Six Things I Wish I Knew About Postpartum Recovery (This Time Around)

Because sometimes the second time around still hits like a freight train

You’d think that having done this before would make postpartum recovery feel a little more predictable—but nope. My second go-round with childbirth has reminded me that no two postpartum journeys are the same, and just because you’ve been there before doesn’t mean you’re prepared for round two. Here are six things I wish I had remembered, known, or just mentally prepared for after giving birth this time.

1. Your milk might take its sweet time

With my first baby, my milk came in overnight. Like—bam—engorged, leaking, and spraying like a broken faucet. So when it didn’t happen right away this time, I panicked. I questioned everything: Was the latch wrong? Was baby getting enough? Should I supplement?

Spoiler: It’s totally normal for milk to take a few days to come in. This time, it took almost three full days. The early days are all about colostrum, and that’s more than enough for your tiny newborn’s stomach. Deep breaths, mama. You’re not broken—your body’s just doing it differently this time.

2. Just because you feel fine doesn’t mean you should overdo it

About three days postpartum, I felt… shockingly okay. I cleaned the kitchen, reorganized baby clothes, and considered vacuuming. (Why? Why are we like this?)

Big mistake. My bleeding picked up, my body ached, and I instantly regretted not listening to my own advice. Recovery isn’t a race, and just because you feel good doesn’t mean your body’s ready to bounce back. Rest is productive. Healing matters. And those dishes? They can wait.

3. Postpartum swelling is real and wildly annoying

I barely swelled during pregnancy, so imagine my surprise when, two days postpartum, I looked down and couldn’t see my ankles. My legs and feet were ballooned up, and shoes became a distant memory.

Turns out, postpartum swelling is common as your body gets rid of all the extra fluids from pregnancy and delivery. For me, it took about a week to fully go down. Compression socks and water helped. So did putting my feet up and not panicking.

4. You might cry for no reason—and that’s okay

Postpartum hormones are no joke. I found myself crying over everything and nothing. Commercials. The way my baby stretched her arms. My toast being too crunchy. No real reason—just waterworks.

It’s normal to feel like an emotional rollercoaster those first two weeks. But if it lingers or feels heavy, please talk to someone. There’s a big difference between baby blues and postpartum depression, and you’re never weak for asking for help.

5. You will still look pregnant for a while

Can we normalize this already? The baby is out, but your uterus hasn’t gotten the memo yet. I had a round, squishy belly for weeks—and some days, it still catches me off guard.

It doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It doesn’t mean you “failed” to bounce back. It means you grew a human. That belly deserves some grace, not shame.

6. Postpartum recovery isn’t linear

Some days, I felt like Supermom. Other days, getting out of bed felt like climbing Everest. Recovery isn’t a straight line—it’s up and down and sideways and sometimes loop-de-loops.

What helped was dropping the pressure to “get back to normal” and giving myself permission to just be. To heal. To slow down. To ask for help. Because this phase, as hard and beautiful and messy as it is, won’t last forever.

Final Thoughts:

If you’re in the thick of it right now, I see you. Whether it’s your first or your fourth, postpartum recovery is no joke. It’s okay if it feels harder than you expected. It’s okay to rest, to cry, to eat cereal in bed, to say no to visitors. You’re doing amazing—even if you don’t feel like it.

So here’s your permission slip, from one mama to another: take care of you, too.