Post-partum care

Diet

Most women whether they breastfeed or not loose weight during the first month after delivery (10 to 14 pounds). After that, normal weight loss should amount to one to two pounds per week for women who don’t breastfeed and two to four pounds for women who do.

New mothers should adopt the diet recommended in Canada's Food Guide. It is no longer necessary to take iron supplements but you should prioritize foods that are rich in proteins and in fibres to avoid drops of energy.

Sleep and rest

The intensity and duration of the intense fatigue that follows childbirth (a few weeks on average) vary depending on many factors: duration of labor and complications, pain, social and family support, adaptation to frequent sleep disruptions and perception. Yes, perception! Because mothers who perceive their child as being difficult feel more tired.

Even if this fatigue is inevitable, we can avoid being completely overwhelmed by following these few tips:

• Prioritize tasks and put sleep first!
• Don’t try to finish all chores when you come back home, dedicate all your time to your baby for a few weeks and then you can start progressively;
• Take naps every day;
• As gifts, ask for prepared meals that you will only have to reheat;
• Give your baby a bath before his last drink of the day to help him sleep longer early in the night.

Uterus going back to normal

The uterus is going back to the position it had before pregnancy around six weeks after delivery.

Some women can feel intermittent cramps-like contractions that can be painful because of the uterus that is moving. They are more frequent in women who gave birth to twins or triplets and they usually decrease between the 4th and 7th day of post-partum.

To relieve the pain, doctors recommend urinating frequently to fully empty the bladder. You can also lie on your belly and place a pillow on your lower abdomen. If pain persists, place an ice pack wrapped in a washcloth on your belly.

Blood loss

Most women loose about 500ml of blood during and after childbirth. To prepare for this loss, your body produced extra blood during pregnancy.

Therefore, you will loose blood during the first two weeks after birth and it is nothing to worry about, except if the discharge has a foul smell that could be the sign of an infection. It is better during this period to use sanitary napkins rather than tampons to avoid toxic shock syndrome.

Swimming in a pool or in a lake is only allowed when the bleeding has stopped.

Perineum care

Your perineum, the region between your vagina and you anus, will be sore and red even if you did not have an episiotomy (an incision to open the perineum). Healing may take up to three weeks. However, you can take sitz baths fifteen minutes at a time and a few times a day to heal faster.

Avoid standing up for too long during the first weeks and when you sit down, squeeze your buttocks and exhale. Once seated, completely release your perineum.

Constipation

After delivery, the intestines are not in a normal position and the abdominal muscles that are used to defecate are looser and less efficient, causing constipation.

It will be less painful if you drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water each day, if you increase your fibre intake and if you practice a light physical activity such as walking.

Urinary system

During the first two to eight weeks after delivery, you could find it hard to urinate or, on the contrary, you could experience leaks.

Try to urinate frequently to avoid stretching your bladder. If you find it difficult to urinate drink more water.

Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids can cause blood in stool and they usually get smaller during the first two weeks after delivery.

To reduce pain, you can apply a bag of ice covered in a washcloth or use an anti-inflammatory cream or ointment. Sitz baths, for fifteen minutes, three times a day also help.

For those who had a C-section

Butterfly closures can be taken off after 10 days.

To wash the wound, use water and mild soap and dry well. During the first two months after your caesarean, avoid activities that require an effort for your abdominal muscles and take painkillers if the pain is overly uncomfortable.

Fitness

Exercising is one of the key elements of recuperating after birth. Your caregiver can suggest appropriate exercises.

Psychological care

Mothers all react very differently after delivery. While some are full of energy, happy and lively, others will always be tired and will want to sleep all the time.

Most mothers will go though a period of post-partum adjustment.

During the first phase, you could feel the need to be taken care of by your friends and family but also to talk about your birthing experience in detail.

The second phase is taking matters into your own hands: you become more and more independent in your way of taking care of your baby.

During the following months (15 days to 6 months), you will share your responsibilities and feel more and more confident. New moms who do not go through this period normally may experience post-partum blues.

Post-partum blues

Post-partum blues, not to be confused with post-partum depression, affects 50% to 80% of new mothers and its symptoms usually disappear after one or two weeks.

To make it a bit less heavy, here are a few tips:

• Remember that what you are feeling is normal
• Talk about your feelings and your expectations with your partner
• Use relaxation techniques
• Make time for you

Resuming your sexual life

After a few weeks, if you completely stopped bleeding and if your doctor agrees, you can try to resume sexual activities with your partner.

Medical monitoring

It is recommended for the healthy new mom to see her doctor six weeks after birth. The family doctor or gynaecologist will then take over and the recommended frequency is once a year, as before pregnancy.