How long will postpartum bleeding last?

Lochia can last 4 to 6 weeks. It gradually reduces in flow and changes colour from red to brown to yellowish-white.

When is sex safe after birth?

Typically 6 weeks, but it depends on your healing. Always check with your gynaecologist.

Can I use regular underwear and clothes post-C-section?

Avoid low-rise and tight waistbands. Choose high-waisted, soft, non-binding garments that don’t touch the scar.

Will my vagina go back to normal?

The vagina is elastic and recovers over time, but things may feel or function differently. Pelvic physiotherapy can help.

Postpartum Side Effects No One Talks About: The Raw Truth After Birth

It starts after the pushing stops. The monitors quiet down, the doctors stitch, and everyone around you claps for the baby. But your body? It’s just beginning its own loud, painful, intimate journey of recovery. Here's what no one tells you, not your OB-GYN, not the prenatal classes, not even your well-meaning aunties.

You Will Bleed a Lot, and for Weeks

It’s called lochia, and it’s not just a heavy period. It’s blood, mucus, and tissue; a post-birth cleanse that can last up to six weeks. The flow may surge when you stand up or breastfeed, and the clots can be shockingly large.

You’ll be in adult diapers or thick maternity pads.
You can’t use tampons.
If you’ve had stitches, even wiping requires a peri bottle or rinse.

Vaginal Recovery Isn’t Just About Healing

Perineal tears affect up to 90% of first-time vaginal deliveries.
Episiotomies or spontaneous tears might involve stitches that itch, pull, and ache for weeks.
Some people experience air trapping (queefing) due to vaginal muscle laxity.

Sitting on a doughnut pillow, avoiding certain underwear seams, and using witch hazel pads could help.

C-section Recovery Comes with Its Own Baggage

Your incision site might feel numb, itchy, tender, or painful for months.
Clothes that touch the scar even lightly can cause sharp stings.
You'll be advised not to lift, stretch, or drive for weeks, but everyday life rarely stops.

Tip: Opt for high-waisted, seam-free panties. Loose cotton or modal tunics with no waistline pressure are lifesavers.

Breastfeeding is Not Just Natural, It’s Brutal

Let-down reflex can feel like an electric tingling. It can trigger milk sprays during a meeting or at 2 a.m. in bed.
Engorgement makes breasts feel like hot rocks. You may ice them, massage them, or cry through it.
Cracked nipples, poor latches, or biting can leave you dreading every feed.

Not all babies latch. Not all mothers produce enough. And yet, there’s often shame either way.

Bowel Movements Become a Source of Fear

The first poop after birth can feel like giving birth again.
Fear of tearing, straining, or re-opening stitches is very real.
Some mothers hold it in for days, worsening the pain.

Stool softeners, fibre-rich food, and lots of water help, but the fear can linger. Use a peri bottle to soften the burning sensation while pooping or peeing after birth.

Your Pelvic Floor May Feel Broken

Incontinence after sneezing, coughing, or laughing isn’t rare. It’s a sign of pelvic floor damage.
Prolapse (when organs descend into or outside the vaginal canal) may feel like heaviness or the sensation of something falling out.
Pelvic nerve pain or tailbone bruising can make walking or sitting excruciating.

Sex Might Be Painful or Unimaginable

Vaginal dryness from hormonal drops, especially if breastfeeding, can make penetration painful.
Fear of touch, low libido, and physical trauma make intimacy emotionally complex.
For C-section parents, even abdominal pressure during sex can cause discomfort.

You May Smell Different and Sweat More

Hormonal changes trigger night sweats and strong body odour.
You might shower and still feel funky. That’s normal.
This odour helps your baby identify you.

Leaking Happens, From Everywhere

Urine, milk, blood, and even faeces are found in extreme pelvic injuries.
Wearing breast pads, pantyliners, or even overnight pads during the day is not uncommon.

Emotional Side Effects No One Warns You About

You may feel rage, not just sadness. Postpartum rage is real, often overlooked.
You might grieve your old body, your old life, your independence.
Phantom baby kicks are common, and they can trigger anxiety or confusion.

Clothing and Dressing Changes

You need clothes that don’t rub your scar, squeeze your pelvic floor, or irritate your breasts.
Choose natural, breathable fabrics like cotton, bamboo, or modal. Avoid synthetic waistbands.
Many opt for maternity innerwear even after six months postpartum.

The Shame Around Recovery Must End

Whether it’s diastasis recti (ab separation), belly overhangs, mood swings, or mastitis, it’s time we talk about all of it. Recovery isn’t linear. And it isn’t always pretty.

There is no one version of birth. No one version of healing. And certainly, no one version of postpartum is normal. Whatever you’re feeling, leaking, bleeding, raging, aching, you’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re healing. And your truth deserves space, not shame.

FAQs on The Side Effects from Birth No One Talks About: The Raw, Real, and Often Untold Truth

How long will postpartum bleeding last?
Lochia can last 4 to 6 weeks. It gradually reduces in flow and changes colour from red to brown to yellowish-white.
When is sex safe after birth?
Typically 6 weeks, but it depends on your healing. Always check with your gynaecologist.
Can I use regular underwear and clothes post-C-section?
Avoid low-rise and tight waistbands. Choose high-waisted, soft, non-binding garments that don’t touch the scar.
Will my vagina go back to normal?
The vagina is elastic and recovers over time, but things may feel or function differently. Pelvic physiotherapy can help.

The Side Effects from Birth No One Talks About: The Raw, Real, and Often Untold Truth

In this article:

You Will Bleed a Lot, and for Weeks

Vaginal Recovery Isn’t Just About Healing

C-section Recovery Comes with Its Own Baggage