What really happens to your body when you have kids

Pregnancy is a crazy time of change for you and your little family. Not only is your body changing before your eyes, but you're actually growing another human being while preparing your outside world for your new addition. Once baby arrives, there will be more changes to come. Sure, you'll be exhausted and a little sore, but the changes go far beyond that. From changes in your hormones to a new shoe size, your body is far from done with changing just because pregnancy is over.



You'll be swollen

If you give birth vaginally (as opposed to a cesarean section), you'll have a lot of inflammation and swelling down there. This can be pretty painful for a lot of women, so it's best to have a plan going in. Most hospitals will provide helpful ice packs for new moms, so take advantage!

Dr. Kelly M. Kasper, MD, a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Indiana University Health, told The List that it's important for new moms to embrace the ice packs. "Ice helps to decrease the amount of inflammation and swelling, thereby reducing pain, versus heat, which can actually make the inflammation and swelling worse," she explained. "Doctors will also prescribe several different types of local or topical medicines to help decrease perineal discomfort, but patients should try each option and choose which therapy is most helpful." Sitting on a pillow or soft surface will also help with comfort.

You'll still be running for the bathroom

So if you were naive like me, you probably thought that once the baby arrived, you'd be done with racing to the bathroom to avoid an accident. A seven-pound little person sitting on your bladder is not the only reason that you were barely making it to the bathroom in time. After childbirth, our pelvic floor muscles are weak, making it difficult to hold in urine.

"One of the main issues that many women have to deal with almost immediately is incontinence," Dr. Mary Rosser, an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and women's health at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, told the Huffington Post. Most women notice some kind of bladder control issue after pregnancy and childbirth. "This is due to a combination of 10 months of pelvic pressure and relaxation of the genital tissues," explains New York obstetrician Dr. Kameelah Phillips. "With time and pelvic floor work this usually resolves."


Don't worry, you won't be doomed to worry about incontinence every time you cough or sneeze forever. Kegels are a new mom's best friend. Kegel exercises involve tightening your pelvic floor muscles to strengthen them again. As one of my favorite nursing school professors once explained them, imagine you're sitting on the toilet in a public restroom stall when you hear two men come in the bathroom. You'd immediately stop and hold your urine. That's what a kegel feels like. Rosser recommends to her patients that they start practicing kegels immediately after birth. However, if they're painful, it's best to wait until you're completely healed before pushing it.

Your feet could get bigger

Towards the end of your pregnancy, your normal shoes will most likely be pretty tight because of the swelling in your feet and legs. I remember lying on our bed while my husband helped me take off my boots that were completely stuck after a full day of being on my feet at nine months pregnant.

What most women don't expect is their feet changing permanently. New York obstetrician Dr. Kameelah Phillips shared with The List that many of his patients continue to notice larger feet after the baby arrives, even after the swelling has gone down. "This is because the connective tissue that connects all the little bones in the feet have permanently changed and the foot is now 'longer'," he explained. "Many designer shoes have been donated to smaller feet for this very reason."

Your hips could get wider

Yikes! I'm betting this is not what you wanted to hear, but pregnancy and childbirth can do some crazy things to your body. Dr. Phillips told The List that some women notice their pelvises seem larger after birth. "A hormone called relaxin can cause the pubis symphysis and other joints of the hip bones to literally relax, resulting in this finding," he said. "They may find that with subsequent pregnancies they notice pelvic discomfort a little earlier because of this."

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