In medical and popular sources, much attention is paid to the process of carrying a child and preparing for it. Yet, postpartum recovery is no less important, requiring just as much attention from a woman. After 9 months of carrying a child, the body needs rehabilitation, hormonal balance needs to be restored, normal gastrointestinal function ensured and maintained, breastfeeding established, and care provided for any stitches from childbirth due to tears or cesarean sections. The postpartum recovery process influences the future health of the woman, who now must care for it with doubled effort.
Postpartum recovery is an important and lengthy process, consisting of two periods – early and late. The first lasts 2 hours after birth and is under the observation of maternity ward staff, as complications such as changes in blood pressure, bleeding, and fever can arise during this stage.
The second period takes approximately 6-8 weeks, during which the recovery of all systems and organs involved in pregnancy and childbirth occurs.
Full recovery after childbirth can take up to 2 years, especially when the child is born via cesarean section. Some changes are externally unnoticeable (except for stretch marks) but are irreversible. Such negative changes can only be identified by gynecologists during an examination – changes in the size of the vagina and uterus, the shape of the external os, and the cervix.
The hormonal balance begins to change even during pregnancy. This especially concerns the hormones progesterone, estrogen, and human chorionic gonadotropin, as well as oxytocin and prolactin. The hormone prolactin is responsible for the onset of breastfeeding after childbirth. Its level gradually increases throughout pregnancy and reaches the necessary concentration by delivery for breastfeeding to begin. Oxytocin is responsible for emptying the mammary glands.
A common occurrence after childbirth is hormonal imbalance. Usually, the balance stabilizes
over some time without external intervention. Otherwise, after several months, it will be necessary to consult a gynecologist-endocrinologist for recommendations on its restoration. In such situations, specialists generally prescribe hormonal medications that are selected individually for each woman.
Recovery of a woman’s body after childbirth and the occurrence of muscle, joint, and back pain is a natural phenomenon closely associated with the excessive muscle tension that occurs during childbirth. Typically, these pains disappear naturally over time, eliminating the need for medicinal therapy.
Exercises are recommended for back and spinal pain after childbirth:
The exercise should be repeated 8-10 times, then repeated for the left leg.
You can relieve back pain by avoiding lifting heavy objects, bending less, and choosing a comfortable position for your back with support under your lower back while feeding.
Postpartum recovery includes special skin care. During pregnancy and while feeding the baby, a woman’s body undergoes hormonal changes that often affect the condition of the skin. These transformations are unpredictable. The skin may clear up completely from acne, its oiliness may decrease, and other positive processes may be activated. However, the skin can also visually age, become duller, and inflammatory processes may be triggered. Resolving these issues with proper home care usually doesn’t work.
In this case, you will have to resort to professional cosmetology methods:
To avoid dental restoration after childbirth, preventive measures should be taken – treat them during the pregnancy planning stage. However, this may not solve the problem, and after childbirth, many women face issues such as fillings coming out, caries development, gum inflammation due to a lack of calcium in the body, and reduced immunity after the birth of a child. To prevent such issues, include calcium-containing foods in the diet, take special vitamin and mineral supplements, and use toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
Postpartum hair loss typically begins about three months after childbirth. You can reduce the severity of the issue with a balanced diet and by limiting hair styling experiments – avoid frequent, rough combing, and excessive drying. A doctor may also prescribe vasodilating topical treatments to stimulate hair growth.
The postpartum recovery program, among the physiological functions requiring restoration, also includes addressing vision problems. The negative changes are associated with the fact that an increase in estrogen levels leads to fluid accumulation in the eye lens. This results in changes to its refractive properties and size, as well as the physical properties of the cornea and sclera, and the eye muscles become weaker. If vision has deteriorated postpartum, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will choose the optimal treatment.
It will be necessary to take multivitamin complexes, and diversify food with products rich in B vitamins, carotene, and antioxidants. Eye muscle training and the accommodation apparatus will also help relieve eye fatigue and tension. It may include side-to-side movements, rotations, squinting, shifting focus from nearby to distant objects, and a gentle massage through closed eyelids.
During pregnancy, many women experience changes in the arch shape of their foot, causing it to become wider and longer. This situation is typically characteristic of a first pregnancy. The main reasons for this phenomenon include the ‘flattening’ of the foot and swelling. Additionally, factors leading to an increase in foot size include the production of the hormone relaxin, which affects the ligaments of the foot leading to ‘spreading’; previous foot injuries; and varicose veins.
It is possible that the previous foot size may not be restored after childbirth. This often occurs in women whose initial conditions include scoliosis and tailbone injuries, resulting in the body holding the feet in the correct position with greater tension. In this case, the only solution may be to purchase new shoes in a larger size.
The rehabilitation program for a woman’s body must include an item such as restoring the figure after childbirth. This cannot be realized without bringing back into shape the most aesthetically “affected” part of the body during pregnancy – the stretched belly. You can start restoring your figure in the second period if there are no contraindications and if the doctor does not see any obstacles to this. You should start with proper nutrition and maintaining a drinking regimen.
It’s necessary to:
Restoring the abdominal muscles after childbirth is possible with physical exercise targeting the abdominal area and the whole body. You can start exercising no earlier than six to eight weeks after childbirth, and intensive workouts – only after six months.
Restoring the figure after childbirth is impossible without attempts to restore the breasts to their original appearance and shape. The problem of recovery is especially relevant after childbirth with breastfeeding. Since, in addition to the fact that changes begin to occur even during pregnancy, the subsequent period when a woman breastfeeds also involves the mammary glands intensively, the skin continues to stretch.
For more successful postpartum breast recovery, it is necessary to:
Postpartum recovery not only concerns the normal functioning of the internal organs and systems of a woman who has just become a mother, her figure, and physical health, but also her psychological state. Since during pregnancy, restructuring also occurred in the emotional and psychological realm, which could not leave without a trace. According to statistics, every tenth woman in labor is susceptible to postpartum depression, which cannot be overcome alone – specialist help is necessary.
And even if there is simply irritability, tearfulness, or frequent mood swings, domestic help from relatives, relieving the woman from some of her duties, and allowing her to receive positive emotions can aid in psychological recovery after childbirth.
Recovery after childbirth extends to the intimate area as well. This part of life also requires certain personal efforts, as the perineum is significantly stretched during labor, and mucous membranes are injured. Stitches dissolve on their own, but the threads that suture the skin should be removed at a medical facility 5-6 days postpartum. Sometimes the episiotomy stitch can cause discomfort and pain.
Due to these factors, it is advisable to wait until the end of the late postpartum period before resuming intimate relationships. It is important to also wait for hormonal balance to be restored, because the absence of estrogens while breastfeeding or before the return of menstruation can cause temporary dryness, complicating intimate relations. In such cases, using a softening gel may be beneficial.
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