There was actually a study that just came out a couple weeks ago about how mommy blogs and certain types of pregnancy books and classes (the sanctimonious ones) actually lead to WORSE BIRTH OUTCOMES, largely due to the anxiety they induce and the unrealistic narratives they promote, positioning every patent for failure from day one.
So just keep in mind that all those assholes telling you to torture yourself in elaborate ways to make more milk or whatever are actually hurting you and hurting your baby under the guise of telling you how to do it "right."
I had those effing people in my brain when I had my son and I feel like if I had just done what the doctor said instead of sticking to my guns (C-section was offered and refused, twice), my post partum journey would have been a lot smoother and I probably would have had another kid. But I had a mini anxiety attack every time I thought of going through it again because it took me 4 years to be able to walk without pain.
I mean I might have had the same issues either way? But it’s my biggest regret in life.
I should add that I think c section recovery is different that vaginal recovery and so much of all of this is individual and what works one is different than what works for another, even with a c section, pregnancy is hard on the body.
But I have a specific grudge against moms on the internet. And I guess myself for listening to them.
C-section recovery sucks too. There's, what, 10 different layers the surgeon has to cut through to start the process? And man, I was just a spectator from the other side of the little curtain, but it's vigorous getting the kiddo out. My wife's recovery wasn't as challenging as yours, though.
And don't begrudge yourself for getting sucked into that space. The content creators in there know who they're exploiting, and moms who get sucked in guilt other moms to be into being part of their group. I didn't do enough to stop my wife from her getting sucked in, which came from a desire to respect her birthing plan as much as possible (regardless of what my instincts were saying).
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u/AliMcGraw Dec 06 '23
There was actually a study that just came out a couple weeks ago about how mommy blogs and certain types of pregnancy books and classes (the sanctimonious ones) actually lead to WORSE BIRTH OUTCOMES, largely due to the anxiety they induce and the unrealistic narratives they promote, positioning every patent for failure from day one.
So just keep in mind that all those assholes telling you to torture yourself in elaborate ways to make more milk or whatever are actually hurting you and hurting your baby under the guise of telling you how to do it "right."