Changes That Happen After Delivery
4 min readWritten by Pradeep
‘Giving birth is an outstanding process and pride yourself in being a part of it.’
Your learning journey as a mother does not end with the birth of your child. In fact the birth of your little cuddly bundle of joy marks the beginning of the tough part of your journey. You have to learn the art of handling the baby and at the same time have to deal with the numerous changes going on in your body while in the process of reverting back to its pre-pregnant state.
Changes That Occur After Delivery
Here are some important changes that you will encounter after childbirth:
- The belly still there: Your enlarged belly will remain as a soft rounded one for some time even after the birth of baby. So don’t panic if your belly doesn’t become flat after birth. Sometimes it even takes as long as a year to become flattened. Diet control and light tummy exercises hasten the process
- Excess water weight: You lose about 10 to 14 pounds immediately after the childbirth. This is due to the delivery of baby, amniotic fluid and placenta expulsion. But you still carry the surplus weight for another 24 hours, most of which is due to water. You must have noticed swelling in your body. You will shed this water within a week by perspiration or micturition. Gear up for some night sweats and plenty of peeing
- Bleeding: An important post delivery phenomenon is vaginal bleeding which is more pronounced in vaginal births as compared to C-section childbirths. In a way, you might feel messy, bleeding all the time. Post delivery bleeding or lochia is the vaginal discharge consisting of mucus, residual blood and sloughed off uterine lining. Majority of women experience lochia discharge for 15 to 18 days after delivery, and to the maximum about 5 to 6 weeks that decreases with each passing day. This is absolutely normal. Bleeding is normal after delivery but if you are passing big clots about every hour, immediately seek doctors’ help
- Pelvic cramps: Pelvic cramps are also noted after childbirth. This is because of the reverting of uterus back to its original size and shape. Your uterus expands big time to help the baby out, and when it goes back to its original size, you will experience pains, especially when the nurse massages it every few minutes after the birth.
This shrinking of uterus causes postpartum pain and discomfort which is referred as after pains. This is more pronounced during breast feeding the baby due to release of oxytocin. These pains are short-lived and dull in nature - Soreness: Soreness is common after delivery. Your lower pelvic organs take some time to heal. Your perineum (the region between vagina and rectum) experience maximum stretch during vaginal childbirth. It may become bruised or even get swollen up. If you have had a C-section, you will feel nausea, exhaustion, and soreness around the incision. Though you will be given pain relievers, you will still feel soreness around the stitches every now and then
- Painful stitches: Episiotomy stitches take some time to repair and during this time, the perineum makes you uncomfortable in sitting. Even if you did not have an episiotomy, you are likely to suffer a tear or two, and this will be stitched up after the birth. Now this is not going to be easy, and there is no denying the fact that stitches down there can be really painful. The pain can be eased by using sitz bath and using a squirt bottle to clean up. Warm water is very beneficial in hastening the healing process. Witch hazel pads and ice packs also alleviate the pain and swelling. It will be some time till you feel good down there
- Breast changes: The breast becomes tender however the breast milk comes as late as fourth day post-delivery. You will notice a prickly, tingling sensation in breasts. Your breasts will first produce colostrum, a yellow colored milky secretion excreted from the breasts in initial postpartum days. This is highly beneficial for your baby as it is enriched with immunity-enhancing constituents and strengthens your baby’s wellness. As you begin breast feeding your baby, the pain will ease off gradually
- Mood swings: The arrival of you baby will fill your life with happiness and love. You will notice emotional upheaval during the first week after delivery, going high and low for the first few days post-delivery. These mood swings are a result of changes in hormonal levels, changes in your body and baby’s growing demands that cause physical and mental exhaustion and discomfort
- Something lost: For nine months you become used to carry the baby in your tummy and with the birth of baby, you experience the feeling of losing something. Psychologically some time is required to adjust to this new state. Sometimes, new mothers take time to bond with the little one, hence skin to skin touch is encouraged immediately post birth. Feel your baby close, smell her, and let your emotions guide you to a blessed motherhood
- Puerperal fever: Mild fever is common in the first few days of post pregnancy days. This is because of the hormonal changes, and subsides in a day or two. You might notice that your body has become jittery, but this is temporary and not a cause to worry
Ease Out Delivery Discomforts With The Below Tips
- Presence of a close relative or sister is always good in the initial days after birth. The new moms are tired and want to rest for hours and during this span you need someone to look after the newborn
- Taking hot water bath is also very helpful in soothing body aches and discomfort
- Wear cotton loose fitting clothes
- Drink plenty of fluids to combat dehydration caused during childbirth
- Avoid eating spicy and oily foods
- Visit your doctor regularly and ask her to tell you explicitly about how to take care of the new baby
Pradeep,
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