Mother’s Recovery After Childbirth

Postpartum Body: Month-by-Month Recovery

The online course is dedicated to postpartum recovery, breaking down recovery month by month. A comprehensive approach is practiced here. To achieve and consolidate results, it’s necessary to use diverse methods to combat undesirable postpartum effects: perform physical exercises, maintain a diet, and create a comfortable daily routine and environment for yourself.

However, there are many nuances in this matter. For example, engaging in sports or maintaining a diet is not always safe during postpartum recovery. Therefore, it’s always important to consider the time elapsed since childbirth and a number of other circumstances.

The First Month – a time when it’s better to “postpone until tomorrow”

During the first month after childbirth, a woman is unlikely to think about sports and diets. Typically, young mothers simply don’t have time for anything other than taking care of the baby during this period.

Strange as it may sound, from the perspective of postpartum recovery, it is absolutely correct and commendable to take no action in the first month. The fact is, the body is not ready for additional stress at this time. The first steps toward recovery will occur without any action on the woman’s part.

While a woman does not take any independent steps toward recovery, the mechanisms within her body are already activated. For example, just 10 days postpartum, the uterus halves its weight and continues to return to its previous size. By the end of the first month, the cardiovascular system returns to its previous mode of functioning: it no longer has to supply blood to the fetus.

Immediately after childbirth, and during the period of active blood loss, it is important to ensure an increased intake of fluids. These can include compotes, fermented milk products, mineral water, and milk. The most important thing is to prevent dehydration.

During this postpartum recovery period, it is best to focus on maintaining psychological comfort: recognizing and accepting all the changes that have occurred in life, and organizing daily life. It is better to put off all other aspects for now.

Postpartum Recovery: What to Do in the Second Month

During this time, physiological changes continue to occur within the body. The uterus finally returns to its previous weight and shape. In non-breastfeeding mothers, menstruation may have already returned. The vagina fully heals, and muscle tone is restored.

By the end of the second month, you can begin physical exercises if you had a natural birth. After a cesarean section, you might also have a chance to start working out 8 weeks postpartum, but only with a doctor’s permission. In addition to traditional exercises, you can practice intimate fitness training.

However, caution is advised: full recovery of the body postpartum has not yet occurred, so many exercises are prohibited. For instance, you should not place too much strain on the abs as this can trigger or worsen diastasis. In the online course, the instructor will create an exercise program and explain what and why certain activities are currently prohibited.

One should not forget about the psychological aspect: during this time, the child may have sleep problems, and the mother may experience postpartum depression or chronic fatigue. All of this needs to be addressed, otherwise a full recovery postpartum will not occur.

Three months – recovery period for restoring the body’s main functions after childbirth

By the end of the third month, all changes caused by pregnancy and childbirth are usually resolved. Reproductive organs have returned to their former shape, the pelvis has narrowed again, and joints have lost their increased mobility. At this time, sexual activity is already allowed, except in certain cases where the doctor imposes a restriction for specific reasons.

During this time, even after a cesarean section, you can start performing physical exercises to recover from childbirth. How long it will take to return to your previous shape is difficult to say for certain: it depends on many factors – heredity, existing and past illnesses, availability of motivation and resources for recovery.

A joyful event during this period for a young mother is the opportunity to indulge in salon treatments: already at the beginning of the third month, you can afford almost the entire range of cosmetic services. The exception is only for breastfeeding women. For them, there are restrictions on the list of services in cosmetic centers. Procedures such as ozone therapy and mesotherapy are not used during breastfeeding.

Four months to one year. A time of active postpartum recovery.

During this period, a woman intensifies her efforts towards postpartum recovery. How long full recovery will take is still unknown, but the mere fact of focusing on oneself already sets her on a path towards a positive outcome.

Physical exercises are now in full swing, although a number of restrictions still apply. At this time, a woman is still required to follow special programs for young mothers, otherwise she risks harming herself.

During this period, many women complete breastfeeding. This allows women to use previously prohibited cosmetic procedures and various diets in their recovery process. On the recovery website, two nutritional dieticians work to help mothers create a proper menu and restore their weight, even while breastfeeding. In general, diets are not prohibited during breastfeeding, however, if the baby is found to have an allergy to any mandatory product, experimenting is not advisable.

Besides that, it’s still better to choose gentle diets for oneself – a lack of nutrients can lead to weakness, dizziness, and attention disorders, which, when coupled with caring for a child, is unacceptable.

How long it takes to recover after childbirth: a year or more

As mentioned above, predicting the exact timeframe for full postpartum recovery is impossible, as it varies for each individual. Thus, it is not feasible to definitively answer how many months it takes for a woman to recover after childbirth.

However, on average, this occurs over a year. This is approximately how long it takes to address a common issue like diastasis with regular, well-structured exercises. It’s important to note that with a proper approach, diastasis can either resolve in 3 months or become manageable. However, this requires the right exercises. Other issues are resolved much faster.

Additionally, a year after childbirth, women often find greater psychological comfort: they adjust to the role of being a mother, and the child is sufficiently developed and interesting.

By this time, it is rare for a woman to continue breastfeeding, which means her menstrual cycle and reproductive function are already recovering. The body begins to function as it did before.