Bringing a child into the world can make us feel invincible. But here's a note to moms who just gave birth - BINAT is real! Read about Mommy Keiki's experience with binat after giving birth.
What can you read in this article?
- How the pandemic changed her plans for postpartum care
- Why this mom of two ended up in the emergency room
- Binat after giving birth - why you need to take it slow
Hey Moms! Keiki here. I have two kids, Kian and Kali, who are over a year apart. My youngest, Kali, was conceived when our eldest was only 10 months old and was born when the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020. We live in Baguio City, but our relatives live in different provinces.
Our plan for when I went into labor was that my family comes to stay with us in Baguio so that I can have help taking care of a newborn and toddler, and still be able to rest as I recovered from childbirth.
Postpartum care during the pandemic
When the pandemic started, however, our plans had to change because of the restrictions and lock-downs that prevented my family and my husband’s family from coming to visit us.
Kali was born in May 2020 via an emergency c-section. Most of us already know that when it comes to post-partum recovery, c-sections take more time to heal, and more rest is needed as well.
There are many things c-section moms need to avoid - like excessive movements to prevent the incision from reopening, certain food that may make us gassy and give us pain, and no heavy lifting for the same reason as the first.
Not being able to carry heavy things was a major problem for me as a recovering c-section mom since I had another older baby who wasn’t very independent yet and loved being carried and hugged.
Although I did try to refrain from carrying my toddler, there were some times that I couldn’t help but carry him and give him hugs.
Since it was just me, my husband, and our kids, we had no other help. My husband returned to work a little over a week after I gave birth. He works the night shift, so it is just my two little ones and me until he wakes up in the afternoon during the day.
From "being able to manage" to waking up in the ER
Everything was okay, even when my husband returned to work. I was able to manage taking care of both my newborn and my toddler and still get things done around the house. Although my movements were a bit limited, I was recovering fast and was adjusting really well to our new life; or so I thought.
2 weeks post-partum, I woke up in an emergency room, not knowing how I got there.
As I was waking up, still with my eyes shut, I could hear people talking about me. As I opened my eyes, I saw that there were medical staff surrounding me and asking me if I knew where I was or who I was, but I just couldn't think straight.
The only thing I could remember at that moment was that I was with my mom in La Union (which was clearly a dream). As soon as I could get my thoughts together, I started answering their questions.
The last thing I remembered before waking up in the hospital was that I fed Kali at around 2 a.m., went to the bathroom to pee, and then went to bed. But how did I end up there? To be honest, I didn’t even know what hospital I was in.
They then explained that I was in a hospital in Baguio (the one nearest to our home) because I had a seizure during the night and lost consciousness. I had to stay there for a couple of hours as they waited for me to regain consciousness, observed me, and take some tests.
READ MORE:
One Month Postpartum: What to expect and how to recover after giving birth
Binat matapos manganak, ano ang mga sintomas at paano maiiwasan?
Postpartum must-haves: 7 items you absolutely need after giving birth
Binat after giving birth - what other moms need to know
Everything seemed normal as far as we could tell from the tests. The doctors came to the conclusion that my body was put under too much strain and that it was over-tired and over-stressed, more commonly known to us as “binat."
I didn’t even feel tired or stressed with the kids or housework. For me, everything seemed fine and in order.
This happened to me on a weekend when my husband didn’t have work and was home that night. If it were to happen on a weekday with him not being there, it would have been a different story. I could have been unconscious while my kids were awake and crying for me to wake up. It was a blessing that it happened with my husband near.
For all those strong and independent mommies out there, take it from me - binat after giving birth is real! So give yourself a break from time to time. Even though you may think you are not tired, just rest and take some time for yourself. Because sometimes, we may be too busy or preoccupied with making sure others are okay and forget about ourselves.
Do you have any binat stories after giving birth? Tell us in the comments section!
About the author
Kaylynn Adolfo, also known as The Asian Mommy PH, is a blogger and mother of two living in the Summer Capital of the Philippines. She shares parenting tips and mom advice on various motherhood topics through her website and social media accounts.