Women's health after childbirth

What are the physical changes that happen to a woman in thepostpartum period after a natural birth    ?Is there any advice for this period?

One of the important physiological changes after childbirth involves the uterus returning to its normal size, so it contracts and cleanses itself of the remnants of pregnancy that are secreted out through the vagina, and the fluid that comes out of the uterus must change color, and its quantity gradually decreases over time after birth, and in the first days it is red; Because it contains blood and sometimes blood clots.

When moving from a lying position to standing after childbirth, a strong stream of blood may be emitted from the vagina accompanied by blood clots, and in the following days, the secretions take a pink color, and after ten days they become white to yellowish, and if the secretions remain red and severe after about two weeks From birth, or if it has an unpleasant odor, a doctor must be examined.

In order to reduce these secretions, tea can be drunk with the extracts of the following plants:

Shepherd's bag.

Dovecote.

Arn.

raspberry.

Nettle plant.

after childbirth, a woman's psychological state

 The newborn mother often brings the infant home three days after giving birth. It's probable that she was going through a postpartum depression flare-up at the time. Many new mothers experience minor depression and unprovoked weeping fits in this situation. Body pains, weariness, and melancholy are all present.

There are those who believe that they do not have enough milk in the breasts for the baby, some blame the husband for not providing enough support, and there are those who believe that it is due to lack of sleep, and all of these reasons may be true, but it is likely that the feeling Depression is caused by severe hormonal changes that occur in the body after childbirth.

On the contrary, in other cases, this feeling may disappear within 48 hours. However, if the decreased appetite persists after two weeks, difficulty sleeping, difficulty working at home, and no desire to take care of the child, then it is recommended to consult a gynecologist.

Postpartum health problems

After we talked about the importance of women's health after childbirth, we must now address the most important problems and difficulties that women may face after childbirth:

1. Breast engorgement after childbirth

After childbirth, the breasts are filled with milk and become heavier, and a large part of women suffer from breast pain after childbirth and breastfeeding to varying degrees.

2. Uterine contractions

The process of shrinking the uterus to the size before pregnancy is accompanied by secretions and contractions, the more pregnancies the more the baby’s weight increases, as well as in multi-fetus pregnancy, as the uterine contractions are stronger and last for long periods and more painful, and pain may usually appear in the lower part of the uterus. In the case of severe pain, analgesics can be used.

After childbirth, the uterus gradually shrinks, and the process of uterine contraction should end within 4-6 weeks of birth. muscle, and thus increases uterine contractions.

Express a little milk from the breasts when you feel that the breasts are heavy, to relieve your body, and to relieve the child who has difficulty feeding on the nipple when there is congestion.

Before feeding, manually rub the breast in a circular motion.before feeding

Do not skip the breastfeeding meal. If you are away from the baby at the time of the meal, it is recommended to express milk from the breast that the baby was supposed to feed on at this time.

When you have finished feeding the baby from one breast, it is recommended that you feed him a little bit from the other breast to avoid engorgement.

Preparing the breast for nursing requires applying cold compresses.

Apply cold cabbage leaves to the chest at night, as this may help relieve

The physical changes that occur to a woman during the postpartum period after natural childbirth

The postpartum period after natural childbirth is the period of adaptation after childbirth, in which the mother’s body, specifically the reproductive system, returns to what it was before pregnancy.

The physical changes of the postpartum period begin immediately after childbirth, and this sequence shows the most prominent changes that occur:

The levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen produced by the placenta decrease during pregnancy.

The breasts start producing colostrum by the second day, and switch to normal breast milk with less protein and fat by the middle of the second week.

Excess muscle mass in the uterus decreases, and the lining of the uterus is restored by the third week.

The uterus shrinks and returns to its normal size by the sixth week.

Postpartum period after natural birth: problems that the mother may face

A woman in the postpartum period after natural childbirth may suffer from many health problems that do not cause concern, the most prominent of which are:

1.vaginal secretions

After giving birth, the uterus will begin to clean itself of tissue and blood, so it is common for vaginal bleeding and vaginal discharge for several weeks.

The secretions are thick and red in the first few days after birth, then the secretions will gradually decrease in density and become water-like, and their color will change from red-brown to yellowish-white.

2.Pain and inflammation in the vagina

During a normal delivery, the perineum, the area between the vagina and rectum, may stretch and tear. In some cases, the doctor may need to make a surgical incision to widen the vagina to help the baby come out with a procedure known as an episiotomy.

The doctor closes these lacerations and wounds with stitches, and it usually takes six weeks to heal, during which time the mother may suffer from pain in the vaginal area and needs to take care of the wound so that it does not become infected and inflammation.

3.weight loss

Most mothers lose more than 6kg during childbirth, including the baby's weight, placenta and amniotic fluid, then weight loss will slow significantly in the months following delivery

4.Abdominal pain and cramps

The woman will feel menstrual cramps in the first days after delivery, which are caused by the uterus returning to its normal size. These contractions may also help prevent excessive bleeding by putting pressure on the blood vessels in the uterus.

A woman may notice an increase in these contractions while breastfeeding the baby, because breastfeeding secretes the hormone oxytocin, which causes the uterus to tighten.

Other health problems

Postpartum women may suffer from

1-Diarrhea:

 The muscles and tissues in the rectum may stretch or rupture during childbirth, and this causes gas leakage and defecation.

2-Constipation

 This is a side effect of pain medications the mother takes during childbirth.

3-Urinary incontinence

 Because pregnancy and labor can cause stretching of the pelvic floor muscles, the muscles that support the uterus, bladder and rectum.

4-after childbirth hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids occur due to swelling of certain veins in the rectum during pregnancy or from pressure during childbirth.

5-Pain in the breasts

 After a few days of delivery, the mother will experience pain, swelling and engorgement in the breasts.

6-Mood changes

 childbirth stimulates many strong emotions, so a woman in the postpartum period after natural childbirth may suffer from frustration, anxiety and psychological depression.

7-After childbirth hair loss and changes in skin

The mother will feel that her hair is falling out and becoming thinner after childbirth, and this is due to the high levels of hormones during pregnancy that cause hair to grow faster and fall less, and red stretch marks will appear on the skin.

Tips for recovering during the postpartum period after a natural birth

We advise the mother during thepostpartum period after a natural birth to:

Take the pain relievers prescribed by the doctor when you feel pain.

Doing Kegel exercises to restore the shape of the vagina, and relieve the problem of urinary

incontinence after childbirth.

Use warm water or ice packs to relieve breast pain and gently massage it.

Have a healthy diet to relieve fatigue and fight constipation.

Continuing to move, walk and exercise when permitted by the doctor