8 Techniques to Physically Recover After Giving Birth

Recovery Time After You Have Given Birth

Whether you have given birth naturally or you have had a c-section, it is important to know that the 1st - 6 weeks after you have given birth are for recovery. You might need a bit longer than this, but you need at least these 6 weeks. Even if you have an easy pregnancy and delivery, your body was stretched out. It did something that was miraculous. Now, you need to give your body the time it needs to recover.

Remember, if you are a new mom, your experience can be completely different than someone else’s. Your experience could also be completely different than the last time you gave birth if you have children already. With this in mind, it is important to know the symptoms that you have after giving birth could range from mild to severe. You might experience sore nipples, a backache, or even perineal pain. This could occur for just a week after giving birth or it could go on for several weeks. You might continue to have back discomfort and leaking breasts for much longer.

If you gave birth vaginally, you might be very sore. Your perineal will need time to fully heal. This type of recovery can take 3 weeks or longer. If you tore the perineal while giving birth, the recovery period could be 6 weeks or longer.

If you had a c-section, you will probably spend anywhere between 3 to 6 days in the hospital after giving birth. The nurses and doctors will keep a close eye on you. They might need to help you get up to use the bathroom and move around. Generally, those that had a c-section, have a recovery period of between 4 to 6 weeks.

The recovery time frame could vary depending on many factors. Two of the factors that are most common include the length of time the mother pushed when giving birth and how hard she pushed.

Things to Learn About Your Body During the Postpartum Period

Once you give birth, you will likely have some postpartum bleeding. This is also known as lochia. For most women, it will last for around 4 to 6 weeks after they gave birth. It will seem like you are having a heavy period. This bleeding is caused by leftover tissues and blood from your mucus and uterus.

The 1st 3 to 10 days is when you will likely experience the most bleeding. After that point, the bleeding should start tapering off. The blood will turn from red to pink. Then, it will turn to brown and even yellow/white. If you have any larger clots or you bleed enough to use up a pad or more every hour, talk to your doctor immediately. It is important that they rule out hemorrhage. You should not use any tampons during the postpartum bleeding. However, pads are safe.

Techniques for Physically Recovering After Giving Birth

Now you have more information regarding the postpartum period. There are some techniques that might help you to physically recover after giving birth. Keep in mind that these techniques, when used as recommended, could potentially help you to heal quicker.

Helping the Perineum to Heal

One of the techniques that can help you to physically recover after giving birth is to heal the perineum. You should place ice on the perineum every 2 to 3 hours. You should do this for the 1st day after you have given birth. You can also spray some warm water on the perineum before you pee and after you pee. This will prevent your urine from causing irritation to the area. Warm sitz baths can help to reduce the pain, as well. You should take these baths 2 to 3 times each day for 20 minutes each time. Be sure that you don’t sit or stand for too long to prevent further pain in this area. Sleeping on your side can help to heal the perineum, too.

C-Section Scar Care

If you had to get a c-section, it is important that you keep the incision clean while it heals. You can do this by using water and soap once every day. Use a clean towel to dry the area and then put antibiotic ointment on it. You can ask your doctor whether your wound should be left open, so it can air out, or whether you should cover it up. To help the incision heal properly, you shouldn’t carry things over a couple of pounds, except for your baby. You also should not do any intense exercise until your doctor has said it is safe to do so.

Easing Discomfort, Aches, and Pains

It is likely that you feel some discomfort, aches, or even pains from the pushing process. Many doctors will recommend that you use acetaminophen to help with this. In addition, you can use a heating pad or take a hot shower to help reduce the pain. Gentle massages could reduce discomfort, aches, and pains after giving birth, too.

Keeping Yourself Regular

The first time that you have a bowel movement after giving birth might not happen for a bit. You shouldn’t force it to happen. However, there are some things you can do to help yourself get regular. You can eat foods that are filled with fiber such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. You can also go for daily walks. There are some stool softeners that will gently help you to have a bowel movement and stay regular. Remember, don’t strain yourself. This could cause issues if you already have a tear in the perineum or if you have a c-section incision.

Kegel Exercises Could Help

Your vagina is also going to need time to heal if you had a vaginal birth. Kegel exercises are able to help with this. They can get your vagina healed and back in shape. In addition, if you have been experiencing postpartum urinary incontinence, Kegel exercises are able to help manage or even get rid of this issue. You can start doing Kegel exercises after you gave birth, as long as you feel comfortable enough to do so. It is recommended that women do sets of 20 Kegel exercises at least 3 times a day.

Take Care of Your Breasts

If your breasts are aching after giving birth, you can use warm compresses to make them feel better. Some new mothers say that ice packs help them. This is something you could try, as well. You could also gently massage them. If you breastfeed, airing out your breasts after you nurse and using lanolin cream can help to prevent cracking of the nipples.

Going to All Doctor Appointments

It is important that you don’t miss any of your postpartum doctor appointments. Your doctor is going to check your c-section incision if you have one. They will also check to make sure you are healing properly if you had any tearing while you gave birth vaginally. If there are any issues, your doctor will come up with the best treatment plan.

Make Sure That You Are Eating Well

You can also help yourself to physically recover after giving birth by eating well. This is going to help you get more energy and ease constipation. You should be eating 5 small meals each day. You should be eating a balance of protein and complex carbs. These will help you to have more energy. You should also eat enough fiber to help with the prevention of hemorrhoids. Drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day can help your body to recover, as well.

Keep Yourself Moving

While you might have to wait at least 3 weeks before you exercise if you had a c-section, exercising when you can could help a great deal with the recovery process. While you probably won’t be able to jump into a hardcore, intense workout routine, you can do light to moderate exercises when you are able to do so. You can begin with short walks and then ease up to more exercises from there.

Conclusion

Now that you know more about what to expect after giving birth and know about the techniques to physically recover, you can improve your chances of having a healthier and safer healing process. Remember, this process does take time, so be patient with your body. You will get through it all before you know it.