In your own words tell us about an instance when you had a perplexing, confusing, or surprising experience with your own health.

Giving birth is overwhelming and chaotic and foreign and strange. You can prepare for it, but no amount of preparation compares to being in the hospital room in labor. Both of my labor and deliveries were fairly uneventful. What I found jarring was the after care. I was being given important information and instructions moments after giving birth. I couldn't recall this hours or days later while in immense pain and discomfort. My newborns had excellent care; my husband and I felt prepared to care for them thanks the hospital staff. I wish, however, I had received more personalized and focused care after delivering.It had a big impact in the weeks following my deliveries. This still has a slight impact on my current day-to-day as I had tears when giving birth, but don't recall the degrees

How did this event or journey impact your day-to-day life?

N/A

If you could go back and tell your previous self something you know now about this health issue or journey what might that be?

I would have liked more personalized care in the hospital, and during follow-up OBGYN appointments. In the hospital, I didn't receive much care — focus was on the newborn. At my 6-week follow-up with my OBGYN, I had to ask for a physical examination. I wasn't given specific instructions on how to care for my body, post-pregnancy/delivery or my pelvic floor. Having that information would have helped tremendously.

Can you share any strategies or support that aided you in overcoming this health issue or journey, or are helping you to work through it, in terms of physical and/or mental well-being?

I'm unsure I've overcome it. If I were to give birth again, I would be better equipped to ask the appropriate questions and make sure I understood *exactly* what physical impacts I'd have from that specific labor + delivery. For example, what degree tear I had, and then what I would need to do to help recover, in the short and long term.