Trust Me, You'll Want A Postpartum Shower ASAP

During my first pregnancy, I remember being less nervous for labor and more so for the recovery period. The pain, bleeding, and rumored inability to function as an independent human scared me more than the thought of pushing a full size baby out of my vagina. Little did I know that the recovery wasn't nearly as horrific as I was expecting, and the small things, like showering, would bring me an insane amount of joy. But before you get there, there's one thing you need to know about your first postpartum shower if you, like me, dread all things postpartum.

First of all, let me tell you, you're going to want to shower. Like immediately. After you spend the initial uninterrupted hour with your baby after birth to bond, partake in skin-to-skin contact, and master the art of breastfeeding (just kidding, that will take lots of time,) eating and taking a shower will be the top two things on your mind.

For some moms, however, the thought of moving anywhere at all after delivery will seem unfathomable. Whether you have a smooth vaginal delivery, a C-section that requires a few stitches, or a complicated birth, you might not have much motivation to do anything except sit and marvel at the human you created. And that's totally OK — there's no need to rush into a shower or do much of anything else.

When it comes time to shower though, you can rest easy because that, my friend, is one thing about your recovery that won't hurt at all. In fact, it will feel pretty damn amazing.

According to Women's Care (and your doctor's instructions,) you should be able to shower anytime you want to after giving birth. And more likely than not, it will be just the thing you need to help you feel like "your old self" again. You'll feel refreshed, (slightly) energized, and (hopefully) be in less pain than you were before you rinsed all of the birth nasties off of yourself.

You'll be able to scrub the sweat off of your brow, wash your hair, and rinse off your body (but avoid using soap, especially "down there.") And best of all, you'll put on clean clothes.

If there's anything thing postpartum life will teach you, it's to enjoy the little things, to take things slowly, and not do more than you can handle. Showering, however, is like a gift from the postpartum gods, a calm in the midst of afterbirth storm.