Preparing for birth is exciting, but even with classes, checklists, and a fully packed hospital bag, there are parts of postpartum recovery that still catch new parents off guard. As a postpartum nurse, I’ve seen firsthand how many surprises come in those first hours and days after delivery and how much easier they feel when you know what to expect.
Here are six important things your postpartum nurse wants you to know as you begin your healing journey and meet your new baby.
6 Things Your Postpartum Nurse Wants You To Know
These insights reflect what postpartum nurses commonly teach new parents in the hospital, helping you understand what’s normal and what supports your healing.
1. It Can Be Difficult to Rest in the Hospital
To ensure you and your baby are healthy and safe, the nursing staff will be rounding every few hours. Your postpartum nurse wants you to know that they will monitor your vital signs, assess your bleeding, and administer any necessary medications. Your doctors and your baby’s pediatricians will also check in and evaluate your health.
Between everyone popping in and those late-night feedings, it may feel like you can’t catch a break. However, I assure you that your hospital team wants to ensure you recover safely. You can request that your nurse and nurse’s aide cluster your care visits together to give you as much rest as possible.
2. After Delivery, Your Nurse Will Press on Your Abdomen
Once you deliver your baby, the nurses will perform a fundal massage. A massage may sound nice, but this one can be uncomfortable. Your postpartum nurse wants you to know they or another provider will push on your abdomen to feel your uterus. After delivery, your uterus should be nice and firm to prevent too much bleeding. If it is not firm, they will massage your uterus on your abdomen, stimulating your uterus to firm up again. If you had significant bleeding at delivery, your nurse might have to perform your fundal massages frequently.1
Every few hours, your nurse will feel your uterus and massage it to make sure it’s firm and contracted. This encourages the uterus to return to its normal size and shape. Try not to tense up during these fundal massages.1
Related: What Does a Postpartum Nurse Do?
3. Postpartum Cramps Can Feel Like Contractions
Something that shocks many new moms is that you may experience contraction-like cramps after you deliver your baby. These are sometimes referred to as “afterbirth pains.” Your uterus is working hard to clamp down and shrink back to its previous size. This is our body’s way of preventing too much bleeding, but it can be painful. Luckily, they’re not nearly as intense as labor contractions.2
These cramps tend to come on when you’re breastfeeding due to the release of the hormone oxytocin. Applying heat to the abdomen can be comforting, and many hospitals offer heating pads for this purpose. Don’t hesitate to ask your nurse for a heating pad to help with the discomfort. Many moms also find pain medications such as ibuprofen to be helpful. The cramping typically lasts two to three days and should subside completely within a week.3,4
4. We Will Never Judge How You Feed Your Baby
Your postpartum nurse wants you to know that they and the doctor will ask if you wish to breastfeed or bottle-feed, as they want to know how to support you best. Do you want to breastfeed? Your nurse can show you how to latch your baby, or you can request a lactation consultant. Do you want to bottle feed? No judgment here; let’s get you some bottles and formula.
Not everyone wants or is able to breastfeed their baby, and that’s okay. As nurses, our only goal is to support you in a way that feels right for your family. Your hospital will have baby bottles and formula available, and your nurse can guide you on how much to start with.
5. Second-Night Syndrome Is Completely Normal
Babies are most alert right after they’re born. This is known as the golden hour. This is when many babies will have their first feeding. After that first hour, babies become very sleepy. They’re recovering from birth, too, after all.5
Encouraging your baby to feed during that first day may be challenging. But after the first 24 hours, babies tend to wake up and become more alert. This is when they will make up for lost time and participate in what many refer to as the “second-night syndrome.” If you’re breastfeeding, this means your baby will want to cluster feed frequently. Sometimes, it feels like it’s nonstop.6
Cluster feeding has many moms questioning their supply. This increase in feeding helps stimulate your milk supply and is a normal part of newborn behavior. If your baby produces enough wet and dirty diapers and is not losing too much weight, you can follow your baby’s lead, knowing that this is a temporary condition.7
Related: Ways To Make Your Milk Come in Faster
6. Nurseries are Becoming a Thing of the Past
More hospitals are promoting “rooming-in” with your baby. Your postpartum nurse wants you to know that this means babies remain in the room with their parents instead of being sent to a nursery. There are many benefits to rooming-in:8
- It promotes bonding. Having your baby in the room allows you to get to know your baby. This helps build confidence in caring for your new baby.9
- Being close to your baby allows you to notice their feeding cues and respond accordingly. You can respond to early feeding cues before your baby gets overly hungry and is harder to console. This promotes better breastfeeding outcomes.10
- Babies who room-in have more stable temperatures and blood sugar levels. When babies are close to their parents, they are more likely to participate in skin-to-skin contact. Skin-to-skin contact offers numerous benefits, including better temperature regulation and improved blood sugar levels in the baby.11
Skin-to-skin helps regulate the baby’s heart rate and breathing. It encourages relaxation and reduces stress hormones for mother and baby. And it’s not just for mothers; dads can also benefit from skin-to-skin contact. What could be better than fresh newborn snuggles and that new baby smell?11
Becoming a new parent comes with many unknowns, but your postpartum nurse wants you to know that you’re not alone. Ask questions, rest when you can, and make the most of the support your hospital team provides. With patience, guidance, and a little confidence, you’ll find your rhythm — and remember, there is no better parent for your baby than you.
