Your body after the birth
In all the run up to having your baby: the preparation for his arrival, the labor itself and the excitement and joy of holding him for the first time, one thing you might not have considered is the physical after-effects of your pregnancy and labor. But the fact is that your body underwent many changes during your pregnancy – and they don’t stop once your baby is born. The good news is that now your body changes will be returning you to the condition you were in before you became pregnant. Here’s what to expect…
Bleeding
You’ll experience bleeding in the days immediately following your baby’s birth. Called lochia, the blood comes from the site where your
placenta was attached to your uterus and you’ll get it even if you had a cesarean delivery.
It eases off as the placental site heals but for the first few days it will be heavy. After the first week, it gradually gets less heavy and lightens in color. You’ll need to use pads to soak up the flow – don’t use tampons as you could introduce bacteria into the vagina when you insert them.
If the lochia remains bright red after four or so days, increases after having eased off, or you’re passing large clots, contact your OB-GYN or midwife. It can be a sign that a portion of the placenta has been retained in your uterus and you may need an operation called a D&C (dilatation and curettage, where the lining of the uterus is scraped away) to remove it.
Afterpains
Practically the minute your baby is born your uterus starts to contract back down to its pre-pregnancy size, and it’s these contractions that help seal the blood vessels where the placenta was attached to your uterus.
Although they’re nowhere near as intense as the contractions of labor, you will likely feel them as cramping pains for several days after the birth. If you’re
breastfeeding you’ll experience more intense afterpains, as your baby’s suckling stimulates the production of the labor hormone oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contractions. They’ll also be stronger if with a second or subsequent baby, as your uterus will have been stretched more than once and will need to work harder to contract down. Using the controlled breathing techniques you learned in pregnancy can help you cope.
Your OB-GYN or midwife will monitor how effectively your uterus is contracting back down by palpating your abdomen – right after the birth the top of your uterus will sit just below your navel but by a couple of weeks later it will have reduced in size to the extent that it’s located back in your pelvis. By a month to six weeks afterwards, it will be back to its pre-pregnancy size.
Engorged breasts
In late pregnancy you may have noticed your breasts leaking a creamy yellow discharge. Called colostrum, this is the nutrient-rich first milk that sustains your newborn until your proper milk comes in. Even if you don’t intend breastfeeding, it’s worth latching your baby on so he can benefit from it right after he’s born.
Proper
breast milk comes in three to four days after your baby’s birth, and you won’t miss it – your breasts will feel hot, swollen and tender. The best way to relieve it is to feed your baby as often as possible but you may find you have to express a little milk off before you latch him on, so that he can grip better. Breast milk is produced on a supply and demand basis, so once your body accustoms itself to how much your baby needs your milk production will level off. In the meantime, it’s a good idea to express any excess with a breast pump, as you can freeze it for later use.
If your breasts are especially uncomfortable, or you don’t intend nursing your baby, cold packs can help ease any discomfort while your milk supply regulates itself or tails off. If you’re not planning to breastfeed, you need to avoid expressing off any milk however uncomfortable you may feel, as this will signal your body to produce more milk.
Tenderness down below
Right after your baby is born you may feel numb in your vaginal area, but as the sensation returns to the area you’ll likely feel sore and bruised. Doing your
Kegel exercises can help relieve soreness, as it will promote blood flow through the area, and cold packs can also help. Many women also say that natural remedies such as arnica help with healing bruised tissue.
If you
tore or had an
episiotomy during the delivery, you may have stitches. This can result in extreme tenderness and swelling. Use cold packs and a sitz bath to help soothe it, and gently pour warm water over yourself when urinating to help prevent urine from stinging the wound. Be vigilant about wiping from front to back to avoid infecting the area with bacteria from the rectum, and don’t panic about your stitches bursting when you have a bowel movement – they won’t. Any stitches should dissolve in about two weeks.
Stress incontinence
Pregnancy and birth put the pelvic floor muscles, which support your bladder, bowel and uterus, under great strain. You’ll have been doing
Kegel exercises during your pregnancy so keep them up. They will help your recovery and help prevent stress incontinence (where you leak a few drops of urine when you laugh, couch or sneeze), which can be a big risk after birth.
Your period
If you’re breastfeeding round the clock, it’s likely your period won’t return for several months. You might find it comes back after around six months, once your baby stops waking for night feeds. However, you shouldn’t rely on this to protect you from pregnancy if you’ve resumed your sex life, as you’ll ovulate a couple of weeks before bleeding starts. If you’re having sex and don’t want to get pregnant again straightaway, talk to your doctor about contraception. If you aren’t breastfeeding, your period could return anything from four to eight weeks after the birth.
Your weight
As soon as your baby is born you can deduct his weight, plus the weight of the placenta (one to two pounds) and blood/amniotic fluid (another two pounds or so) from your last weigh-in before labor started. In the following days your blood volume will normalize (you’ll urinate more often), making you lighter still. Breastfeeding also can help you shed pregnancy pounds. However, it will still take some time to regain your pre-pregnancy weight so be patient and don’t be tempted to starve yourself or take vigorous exercise in an attempt to slim down.
Hair loss
Pregnancy interrupts the normal cycle of hair loss and growth and what that means is that your hair will truly be your crowning glory until three or so months after having your baby. At around this point, decreasing estrogen levels mean your hair cycle returns to normal, and you may notice yourself losing large quantities of hair. Don’t panic – you’re not going bald. You’re just losing the hair you would normally have lost and it just looks like a lot because it’s happening across a shorter timescale.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 12/10/2008