why you need to rest

this is a post for me- aimed at me. like fr. jack durkin says, "i'm preachin' to myself!"
ok- remember when that midwife told you about postpartum rest back in that three bedroom house that served as a birth center in hill crest district of san diego?
yes.
and remember how she said that the spot where the placenta was imbedded in the wall of your uterus is now like an open wound?
of course.
well, you have to let that wound heal.
i know this, but...
no- you must rest. if you start thinking "hey, i feel fine, i'm going to start going through stuff and getting things in order", just resist that urge a few more days.
i don't really have a "few more days" to spare- you see, we are moving.
yes, i see that. but see this- do you *really* want to move across the country with a newborn and NOT be healed up? the thing is this, yes- you feel rested today, your placental site has slowed bleeding so you feel like you are healed up for the most part.
yes- i do feel healed!
well, you probably are neglecting to remember how that san diegan birth center midwife told you that the placental site develops a scab.
oh....
yeah- oh. you are mostly healed BUT that scab can easily slough off if you do too much right now.
i see.
so, you just need to resist the urge for a few more days or you will be back to the starting point again. and you don't want to be there!
no ma'am, i don't.
ok- i'm glad we had this talk.
yeah- me too.
if anything the talk has kept you sitting on your butt a few minutes longer.
yeah- and the illustrations kept me seated and distracted for a few minutes too.