Your emotions after giving birth

Your feelings after your baby's birth can be intense. You may feel thrilled and excited. You may want to call everyone you know to tell them your news. Or, you may feel tired and let down. What you want most is to rest.

If you had an unexpected birth experience or procedure, like a Cesarean birth, you may feel disappointed. You may feel relieved that your baby was born safely and is well. But at the same time, you may feel angry or guilty that things didn't go as planned. It is important to talk about your experience and how you feel. Being upset and hiding your feelings can make your recovery adjustment harder.

Find a good listener, in addition to your partner, who will let you talk through your feelings. Talk with your nurses and your health care provider. Sometimes asking them questions about why the choices you made were good ones can be helpful and reassuring.