I am already excited to shower after giving birth...I imagine i'll have mascara running down my face and my hair will be lovely, so I already want to know WHEN they'll let me shower.
Please include if you had an Epi, stitches?, med-free, or csection.
*I am pretty sure i'll have an Epi (unless by some miracle I don't)
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
ooh good question! I'm wondering this, too. I definitely plan on an epi.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
I showered the day after. I gave birth at around noon on Monday and showered around noon on Tuesday. I wanted to shower before friends came to visit. 
ETA: I had stitches and an epi. I had NO interest in showering before the next day.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I showered the second day after. I couldn't get out of bed for 2 days, plus I had a urinary catheter and I didn't want to mess with it.
I had a med free birth, no epi, no episiotomy, 4 tiny stitches.
squash / 13199 posts
I had a c-section and no visible stitches, I think the incision was glued shut, I just had steri-strips. I had the baby around 5.30pm and I showered 2 days later. I had to sit in the shower though because I could barely stand and didnt use any soap I just needed that hot water on my body
clementine / 878 posts
I had a few stitches and an epi. Shortly after birth (and before I was taken to the family suite), the nurse offered to help me shower, but I didn't have the energy so she gave me a quick "sponge bath" in the bathroom to help me get cleaned up enough to head upstairs to bed.
I was then able to shower on my own after a nurse cleared me to walk unassisted (I had to prove my legs worked again!). I think I was showered within 6 hours of the birth.
coconut / 8305 posts
Very long unmedicated labor, no stitches. I showered the "next" morning (delivered just after midnight). I had spent a lot of time in the bath through labor though so I felt pretty fresh. Lol
honeydew / 7917 posts
I had an epidural but no stitches. I showered the next day, and it felt so good to wash off all the sweat from the day before.
pineapple / 12234 posts
I delivered at 1pm and showered the next morning (9 am) with having an epi and stitches.
pomelo / 5178 posts
With both kids I had epidurals and a few stitches; with both kids I showered about 10 hours after birth (aka the next morning). I could have done it sooner, but I gave birth to both kids at night, so I just wanted to sleep by the time I was all sewn up/cleaned up/ and the baby was fed.
grapefruit / 4056 posts
C-section, showered within 12 hours of the section (full shower, and blow-dried my hair, put on my own clothes and makeup after).
I couldn't wait to get in the shower, the nurse actually made me wait a few hours because she was busy and I needed my cath and IV out first.
clementine / 961 posts
Basically right away. I had an Epi with DS but was able to get up and shower within an hour of having him.
grapefruit / 4823 posts
i had a C-section and was told i would be able to shower the next morning(DS came in the evening). that first shower was AMAZING!!! Lol
grapefruit / 4554 posts
I gave birth around 3pm and showered the next morning. I was too exhausted from the day and had epi/stitches and was too uncomfortable to do it after birthing.
papaya / 10560 posts
I had a natural birth, episiotomy, third degree tear, stitches, my whole l & d was less than 3 hours. I took a shower a few hours after having him as well as whirlpool baths 4 times a day.
coconut / 8475 posts
@lydg: Good idea. We have a whirlpool tub too that & now I can't wait to use it! I haven't used it since getting pregnant because it's a death trap for an unbalanced and clumsy pregnant woman.
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
I had him at 8:30 and showered by noon, about an hour after getting into our room in the mom & baby unit. I was in labor for 34 hours, had an epidural near the end and had a tiny tear with just two or three stitches. I was in the shower for a couple hours around 10 the night before during labor though, which felt really good.
I wore mascara and advise against it. It gets get all over and will make you feel dirty and gross. The shower during labor felt even better because it washed the makeup off. Bring chapstick with you for labor though, your lips will probably get really dry.
papaya / 10560 posts
The nurses made me get in it and I am sooo glad they did. I think it really helped my healing. Everyone was shocked I was up walking around a few hours after I had the baby...thanks to good nurses & good peri-care.
coconut / 8475 posts
@Mrs. Stroller: no mascara, you say..:( :'( But....:'(. Fiiiiiiiiine. I love it but I will part with it if I must....I *knew* someone would advise against it ...can't say i'm surprised. I look like a raccoon when I work out with mascara on let alone go through labor.
persimmon / 1026 posts
I showered the day after giving birth - I was just too tired to stand for a lengthy amount of time at that point and I knew I wanted to take a long, hot shower so I waited 24 hours. To help me feel refreshed after giving birth, I used some make-up remover wipes to clean up my face - those were amazing I did not have an epi, I did have stitches.
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
ummmm.... 3 days after? Maybe 4? I can't remember. 
I had a really easy labor and delivery, but I was having a hard enough time just trying to go the bathroom those first few days that I wanted to wait until I felt better before taking on a shower. All I do remember is that when I finally did take a shower, it felt wonderful.
eggplant / 11287 posts
I showered the day after. I had an epidural and over 30 stitches.
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
@littlecasita1122: I packed facial wash wipe things! I figured at the very least if I was bedridden I could feel fresh on my face (and if I'm desperate I'll use them on my armpits, LOL).
@Mrsdaredevil: OMG..30 stitches? I have a week left and I'm starting to want to turn back the clock!!
pomegranate / 3643 posts
Man, I always pictured doing it a few hours later! For the women who waited a day or so, was it just too tired, didn't feel a need, couldn't walk/stand, too busy with baby?
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
@TurtleDoves: I know, I know. I even did waterproof. Trust me, the last thing you want is that dry feeling you get in your eyes when the waterproof stuff has been on too long. But don't think I didn't make myself look nice after that hot shower the morning he was born. I'm not a vain person, but there is something to be said for getting cleaned up, dressed and looking nice to get ready to face a day full of bare breasts and poopy diaps! Friends told me I wouldn't need clothes at the hospital and that I'd just wear the gown, but I brought my own and am so glad I did. I felt great in my own yoga pants/pj's/etc and just tried to feel as normal and at-home-like as I could.
pomegranate / 3729 posts
She was born at 9pm on a Monday, and I showered around noon on Wednesday. I had a med-free birth, with stitches, but lost a lot of blood after delivery and passed out when I got up to pee the first time. I wasn't allowed to get up on my own until then and nearly passed out in the shower. I had to sit down and turn the water temp way down in order to not fall over!
apricot / 457 posts
I was like MrsBells where I had an epidural and C-Section closed with glue and only had steri-strips. I gave birth at 5 am and showered the next day around noon. I didn't use any shampoo or soap, just a little anti-bacterial gel around the incision point during the first shower but was given the ok during the next shower to use shampoo and soap.
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
I think I waited a day. I had a bad tear so it hurt so much to stand up, I just didn't want to even though I was so yucky.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
Haha I'm glad I wasn't the only Pig-Pen who waited to shower!
I actually waited until we got home, over 2 days later. I had an epidural, and stitches. Because of PP complications I wasn't allowed to get out of bed for like 8 hours after delivery, and it took 2 nurses to help me to the bathroom to pee when I did get up.
I had a ton of trouble walking on my own for the first 24 hours, and even walking to and from the bathroom was seriously taxing. I could have had DH help me, but I just really had no urge to shower there. DH did, and he said the water pressure sucked, so I decided just to wait until we got home and use my own shower.
ETA: And that first shower? Amazing. I waited until E was good and asleep and then stayed in until the hot water ran out.
nectarine / 2039 posts
Gave birth at 8:30pm. Showered around 8am when the morning nurse came in and suggested that I get out of bed for a pee. Once I was up and peeing it just felt like the next logical step.
I had med-free birth but had an episiotomy with stitches.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
Gave birth at 11:40, showered the next morning. Med free, no tear, 3 small stitches. That shower was incredible!!!
pomegranate / 3980 posts
With my natural birth I took an herbal bath within a few hours of giving birth then took a shower when I got home the next day. With the c-section I didn't end up taking a shower til day 3 because the nurses kinda forgot about it. I wanted to take one on day 2 but every time I asked them they wouldn't get back to me until lo was eating and that repeated all until the third day I was there right before I left.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I showered a few hours after I gave birth. I felt really gross and needed one!
pomegranate / 3008 posts
I was encouraged by my OB to shower as soon as I felt up to it that same day. I had a med-free birth.
nectarine / 2797 posts
I had a vaginal birth with an epidural and stitches, and I think I would have been allowed to shower as soon as I had proved I could walk on my own. But I totally didn't want to that first day. I gave birth early morning and when I woke up the next day I was dying for a shower.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@turtledoves- I had a med-free birth with no complications and I showered about 12 hours after delivery... right before my first visitors came! so i gave birth around 4:30 am and showered that afternoon around 5-6pm.
blogger / pear / 1964 posts
@TurtleDoves: I'm addicted to mascara. I have blond eyelashes and hate how I look w/o it - I'm imagining all those "just had the baby" photos and no mascara. It'd be really vain to dye my eyelashes a couple weeks ahead of time to avoid this problem, huh?
coconut / 8475 posts
@Mrs. Tricycle: it sounds like something is do! I have black lashes but I can't stand them without a bit of curl anD length
grapefruit / 4819 posts
I had a shower about two hours after birth, before we even left the birthing suite. After skin to skin time, I got on a shower chair and had a nice long hot shower before putting my clothes back on (as opposed to the hospital gown I gave birth in) and heading up to our room. I had a normal delivery, with an epidural (hence the shower chair) and also had a second degree tear with stitches. I took another shower about 8 hrs later as I hadn't had my shampoo in the birthing suite and my hair felt gross. Those showers were quite possibly the best showers of my life!
pomegranate / 3438 posts
I didn't take a shower until we got home. I had DS on Monday afternoon and we went home Wednesday afternoon. I could have taken a shower Tuesday night when they finally took the catheter out but I was so exhausted even getting up to pee was a nightmare. But the first shower at home was glorious. Even if my mom did keep checking on me to make sure I hadn't passed out
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