October 29th, 2010
Although your new baby will probably give you great emotional satisfaction, you may be physically uncomfortable. Your body has gone through many changes during pregnancy and it will take a while for it to return to its pre-pregnancy state.
Six weeks after the birth your doctor will examine you to make sure that everything is returning to normal; this also gives you a chance to discuss any worries you may have. The doctor will take your blood pressure and check a sample of your urine. Your breasts and abdomen will be examined and the doctor will make sure that any stitches have healed properly. You will probably have an internal examination to check the size and position of your uterus and you may have a cervical smear test if one is due.
If your baby was born in hospital, a midwife or doctor will probably talk to you about contraception before you go home. Alternatively, you can discuss this at your six-week check. Don’t take any risks; to avoid getting pregnant again you should use contraception as soon as you resume intercourse. It is an old wives’ tale that breast-feeding prevents conception.
If you were not immune to rubella (German measles) during your pregnancy, you will probably be offered the immunization before you leave hospital or at your six-week check- up. Ask your doctor if you are at all unsure about your immunity.
Mother’s Body
Immediately after the birth your breasts will produce colostrum, a high-protein liquid full of antibodies. Then, after the pregnancy hormones decline, your main milk supply should come in around the third or fourth day. At this time the breasts swell, feel hard, and can sometimes be painful. Bathing them with warm water is soothing, and letting the baby have frequent feeds will also help.
This initial swelling subsides after a few days as both you and your baby get used to feeding. However, if you have decided to bottle-feed, your breasts will remain full tor a few days until they gradually stop producing milk. Your breasts will probably never be quite as firm as they were before pregnancy, but a well-fitting support bra will help greatly.
After delivery your abdomen will probably be quite flabby and wrinkled because of slack muscles and stretched skin. Gentle post-natal exercises will help tighten up your abdominal and vaginal muscles, so make time to do them every day. If you feel you’re not disciplined enough to exercise on your own, join a local post-natal class.
Following the birth you will have a vaginal discharge which is known as lochia. This will be like a very heavy period for a few days, with the flow gradually getting lighter until it disappears within a few weeks. Use maternity pads or large sanitary towels to absorb the discharge because there is a risk of infection if you use tampons in the early weeks after the birth.
Your uterus will take about six weeks to return to its original size. If you are breast-feeding you may feel it contract as you feed the baby.
If your perineum (the skin between the vagina and anus) was bruised during labour, or if you had stitches, you will find that anything that put pressure on the area painful. Take paracetamol to relieve the pain and ease the soreness with a gel pack held against the perineum or by sitting in warm water. Try drying the area with a hand-held hair dryer, set on cool, rather than with a bath towel. Do not put the dryer too close to your skin, or use it in the bathroom.
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