Immunity After Childbirth

Immunity is not a tree, it doesn’t fall

When it seems to us that immunity has ‘dropped’, that is, when we see cold symptoms, herpes, or a fever, in reality, immunity has not dropped but has actually become even more activated. This is due to the fact that the body’s defense mechanisms have increased, and it is now ready to fight viruses and infections. Postpartum immunity is no exception, everything works almost the same, except that pregnancy and childbirth themselves are quite stressful processes for the body.

Natural Changes in Immunity

During pregnancy, the immune system is intentionally suppressed by the body; this allows it not to reject an “alien” object for the woman — the embryo. Imagine, there is an entirely new object in your body. Moreover, it is not only created by your body but also contains the father’s genes. These may not be highly compatible with your body, which can lead to a situation known as “Rh conflict.” So, while your body, having detected the “foreign body,” could theoretically reject it, due to the suppression of immunity, as nature has intended, rejection does not occur, allowing you to carry the baby peacefully.

However, even with reduced immunity, pregnant women do not get sick more often than others; on the contrary, their bodies produce more anti-inflammatory substances. Scientists refer to this as the “immunological paradox of pregnancy.”

What to do about this?

Postpartum immunity does not significantly affect the body’s condition. Rather, the birth process itself, which takes a lot of physical and psychological strength, affects it. Add to this the new pace of life, daily routine, lack of sleep, and here is the result. Therefore, against the background of stress, even if the pregnancy was smooth, the body will still feel the stressful situation and may react to it with some kind of cold or just a loss of strength, and some health issues may arise after childbirth. Typically, within 3 months postpartum, everything returns to ‘pre-pregnancy’ normal, so don’t worry about boosting immunity after giving birth. Right now, your task is to adapt yourself and your baby to the start of his life, and then everything will return to a more or less familiar course.

Women’s Immunity After Childbirth: A Mixed Bag

During pregnancy, you naturally gave a large part of yourself, and consequently your immunity, to your baby. Therefore, your immunity is weakened, and you may recognize this by the following signs:

• general fatigue that does not go away even after resting;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• the appearance of new or intensified existing allergic reactions;
• an increase in common colds such as ARVI and acute respiratory infections.

How to restore immunity after childbirth?

Since immunity will return to normal approximately 3-4 months after childbirth, now is the time to work on addressing the causes of weakened immunity. Let’s list the main factors influencing a woman’s immunity.

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Nutrition. The body needs to receive a sufficient amount of essential nutrients and calories, plus an additional 300-350 kcal for breastfeeding. Try to eat a well-balanced, varied, and regular diet. At the same time, choose foods that can be combined with breastfeeding. This also includes maintaining water balance.

Vitamin supplements. As always, vitamins should be taken with caution and with full attention to your body. It is better to undergo diagnostics and consult a doctor before starting any vitamins. Otherwise, you might be taking vitamins you already have in excess while ignoring those that your body lacks, which can affect your overall health.

Muscle tone. After childbirth, muscles and tissues become weakened, and because they are linked to blood circulation and lymph movement, it is necessary to keep them toned. Good circulation is key to immunity, and overall body tone is the foundation of good circulation. Walk more and try to find time for simple exercises – our specialists will help you choose them.

Sleep routine. Our moms are used to doing everything themselves, but there’s nothing wrong with asking for help—from your husband, relatives, friends, or a nanny. Otherwise, the situation turns out where the mom wakes up in the morning with the baby, feeds them, prepares breakfast for her husband, then cooks lunch for the whole family, spends time with the baby again, puts them to bed, does cleaning, her own tasks, and so on until late in the evening, and no one knows how sleepless the night will be… In short, allocate time for sleep. When the baby is asleep, you sleep too. Try to delegate household chores to someone else, otherwise, you’ll end up like a hamster on a wheel.

Stress reduction. Try to view everything with a positive attitude. If you have questions about child care, ask your relatives or consult the specialists on our portal. If you want to discuss a “mom-related” topic, we have support chats – also a great way for psychological relief in pleasant company. To deal with anxiety and fatigue, explore meditative or breathing practices. Make your motherhood comfortable and happy.