Postpartum - what is it and how to prepare for it? We are preparing for pregnancy, preparing a layette for the baby, preparing for childbirth. This is usually the end of preparing ourselves and our surroundings for the great revolution, and yet it is for the period after childbirth, i.e. the puerperium, that we should be most prepared. And it's not about accessories for the baby, but about the essentials that will allow us, women, to survive this time, which is a real shock for our bodies.
The postpartum period - from the article below you will learn that:
- puerperium is a natural postpartum phenomenon during which a woman's body slowly returns to its pre-pregnancy state
- postpartum lasts from 6 to 8 weeks, but the female body will still recover for many months
- in the postpartum period, the uterus shrinks and we may feel slight pain
- postpartum bleeding is normal - these are pueral feces that the body excretes to cleanse the uterus
- baby blues are postpartum sadness and low mood, but if they last longer than 2 weeks, we are dealing with postpartum depression
- it is worth investing in quality, functional and comfortable essentials that will allow us to survive the first weeks with a newborn
- during the postpartum period, it is very important to take care of yourself and pay attention to your needs - not only for our physical health, but also for our mental health
- It is best to refrain from (intense) physical activity until after the postpartum period, but during the postpartum period we can exercise Kegel muscles and practice gentle yoga.
What is postpartum?
Exactly - what is postpartum? Many future mothers probably ask themselves this question - especially those who are expecting their first child - when, while collecting information about pregnancy and newborn care, they accidentally come across the mysterious-sounding word "postpartum". And not because it is secret knowledge and its occurrence affects a small percentage of women after giving birth. No - postpartum is something that every new mother will face. Unfortunately, knowledge about postpartum is still not as common as it should be, which is why what happens to the body after childbirth often causes shock or even fear in women - and it shouldn't.
Puertum is a natural stage after the birth of a child - during this period, pregnancy and childbirth changes that occurred in the woman are reversed, and the body slowly returns to its pre-pregnancy state. How long does the postpartum period last? It is said that the postpartum period lasts from 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth. This is a time when a young mother's body is extremely weakened after the enormous effort of pregnancy and childbirth, so it should be crucial to provide the woman with rest and a peaceful recovery.
What can we expect during the postpartum period??
We have just given birth to a baby – naturally or by cesarean section. Our body has experienced extraordinary effort, our body is in shock, and we are exhausted, a bit confused and filled with a lot of emotions. This is what the first week of postpartum often looks like. The changes that will begin to take place in our body will not only affect our anatomy, but also our psyche.
During the postpartum period, first of all, our uterus shrinks - it must return to its pre-pregnancy state. What does this involve? Mainly the cramps we may feel; their severity is very individual, because each woman experiences the postpartum period differently. If we breastfeed, these contractions may be stronger because when the baby sucks the breast, oxytocin is released.
The shrinking uterus is also associated with puerperal feces, thanks to which the uterus naturally cleanses itself. So if you are wondering whether bleeding in the puerperium is normal, you have nothing to worry about - puerperal feces initially take on a bloody form, and after some time they turn into colorless mucus.
The postpartum period is also full of general fatigue, perineal pain (especially if the perineum was torn during childbirth or the child was incised) or pain in the wound after a cesarean section. Swelling, the feeling of the uterus "falling out", an increased need to urinate and a low mood called "baby blues" are also natural.
What should worry us during the postpartum period?
- occurring (and persistent) fever
- abundant bleeding
- very hard breasts with noticeable lumps
- unpleasant smell of puerperal feces
- improper healing of the wound after episiotomy or cesarean section - especially purulent discharge
- low mood and sadness lasting longer than two weeks.
Baby blues, or postpartum sadness
A woman in childbirth is lost. Fatigue after childbirth, rapid changes in the body, pain and postpartum shock make a new mother feel as if she has lost control over her life. And here she has a huge responsibility - 24/7 care for the newborn baby. The world seems strange, the mood changes dramatically and there is often a feeling of guilt - how can you feel unhappy in such a happy period? You can - and that's baby blues.
Baby bluesis a natural phenomenon and occurs in most women after giving birth. It is bothersome and disturbing, but it is not a disease. The fact that you feel sad, irritable and anxious is completely justified - hormones are raging in your body, and you are entering a completely new reality, which - let's face it - is overwhelming for most women.
Baby blueshowever, is treacherous and can easily be confused with postpartum depression. If low mood, feeling of emptiness, difficulty performing basic activities and aversion to the child persist for more than two weeks, you should see a psychiatrist. This doesn't mean you're a bad mom. It doesn't mean that you can't cope with your child and that you're letting your family down. Doesn't mean you're not suitable. This means that you have become ill and - as with any other illness - you need to seek medical help.
Postpartum essentials that will help you get through this time
It's easy to forget about yourself in this postpartum madness. After all, most of our time is spent taking care of a newborn and adapting to the new reality. For this reason, already at the stage of completing the layette, we should make sure that during the postpartum period we will be able to pamper ourselves, take care of ourselves and surround ourselves with functional, high-quality, comfortable and aesthetic things that will make it easier to live with the newborn and improve our well-being.
Comfortable clothes for postpartum
Stretched and old leggings, an 'at home' T-shirt and a ruffled cardigan are an easy way to feel not very good. Even - and perhaps especially - during the postpartum period, we deserve to feel beautiful and surround ourselves with aesthetic products. Contact with beauty improves our mood - regardless of whether it is a nice vase or well-selected, stylish and comfortable clothes.
When preparing your baby's layette, do something for yourself and buy comfortable, aesthetic clothes that you can wear during the postpartum period. These can be soft and high-quality sweatpants, a warm, cute sweater, a comfortable nursing bra, a stylish kimono or a nursing T-shirt with a cool print. Good and comfortable postpartum clothes will not only keep you comfortable during this difficult time, but will also have a positive effect on your mood - who doesn't like to be surrounded by beautiful things?
Cosmetics for postpartum care
Body care in the postpartum period is an important aspect of this period - not only because after pregnancy the skin is often dry and requires attention, but also because it is a way to turn to yourself and take care of your body. These five minutes in the bathroom, during which you apply your favorite cream on your face or massage nourishing oil into your belly, are time only for you. It is worth remembering your needs and allowing yourself a moment of pleasant relaxation during the postpartum period - not only for your body, but also for your spirit.
What cosmetics are worth buying during postpartum?
- Nipple ointment – especially if you plan to breastfeed naturally. The beginning of lactation often means cracked nipples and pain during feeding. This ointment works like a compress - it soothes the burning sensation of warts, moisturizes them and soothes dry skin. Choose one that has a natural and safe composition, so there will be no need to wash it off before feeding your baby.
- Nourishing Balm - it is important that it is absorbed quickly and, above all, is safe during breastfeeding and does not cause irritation on the skin of the newborn, whom we cuddle all the time.
- Natural body wash gel - it's hard not to recommend this one from Enfance Paris - because it is a gel from the first day of life, for the whole family. It is completely natural and safe for the skin; you can wash your baby, face and body with it and use it to care for the perineum after giving birth. It is a universal and versatile essential that is worth having in the bathroom.
- Ointment for stretch marks and scars - this cosmetic will be particularlyouseful for women after a cesarean section and those who have souvenirs in the form of stretch marks after pregnancy.
- Organic postpartum spray - will bring relief after natural childbirth and will soothe intimate areas in the postpartum period, and will also help eliminate ból.
- Natural body oil - give yourself a bit of relaxation and invest in a good body oil, which will moisturize and nourish the skin and will also have a beneficial effect on stretch marks. When applying the oil, perform a gentle massage - you deserve it.
Pielcare is not only about cosmetics. In the postpartum period, dry body brushing will be extremely effective - we strongly encourage you to do so, because not only are the results actually visible, but brushing is very, very pleasant. Five minutes is enough - that's quite a realistic amount of time for a woman after giving birth. Dry brushing the body will stimulate circulation, facilitate the removal of toxins from the body and swelling, will smooth the skin, and will evenly distribute fat tissue and will have an extremely positive effect on your well-being. We answer immediately: you can also brush your bellyó!
Helpful postpartum essentials
It's time for products that will make your life easier and improve your functioning with your newborn.
First of all comes the feeding pillow, which is an absolute necessity for every postpartum woman - regardless of the method of feeding. This pillow is a versatile and universal product that will help you adopt the right position for breastfeeding or bottle feeding, will relieve the burden on your arms and back, and in the future will be an indispensable element supporting your baby when lying on his tummy. A feeding pillow is a postpartum must-have!
Speaking of feeding, imagine that you are breastfeeding a newborn. You are at the beginning of the milky way, lactation is starting, maybe you are having an overabundance of milk, and milk is flowing from your breasts like from a tap. When the baby sucks the breast, a stream of milk flows from the other breast. Sure, you can put a diaper on the other breast, but then the milk will be wasted.
Fortunately, someone clever and intuitive (a breastfeeding woman?) invented the food collector, which is gracefully called róalso the "magicbottle". This magic involves placing (sucking) the collector on the breast and calmly feeding the baby with the other breasta. After you've finished feeding, you'll be surprised how much milk this bottle helps you collect. In this way you get a supply of food that you can freeze for a rainy day (or a coffee with a friend).
When planning natural feeding, it is worth buying also bags for storing food, thanks to which you will be able to freeze your food, as well aslactation pads - because the female body can be amazing, and milk flowing from the breast to the sound of another baby crying is not a myth J.
For mothers feeding with formula milk, there are also inventions that make life easier. One of them is Milk Prep - an espresso machine for heating milk drinks. Just pour in the appropriate amount of water, pour in the mixture, set the appropriate temperature, wait a while and that's it! We have prepared milk for the baby - without the need to cool it down or use many accessories, and we can do it all with one hand.
A woman in childbirth also needs hydration. However, each of us knows how difficult it is to drink enough water - especially if our thoughts revolve only around feeding the newborn, naps, diapers and calculating how many hours we will sleep that night (and in an optimistic scenario). However, there is a product that will help you drink 3 liters of water a day - even if this amount sounds ridiculous to you and is as unrealistic as a baby sleeping through the night. This product is Mama Bottle from Bink - a glass bottle for monitoring daily hydration. It is practical, handy and has a beautiful design, which makes you want to use it.
The postpartum period is also the time of the fourth trimester for the baby - i.e. the period in which the newborn adaptsto life outside the mother's womb and its body is still developing. What does this mean? The baby will need a lot of closeness and tenderness from the parents, especially from the mother.
The first weeks after giving birth are difficult moments, also for the child - everything that was familiar to him for 9 months suddenly disappeared, and the new surroundings seem strange. This is why a newborn feels best in the arms of its mother, who also rocks it - and children love rocking. However, our body doesn't like this and carrying the baby in your arms for a long time can cause pain - especially in a postpartum woman whose whole body is in pain. is weak and sore. Solution? Babywearing is a great pleasure for the baby and a relief for the mother. An ergonomic ring sling from Studio Romeo or an approved Limas baby carrier will work great - safe for the child and freeing the parent's hands.
Puertum – can you exercise during postpartum?
I'm sure many women wonder if they can exercise during the postpartum period. Someóre of them are so determined and motivated to start physical activity and return to their pre-pregnancy figure that they would like to start in the delivery room. Unfortunately, you have to wait to return to strength training or heavy physical exercise - preferably until the end of the postpartum period, and sometimes even longer.
In the postpartum period, however, you can (and even must) perform Kegel exercises - from the first day after giving birth. This is topic often neglected by women, and training these muscles will help the body return faster to its pre-pregnancy state, and will also prevent urinary incontinence, reproductive organ prolapse, and will have a positive effect on intercourse.
After giving birth, you can also practice yoga - as long as they are simple and undemanding asanas, preferably focused on relaxation and muscle relaxation. Iff you do any physical activity after giving birth, remember not to strain your abdominal muscles - so no crunches or exercises that activate the abdominal muscles are out of the question. Exercises in the postpartum period should be focused on lightly moving the body and relaxing the muscles, not on burning calories - there will be time for that.
A few tips for the postpartum period
For a woman in childbirth, the most important piece of advice will probably be one - allowól to rest. You don't have to keep your house in order. You don't have to dress every day as if you were going to receive guests (unless you have the strength and desire to do so). You don't have to cook fancy dishes, you don't have to know everything about children, in fact, you don't even have to feel like you have it figured out. However, most women do not understand the postpartum period, because that is not what this period should be about. However, it should be a slow adaptation to the new reality and following the child and yourself - without tension, without stress, without pressure to be a perfect mother.
It is good to talk to your partner before giving birth about what the period after giving birth will be like. Determine whether you want to spend this time together or whether you agree to visits from family and friends. Don't refuse guests if you don't feel like visiting - especially in the first days after giving birth, when we, women, are usually very tired, dressed in low-key postpartum panties and covered with cabbage. The most important thing is to provide yourself and your child with a quiet and safe space to get used to the new situation.
What else is important during the postpartum period? Food. It is very important to remember to provide yourself with the right amount of food.A good idea is to prepare food during pregnancy that can be frozen - this way you won't have to cook for some time. If your loved ones ask you what to buy for the birth of a child, a reasonable answer would be to ask them to bring home-made dinner. At this stage, this is what you need most - not another rattle that your baby won't even look at for the next month.
Many women directly say that if they had had more knowledge about the postpartum period during pregnancy, that if they had prepared for the postpartum period, everything would have been completely different. In the public consciousness, the puerperium is still shrouded in mystery, and pregnant women - unless they have attended antenatal classes, which do not always talk about the puerperium - learn about it when the puerperium is already underway. The postpartum period is as important as pregnancy and maternityód, and a woman should be provided with care during it;if the health service does not provide it (because postpartum care is practically non-existent), let's take care of ourselves. Let's prepare for the postpartum period, surround ourselves with valuable, ergonomic and aesthetic objects, let's take care of a friendly home space, have a freezer full of food and let's rest. Let's leave the household chores (during these 6 weeks we pretend they don't exist) and take a nap. Let's put on some sleep. a face mask, use a fragrant body lotion, let's order a pizza and eat it with our eyes fixed on the sleeping newborn, and let's remember that postpartum is a certain stage - difficult, but also beautiful - and the stages pass.
