I think for me it was that you never know what you're going to expect. I had an unplanned c-section with Charlie and an unplanned vbac with Olive (she was supposed to be a c-section). Also since Olive was supposed to be a c-section, the difficult recovery rocked my world so hard!
What most rocked your world postpartum?
cherry / 206 posts
I think the unknown (I'm a worrier) coupled with lack of sleep. LO didn't STTN until he was about 8 months old and that was really tough on me !
cantaloupe / 6634 posts
Breastfeeding, hands down. The unexplainable love rocked my world in a whole different way. 
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts
Horomones. I look back and see everything as easier than I was anticipating both times but my Horomones really made my life hell. Very intense highs and lows.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
With ds1 I had swelling so bad pp...
With ds2 everything's been smooth sailing, aside from usual newborn sleep cycles!
pea / 16 posts
@Mrs. Bee: I hope you don't mind if I ask why you had a VBAC when you planned to have a c-section. I'm planning on a RCS this time, and I just want to be prepared should something go awry! 
nectarine / 2987 posts
LO1: how utterly all encompassing motherhood was
LO2: how different babies can be
honeydew / 7622 posts
Pp hormones are no joke. I cried and cried for 2 weeks after even though I was happy. Breastfeeding was a struggle. T was hospitalized for dehydration at 4 days, an IV, ambulance ride and the PICU, awful. Basically the whole first month was a struggle. At 6 months it's ah-mazing.
nectarine / 2173 posts
Breastfeeding hands down was the hardest thing. And the hardest thing for me to accept that it wasn't going well.
pear / 1632 posts
@Mrs. Bee: what?! How did you end up with a vbac and not your planned c section. That would be my worst nightmare.
What rocked my world was the recovery of birth even though I ended up with a c section, I labored and pushed and baby was stuck. They had to uncork him during the section. It took me a long time to recover from that experience.
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
Breastfeeding/low supply #1. The overall adjustment to being a mom and the anxiety that came with it was pretty world-rocking though.
nectarine / 2784 posts
Definitely going back to work. Not that I didn't experience a normal variety of newborn challenges, but overall my transition to motherhood was smooth during my maternity leave. To then be torn from that life was jarring.
clementine / 920 posts
@jh524: I had a similar labor and delivery and recovering from both pushing and the c section was much harder than I had anticipated.
Breastfeeding has been more challenging than I expected for sure.
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
Sleep deprivation. My son had colic and silent reflux and he was screaming nonstop and was sleeping like 8 broken hours a day. I thought I was going to die or at least never procreate again.
honeydew / 7283 posts
Colic, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, hormones- ugh.
Thankfully my second PP experience was SO much better!
pomegranate / 3355 posts
TMI but the absolute worst for me was the bleeding.. ughh soo much blood. Of course I hadn't had a period for six years prior to getting ku'd (thanks IUD) so the bleeding for 2 whole weeks was a nightmare!!! pads + granny panties = my worst nightmare
cantaloupe / 6630 posts
With DD, her being diagnosed with hip dysplasia. I hadn't even known what it was before she was born and it changed everything for a fair few months.
With DS, c-section recovery. I had a planned c-section with both and this time was much worse than my first.
clementine / 912 posts
@Anya: Absolutely!! Not everything during the newborn days was rainbows and sunshine, but going back to work was rough. I think I cried everyday for a week leading up to it.
pomegranate / 3127 posts
With DS, I was miserable that I can't get anything done. I felt that since I'm home all day, it's my job to have dinner on the table and a clean house. Nope... didn't happen. In hindsight, I also had a difficult recovery. I was weak and dizzy all the time and it was a struggle just to get through the day. I thought this was all normal. Now I think it was probably my poor eating and the fenugreek I was drinking messing with my body.
With DD I'm feeling like a champ from day one, feeding is going way better, and you'd think I'd get stuff done this time. Nope, not really! If it's not one thing it's another... she's a very demanding baby who couldn't be put down for weeks, has trouble napping, and screams her head off a lot.
kiwi / 556 posts
The bleeding was not fun and any slight jump in activity level (even casual walks) made it worse for a few weeks. It was hard to make myself take it easy for so long.
Breastfeeding has not gone as hoped so that was a difficult experience to go through initially.
And... all the extra pudge that is just hanging around my midsection! Three months out and it's still holding on for dear life! Will I ever wear non-maternity pants again?? 
persimmon / 1129 posts
The complete 180 my life did in one day! The last day before my c-section, I worked a half day, then went to Target and Babies R Us to get some last minute things, then went out for a long dinner with my husband.
I went from that peaceful easy life to having a newborn the next day. I had a c-section so I was on pain meds, I was nursing, I wasn't allowed to drive a car for a few weeks, I was in yoga pants 24/7, and I had to be responsible for a tiny human. I remember I kept thinking, "Gosh, remember last Friday when I drove by myself and then walked around Target for 2 hours because I didn't have anywhere I had to be?"
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
With E, it was all the emotions. I just felt overwhelmed and ill equipped for a large majority of the time. All the hormones. I really struggled with how I looked and felt PP, too.
With T, i wouldn't say anything has really "rocked" my world. But the back pain has probably been the worst side effect of having him. My body feels so broken and sore. And then i work out and shit like dislocating a rib happens, which sets me back more. I'm taking it much more in stride this time.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@mrszack: she was 5 weeks early so she was small (less than 5 lbs). i was surprised recovery could be so hard from such a small baby!
nectarine / 2148 posts
As counterintuitive as this sounds I didn't expect everything to be so hard. I didn't think it was going to be easy, but everything seems to be a struggle. DS had initial weight gain issues, breastfeeding, dairy intolerance, reflux, vaccine reaction, pp weight loss, new birth control issues, my cats got sick, my grandmother passed away, etc.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
The emotional rollercoaster!
How sore my muscles were! I got cut AND tore, but that actually wasn't bad at all and the super sore, could barely move muscles were what surprised me (but not surprising since I pushed for 2 hrs)
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
PPA. The scary daydreams I had while holding my newborn baby were like nothing I had ever thought possible. Sitting there holding this innocent, beautiful, amazing creature that I made and I'm dreaming of harming her? Freaking scary.
grapefruit / 4988 posts
Sleep deprivation. She wasn't really a sleeper even as a tiny newborn and the 4 month sleep regression nearly destroyed me and DH. The other tough thing was just my reactions to her crying. It felt almost painful. There were weeks in the beginning (before we discovered her MSPI) that she seemed almost colicky and I was just so stressed all the time because I felt like I couldn't comfort her at all.
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
The shock of having to care for another human being 24/7 and feeling like I never got a break. My hormones were out of control for a month. Also our feeding issues caused a lot of stress in those beginning days.
I'm hopeful this LO will be a smoother transition!
pea / 5 posts
Hormones are a number one for me. I was prepared for everything, but hormones. Also, lack of sleep...which I don't think helped at all with my hormones.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
@Charm54: This for me, too. The sudden realization that I was responsible for this tiny, helpless, completely dependant creature? All of the time? Terrifying.
grapefruit / 4441 posts
PAIN. The first time it was due to breastfeeding /mastitis. The second time, my physical recovery from childbirth was much worse. I had an episiotomy and tear (vs. 2nd degree tear with the first), then developed a hematoma (of the vag - fun times!)... I cried everyday for about 10 days because the pain was so great. I also had pain due to breastfeeding/mastitis, but to a lesser extent than the first time (or maybe my pain elsewhere overshadowed it).
Emotionally I fared well. I had easy babies that I was able to soothe and the sleep deprivation was manageable. I had a little more anxiety than usual, but nothing terrible. I did not feel especially hormonal, which is surprising because I usually get pretty bad PMS symptoms.
After the first 10 days, I loved the newborn stage and was pretty darn happy.
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