By Chelsea Skaggs: Postpartum Coach Becoming a mother is a journey that is brimming with joy, love, and let’s face it, sleepless nights. One of the most significant challenges new moms face is managing sleep deprivation. According to the National Sleep Foundation, new parents can lose up to 44 days of sleep in the first …
After giving birth, there is a period of time before you start to experience a menstrual cycle again. You may be wondering if your periods will be different during postpartum after baby or how long it will take for your period to return. While periods after birth vary greatly, there are some things you can expect when it comes to having your first period after baby.
Following a belly birth, most women are instructed on how to watch for infection, easing back into activity, and what to do in those early days. However, many women have shared that they were not instructed to perform scar massages on their belly incisions.
Shit happens, but sometimes it doesn’t. After giving birth, up to half of women will deal with constipation. This is another part of life after baby that isn’t discussed but we are here to give you the rundown: why postpartum constipation is common, what you can do to get things moving again, and when you should talk to your doctor about constipation.
Cramps after giving birth are called involution. This is the process of your uterus returning to normal size and is often marked by short, sharp pains. Throughout your pregnancy, your uterus grows around 25X its’ normal size. These cramps after giving birth are helping the uterus to shrink back down. While the process usually takes around 6 weeks, you likely won’t feel these pains for that long. As the days pass, the cramping will reduce and then subside.
A fundal massage, also known as a uterine massage, is a normal part of after-delivery care. This typically happens shortly after birth (or birth loss) and can continue for hours or days depending on the needs of the patient. Who doesn’t want a massage after the labor of bringing another human into the world?
We aren’t here to scare you about afterbirth, but to help you know what you can expect and to let you know you’re not the only one! I remember being shocked at how difficult it was for me to make it to the toilet the first couple of days after giving birth and how much I dreaded going to pee because it would sting so badly.
Whether you had a vaginal birth or a c-section, you will experience bleeding after birth that should decrease and change color over time. This is a mix of blood and mucus and it starts after your delivery. When you were carrying your baby, the body requires extra blood and tissue. Now that you have delivered, the body gets rid of the extra. Your body is healing from where your placenta was attached and your uterus is shedding lining. You may also be recovering from a tear or episiotomy.
