Nurse Carly birth & babies FP

Trending baby names for 2026 so far! 📈

Are any of these on your baby name list?

When does your period come back after giving birth? 🩸

I see a lot of comments when I talk about postpartum bleeding along the lines of “my bleeding was gone and then it came back, is this normal?”

🩸It’s very common to get your first period around 6-8 weeks postpartum, with about 2/3 of women seeing it return by 12 weeks.

🤱Exclusive breastfeeding (every 2-3 hours) suppresses ovulation by increasing the hormone prolactin. BUT- if time between feeds lengthens, if baby sleeps longer stretches, if you introduce a bottle or formula, that suppression is decreased meaning an earlier return of your period (and before that, OVULATION! 😬)

🚨If you are less than 6 weeks postpartum and see a very heavy increase in bleeding, or your bleeding is concerning at any point postpartum, call your OB to rule out secondary postpartum hemorrhage

3 quick tips about birth & postpartum!

1. Even if you’re not planning to breastfeed or know you want to formula feed from the start, consider hand expressing some colostrum- it lines your baby’s intestines, providing good gut bacteria and supporting their immune system.

2. Learn about what having a C-section is like- especially the recovery- even if you’re not planning on having one. Being prepared for what’s happening can help you have a MUCH better experience if you do end up in an unplanned or emergency C-section.

3. It is common for first-time moms to go past their due date- mentally prepare to be OVER due, and don’t stress too much about trying all the labor induction wives’ tales.

Follow .carly for more pregnancy, birth, postpartum & baby care tips!

C-section recovery tips, from a mother/baby RN! ⤵️

🚶‍♀️Repeat after me: walking is KEY to your recovery! We aim for C-section patients to get out of bed for the first time within 6-8 hours after surgery. Nothing crazy, just a short walk to the bathroom. This helps prevent blood clots and returns your gut function quicker, among other benefits!

💊 Set phone reminders for pain medication- whether you’re taking the ibuprofen/acetaminophen combo or the stronger stuff, you won’t want to forget a dose of pain control in the beginning (if you feel great in the first 12-24 hours, it’s because the anesthesia is still working! 😅)

💩 Don’t skip the stool softener! The combination of abdominal surgery and narcotics in your system can lead to severe constipation, staying hydrated and taking a stool softener can help.

❤️‍🩹 Wear an abdominal binder. The hospital *should* provide this after surgery. It helps to support the incision.

💨 Keep the incision dry. My favorite tips for this are to use a hair dryer after showering and place a clean maxi pad over top.

🫖 Hot mint tea and Mylicon for gas pain. One of the TOP complaints from C-section patients is severe gas pain- this is caused by several factors- the surgery itself, peristalsis after surgery, and pain medications. Walking is the best prevention, but if you get the pains anyway, try this combo.

What’s one C-section tip that helped your recovery?

If you're a new parent and you're stressing over if you are ready to bring home baby, I got you covered. I'm talking about a few simple things you can do before bringing home your new baby to make sure that you are prepared for emergencies, and that you're bringing them home to a safe environment – from a mother-baby nurse. You can feel confident when you buckle in your new baby and drive home from the hospital after following this safety checklist.

ADULT, CHILD, INFANT CPR/AED/FIRST AID ONLINE TRAINING: https://www.aed.com/adult-child-infan...

LIFEVAC HOME KIT: https://www.aed.com/lifevac-home-kit....