One of the biggest fears in my life was the whole labor and delivery thing. I wanted kids SO badly, but this fear was big enough, I wasn’t sure that dream would be possible. The movies seem to equate birthing to a heart thudding horror flick. Pregnant with our first (eeek!), I wasted no time enrolling in prenatal education classes. Afterwards, I felt semi-prepared (even relieved) but I never EVER realized that postpartum recovery was what I really needed to worry about.

We learned all the details of labor in our prenatal classes (all the options) and watched videos that were a little cringe-worthy but hey, it’s childbirth. Knowing what to expect put us at ease.

However, I was TOTALLY unprepared for postpartum healing and pain. Everything about the realities of life after birth seemed to come as a complete shock to me.

Postpartum recovery and healing after birth from a vaginal delivery can be tough. I needed all the tips and advice! After experiencing labor and delivery PLUS postpartum recovery for the first time, I feel like women must be the toughest things on this planet..or maybe their vaginas. However, even if after labor, we realize Wonderwoman must be kin, we still need to slow down and properly heal. This can be challenging to some (ahem -> me too).

You have probably nested in epic proportions; the house has never been so organized (for some reason the baby needs those pots and pans stacked precisely by size), the floors have never been so clean and the nursery couldn’t be more perfect.

Nailing shelves in at 12 am, organizing that closet that hasn’t been opened in years, and scrubbing floors till they compare to hospital grade sterilization may be how you prepared for baby but what about you?

How have you prepared for your body to heal after birth? Because, let’s be real: if you gave birth (or will be giving birth) vaginally, your entire lady area is going to need some serious TLC to properly recover postpartum.