The postpartum recovery period is the first six weeks of recovery period after giving birth that requires special care for you and your baby. To foster health and wellness, check the tips below that will help in your postpartum recovery.
Post-delivery stuff no one ever told you
Having a baby is not exactly as magical an experience as movies and books make it out to be. Apart from the usual mood swings, nausea, weight gain, stretch marks, labor pain, and of course the joy of giving birth to a new life, there are many things that you only find out once you have become a parent. Before you give birth, there is so much information available across the internet, books, special parenting classes, and more…but no one talks about what is going to happen to your body once the baby is delivered. As if delivering a baby was an easy task, there comes some quirky as well as some serious challenges that a mother has to go through physically, emotionally, and mentally during postpartum recovery. So, here is my list of things they don’t tell you about pregnancy and how to rejuvenate and recover once the baby is born.
Get ready for blood
Stock up on as many pads as you can because there will be blood and a lot of it. No, it is not an immediate period after you have given birth but something similar. After your delivery, there will be a post-birth discharge containing blood, mucus, uterine tissue, and whatnot. If you had a cesarean, then the discharge may be less. Yet, stocking up on maxi pads seems like the best option.
Using the Toilet
Okay, so brace yourself up. After giving birth during postpartum recovery period, the thought of anything else coming out from down there might terrify you. But sooner or later, you will have to answer nature’s call, and in this case, the sooner the better. The first dump that you will take is going to be really hard. It going to be painful and it is surely going to be bloody. The amount of blood coming out of your vagina will reduce once your uterus starts shrinking back. Well, to have a smooth bowel movement, ask your doctor to give you something that would cure constipation. Use that at the hospital and home as well.
Urinary and constipation problems
Your pelvic muscles are most affected after giving birth so you will be having problems peeing. Sometimes you may not be able to control it and other times you might feel a burning sensation. This is completely normal. Constipation and gas in the stomach are also common after delivery.
Everybody’s different
Every person’s bodily reaction and mental reaction after giving birth are different. Some mothers might feel instant love for their little one and others might get depressed with the thought of taking care of a child, constantly worrying about whether they will be a good mother. The healing time of the body also varies from person to person. If you think that you tore one of the stitches, don’t be ashamed to check using a hand mirror. Though the stitches down there are made to withstand all kinds of pressure, if you still feel that something is not right, don’t hesitate in talking to your OB/GYN. Several experts can help you regain confidence and help you with your pelvic floor. So, go ahead and learn some exercises to get your vagina back in shape. Your pelvic muscles and your sex life will thank you.
What about your sex life?
Another thing they don’t tell you about pregnancy is how challenging it would be to get intimate with your partner after having a kid. Having gained and lost weight, developing stretch marks, and your vagina all stretched out can be a blow to your self-esteem. But you constantly have the thought of your kid in your mind. Even for fathers, having sex after seeing their partner deliver a kid can be difficult. Once the kid grows up, it is no better still because then you will be trying to find excuses and explanations when the kid finds you both alone and locked in a room. Even worse, if he/she sees you.
Feeling Blue during postpartum recovery
So, you were quite excited to give birth to your baby and thought that you would feel joyous all time. But that’s not the case, is it? You are feeling weepy, sad, and uninterested all the time. You might burst into tears for even the smallest things. Well, you might be suffering from post-partum depression. Some mothers feel instant love for their little ones, and others often feel depressed with the thought of taking care of a child. Well, the whole process of being pregnant, giving birth, and then taking care of an infant while recovering physically and emotionally is quite overwhelming. Don’t worry if you are feeling overwhelmed or sad. Your hormones are adjusting from being pregnant to taking care of the baby. Let yourself adjust to your new normal and feel whatever you are feeling. If this feeling of sadness doesn’t go away after a few weeks, it’s time to get outside help. Talk to some – a friend, your doctor, your partner. If needed, take professional help from a mental health practitioner.
Your Hair Won’t Be The Same
So, another side-effect of giving birth is that your hair won’t ever be the same again. Many women see increased hair fall and some notice the difference in the texture. You might even lose patches of hair from your head! I know, not one of the joyous moments of giving birth and it can actually knock-out your self-esteem as well. Honestly, there is nothing that you can do about this. All you can do is try hair products that can help you regain some of the pre-delivery glory for your hair. Also, there are foods that help you boost your immunity and you may reap the benefits of a healthy diet.
Breastfeeding can Be Painful
Okay, so breastfeeding isn’t as easy as you see it in films, movies, or documentaries. Your body starts making milk for your baby even before he/she is born. The first milk would be really dense and full of nutrients that your body is accumulating to nourish the body. This can make your breasts really engorged. Once the first milk is released, your body will start making milk to nourish the baby on daily basis. Your breasts would become heavy and might even leak sometimes. The engorged breasts can make it difficult for the baby to latch on and feed. When the milk that has been produced not released, it can make breastfeeding quite painful. To reduce the pain, you can hand-release some of the milk into a container before feeding the baby.
Also Read: Important Tips On Breastfeeding During Night
Urinary and constipation problems
Your pelvic muscles are most affected after giving birth so you will be having problems peeing. Sometimes you may not be able to control it and other times you might feel a burning sensation. This is completely normal. Constipation and gas in the stomach are also common after delivery during Postpartum Recovery period.
Don’t be spooked if you miss your period
After giving birth, it might take you four to six weeks before getting your period and having a normal cycle again if you are not breastfeeding. If you breastfeed, you might only get your period again after you have stopped breastfeeding.
You will Be A Different Person
One of the most important things that they don’t tell you about Postpartum Recovery is that having a baby not only changes your body but also changes you mentally and emotionally. While lying naked in a room full of strangers might bother you the first time, remember that they don’t care about how you look or whether you poop on the table during pregnancy (yes that happens). What matters is that you deliver a healthy baby. After delivery, taking care of a newborn might overwhelm you and make you cranky (because of the absence of sleep), make sure you take care of yourself.