This came up because my skin is so dry now and my face is chapped - not just my lips but my face. It's the sort of thing I once would have looked up in something like What to Expect (I promised myself I wouldn't rant about the irony of that title) but I don't want to run into the "all this is worth it because now you have a wonderful new baby" sentiment. I know I can call my doctor and ask, but I like looking stuff up for myself, and now I'm curious about this. The information on lactation here is so helpful. Has anyone stumbled across sources of practical postpartum information for new moms who've lost their babies?

You are also going to have issues with your hair and nails too, the hormone readjustment will in fact do strange things there.

Also be aware that you'll have irregular cycles for a bit, and that you may be slightly more fertile on those first few cycles (research is still a little spotty on that, but something to consider).

As I've discovered personally, sleep interruptions can mess with your serotonin levels and you may get migraines in a bit if you have a family proclivity toward them. Try to get your sleep schedule back to as normal as possible (ha, easier said than done, I'm nearing 5 months out from Aeryn's death and still not 100% back to sleeping well) but I personally didn't want to use anything like Lunesta or whatever because I have a two year old as well and my husband's always slept like a rock, so one of us has to be able to hop up if something happens.

WebMD is as little of that "worth it because you have a wonderful new baby" sentiment I've found as far as just a plain breakdown of things, but it's not great.

"Surviving the Loss of a Child" is the most practical book I read of the ones I ordered, but still not great. It does point out that 4-6 months out you should go for a physical if possible because grief will put you more open to catching minor ailments, and I'd say that's true, either I've caught more things or I'm just less able to ignore them.

Thanks for the responses. It's just over a month since our baby died, and I really had forgotten that I should be drinking more water. As for eating better, we keep talking about how we really need to do that, but it's still hard to put much energy into it. My parents might be visiting in a week or so though, and I bet Mom would be thrilled to fill up our fridge & freezer.

Erica, just piping in to say thanks for the excellent question. I think that would make a fantastic post - to highlight some of the practical aspects, beyond lactation, of recovering from a birth without a baby... thank you so much, and I'm glad you've got some insight here.

Wishing you peace, and love.
xo