by Becky Vieira posted in Parenting

?It looks like a crime scene in my pants,? I screamed to my husband upon exiting the bathroom. I?d just started my first postpartum period and it wasn?t what I expected. It was worse. Much, much worse.
Yes, by ?worse? I specifically mean heavier, more bloody and painful. (Don?t say I didn?t warn you, the headline begins with ?TMI.?)
Before my son was born I?d heard rumblings about the postpartum period. ?It?s heavy. The cramps are painful. You?ll need an industrial-size supply of pads and tampons,? were among the warnings I heard from friends. Sure, it didn?t sound pleasant. But beyond making a mental note that I?d need extra strength Midol and heavy flow pads I never gave it a second thought.
I?d had many visits from my proverbial Aunt Flo over the years. While she was never a pleasant houseguest I?d learned how to survive her stays relatively unscathed, minus a night or two on the couch with a heating pad and a pint of ice cream. But this time was different. She meant business.
Perhaps she was making up for lost time. After all, I?d been able to keep her away for 700+ days thanks to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Whatever the reason, she was intent upon making her presence known. To better prepare other moms, here?s the truth behind my first postpartum period:

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