Sissi with baby bump: Birth and postpartum

After nine exciting months of pregnancy, it was finally November 2018: Our LILLYDOO midwife Sissi Rasche gave birth to her third child, a healthy girl. Congratulations and all the best, dear Sissi!

In this, her final installment of her column for now, Sissi shares her very personal birth experiences with you and recounts her home birth surrounded by her family.

1. How are you feeling right now?

Of course, I was initially totally euphoric after the birth. Everything went exactly as we had hoped, and it was simply wonderful. For a short time, I experienced a little mood swing because I was annoyed at having to constantly explain why I was strictly following the postpartum guidelines. Especially when you had an uncomplicated birth, it can sometimes be hard for outsiders to understand, since outwardly it may seem like you have no problems. This can sometimes lead to conflicts even within the family. But probably many women experience this during the postpartum period, and now I am simply enjoying the intensive time I spend with little Lilo to the fullest.

2. What does your body tell you?

I handled the birth physically well and was able to get up, shower, and stay circulatory stable immediately afterward. My good physical condition probably also contributed, as I exercised a lot during pregnancy. Additionally, I was fortunate that no occurred, except for a small perineal tear.

The first three days, however, took quite a toll on me with the afterpains. In women with multiple births, these are generally stronger, and for me, they were quite intense, especially in combination with breastfeeding. During latch-on, the hormone oxytocin is released, which induces contractions. My abdominal binder helped me quite a bit: it supports the uterus, so it doesn't have to work as hard to return to its original size. Fortunately, after three days, the afterpains were also over.

Although I generally felt good, it was very important that I spent the entire first week lying down. I got up to go to the toilet and to shower, of course, but otherwise I really protected my pelvic floor. And even in the second week, I continued to take it slow and rested a lot.

3. How did you experience the birth, also in comparison to your first two?

The birth was very similar to my first two deliveries. It all started again with the water breaking, and the duration was also about four hours, comparable to before. Additionally, we once again chose a , and I delivered again in the water. Honestly, I don't really know how other women do it without water. To me, it feels like a natural epidural, even though I usually don't like bathing.

What was different this time was that I had a very clear idea of how I wanted to shape the birth. We had decided in advance on a family birth, and a close friend of mine was also there taking photos. In the end, it actually went pretty much exactly the way I had hoped. I am very grateful for that. :)

I did notice, however, that the birth of my first daughter was already quite a long time ago. It really makes a difference for the body whether you have another birth after one and a quarter years or only six years later. In the final phase, I felt a bit reminded of my first delivery, as I sometimes surrendered a little to the pain and was no longer so focused. But my midwife brought me back on track quite well, and when I focused entirely on the contraction, it was not painful either. The really helped me a lot. And then suddenly, everything happened very quickly, and Lilo was here.

4. How did your children experience the family birthday?

The birth started at night, and we woke the children during a phase when I didn't have very strong contractions yet. This way, they could still talk to me normally, and we also laughed a lot together. But even when I later made louder noises (that's how the noisy breathing during contractions is called), I don't think they found it strange. We gave them their space; they could leave the room at any time and come back if they wanted to. In the end, they actually spent most of the time with me. It was really nice for them and us to be able to welcome their little sister from the very beginning, and they were allowed to and assisted my midwife during the . You can also see now that their presence during the birth has created a very special bond with Lilo. Sometimes, a real argument breaks out over who gets to hold her next, and she can hardly be stopped from kissing them. ;)

5. How were the first days with your new family member?

The first days were nice, even though I of course had to recover from the birth first. Since my husband unfortunately had to go to Paris on business the very next day, my mom visited and took care of the two older children. This allowed me to rest in bed and focus on the little one. For the U2 check-up, our pediatrician came to our home, but fortunately the results were normal. For a short time, there was some excitement because my son had herpes. This can be very dangerous for babies, so he had to wear a mouthguard and was terribly sad that he wasn't allowed to kiss his little sister. But now everything has settled down again. :)

If you now want to know how Sissi's husband Christian experienced this very special birth, then check out the first edition of our column . In it, Christian reveals, among other things, what, in his opinion, too few men honestly talk about and what tips he would give to other dads.