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After long nine months of waiting finally the moment is here and your baby is now in your arms. It’s the happiest moment in a parent’s life. At the same time, delivery is also probably the most painful and tiring process a new mom has ever gone through in her life so far. Hence, once the baby is born, the mother is filled with mixed feelings of joy, relief, tiredness and fatigue. It’s also quite natural to feel a little unclean with all the blood, sweat, tears and other body fluids. A nice shower and good sleep will probably be the first things you want after delivery. However, before you rush to take a shower, it will be helpful to keep a few things in mind.
This decision to some extent depends on the kind of delivery you have had. Irrespective of the delivery, in the absence of any medical complications, it is generally considered safe to take a quick shower with warm water, after the first 24 hours. Some of the benefits of taking a shower during the initial days after delivery are:
If you’ve had a normal vaginal delivery with no complications like excessive blood loss, fever etc. or episiotomy (tear or cut near the opening of the vagina to help the baby come out), you will be able to move around normally within a few hours after delivery. In this case you can resume most of the activities including taking shower within few hours after childbirth. A quick warm shower will refresh you as you begin your responsibilities as a new mom.
If you’ve had episiotomy
If you’ve had a Caesarean Section (C-Section) remember that it is a major surgery and your body needs a lot of care to heal well. During a c-section, an incision is made in the lower part of your abdomen and results in several stitches. Due to this your movement will be restricted for the first 24 hours. The second day usually doctors encourage you to take a few steps around the room. Once you are able to move around, depending on your condition, your doctor might approve of taking a shower. It is very important to keep the incision clean. While taking showers, clean the incision with soap and water and remember to wipe dry completely. Also, check for any signs of infection around the incision.
Although quick showers are allowed within the first couple of days after C-section, it might be a week or 10 days before you can take a relaxed shower or soak in the bath tub. This is mainly because standing under the shower or sitting in the bathtub for a long period can result in increased pain. Depending on how your body is healing, your doctor can advise on when you can take a long bath. Click here
In India, as part of post delivery confinement period, it is a common practice to hire a maalishwali / masseuse to help with massages and bath for the newborn and mother. During this process oil is applied to the whole body, massaged and then bath is given with hot water. Depending on various cultural practices/rituals, this is often started as soon as the mother and baby arrives home or sometimes after several days/weeks. This practice has lots of benefits for the new mother as the massage helps to stimulate blood circulation, helps the body tissues to heal faster and the hot water also helps with contraction of uterus to pre-pregnancy stage. Whether you have the luxury of having a masseuse /help during the post delivery period or are on your own, please remember to clarify any concerns you have, regarding taking shower/bath, with your doctor before you leave the hospital.
Read about your first 40 days after delivery here.
Read on tips to hire a Maalishwali here.
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