I’m mostly pain free!  Just a few aches and pains as my uterus contracts its way back to original size.

Whew.  Last time, when I had Max, I WAS pain.  Everything hurt.  For quite awhile.

The month before I gave birth to Max, I puffed up in the face, hands and feet.  So much so that my Dr. had me go to the hospital to be checked.  THAT was fun.

I also started feeling like I had arthritis in my hands.  Which lasted for a couple months after the pregnancy too.

Recovering from the c-section the first time around seemed like it took forever.  I had sooo much pain in my abdomen area and I was on pain meds for what seemed like forever.  A whole month after surgery I still did NOT want to give them up, but I knew I had to do it.

My abdomen hurt not only when had to use those muscles for things like standing (amazing how often we use those abdominal muscles), but breastfeeding Max made it hurt the most.  Just the pressure of his body leaning on me.

Then I also had the wrist/thumb thing going on.  I couldn’t use my left hand most of the time.  It hurt so bad it had me cussing all day long and made simple things like holding a baby quite difficult.

Then there was that needle through my nipple thing!  I think that was the worst pain of all.  I cried through breastfeeding for at least a week until I was advised to use a little olive oil.  Olive oil!  That’s all it took was a little olive oil on my nipple to stop the pain.  Joe’s mom was visiting that week and she must have thought I was crazy because I just kept muttering two words: nipple and pain.

I didn’t feel like myself for a good TWO months after the first c-section.

For anyone who has never had a c-section, it’s hard to understand.  I recently met a woman who had 5 children.  The first four were born vaginally.  And the last one by c-section.  She said it took months to recover from it and couldn’t believe it because with the other four she felt great the NEXT DAY!

But repeat c-sections are easier.  My Dr. says it seems that way for just about everyone.  And  THIS time I felt normal again after only a couple weeks.  But what is normal to me right now?  Probably still not NORMAL normal.  Just normal for what my body has been through these past three years:

First pregnancy with Max started in July 2010, then my two months of pain, then finally DONE being pregnant AGAIN in May 2012.

So my “normal” is perhaps a bit askew right now.

Talk to me in six months and I may finally feel again like I did in 2009.  Just a little more tired.

And I had better NOT be pregnant six months from now!  If I am, please take me to the nearest Dr. and make sure they tie my tubes.  And my legs.  And check my psychological status.