Postpartum

Share on Pinterest The first six weeks after giving birth are known as the postpartum period. This period is an intense time that requires During this time — which some researchers believe actually lasts In short, it can feel like a lot. It’s not uncommon for the first year to feel like a tidal shift. That said, the recovery period can vary wildly. If you’re on your third kid and pushed for 20 minutes, your recovery will look different than if you labored for 40 hours, pushed for 3, and had an emergency C-section. Yet while everyone’s experience is different, there are some recovery milestones that you should ideally hit. To help give you a sense of where you should be in your postpartum timeline, we’ve highlighted what you can expect from both your body and mind. Physical status, after C-section After a If you had a Mental health status Day 3 in particular is infamous for being emotionally difficult. “The birth buzz is wearing off, estrogen and progesterone levels are dropping off, and prolactin and oxytocin levels rise and fall throughout the day while the baby suckles,” says Jocelyn Brown, a licensed and certified midwife in Los Angeles. “That combined with sleep deprivation makes for lots of weepiness and feeling like nothing is going right.” • If you had a vaginal delivery, use an ice pack or frozen pads with witch hazel on your perineum. Use a spray bottle of warm water during or after peeing. • Take Tylenol or Advil at regular intervals. Pain begets pain, so do your...

The weeks after childbirth are a time of adjustment and recovery. Whether you had a vaginal birth or a C-section, you’ll need to remember to take care of yourself during those first few weeks so that you can properly recover. Getting plenty of rest, limiting visitors and establishing a routine with your newborn are all part of this new phase in your life. Learn about recovery times and what to expect after having a baby. How do I care for myself at home after delivery? After delivery, you may think that you can jump back into life as normal. However, this time in your life is full of adjustment to life with a newborn, as well as a time of recovery. It’s important to remember that childbirth is something your body will need to recover from over time. No matter what type of delivery, vaginal birth or The first month of having a newborn baby at home can be overwhelming at times. You might feel like all of your time is focused on caring for your baby – but don’t forget to take care of yourself. You might hear the phrase “if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your baby” and there’s an element of truth to this sentiment. There are several things you will need to remember to do after delivery to take care of your own health. Some physical tips to remember include: • Resting: Delivering a baby is hard work and you probably weren’t able to sleep much in the hospital. The first few weeks after delivery are an important time for you to rest whenever you can. Try ...

A pregnancy-related death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within one year of the end of a pregnancy. More than half the pregnancy-related deaths happen after childbirth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of reported pregnancy-related deaths in the United States in 2014 was 18 deaths per 100,000 live births. That's up from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987. Research also shows racial disparities. From 2011 to 2014, the pregnancy-related mortality ratios for black women were more than three times higher than for white women. After childbirth, it's common to experience fatigue and discomfort, such as perineal pain and uterine contractions. You might not know the difference between a normal recovery and the symptoms of a complication — or when to seek medical care. If you give birth in a hospital, your health care team might not identify risk factors for serious postpartum complications before you are discharged. According to the CDC, from 2011 to 2014 the most common causes of pregnancy-related deaths were: • Cardiovascular diseases • Other medical conditions often reflecting pre-existing illnesses • Infection or sepsis • Excessive bleeding after giving birth (hemorrhage) • A disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body (cardiomyopathy) • A blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs often caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from the l...

The first six weeks after the delivery of your baby are considered your “recovery” period, eight weeks if you had a cesarean section. But some believe recovery lasts for six months up to one year postpartum. Even if you had the easiest delivery on record (and especially if you didn’t), your body has been stretched and stressed, so it needs time to recover and regroup. Postpartum Recovery: How to ease and speed your recovery Assemble Your Postpartum Care Team The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends assembling a postpartum care team to help support you. These are family and friends who can help by: • Caring for your newborn and other children • Offering breastfeeding support • Making meals • Doing chores • Helping you get to your health care visits • Providing emotional support Maternal care provider This is your ob-gyn or other obstetric care provider who is in charge of your care during the postpartum period. Call this person first if you have questions about your health after delivery. Your baby’s primary care provider This is the pediatrician or other health care provider who is in charge of your baby’s care. Call this person if you have questions about your baby’s health. Other Professionals These people may include: • Other doctors to help with medical conditions • Counselors to help with breastfeeding • Nurses, social workers, and other trained professionals What to expect during your postpartum recovery Many factors affect how a moth...

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• • • • • • Following childbirth, other known as "postpartum", women may experience postpartum disorders that can affect their mental health. The high hormonal changes and fluctuations that occur during and after childbirth could cause mothers to feel intense mood swings called "the baby blues" which affects 80% of mothers. 1 If symptoms persist for more than a couple weeks, then it could potentially be something more severe such as a postpartum disorder. Postpartum Depression, or PPD, is a mood disorder in women shortly after childbirth. Mothers with PPD experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that can affect the woman's ability to care for herself or for others. Signs and symptoms for PPD are the same as those for In women with postpartum depression, symptoms usually begin within the first four weeks of giving birth, although some women report decreasing mood in the late third trimester of pregnancy. Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is one of the most misunderstood perinatal disorders. Women with OCD tend to attribute the onset or worsening of their symptoms during pregnancy or postpartum. Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is 2 Postpartum Bipolar Disorder (Peripartum Bipolar Disorder) is characterized by mood episodes—mania, hypomania or depression—that can begin during pregnancy or in the weeks after childbirth. Early recognition of women with bipolar disorder in pregnancy is critical as the risk of postpartum depression is high. ...