It never happened the first time I gave birth.
Which is why, I guess, I was so unprepared when the shaking happened moments after I had had a pretty normal and straightforward vaginal birth with my second baby, my little boy.
Moments after he was born, and the placenta was out, my husband let me know we just had a boy, and the midwife then lifted him onto my chest for snuggles and feeding. I remember just feeling so deliriously happy, and also relieved it was all over.
However, having only had the baby in my arms for a minute or two, I suddenly starting to shake all over, as if the room had suddenly gone ice cold. My teeth were chattering and I remember saying to my husband, almost in a panic: “You have to take him! I can’t hold him!”
It was scary, I shook so much I literally felt like I would drop the baby. But just as suddenly as it started, a few minutes later, the shaking settled and everything returned to normal. My midwife, who had just gentle held my hand and tried to calm me down while it was happening, explained that post-birth shaking is actually rather normal and that most medical experts think it has something to do with hormones.
I told her I had never heard of this happening to anyone before, and she said she reckoned maybe it’s not that much talked about because it generally tends to be over within minutes for most women.
According to Babyology, an Australian study recently looked at 50 healthy women during and after their vaginal births and found that 22 of them (in other words, 44 percent) reported shivering during labour or within 30 minutes of the birth.
The shaking, the experts explained, can last from a few seconds up to an hour, and it’s thought to be caused by your hormones, as your body goes through a lot of changes as you birth your baby, including fluid shifts and endorphin releases.
My own midwife said:
“It sure feels strange, especially because you are so physically exhausted already on top of this, but the important thing to know is that the shaking isn’t harmful or a sign something is wrong. Let your midwife or nurse know, and they will help you feel more reassured and can give you an extra blanket to tuck around you while you are still shivering. But know that it is in no way harmful, and it’ll be over in just moments.”
Tell us, did this happen to you too after giving birth? Let us know in the comments.
