The things no one tells you no.20:
The first wee after birth


Mumofsix` featured blog about things no one tells you.

`I thought I would, every now and then,
add a little bit of info that
took me by surprise with my first baby.`

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Since my topic at the moment seems to be urine, I thought, why stop now. It's often these more private matters that people don't talk about.

The first time you wee after having your baby can be interesting to say the least. It all depends on how your birth has gone and if you have any grazing or tearing. If you have war wounds or even if you don't, position yourself leaning forward on the loo. This allows the urine to run forwards and miss any tears (hopefully). Also, do not allow your bladder to get too full or it can cause more after pain contractions. Always have a fresh pad ready to go as the gravity and movement will cause more bleeding.

I can't mention the first wee without mentioning the first bowel motion. This is something that is often dreaded if you have had stitches or a really bad tear. The main thing is not to hold off going as you will only end up constipated. Make sure you drink plenty to keep things soft.
Hemorrhoids can also occur during birth, making bowl movements more uncomfortable and they can bleed from time to time after you go to the loo. Rest assured that things will eventually settle back to normal. Most hemorrhoids caused by pregnancy and birth will go away in time. Until then, it can help to support your perineum. Fold up some clean toilet paper and gently give counter pressure while having a bowel movement, a bit like they do when you are giving birth so that you don't tear. You will soon find out what helps you personally.

The less war wounds you have the easier all these things are. I have had from the worst to the best so I know how different it can be after each baby. Just keep reminding yourself that time will heal.

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22 Comments on The first wee after birth


jadesmommy01 - Wednesday, 13 Apr
i am 18 weeks pregnant (turning 19 weeks tomorrow :D yeeey!!) i know my due date is getting near.. and although i cnt wait to see my princess...(= i have to admit that post partum sounds.. Er.. Not no good..lol

JessieGirl91 - Monday, 2 Aug
I had a natural birth with no drugs, i found i was able to handle the pain quite well and kept quiet for the most of it. No one told me about the first time you go to the toilet after.. I was shocked to find out how much it hurt, everytime after that i held for as long as i could and even three weeks after going to the toilet still brought me to tears. i only had a small graze and found myself pretty lucky i would of hated to go through that with a tear or stitches!

lulu2 - Tuesday, 20 Jul
Hope some one would answer this for me, is it possible to get Hemorrhoids before you even gave birth, and what's the cure for this, can they actualy be removed or cut or something?

sunflower-j - Monday, 19 Jul
when i had my first he tore me up pretty badly. to the point that the dr lost count as to how many stitches i had. when i went home i found the best thing to use instead of toilet paper was a cool face washer.... flannel. oh and nobody told me bout how the acid in orange juice would kill so much. so i kinda leaned to one side.

Numba3 - Thursday, 18 Feb
With my first born, no one told me about when you go to the toilet after, lets just say I think my fingernails are still in the ceiling. I don't think face up babies cause more damage, I have had one face up and face down, I had a lot more stiches with the face down baby and she was the smaller of the 2 aswell, I think it just depends on the child and each one is different.

dreams72301 - Tuesday, 22 Dec
I used a squirt bottle containing water & comfry to dilute the pee for about a week after giving birth. Thank goodness I had that to get me through! I also poured that same solution onto maxi pads a few weeks before my due date and put them in the freezer. They felt like heaven after giving birth and made the swelling go down quickly. I'd recommend both of those techniques to anyone giving birth!!

ELLAandQUINNSmommy - Sunday, 27 Sep
LOL, i may be crazy on this one...but I actually thought that the first pee after birth felt like HEAVEN! I felt like i had lost about 10lbs after that alone! I had a cath in during birth, and they took it out right after she was born, but due to my epidural i couldn't get up to go to the bathroom for a good 3-4 hours after that! I had SO much pressure on my pladder by that point that i thought i was going to burst if they didn't let me get up to use the bahtroom! (i didn't want to wet the bed :p But yes, #2 wasn't nearly as good of an experience...OUCH!

lilmissisabella - Saturday, 19 Sep
i was in a car accident that induced me into labor...i had a broken right arm and foot....going to the restroom was the MOST terrifying thing!! plus my little girl TORE me up down there and letts say there was alot of stitches.i had a cathader in for 3 days and afterwards i didn't have a bowel movement for a week....i even held the first one in for 24 hrs lol sorry if that tmi !!

AliciaTahliasMummy - Saturday, 19 Sep
I was to scared to wee after I had my daughter. Because my mum told me that it would kill! (Mind u she had stitches with me, not to sure about my bro n sis) but coz she said that I was to scared so I went and sat on my toilet and closed my eyes and braised myself. And it did hurt abit :) thanks god I had no stitches or grazes. But I might not be as lucky next time.

micheleac2 - Wednesday, 5 Aug
omg after i gave birth and had to pee omg i didnt know that my lips would be so big that when i wiped i could feel how swollen they where. i did not miss that or the milk dropping

dssmonoka - Thursday, 7 May
oh my god i just remembered my first wee after delivery. i had tears and stitches so it was definitely unpleasant! bowel movement turned out to be not as bad as peeing.
But when you clean yourself with the little squeeze bottle they give u and put the ice pad back on, it feels really good! it's like having a nice cold drink on a summer day.

3rdsurprise - Wednesday, 1 Apr
Sorry, had to vent. as for peeing i cant remember if it hurt.. i just remember not knowing if i was peeing or not because i had just pushed my baby out! i do remember dreading the bowel movement and started taking stool softeners right away and ate right. but it took about 5 days after the birth and it was the most painful thing!!! I had stitches and hemmoroids, what i did was i had the shower running so right after i jumped in and it was like instant pain relief! I did that the every time until it no longer hurt. oh how i hope this experience is better than last, i have soo much anxiety about it all. atleast im older now and know better than to let a nurse treat me badly (I now work in the hospital)

3rdsurprise - Wednesday, 1 Apr
okay, right after my duaghter was born (my nurses were very cold and mean) they took her off to get cleaned up and the nurse had me stand up, go to the bathroom and told me to pee while she stood right there, I was like in a daze as i had just pushed for 2 hours... then she gave me underwear with pad/icepack and pointed down the hall and told me to walk to the last room on the left and she would meet me there. that was my recovery room. can you believe that $#*&@!!!

bellas mum - Monday, 9 Feb
leaning forward to pee after giving birth is the only way to go,i also recommended toilet wipes(like baby wipes)as they are more softer on tender parts the toilet paper

krystasappleseed - Monday, 26 Jan
my daughter was face up but they got her to turn before she got to the birth canal. so i only had a small tear on the upper part but i did the lean forward thing and it stung some put that warm water in the squeeze bottle!! life saver. plus you can take it home and use it as long as you need to. now i use it to wash the soap out of daughters hair. it keeps the soap from getting in her eyes.

miss boonie - Thursday, 15 Jan
LOL i have to agree on the squeeze bottle..

mommy-jazz15 - Thursday, 20 Nov
ok.. this makes me rather scared!! im 15 n 29 weeks pregnant. man im dreadin tha day of labor, but at the same time i cant wait to meet my lil boy!! god. i hope i dont tear, i'd much rather be cut!

coliflower - Friday, 5 Sep
Two words SQUEEZE BOTTLE
Fill with warm water and squeeze down below while you are peeing. It is such relief.

peanuts mommy - Tuesday, 5 Aug
Babies born face up must cause more damage. I also had a pretty nice size rip. I think alot of the stress of the first passage of urine or bowel is because, it is so tender and sore that we are afraid to cause ourselves further pain. I was terrified to do either.

WaitingForMyLittleKitty - Wednesday, 30 Jul
i had no pain and my dr even had to cut me ..it only hurt to sit down.

MummyManda - Sunday, 13 Jul
After i had my little girl i was so scared about going to the toilet after having heard so many horror stories, she was born with forceps and i had to have quite a large cut that took nearly 25 mins to stich up but when i went i was plesantly suprised to find that it never hurt at all but i think it was down to drinkin alot of water when i knew the time was to come so it was very watered down.

Kristy-n-Raegan - Friday, 11 Jul
My tear was not down there it was up there... so the leaning forward while going pee would have KILLED me! It killed me no matter how I positioned myself... it was either go ALL out at once or... drip stop drip stop... depending on what I was able to handle at the moment. LOL! My baby girl was also face up... I must say it was dreadfully painful for about 4 weeks.. But it does go away!