Are you pregnant and planning your delivery in advance? Do you want to know all about post-delivery recovery and getting back to normal life? Well, if you can relate to the above situations reading this post is a good idea.
It is normal to worry about healing after child birth.Do you want to know how soon you can be back on your toes attending your bundle of joy? You may also want to know if there is any special care that you need to take. Read on to know about all this, right in this article.
Factors Affecting Your Body’s Recovery After Vaginal Birth :
The first six to eight weeks after a vaginal birth are very critical for your body. It is a time when your body will try to recover and return to normal after undergoing changes during your pregnancy,labor and delivery. Here are some of the main changes your body will undergo when you are recovering from vaginal birth.
- You will experience afterpains or contractions that will help your uterus shrink back to its original size. In most cases, it will take about six to eight weeks for your uterus to shrink back to normal.
- You may experience soreness in your neck, jaw or arm muscles, which is also very common. It is due to the immense physical stress that your body went through while you were in labor. The soreness will most likely go away within a few days after birth.
- For the first two to four weeks, you will experience lochia or some bleeding and discharge from your vagina. It will come and go for about the next two months or so.
- You will also experience some soreness, pain, numbness, or general discomfort in your vaginal area. In case you had an episiotomy or a perineal tear, the symptoms may be severe.
- You may also have swelling in your feet and legs.
- For the first few weeks or so, you may experience constipation or discomfort while passing stool.
- You may experience breast engorgement after the first few weeks of delivery. In some cases, it will go away within the first few days itself. As your body prepares for the final moment of delivery, it starts producing and storing milk. It causes a kind of swelling in the breasts, which can lead to discomfort. Once you start feeding your baby, the breast engorgement will slowly go away.
Self-Help Tips After A Vaginal Birth:
Once your precious baby arrives, you probably want to shower all your love and attention on him. But before you start with your maternal duties it is important you give your body proper rest and care. Healing after vaginal birth takes a sometime. These tips will help in your recovery after vaginal birth:
- Use an ice pack between your sanitary pad and your vaginal wound to soothe your vaginal area.
- While urinating, pour a little warm water over the genital area to reduce the pains.
- Keep the area between your vaginal opening and anus clean.
- Be very careful while you are trying to sit down. Place a pillow in case the pain is too much.
After delivery, your health needs much care so that you can recover fast and attend to your dear baby. You may want to get up and be about, but the first few weeks post-delivery are very crucial. If you don’t take proper care now, it could lead to health complications. Ensure you rest well and eat right. Speak to your doctor immediately in case the symptoms become unbearable.
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Article written by Debolina Raja
