Postpartum Care: Health Risks You Need to Know After Childbirth

During pregnancy, you might be all about reading parenting books, baby name books, and all about the things that you want to prepare for during pregnancy and the things that you need to do for your child after giving birth. But, what about the one who gave birth? Have you ever considered what you need to do to take care of yourself after childbirth?

You may be really excited about being a mom and going home with your little mini-you. However, nothing prepares you for a tsunami of emotions that strikes you after childbirth. Not to mention that the postpartum period is talked about the least in the pregnancy cycle. With this said, it is essential to know about the body care you should do after childbirth.

Vaginal Soreness

Vaginal soreness is a natural issue after your delivery. Especially if you had an episiotomy or vaginal tear in layman’s term during the birth. In this case, the tear that occurred will be a wound that might hurt for a few weeks, and since extensive tears take longer to heal, here are the things that you can do to ease discomfort while recovering:

• Use a pillow or a padded ring to sit on
• Use an ice pack to cool the wound, or use a chilled pad with witch hazel between a sanitary napkin and the wound
• Submerge your buttocks and hips in a warm bath for five minutes. If you find cold water more soothing, then do so.
• Ask your health care provider for pain relief medications or numbing cream or spray.

If you are experiencing any severe, increasing or persistent pain, then you should immediately tell your health care provider since it might be a sign of infection.

What are Other Signs of Infection?

Look out for other symptoms during your recovery, for you to address it quickly to the doctor and be given attention to. The other symptoms include the following:

• A Fever Higher than 38 C or 100.4 F. This occurs whenever your body is fighting off a bacteria or virus infection
• Discharge, Pain or Redness around a C-section Cut. Your C-section cut is the tear that your doctor made in your belly and womb which was done to help let the baby out.
• Pain or Burning when Urinating. Instances like this may indicate UTI or urinary tract infection or other bladder infection like cystitis or pyelonephritis, a kidney infection.
• Red streaks or lumps on your breasts. This may be an indication of a breast infection called mastitis. This can happen when you have plugged duct or when you delay, or miss breastfeeding or your breasts have become swollen and full of milk.
• Severe pain in your lower belly area. Instances are, you may have inflammation around the lining of your uterus. This infection is called as endometritis.
• Smelly Vaginal Discharge. It may be endometritis or a bacterial vaginosis infection.

Vaginal Discharge

The mucous membrane that lined your uterus during pregnancy will begin shedding after your delivery. Thus, you will be experiencing vaginal discharge which consists of this membrane and blood for weeks.

The discharge will be heavy and red for the first few days, but it will get taper and watery in the process which will change from pinkish brown to yellowish white. If you are experiencing heavy bleeding, then you should contact your doctor for any medication recommendation like methergine, which can be bought with a methergine coupon in local pharmacies.

Contractions

Nope, your body is not finished contracting even after your delivery. The contractions that you may experience will be occasional and is sometimes called afterpains during the first few days of your delivery.

The contractions will be resembling menstrual cramps, which can always be alleviated by some over-the-counter pain reliever.

Mood Fluctuations

Just like menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, childbirth triggers a tsunami of powerful emotions that makes new mothers experience a roller-coaster of emotions like anxiety, feeling down episodes which are called as baby blues.

The symptoms that include the mood fluctuations are the following:

• Mood swings
• Crying spells
• Anxiety
• Difficulty in sleeping

Baby blues is normal for a woman who just has her childbirth delivery. However, if you are experiencing severe mood swings, overwhelming fatigue, lack of joy, and loss of appetite shortly after childbirth, then you may have postpartum depression. In this case, you should contact your doctor and talk about the symptoms you’re facing.

Takeaway

Pregnancy and your new life as a mom are definitely something that you should prepare for and look forward to. However, your postpartum care should be on the priority list too, since if you are not taking care of your body, then you wouldn’t be able to take good care of your child and family also.