shared decision making: after labor & delivery
Recovery after labor
Vaginal Birth Recovery
Taking care of your baby will be your first priority after giving birth but you will have some recovering to do at the same time. Here are some of the things you may be dealing with:
Vaginal Discharge
You may have vaginal discharge for several weeks, which starts out as a bright red heavy flow and gradually changes to a more watery discharge that is pink, brown, yellow or white. In some cases, a week or two after delivery, bleeding may increase for a day or two but then decrease again. Contact your care team if you have heavy vaginal bleeding, if the discharge has a foul smell or if you have a fever.
Vaginal Soreness
If you had a vaginal tear or an episiotomy it will take a few weeks for it to heal. It can take a little longer if the vaginal tear was more severe. Contact your care team if you have any signs of infection such as:
● The pain gets worse, not better.
● The perineum becomes hot or swollen.
● There’s a pus-like discharge from the perineum.
Breast Soreness
A few days after giving birth, your breasts may become overfull with breastmilk, making them swollen, firm and painful. This is called engorgement. If you are breastfeeding, you can use a breast pump to reduce the fullness. Between feedings, you can apply cold washcloths or ice packs to your breasts. Engorgement can make it painful for you to breastfeed and difficult for your baby. If you need help continuing to breastfeed through this time, call your care team or lactation consultant. If you are not breastfeeding, do not use a pump because it can make you produce more milk. You can wear a firm, supportive bra to help stop milk production.
Contractions
You may have contractions that feel like menstrual cramps for a few days after giving birth. These contractions help to stop uterine bleeding. Contact your care team if you develop a fever or if your belly is painful to touch. This could indicate an infection in your uterus.
Urination Issues
For a while, you may have difficulty urinating or have pain while urinating but these should go away on their own. Leaking urine when you cough or laugh can also be a problem but doing Kegel exercises can help.
To do Kegel exercises, tighten your pelvic muscles as if you’re trying to stop yourself from urinating. Hold it for five seconds at a time, five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles tight for 10 seconds at a time, and doing three sets of 10 repetitions.
If you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection, make sure to contact your care team. These symptoms may include:
● A strong urge to urinate that doesn’t go away.
● A burning sensation when urinating.
● Urinate small amounts, frequently.
Hemorrhoids and Bowel Issues
Hemorrhoids are stretched and swollen blood vessels in the anus or lower rectum that can cause pain during bowel movements. You may want to soak in a warm bath or apply chilled witch hazel pads to ease discomfort and help them heal.
Another possible issue is not being able to control bowel movements. Doing frequent Kegel exercises can help with this. If you have constipation, make sure to drink plenty of water and consider using stool softeners.
Hair Loss, Skin Changes
Elevated hormones during pregnancy stop normal hair loss. After giving birth, hair loss returns to normal and also sheds the hair you didn’t lose while pregnant. Your skin also goes through some changes. If you have stretch marks, they will not go away but they may fade from a darker reddish purple to a lighter silver or white.
Mood Swings
Childbirth is an emotional time so mood swings, irritability, sadness and anxiety are all common. Many women experience mild depression for a few weeks as well, which is sometimes called the baby blues. If you feel a deeper depression or you feel hopeless and sad most of the time, call your care team right away. It could be Postpartum Depression, which is treatable and is important to treat as early as possible.
Postpartum Checkup
You will most likely see your care team a couple of times in the first two months after delivery for postpartum checkups. Your care team will check to make sure your body is healing well and that you are adjusting to life with your new baby.
C-section Recovery
Taking care of your baby will be your first priority after giving birth but you will have some recovering to do at the same time.
To help your recovery, take care of yourself by supporting your abdomen when moving around, letting others do housework and prepare meals, resting when the baby sleeps, drinking more fluids, taking your prescribed medicines, avoiding sex, and keeping an eye out for any signs of infection.
Here are some of the things you may be dealing with after a C-section:
Allowing Your Incision To Heal
A C-section is major surgery so you may experience some pain around your incision afterward.
You will need to take care of your incision and not lift anything heavier than your baby. Coughing, laughing and sneezing can be painful so putting some pressure on your abdomen when making those sudden movements can help[1] [2] .
Your care team may recommend pain relief techniques like using a heating pad or taking medication.
As your incision heals, watch for signs of infection. If you have any of these, contact your care team right away:
● Pain around incision getting worse rather than better.
● The incision is red, swollen or has a discharge.
● You have a fever.
Vaginal Bleeding/Discharge
As you recover from your C-section, you are also recovering from being pregnant so you may have vaginal discharge for several weeks. It usually starts out as a bright red heavy flow and gradually changes to a more watery discharge that is pink, brown, yellow or white. Contact your care team if you have heavy vaginal bleeding, if the discharge has a foul smell or if you have a fever.
Contractions
You may have contractions that feel like menstrual cramps for a few days. These contractions help to stop uterine bleeding. Contact your care team if you develop a fever or if your stomach is painful to touch. This could indicate an infection in your uterus.
Hair Loss, Skin Changes
Elevated hormones during pregnancy stop normal hair loss. After giving birth, hair loss returns to normal and you also sheds the hair you didn’t lose while pregnant. Your skin also goes through some changes. If you have stretch marks, they will not go away but they may fade from a darker reddish purple to a lighter silver or white.
Changes in Mood
Childbirth is an emotional time so changes in mood, irritability, sadness and anxiety are all common. Many women may experience mild depression for a few weeks as well, which is sometimes called the baby blues. If you feel a deeper depression or you feel hopeless and sad most of the time, call your care team right away. It could be Postpartum Depression, which is treatable and is important to treat as early as possible.
Postpartum Checkup
You may have postpartum checkups after two, four, six or 12 weeks. Your care team will check to make sure your body is healing well and that you are adjusting to life with your new baby.