[Postpartum Hospitalization Report] The Reality of Days 0-5 Postpartum | First-time Birth | Vaginal Delivery

In this article, I will write about how I spent my time during my postpartum hospital stay,

• changes in my physical condition,

• the baby's condition,

• items that were useful & items that weren't needed,

and more.✍

I hope this content helps those who are expecting to have a better image of the postpartum period.

Day of Birth

👩 Physical Condition
At 18:45, although I had successfully finished giving birth, because it was a rapid delivery, my perineum was severely torn, and the suturing took quite a long time.

There was a procedure where the midwife pressed on my abdomen to expel lochia, and 500ml or more of blood came out all at once.

Because there was a lot of bleeding, an IV drip was added to promote uterine contraction.

After that, I was told to go pee, but when I said I didn't have the urge to urinate, they inserted a urinary catheter to drain my urine, which I deeply regretted.😂

Inserting a tube into the urethra was another terrifying experience, but since I had already experienced childbirth, it felt like a minor pain.
I was surprised that they were able to get a good amount of urine even though I didn't have the urge.

After that, my physical condition didn't deteriorate significantly, and I was able to return to my hospital room around 22:00.

At night, the baby was looked after in the newborn nursery.

I hadn't slept a wink the night before due to labor pains, and I wanted to get some good rest here, but my body temperature rose to 37.4 degrees, and my body felt hot, making it hard to fall asleep.

I believed that just lying down and closing my eyes would help me recover, so I stayed still. In the end, I think I only managed to sleep for about 2 hours.

I spent a strange night mixed with the excitement and fatigue of childbirth.

👶 Baby
After the birth, we were left alone as mother and child, and we did kangaroo care.

When I lay on my back and they placed the baby on my stomach, and I brought the baby's mouth to my breast, they moved their mouth hard and started drinking. 🥺

Being alone with the baby for the first time, I felt a bit nervous (?).
I said to them, "Thank you for being born."

The thin cry, the sucking mouth, the eyes opening slightly.

Everything was so precious, and I thought, "This might be the happiest moment of my life."

On this day, I had the baby looked after in the newborn nursery for the night.

The fact that they were crying when we were separated to be left in the nursery was also so cute... 🥺

Day 1 Postpartum

👩 Physical Condition
Whether sitting, standing, or changing positions, my perineum throbbed with pain with every movement.

I couldn't sit without a donut cushion.

When I walked, I was just like a newborn fawn. I was waddling with a hunched back.

And on this day, I felt dizzy just from sitting or walking for 5 to 10 minutes.
I think I was experiencing symptoms of anemia because I had lost a lot of blood during delivery.

In the morning, I had the dreaded check-up (speculum, ultrasound, internal exam).

The thought of inserting instruments or fingers into my crotch, which had just been torn and stitched yesterday, was terrifying.

It was surprisingly okay, but during the exam, I practiced the breathing techniques I used to manage contractions out of tension and fear. 😂

I was also quite scared of the toilet at first, but in reality, it only stung a little, and it was better than I imagined.

I was told, "If you don't urinate frequently, your uterus won't return to its original state well," so I made a conscious effort to go to the toilet every 3 to 4 hours.

And the thing I was most afraid of was the shower!

Walking to the shower room was exhausting, standing for 30 minutes was painful, and I was terrified of the pain in my perineum.

During the check-up, I asked the doctor, just in case, 'Is there an option to skip the shower?', but they told me, 'You need to keep it clean to avoid the risk of infection,' so I made up my mind to go in.

As it turned out, this was the right decision.

Since my lochia had filled my maternity pad during the night, just squatting down and gently patting my private area clean felt very refreshing.
I felt glad I had gathered the courage to do it.

By the afternoon, the lochia had decreased to about the amount of a third-day period.

👶 Baby
Rooming-in started around 3:00 PM.

With the support of a midwife, I breastfed for the first time.

Thanks to the nipple massages I did during pregnancy, I had a relatively good supply of breast milk, but the baby kept sleeping and wouldn't wake up at all.

There were times when I had to force the baby to wake up to breastfeed.

And I also did my first diaper change.

Since everything was a first-time experience, I was very cautious with every bit of care, wondering, 'Is this okay?' or 'Does this hurt?'

The baby really slept the whole time, and although I took lots of photos, I only have pictures of them sleeping or crying. 😂

Day 2 Postpartum

👩 Physical Condition
The day my so-called 'postpartum high' ended early, and a wave of sleepiness hit me all at once.

During the middle-of-the-night feedings, I couldn't stop yawning.

I had the baby watched between feedings to secure short, fragmented sleep of 1 to 2 hours.

The lochia continued at about the volume of the third day of a period, and the pain when using the toilet gradually decreased.

My physical condition stabilized, and I felt like it had become much easier to get through the days.

👶 Baby
I tried little by little to breastfeed on my own.

However, I couldn't hold the baby properly, and the baby couldn't latch onto the nipple well and would cry uncontrollably, so it took over two hours every time I breastfed.

Because the baby cried so much during every feeding, the area around their eyes became red and swollen, which was painful to watch.

It was a day of trial and error with the midwife, working on how to hold the baby and how to help them latch.

Even so, there were times when the baby was in a good mood, and they showed me many cute expressions, like lifting the corners of their mouth to smile a little, rolling their eyes back, yawning big, and getting the hiccups.

Day 3 Postpartum

👩 Physical condition
I reached my limit of sleepiness. I was just sleepy all the time.

Taking a nap for even just one or two hours when the baby was sleeping made a world of difference.

My physical condition itself was fine, and I didn't have any dizziness from anemia.

When I weighed myself, I had lost about 7kg since the day of the birth.

However, I had to be given iron supplements to treat the heavy blood loss during delivery. I had the baby watched and received an IV drip for about 30 minutes.

And then, a scary incident happened on this day.

My lochia contained a blood clot about the size of the second joint of a finger.

When I reported it to the midwife later, she scolded me firmly, saying, "You should have called me right then and there to show me!" 😂

She explained that while it might just be a blood clot, it could also be retained placenta or other tissue left in the uterus, so making a judgment on my own is dangerous.

👶 Baby
Since the baby hasn't been able to breastfeed well since birth, they might be slightly dehydrated, as they only urinated once.

There are still many things I'm anxious about, but it was a day where I could feel the baby growing little by little, like when they started waking up crying because they were hungry.

Seeing them let out a big burp after a bottle or pass gas as loudly as an adult made me realize how hard they are trying to live in such a tiny body.

Day 4 Postpartum

👩 Physical Condition
My physical condition was much better on this day.

And in the morning, I had my first bowel movement since giving birth.

This was also terrifying, but thanks to the Magmitt (magnesium oxide tablets) I had been prescribed, it was a relief that it passed smoothly without needing to strain.

And thanks to the 'Oshiri Celeb' (moist wipes) I brought with me, I got through it without any pain at all.

I was just surprised that the color was green. 😂

Then I had my second postpartum checkup. I had a speculum exam, an ultrasound, and an internal exam, and was told that my uterus is recovering well.

👶 Baby
Their milk intake has been increasing little by little, and reversing the physiological weight loss after birth, they gained weight for the first time.

The swelling from right after birth and the puffiness around my eyes from crying have mostly gone down, and my face looks a bit sharper now.

I had heard that a baby's face changes every day, and it was true.

Day 5 Postpartum | Discharge Day

Finally, it's discharge day.

I'm feeling well, and my body is much easier to move (though, of course, my crotch still hurts quite a bit).

Having gone through the basics of baby care during my 5-day hospital stay, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect after going home.

The baby also got the all-clear from the checkup, so it was officially decided that we could go home together.

After discharge, it will be primarily breastfeeding.

The midwives helped me so much every day with breastfeeding guidance that I wanted to go around and thank each one of them, but that wasn't possible.

Both the baby and I grew so much, and they cared for us so kindly until we were ready to be discharged, so I even felt a little sad on the day of discharge.

My husband came to pick us up, and the baby was discharged wearing a handmade ceremonial dress made by mom🌞

My baby wearing the ceremonial dress was just too cute.

I thought the dress was small, but the baby is even smaller, so it was baggy.

I'm looking forward to seeing how much the baby grows by having them wear it for future celebrations like the shrine visit and the first meal ceremony.

👇The story of how I spent 100 hours knitting the ceremonial dress.

Top 5 Items That Were Useful During Hospitalization👑

1️⃣ Straw for plastic bottles that allows drinking while lying down

First of all, during labor, being able to hydrate in any position is a godsend.

Also, after giving birth, changing positions is a struggle, and sitting is extremely painful due to perineal pain, so you end up being mostly bedridden. This straw, which lets you drink water while lying down, was truly a lifesaver.

Be careful, as some plastic bottle caps are compatible and some are not!
I stocked up on I LOHAS and brought them with me.

2️⃣ Purelan (Nipple Protection Cream)

I wanted to try breastfeeding, so I prepared this nipple protection cream before giving birth.

I thought that if my nipples became sore, I would surely end up hating breastfeeding, so I applied this every time as a preventative measure.

Since I didn't know if I would have enough breast milk before birth, I bought the small size.

It worked well for me, so I bought the large size after I ran out. It is an indispensable item for breastfeeding!

3️⃣ Oshiri Celeb (Moist Toilet Paper)

My perineum was in tatters, so every trip to the bathroom was truly terrifying.

Especially during times when the lochia flow was heavy or after having a bowel movement, I wanted to wipe thoroughly to stay clean, but I was too scared to scrub with regular toilet paper, so I was saved by the existence of Oshiri Celeb.

It was my bathroom companion during my hospital stay.

4️⃣ Monthly Milestone Cards

I wanted to keep a record of my baby's growth, so I decided to take monthly milestone photos.

I wanted to take a Just Born photo while in the hospital, so I brought these with me.

You can also purchase a set that includes an ink pad for making footprints and a stylish, dedicated clipboard.

I am very satisfied that I was able to capture precious photos and footprints that can only be taken during this time.

5️⃣ Eye mask

Since you need to sleep regardless of day or night to match the baby's rhythm, having an eye mask allowed me to get a good sleep even during the bright daytime hours.

Also, since this is a scented hot eye mask, it also has a healing effect💆‍♀️

It is important to bring at least one item that helps you relax!

Things I brought but didn't use at all

❌ Snacks
For some reason, I didn't feel like eating snacks while hospitalized.
Maybe it's because I was bedridden the whole time...

I'm usually quite a big eater, so when I saw photos of the hospital meals, I thought, 'That's not enough!' and packed my bag with various snacks like nuts, gummies, and jelly drinks.

But in the end, I didn't eat a single one, so it just added extra weight to my luggage.

❌ Compression socks
One of the things I was prepared for after giving birth was legs swollen like an elephant's🐘

However, I didn't have any swelling in my legs at all (or maybe I just didn't notice?).
I was actually kind of looking forward to seeing my own swollen legs, though...

Maybe it's my constitution. Or maybe it's because I was drinking 3L of water every day.

❌ Cardigan
I brought a cardigan to easily adjust my body temperature in case the hospital room was cold.

The actual hospital room was very warm, perhaps because the temperature was set to be comfortable for the baby.
I spent a lot of time holding the baby, and since the baby's body temperature is high, I was sweating while taking care of them.

Things I wish I had brought with me

✅ Company maternity and childcare leave documents
The application form for the childbirth allowance has a section that needs to be filled out by the hospital (doctor or midwife).

I hadn't realized this, so I checked the documents after being discharged and had to request them to be filled out during a later check-up.

I was told it would take several weeks to receive them, so I ended up having to go back to pick them up later...!

I regret not requesting them during my hospital stay, as it would have been smoother to pick them up during my postpartum check-up.

I hope this article is helpful to expectant mothers, even if just a little.

Thank you so much for reading this long post!😊💖