r/FitPostpartumJourney

I’ve been debating on even posting this but, per my last post - things have not been getting any better and I need to be told if I’m in the wrong for feeling this way or not.

After all of the incidents that have happened after the few first months of having our son, I have yet to truly forgive my husband for the things he said and did to me during early postpartum (context in my last post)

I have tried speaking to him as calmly and nicely as possible to try and avoid an argument and it erupts into something insane every single time.

On top of that, he doesn’t help with anything. He works from home and doesn’t even get out of bed until the minute his work starts, literally, his start time is 8:00am and he has his alarm set to 8:00am. I make his coffee and bring it to his office, make him lunch and bring that to his office as well. Dinner is sometimes challenging because our son is usually ready to start his bedtime routine around 6:30 so everyday I juggle how to simultaneously do dinner, bath time and bedtime all at once. He’s off at 6:00pm, he’ll come downstairs while I’m cooking dinner and say hi to our son and has never even offered to do any of his night routine or get it started so I can at least finish cooking. It’s not that I mind doing all of it, it’s the fact that he sees me juggling so many things at once and has never once offered help. The most he has EVER done during this time, is make our son a bottle using the baby breeze formula dispenser, bring it upstairs and set it on the nightstand for me to feed him before bed. Whenever I bring up how he doesn’t help with bedtime, that’s what he throws at me “well I make you a bottle sometimes so you don’t have to come downstairs” is what I get back.

Since having our son, I told him the only thing I wanted for Mother’s Day was some time to myself, I have not had that since our son was born a year ago. However, he got me a book, made me toast and then we spent the day with his family, and I cooked for them. I tried to nicely explain how this hurt my feelings and he literally blew up and made the entire thing about him.

He makes so many condescending comments about me “doing nothing all day” like the other day I told him I was tired at around 9pm, he said, “why are you tired? What did you do today for you to be tired?”

I physically cannot be intimate with him anymore, he’s constantly trying to touch me and be intimate and I immediately tense up or flinch at the feeling of it. Sex is the only thing he wants or cares about and I’ve tried time and time again to explain to him how I need for him to give me more empathy and he just gets so angry. I struggled terribly with PPD and I don’t think I’m through it I think I’m just surviving it.

Any tips or encouragement on how to get through this would be incredibly helpful.

I am experiencing hip misalignment issues and physical therapy did not help much. My pain hasn’t gone down for the last 1 month. It has been very difficult to lose weight and the scale barely moved from when I started tracking it with workout and a relatively healthy diet.

I’m considering if Ozempic or something similar would help. My wish is the weight goes down my other issues and pain would also go down.

I have my gynecologist appointment next week and am wondering if she would be open to prescribing me the medication.

Has anyone used it previously for weightloss and has it helped or not in the long run for any other issues you were facing as well.

Sometimes I feel like just relying on the pump doesn’t fully empty me, especially when I’m tired or stressed. I can definitely get more milk if I massage my breast while pumping, but honestly… taking care of a baby all day is already exhausting and I really don’t have the time to manually massage.

Last week I saw a wearable pump at Target called Wellness1 from mom cozy that claims to massage your breasts while pumping, and now I’m wondering if something like that could actually improve milk output? A lot of people also say taking a hot shower before pumping helps with letdown, but showers feel like such a hassle to me, and the Wellness1 can also warm the breasts! However I haven’t actually tried it though, so I’m curious if anyone here has real experience with it.

I’ve also heard the Eufy S1 Pro has a heating feature too. Does anyone know which one is better? And can the Eufy actually massage, or is it just heat? Would love to hear from anyone who struggles with fully emptying unless they do hands-on pumping!

Basically the question in the title. I’m 5 months PP and ready to get back into a fitness routine. But time and energy are big factors into why I haven’t started yet. How did you start getting back into shape after baby? Any fitness programs you enjoy doing? Give me all the tips!

Hi! I am a nursing student going through my labor and delivery class. We start clinicals soon and I would love to know what anybody (nurses, doctors, family, etc.) said to you while giving birth that was really helpful. I haven’t had any kids before but I want to be able to support the mom and say the right things TIA!

I think I’m dealing with pretty severe postpartum health anxiety and I honestly just need to get this out somewhere people might understand.

I’m currently 7 weeks postpartum and already started therapy because the anxiety started affecting my daily life.

Pregnancy itself was extremely difficult. I had HG the entire pregnancy with dehydration, ketosis, multiple IV drips, and nonstop vomiting literally until delivery. I also caught chickenpox during pregnancy and was warned about possible congenital varicella syndrome risks. There were discussions about termination, extra scans, amnio, and basically constant fear until around 24 weeks when things finally started looking reassuring.

I had an elective C-section at 37+5 and delivered a healthy baby boy. Initially everything seemed okay, but then things spiraled after discharge.

My baby developed high bilirubin, became lethargic, and stopped feeding properly, so we rushed to the ER. Then around 1 week postpartum my BP suddenly started going high (130–150/90–97). I got hospitalized again for 4 days for monitoring. After that I started having intense palpitations with heart rates in the 120s–130s. ECG showed sinus tachycardia.

Eventually I weaned off BP meds over the next few weeks, but mentally I never recovered from the constant “something is wrong” feeling.

Then at 4 weeks postpartum, after only light spotting until then, I suddenly had episodes of bright red bleeding/gushes. My OB ordered an ultrasound and beta hCG (negative). Ultrasound showed:
“Endometrial thickness 21 mm with mild collection and thick mobile echoes in the cavity.”

The bleeding reduced after a few days and became spotting again. Yesterday at exactly 7 weeks postpartum, my OB prescribed Regesterone for 14 days and asked me to update her after withdrawal bleeding starts. Although no spotting since yesterday. Haven’t started the dose yet

But now I’ve completely spiraled again.

I started reading my C-section notes and saw:
“Uterus was atonic. Methergin given. Bilateral uterine artery ligation done. Pr withstood the surgery well”

Ever since reading that, I cannot stop thinking:
- Did I almost hemorrhage and die?
- Am I still at risk of secondary hemorrhage?
- What if something retained/infected is being missed?
- What if the bleeding means something dangerous?
- What if I suddenly collapse?

Logically I know doctors would’ve intervened if something was seriously wrong, but my brain keeps jumping to catastrophic conclusions. Every symptom sends me into a black hole of Googling and fear.

Has anyone else had postpartum health anxiety this intense after a medically stressful pregnancy/postpartum experience? Did it get better?

We’ve been conditioned to think postpartum body image is only about weight, stomachs, or “bouncing back.”

But research shows pelvic floor symptoms like leaking, heaviness, constipation, and pain are also linked to body image distress postpartum. It’s hard to feel confident in your body when your body doesn’t feel like it’s functioning well.

I feel like we don’t talk enough about the functional side of postpartum recovery and how much it can affect confidence, identity, and even willingness to exercise.

Curious, as postpartum moms, if you’d agree this isn’t discussed enough?

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone else struggled with weight loss 6.5 months postpartum I gained 50lbs during pregnancy lost 30lbs and now I’m literally stuck at 170lbs. I’ve worked out everyday for the last two months ( 1 hour a day) plus I eat really healthy. I’m no longer breastfeeding due to personal health reason. Before the pregnancy I was 150lbs I’m 5,7 and I was very fit.
I’m starting to get discouraged, because seeing no results is bumming me out lol.
If anyone has a similar story I would love to hear it.

Please no negative feed back. I’m incredibly grateful to be a mom and my daughter and I have a wonderful time together. I just want to feel confident again. I don’t need to be as fit as I used to be but I just want to feel confident again.

Hi, looking for some advice/experience if anyone has been in a similar situation. I’m FTM and currently 34 weeks. I have been asked to decide on Induction or planned c-section by my next appointment at 36 weeks. the plan would be to induce at 38 weeks or c-section at 39 weeks. My Ob Said cannot give advice on which to go for and it is my decision on which I choose. reasons for both are he is measuring 99th centile (and has been off the char throughout) and I have polyhydramnios (11.9 DVP) which was picked up on 20 week scan (originally 8.9 DVP but has got worse). I’m finding it really difficult in having to make this decision. I just want what is best for my baby and safest for both of us.

Hi everyone! In 3 days I'll be 7 months pp but needed an opinion/advice on something.

I had a vaginal delivery with a 2nd degree tear and stitches.

I am still completely unable to have anything on/in my vagina without extreme discomfort/pain. I have not been able to have sex yet, even nearly 7 months after the delivery. Even water on my vagina is extremely uncomfortable.

I've tried everything that is recommended postpartum for sex but nothing seems to work. I even had my husband just try a finger and it was extremely painful.

Is this worth seeing my doctor about or is anyone else experiencing the same thing?

At around 4/5 weeks PP I realized everytime I peed it would sting a bit. At first it would come and go and wasn’t too bad. Closer to the end of week 5 PP, the sting was more consistent so I decided to take a peek down there and noticed a red flap looking thing along side my stitches which later after doing some research I now believe it’s granulation tissue…. Okay cool intro done…. My question is if it’s okay to use witch hazel pads/dermaplast or would it make it worse? I do sitz bath and my 6 week appt is coming up soon but I was just looking for temporary relief aside from a sitz bath. I’m at the point where I dread having to use the restroom at all whether it’s pee or a BM. I can’t just sit and pee I have to lean forward to avoid it going to my stitches/red flap.

Hey! First pregnancy, vaginal delivery, 29yo and was pretty into working out before. I had to stop most workouts, even pregnancy safe ones, around 2nd trimester because relaxin levels just made my joints feel it before my muscles did. Never have had to recover from a baby before so I’m not sure if I’m rushing things or going too slow lol.

I think I have built up to being able to lift again, but now my core feels weird…

I’ve been doing breath work since 2 weeks, started around 3-4 doing lots of walking and more core work like dead bugs, assisted planks. Have been increasing that all gradually till now (8 weeks). OB said I no longer have any diastasis recti and that uterus is back to normal size.

So a few days ago I did lifting, 10 sets of 10 squats and bent over rows at 30 lbs. Additionally, got a baby carrier my girl actually likes so I’ve been baby wearing a lot and she’s a 13lb er lol. And then I did a few sets of 8 assisted push ups and some light stretching a day later.

Now today I feed odd, Im sure it’s because I went too hard. Specifically, it’s not like being sore. It’s almost like very light period or day before period feels? Or like a super mild sensation of how it felt a week PP. But also like a stomach ache sometimes? Honestly I’ve thought oh maybe my periods coming back or maybe I ate something bad but the feelings subside if I sit and relax.

So my questions:
Do you guys think I have done enough prep work to start introducing lifting now? Probably at a lower set/rep. But I don’t want to be doing any harm.

Is this just what being sore is like PP? Instead of the normal muscle soreness? Or maybe this is normal deep core soreness but I never had my deep core as weak as it is currently? (Athletic all of childhood)

I don’t want to pull a muscle and end up unable to do anything! Thank you! Also any advice on reintroducing lifting now would be awesome!

Hi moms, I’m a first-time mom and currently struggling a lot postpartum.

My body feels extremely weak after giving birth, and I’m constantly cold — especially at night. Sometimes I get so cold that I can’t even fall asleep.

On top of that, breast engorgement has made my postpartum insomnia even worse. My breasts feel painfully swollen and sore, and it’s been really overwhelming physically and emotionally. I’m wondering if anyone else in this community has experienced something similar? What helped you recover or feel more comfortable? I’ve been thinking about trying a breast pump to help with the engorgement and clogged milk ducts, but I’m very sensitive to strong suction. I honestly can’t tolerate pumps that feel too aggressive or painful.

I’m hoping to find something gentle and comfortable. Also, are there any breast pumps that combine warming therapy with pumping? I feel like warmth would really help me relax, stay comfortable, and maybe improve milk flow while also helping with the cold feeling I’ve been having. Would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thank you so much

Ideally would like to run 3x a week but barely managing once so would like to start running with LO.

Currently using the Joolz Aer+ which has worked well. We were also gifted the GB Pockit City Stroller (has slight incline mode but not fully flat so questions about sleep). In an ideal world I could use the GB for quick neighbourhood trips and the Out n About for longer trips and runs?

Also concerned about space and we have no car as we are in central London!

Thoughts and ideas welcome!

edit: for clarity, not using any pram to run in atm! Running solo hence difficulty doing more than one run. I’m talking about using Joolz as my main pram.