In the hours, days and weeks after you give birth, there?s a certain running commentary in your brain, at least part of the time. It tends to veer from a kind of hell, yeah pride (?I made an actual tiny human with my actual body!?) to a shocked disbelief at the changes your body is going through yet again (?FFS, what is that trickling down my…? and ?this can?t be right?? and ?oof, why does that hurt"?).

.related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding:0.5rem;margin-left:0.5rem;float:right;border:1px solid #ccc}@media (max-width: 525px){.related-article-block{float:none;display:block;width:280px;margin:0 auto 2rem}}

28 self-care hacks for newbie parentsYour body undergoes a major transformation during pregnancy?and an equally major one after labour and delivery. And while there?s plenty of week-by-week information about your growing belly, your health and body after birth often get overlooked, as you cope with the admittedly big issues of caring for baby and functioning on little sleep. Trish Perrin Chang*, the Mississauga, Ont., mother of four-month-old Eric*, says she felt completely blindsided by her post-baby body, which included lots of vaginal bruising from a long, rough labour and delivery, episiotomy stitches and brief Hulk-like swelling in her legs and feet. ?I did all my reading on being pregnant and our delivery options, all of that, but I realize now I was really unprepared for afterwards,? she says. ?I was healthy and strong while I...