Having a baby is a beautiful thing. Many women look forward to the day when they will be able to carry and deliver a baby and become a mother. However, the process can be very challenging. Pregnancy can be hard on many women, and things don't stop there. After delivery, the recovery can be challenging as well. Here are some things that you need to know about the recovery process so that you can properly prepare yourself.
1. You Will Have Period-Like Bleeding
After you have the baby, your body will need to rid itself of all of the tissue and blood that was in the uterus to help keep the baby healthy and strong. This means that for days and even weeks or months after you have the baby, you will have a heavy flow much like a period. Because of your recent delivery, you won't be able to wear tampons. Instead you will need to wear pads or even adult diapers for hygiene. Right after the baby is born, you should expect to bleed dark-red blood for a good deal of time. As the baby ages, the blood will become more pinkish and will slow down. You should be concerned and call your doctor if the flow becomes bright red or becomes heavy after you have stopped bleeding.
2. There Will Be Different Kinds of Pain
It is also important to recognize that you will be in a good deal of pain. The doctor will prescribe you medication for this pain, but the different pains will not all be the same. For example, if you had stitches, you will have a good deal of pain around your vagina that will feel sore. For this pain you will usually be prescribed some acetaminophen.
However, there will be another type of pain that many women fail to recognize. You will have cramping much you like cramping from being on your period. This is because your uterus has been enlarged and will need to shrink back to its normal size; the contractions cause the cramping. Thus, you may feel like you are in labor again or are having a very painful period. With the first pregnancy the pain may not be so bad, but with subsequent pregnancies the pain may get worse. For this type of pain you will be prescribed an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen.
It is important to recognize that there are different types of pain and to take all of your medications, since different medications will treat different problems.
By understanding these things about your recovery, you can be prepared to keep yourself healthy after having a baby. Talk to your obstetrician or make an appointment to talk to an obstetrician at a healthcare organization like Heart Of Florida OB/GYN Associates for more information about recovering from childbirth.
