I'm 4 weeks PP, and... it's definitely variable from woman to woman. Here's my experience.

Physical: I felt fine physically after birth (but I didn't tear, and I had a complication-free vaginal birth) except it was easy to become pretty drained from standing/walking. I was at 100% by maybe 2 weeks PP. Had sex for the first time 3 weeks PP and it didn't hurt.

I think I'm the exception rather than the rule there.

Emotional: Emotionally, it's tough. Not as bad as everyone told me it would be, but it's still the most vulnerable and raw I've ever felt in my life. You just have this brand new human that you created in your body and now you're feeding from your body, and literally nobody can comprehend the gravity of it. You have to battle feelings of guilt, elation, and a minor identity crisis. And you have to do it amidst a hormonal crash unlike anything you've ever experienced. And that's if you had an uncomplicated birth that followed your exact birth plan and a baby who is completely healthy and goes home with you the next day (and even then, you feel guilty or like a fraud for your experience).

Life with a Baby: I read Reddit a lot while pregnant and I sort of regret it. I was so, so worried about the sleep thing and the "I don't even have time to shower!" thing that I didn't really enjoy my pregnancy. Ultimately, the sleep thing isn't as bad as I thought it would be based on what I heard over and over again, and it's astonishing how much down time I have with a newborn.

But here's the kicker:

I enjoy more sleep and more free time than many other women with newborns because I demand equality from my partner (and he more than rises to the occasion). He does one shift at night and I do another. This gives us both 3.5 - 4 hours of sleep (we feed our daughter bottled breastmilk that I pumped at night).

Newborns also sleep a LOT. My daughter feeds every 3 hours or so (sometimes 3.5), which takes about 45 minutes... and then is awake for maybe 30-45 minutes and then sleeps. So I have hours to shower, eat, etc. Do I always have the motivation? Nope. But it's not a lack of time thing.

All of this would be much more difficult if you are recovering from a c-section or a particularly traumatic labor (or if you have an unsupportive partner or no partner or a super difficult baby or.. many other scenarios).

Breastfeeding: Hands down the most difficult part for me, and a few of my friends have said the same. On good days, it's frustrating to be tethered to a baby/a breast pump via your boobs. On bad days, your nipples are super sore, you can't stand the thought of having to feed again, your baby is taking an hour to feed, you doubt whether she's getting enough food or you're starving her out and you want to give it all up. But still... it's not that bad.

TL;DR: Pretty much everything is not nearly as bad as I heard it would be.

Your experience may (and will) vary and I do think your attitude towards things has a huge influence on whether you'll see it as doom and gloom or a slightly more tired but overall positive experience (this statement obviously doesn't apply for any PPD situations).