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    23 Things You Definitely Didn't Realize Could Happen To Your Body After Childbirth

    "My hair changed color during pregnancy, and now I have a blonde ring around my head."

    We asked moms in the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the thing that surprised them about their post-baby body, and the responses were all at once relatable, random, and surprising as hell:

    1. "I tore very badly during the delivery of my first child, and 16 years later I still bleed from my vagina almost every time I have a bowel movement."

    s427f2e229

    2. "My hair changed color when I was pregnant, and now I have a blonde ring around my whole head."

    adrianajaec

    3. "My feet grew from a size 10 to a 12, with no wiggle room. It's been three years, and my feet still haven't shrunk back down!"

    4. "My belly button came back in a totally different shape."

    k4e458cc89

    5. "I started pooping from my vagina! It's called 'rectovaginal fistula', and I had no idea it could even happen!"

    courtneydanielles

    6. "I completely lost my appetite after my son was born. I ended up losing forty pounds the first two weeks."

    7. "I had no idea my hair would fall out in clumps, and I was devastated watching it go down the drain when I showered. But my mom reassured me that the hormones were to blame."

    carlyleeper

    8. "I didn't know I'd leak so much milk that my bed would smell like Kraft Mac and Cheese. I had to change my sheets daily."

    lydiamargaretd

    9. "My perfectly straight teeth from having had braces 20 years prior completely shifted!"

    10. "I'd always heard that having children loosened you 'down there.' But I actually became tighter after each child!"

    leeannew428a46615

    11. "I developed seasonal allergies I'd never had before. I literally had an allergic reaction to my work building."

    dianag4682c01a3

    12. "I didn't know you could get hemorrhoids from all the pushing during labor. There were days I spent crying on the couch after pooping, in fear of having to go again."

    13. "All I'd heard was that the stretch marks don't go away, and that the fat is impossible to lose. So I was surprised that my body actually did go back to normal. But my dental work? Whoa. Pregnancy killed my teeth. So many cavities!"

    kellie0105

    14. "I didn't know you still bleed from your vagina, even if you didn't deliver from it."

    merlib94

    15. "I developed lactose intolerance during my first pregnancy."

    16. "I didn't realize how uncomfortable sex would be even after I was completely healed. It got better, but it was definitely something we had to work through."

    kaybetts728

    17. "I grew an inch-large patch of super curly, kinky hair at the crown of my head, when my hair has been straight my entire life!"

    kristinabentle

    18. "My stretch marks came in different colors."

    19. "Breastfeeding does not necessarily help you lose the baby weight. Yes, it can burn some serious calories, but you're still as hungry as you were while pregnant because you're literally making milk. I didn't start losing weight until after we started weaning."

    andreadavison

    20. "I knew pregnant women had a hard time holding their bladders, but I didn't think that after childbirth I would literally pee on the dance floor at my best friend's wedding!"

    —Madison Mattoon, Facebook

    21. "My skin starting peeling like I had sunburn."

    22. "I got all my stretch marks ten days AFTER I gave birth! And I thought I was safe!"

    schulzemary214

    23. "My hair fell out in clumps, my boobs leaked through everything, and my belly felt like Jello. And you know what? I'd never felt stronger."

    Want to be on BuzzFeed? Follow the BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter.

    Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

    Another thing that can happen after childbirth is extreme hair loss. Check out how this new mom coped:

    View this video on YouTube

    youtube.com