Emotions
On days 3 and 4 after childbirth you start to get more tired and the hormones are raging through your body. This, together with becoming a parent (again), can make you quite emotional. One minute you feel happy and cheerful and the next you start crying for no specific reason. We call these tears maternity tears (in dutch: “kraamtranen”). Let them roll!
Breasts
Regardless of whether you breastfeed or not, you will notice that your breasts have become a lot fuller today. If you are not breastfeeding, wear a tight sports bra (also while sleeping), this can slow down the fullness of your breasts.
Stitches
Often your stitches become a bit more sensitive these days. Sometimes it is swollen or they start pulling. Try to rinse them well when urinating and try to air the stitches regularly by lying on a mat without underpants and maternity bandages. If they are swollen, it can be nice to cool them with an ice pack. You can also take 2x 500mg paracetamol every 6 hours if the stitches hurt.
Nutrition and weight
It is still advisable to breastfeed your baby every 3 hours (or more often). If you give formula, you can give 30ML formula every 3 hours from today. Your baby has probably lost weight today as well. If he/she loses too much weight, the maternity nurse will consult with our midwives.
Baby color
Almost all newborn babies turn yellow in the first week after birth. This is because the liver is not yet able to properly process the breakdown product of the red blood cells. The maternity nurse monitors the color of the baby and if necessary she will call the midwife to come and assess the colour.
Baby poop
The color of your babies poop will now become more green and thinner.