After the birth, the mother's body and mind undergo many changes and are usually normal, although that does not mean that they are aired at four winds or that it is for the first time that visitors are asked. These are nine awkward postpartum truths that we better know before to "deal" with them in the best possible way.
Because of the muddles to sweat or constipation, there is a whole world more or less "secret", which does not appear in the movies when happy moms rest in bed with their baby, but perfectly normal and by which recent mothers they are going to pass.
The hardships in the postpartum
The first thing that our body will notice after the birth of the baby and the expulsion of the placenta are postpartum contractions. During delivery, blood vessels remain open in the uterus, which begin to seal due to these contractions after delivery. In this way, the uterus is favored to return to its usual size in the process of uterine involution after childbirth.
To help the correct sealing of the blood vessels, breast stimulation is very important, so that every time the baby breastfeeds, when the hormone oxytocin is released, these contractions will occur in the uterus. Remember that if the pain at this time is intense and persistent, there may be some other reason, such as placental retention, a rare but dangerous phenomenon in the postpartum period.
The loquios
The bleeding that occurs in childbirth does not end with it. Then we will have a natural physiological process, the lochia, as a consequence of the entombs: these contractions cause the expulsion of uterine waste from blood, cervical mucus, placental remains ...
This is a normal bleeding that in the first three days is more abundant and red and consists of blood and vernix caseosa. As the days go by, the lochia are less abundant and clear up, with a higher content of cervical mucus, leukocytes ...
This bleeding with vaginal secretions lasts between six and eight weeks after giving birth, during the puerperium and will gradually decrease. Use special postpartum compresses to alleviate discomfort. We only have to worry and go to the doctor if there is a sudden increase in the lochia or a bad smell of these.
Pregnant belly
The belly after childbirth is not like before giving birth. Recent moms have a belly and what is unusual is those magazine women who appear with their baby in their arms and a flat stomach. Because despite the work of the wrongs to reduce the uterus to its previous size, it will still take a few months to hopefully recover the previous figure.
In fact, after delivery it seems that we still have a baby inside, maybe smaller, but there seems to be a lie that our son is no longer there. Of course, avoid this comment to recent moms or take it with humor if someone happens to do it to you ... although we know that it is complicated at such a sensitive time.
Apart from the size, the belly is very flaccid because the abdominal muscles have stretched considerably during pregnancy. The body needs months, healthy eating and exercise to return to being as before and that is not always achieved. For example, the issue of stretch marks is one that is hardly fought after childbirth.
Chest changes
On the second or third day there is the "rise or fall" of milk, when milk production increases, a natural process that is usually manifested with certain changes when the breasts are vascularized, more or less uncomfortable sensations according to the different mothers: a tingling in the chest, inflammation and maybe with punctures.
It is not usually a very intense pain, although for some women. It is then recommended to apply cold cloths between the shots (not in the areola) to relieve the tension of the breast engorgement.
The best way to avoid this pain and make the rise in milk more gradual and less uncomfortable is to put the baby in the chest from birth and quite often.If what is produced is an intense pain in the breasts, redness and hardening we can be before a sign of mastitis or breast inflammation (along with general malaise and fever). Remember that the first indication that something is wrong in the first days of breastfeeding is breast engorgement, which can lead to mastitis if it is not resolved.
Postpartum sweating
Most women the first days after having the baby will suffer from excessive sweating. This abundant postpartum sweat We should not worry regardless of the discomfort it entails, that we have to change the sheets frequently and that we wet the faces of those who visit us when kissing us. It is a normal physiological process, a consequence of the increase in fluids in the body during pregnancy.
The increase in water in the tissues will be eliminated during the first weeks of the puerperium through urine and sweat. You have to replenish fluids properly to stay hydrated.
Postpartum gases
As a result of a slowdown in intestinal functioning, along with other disorders that we will see later postpartum gases can be produced. This happens especially after a cesarean delivery, because the activity of the intestine is paralyzed as a result of anesthesia.
It is convenient to drink and eat in small quantities and start moving as soon as possible to restore a better intestinal transit. Fortunately, it is a temporary nuisance that we must try to eliminate naturally.
Urine leaks
During pregnancy, the pelvic floor has supported a lot of weight and that effort leaves sequels. Almost 40% of pregnant women suffer from urinary incontinence, a problem that can continue after childbirth when, in addition, there has been a "hole" in the abdominal cavity and internal organs are relocating.
This area requires specific exercises to recover your muscle tone and we will avoid getting a few drops of urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh ... or make any effort.
The pelvic floor must be strengthened long before having the baby, to prevent urine loss during pregnancy and postpartum.Mode prevent postpartum urine loss It is simple: Kegel exercises during pregnancy and after childbirth, hypopressive abdominals are also used and there are also appliances, such as the so-called “Chinese balls” or intravaginal spheres, which serve as a therapeutic tool to recover the muscle tone of this area and that would be used after a few weeks after delivery and if Kegel exercises have already given the first results.
Postpartum constipation
We return to the digestive system because many recent moms are affected by constipation. It may take several days to go to the bathroom normally, to the intestinal slowdown we add the lack of strength in the abdominal area after the labor and if we add some immobility (especially after a C-section), there are many conditions for That the body cannot evacuate.
This, in addition, can provoke the dreaded hemorrhoids, another uncomfortable truth of the postpartum of which we speak next.
Postpartum hemorrhoids
You might have got rid of them during pregnancy (although they are very common), but after the labor effort they make their appearance. Maybe you already had them and now they have accentuated their size and the pain they produce. They are postpartum hemorrhoids, a consequence of the effort of childbirth, vascular dilation and constipation and that make the moment of going to the bathroom of the most feared the days after birth.
To momentarily relieve the pain of hemorrhoids, sitz baths with warm water are recommended (if it is too cold or too hot the symptoms get worse). Some people calm the cold more and others the hot water. The cleaning of the area is essential and you can use soft, damp wipes.
To avoid hemorrhoids and reduce constipation, it is advisable to take a diet rich in fiber and start body movement as soon as possible after giving birth. In this way, we will recover the intestinal transit. If you still can't go to the bathroom, ask your gynecologist about the possibility of taking a natural laxative.
As you can see, these are nine uncomfortable and lesser known postpartum truths, some are common to all women and others you might get rid of, although they are perfectly normal and we wanted to give them their moment of visibility so that we do not think that they happen only to us.
Photos | iStock
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