The many surprising, weird, funny, interesting, and frustrating changes your body experiences during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, don't end after the baby is born. On the contrary, your body will experience a number of drastic changes postpartum — including the first time you get your period. In fact, the first time you get your period post-baby will take you back to the first time you had your period, ever: You'll be slightly confused, a little concerned, sort of scared and definitely annoyed.
And sadly, thanks to our culture's child-like hesitance to talk about a very natural (not to mention, necessary) cycle in a woman's body, many women don't know what to expect about their post-baby period. We've all come to assume that talking about periods is "gross" or "inappropriate," so instead of having a social discussion (or at least an open, casual, and informative dialogue on something natural that nearly half the population experiences on a monthly basis) women are largely left in the dark, stuck worrying about what's "normal" and what isn't. Instead, women are made to feel like a very normal part of their existence is "disgusting" and not a single woman should ever be made to feel that way (especially after she's given birth).
So, in the spirit of transparency — and in an attempt to curb the stigma society has decided to attach to periods — here are 11 things people don't tell you about your period after having a kid. Because honestly, you guys, it's just a little (OK, sometimes a lot) of blood.