After having my son, i wasn't able to move because of the remaining effects of the epidural i had. After the birth i was washed up by the nurses, and after a few hours was allowed to sleep. When i awoke after my little nap, i found that i was soaked in blood and the various fluids that follow a normal birth. i was horrified and immediatly called the nurse. She wanted me to get up and shower so she could clean up the bed and the linens. i still couldn't walk. So she had another nurse come into help me get up and it didn't work, so i had to lay in the bed and roll over to let them change the bedding and wash me again. i was so embarassed, and felt so dirty. So later when my son's dad came back in the room, i made him carry/walk me to the bathroom and to the shower, just so i wasn't soo humiliated anymore. The nurses were nice to me, but just the same i was mortified.

When i was pregnant with my daughter, i vowed that i was not going to have any pain meds just so i could shower right away afterwards. I went almost drug-free, towards the end i was given Nubain, but that didn't do a damn thing. I was able to get up off the bed and walk to the shower, and clean up and i felt so good about that. I felt more competent to care for my daughter as well.

as for showering for the month that followed, took about 2 a day, until the lochea flow was done, which was about 2 to 3 weeks. Then, my daughter was colicky at three weeks, and we would sit in the bathtub, and i would hold the back of her head, and let the rest of her body float. the warm water helped her tummy feel better, and she was then the happiest when she was in the tub with me. we would spend hours in there, draining out the cool water, filling with new warm water, and nursing her when she was hungry. She's 4 now and still is the happiest when she is in water.