grow an Amazing human. Embrace your transformational role as mother.

I want to hear from you Amazing Moms. How did birth change you? How are you anticipating birth changing you?