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Caring for yourself after the birth Bleeding:
After the birth of your baby you are most likely to suffer from
heavy bleeding, which can be quite alarming to the mother. This
bleeding is commonly known as 'lochia' and it is a discharge of the
remaining tissue, blood and mucus from your uterus. The discharge
will be bright red at first, then gradually becoming a creamy white
as it begins to taper off, usually anywhere between two to six
weeks.
The discharge after a week may still be slightly blood tinged, but
anything more than this could indicate that you are over exerting
yourself thus hampering the healing process or that there may be a
piece of placenta still attached to your uterine walls. In both
cases it is wise to consult your doctor as he may find it necessary
to perform a D&C, which is a simple procedure where the cervix is
dilated and any remaining tissue scraped away. If the creamy white
discharge is particularly heavy, persisting for longer than six
weeks and is accompanied with other symptoms such as fever or pain
in the abdomen your doctor should also be consulted, as this could
mean that an infection has set in.
During breastfeeding you may notice a sudden increase in blood flow
or abdominal cramping, but these contractions are a normal process
in the uterus regaining it's former shape and vital in the closure
of the exposed blood vessels, thus preventing further haemmorrhage.
Postpartum haemmorrhage which is very rare but can occur in the
first or second week following the birth, should be immediately
reported to your doctor as it can be life-threatening, so prompt
treatment will be necessary.
Urination:
During the first 24 hours following the birth of their babies, many
women experience difficulty in urinating, and this could be due to a
number of factors:
- The bladder may be bruised during the delivery process,
causing it to become temporarily numb thus producing an empty
bladder sensation.
- Pain relieving drugs could decrease the bladder's sensitivity
or the mother's general perception in recognising the urge.
- There may be little urine to pass, due to fluid loss during
labour and low fluid intake.
The mother may be hesitant to pass urine because of the burning
sensation it causes when coming into contact with the episiotomy
repair.
- Urination may also be restricted due to the swelling of the
perineum.
In spite of suffering this inconvenience, it is absolutely
vital that the bladder be emptied as soon as possible after the
birth to prevent urinary tract infection. The nursing staff will
monitor this and you may even be asked to pass urine for the first
time into a measuring container. If however you are unable to pass
urine within the first eight hours following the birth, a cathter
may be inserted - but this can be prevented by:
- Dilute the urine by pouring warm water over the vulva area
while urinating, to alleviate the sting.
- Turn on a tap - the sound of running water does wonders in
creating that urge.
- If you are unable to walk, ask for privacy and encourage
yourself to use a bed-pan.
- Keeping your fluid intake up should eventually activate your
bladder.
- Pelvic floor exercises and general strolling about should
also initiate the flow.
Bowel movements:
Several factors, whether physical or physiological may delay
that first, dreaded bowel movement, but this is quite normal,
considering the fact that the mother has had a limited food
intake and that her bowels were thoroughly emptied in
preparation for labour. However, constipation is an ailment that
plagues many new mothers, whether it be as a result of
insufficient privacy while in hospital, fear of damaging the
stitches or pressure to render a bowel movement. This can be
easily overcome by drinking plenty of fluids, selecting foods
with a high fibre content and doing gentle exercises. If you
fear that your stiches may burst - which they won't, support
them by holding a clean sanitary towel over the area during a
bowel movement.
Care of stitches:
If you have had to have an episiotomy, you may be feeling rather
sore and uncomfortable, but generally this repair tends to have
a worse after effect with a first baby than it would with
subsequent ones. Here are a few suggestions in helping you cope
through this painful time:
- To prevent chafing, change your sanitary pad often, being
sure to secure it firmly.
- If you find sitting too painful, ask the nursing staff to
supply you with a rubber ring. This is particularly helpful
when feeding.
- Keep active, regardless of the pain as it will aid in the
healing process.
- Frequent warm baths may ease the pain, but be sure not to
remain in the water too long as it may cause break down of the
scar tissue.
- Keep a separate towel to dry the area well after a bath,
or alternatively pat dry with a clean pad or paper towel.
- Feel free to ask for pain relieving medication if the
discomfort becomes unbearable.
The pain should start subsiding after about the first
week, but if you find yourself still suffering, consult your
doctor as there is no reason to suggest why any women should
live from day to day in the grips of perineal pain. If your
doctor offers no solution, approach a specialist who may
suggest resuturing. This may sound horrific, but it is a far
better option than having to endure the daily discomfort of a
badly stiched wound. Hair Loss
On average, a person sheds up to 100 head hairs every day,
each of which is replaced by new growth. While pregnant you
may have noticed how thick and luxuriant your hair was, and
this was merely due to the hormonal changes going on inside
you body. This change in hormone levels slowed the loss of
hair down quite considerably, as it would do in those women
taking oral contraceptives. But unfortunately, this hair
booster is short-lived, as once your body returns to it's
normal state, so does your hair, and any hairs that were meant
to be shed and didn't during pregnancy, will now fall out.
This is a very common condition experienced by many if not all
new mothers, but it is no cause for alarm as your hair should
regain it's normal thickness before the end of your baby's
first year.
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