Your baby isn\u2019t the only lasting legacy from your pregnancy. From postpartum hair loss to newfound incontinence, carrying a baby can change your body in so many ways. Growing a baby takes a herculean effort, and giving birth doesn\u2019t mean your body has finished changing. Most new moms know to look out for mood changes that might signal postpartum depression, but there\u2019s a lot more to your postpartum recovery.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you should know about postpartum care and all of the ways your body changes after giving birth. If you need additional medical advice, you can always use Maple to talk to a Canadian-licensed doctor<\/a> online in minutes.<\/p>\n Whether you go the caesarian section (C-section) or vaginal birth route, there are many changes that can happen with both. A C-section may seem like the \u201ceasier\u201d option since it\u2019s usually around 45 minutes long compared to the typical 12 to 14 hours of vaginal birth, but the recovery certainly isn\u2019t. Changes that happen specifically after a C-section include:<\/p>\n A vaginal delivery comes with its own set of challenges from vaginal tears during the delivery. This includes:<\/p>\n There are many more changes that occur after you give birth to your baby vaginally or via C-section. The list is long and might seem scary, but there are ways to relieve your symptoms. Here\u2019s what happens to your body after giving birth.<\/p>\n During pregnancy, your uterus grows to accommodate your baby. So it follows that after your baby is born, your uterus will be larger than normal. This is part of the reason you\u2019ll still look pregnant for a while after you give birth. For the first few days postpartum, you\u2019ll feel small contractions or cramping, especially while breastfeeding<\/a> (if you are). These cramps are actually your uterus shrinking back to its pre-pregnancy size. The uterus starts shrinking within minutes of giving birth, but it takes about six weeks<\/a> to fully return to its previous size.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned that your uterus is not shrinking after pregnancy or you still look pregnant after the two-month mark, speak to your doctor or your local pelvic floor physiotherapist. You may have diastasis recti<\/a> \u2014 a common post-pregnancy condition in which a gap appears between the two sides of the abdominal muscles.<\/p>\n Whether you deliver vaginally or have a C-section, you\u2019ll experience vaginal bleeding and discharge after giving birth, otherwise known as lochia. This bleeding is how your body gets rid of any extra tissue and blood left over from pregnancy. Lochia is bright red but turns brown and eventually yellow after a few days or weeks.<\/p>\n You may also pass clots during the initial phase \u2014 this is completely normal as long as they\u2019re smaller than a golf ball<\/a>. But if you find that clots are larger than that or that you soak through a pad in under an hour, contact your doctor \u2014 this might mean there\u2019s another issue. Also, you shouldn\u2019t use tampons or menstrual cups for lochia \u2014 vaginal postpartum care is important and using tampons or menstrual cups can introduce harmful bacteria as well as irritate the area.<\/p>\n Vaginal deliveries can cause tearing (in some cases you may have had an episiotomy<\/a>). Either of these will make your perineum \u2014 the area between your vagina and your anus \u2014 quite tender as it heals.<\/p>\n Perineal care after birth is important to help give you relief. For a sore, swollen perineal after giving birth, you can use ice packs or frozen pads in your underwear to soothe the area. You can also upgrade your pads with witch hazel and aloe to help speed up the process of healing the perineum.<\/p>\n While you may be anxious to lose your pregnancy weight, you\u2019ll want to wait for your doctor or midwife\u2019s go-ahead before you start exercising. Pregnancy causes significant changes in your body and beginning an exercise regime too soon after delivery can cause more problems than it solves. Counter-intuitively, abdominal exercises like crunches are the most damaging exercise after giving birth and can actually worsen conditions like diastasis recti.<\/p>\n Try not to focus on post-pregnancy weight loss. It took nine months to put the weight on, so give yourself at least that much time to lose it and don\u2019t let questions like \u201cwhy is postpartum weight loss so hard\u201d or \u201cwhy can\u2019t I get rid of stretch marks\u201d cloud your mind. And, stay away from restrictive dieting if you\u2019re breastfeeding \u2014 not only can it affect your energy levels and contribute to mood swings, but you need all the nutrients you can get to stay healthy and feed your baby, too.<\/p>\n In fact, if you\u2019re a fan of coconut water, feel free to drink it up! Drinking coconut water postpartum is good for you because it\u2019s low in sugar and full of electrolytes which can promote the production of antimicrobial protection for your baby. If you feel like you need extra guidance in navigating a postpartum diet, a registered dietitian<\/a> can create a customized meal plan for you that\u2019s suited to your postpartum needs.<\/p>\n Giving birth is physically strenuous. You\u2019ll want to avoid doing certain things until you\u2019re cleared by your doctor or midwife at your six-week appointment, such as:<\/p>\n You can do a less strenuous exercise like walking. The benefits of walking postpartum are plenty, like helping to strengthen muscles, raising energy levels, and even improving your mood. This should only be done when you feel up to it, however, so don\u2019t feel pressured to jump up right away and go for a stroll around your neighbourhood.<\/p>\n In the case of exercising after C-section delivery, you\u2019ll want to walk within 24 hours of your procedure. This can be uncomfortable, but it\u2019s beneficial to get your blood flowing and your bowels moving. After that, see how you feel. You don\u2019t need to walk for hours on end \u2014 a healthy, satisfying walk can be as little as 20 minutes.<\/p>\n Kegel exercises after giving birth are also an excellent way to improve circulation and stimulation. To do a Kegel, start with emptying your bladder. Then, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and hold for three to five seconds, release, and repeat.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t want to overdo the amount of Kegels either. A good number would be roughly ten Kegels three times a day but check with your healthcare provider first to see if this number is safe for you. You should also consider seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist to help rehabilitate the pelvic floor muscles. This will help you get the most out of your Kegels.<\/p>\n In the case of vaginal birth, you might still feel numb down below so if you don\u2019t feel anything, don\u2019t worry \u2014 do your Kegels anyway! And even though there\u2019s no vaginal delivery with a C-section, pregnancy affects the pelvic floor so it\u2019s also a good idea to do kegel exercises after giving birth too.<\/p>\n Your body begins producing colostrum (the first thick, nutrient-dense milk newborns eat) before your baby is even born. Colostrum becomes milk three to five days after delivery, and your breasts will feel more full as your milk comes in. You may sometimes feel engorged, experiencing breast and nipple pain as your body figures out how much milk your baby actually needs.<\/p>\n While engorgement usually gets better on its own after a day or two, it can be quite painful while it lasts. Ice packs and ibuprofen can help, as can applying heat and hand expressing some milk to relieve the pressure.<\/p>\n But be warned \u2014 your body will replace any expressed milk. So pumping or expressing milk can ultimately prolong engorgement. And prolonged engorgement can lead to clogs and mastitis<\/a>, which can be extremely painful.<\/p>\n Your hormones will fluctuate in the days after you give birth. These fluctuations kick off a number of physical changes from getting your uterus to contract and shrink to producing breast milk for your baby. These hormones can affect your mood, and so can the effects of sleep deprivation.<\/p>\n Many new moms experience \u201cthe baby blues,\u201d a period of emotional intensity in the weeks following the birth of their child. This is totally normal and can include feeling more sad, teary, angry, irritable, or sensitive than usual. But the baby blues usually resolves within a few weeks.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also normal to have worries as a parent, but sometimes worrying takes over and negatively impacts new mothers \u2014 this can include losing sleep or not wanting to leave home. Not all mothers who are anxious are depressed, but identifying postpartum anxiety can help with treatment.<\/p>\n How to know if you have postpartum depression<\/a>, however, is if the feelings don\u2019t go away within a few months. Without intervention, symptoms of postpartum depression can become more severe and recur chronically.<\/p>\n There isn\u2019t one single cause of postpartum depression, but the physical and hormonal changes along with sleep deprivation and the intense feelings that come with having a baby can trigger it. Postpartum depression is similar to regular depression, but the feelings tend to center around being a parent and concern for your newborn. Postpartum depression can strike anytime within the first year after your baby is born. Symptoms of postpartum depression can include:<\/p>\n Getting help for postpartum depression includes counselling, medication, and support from family and friends. Left untreated, postpartum depression has negative effects<\/a> on both mom and baby. The cycle of being sad, angry, and unsure of competence trickles down into the overall health and wellbeing of the baby. So you\u2019re doing yourself and your baby a favour by taking care of your mental health if you\u2019re experiencing postpartum depression.<\/p>\n In the long run, getting treatment and being healthy, happy, and a confident mom will all be worth it. A mental health therapist<\/a> can provide you with comfort and guidance through talk therapy as you navigate postpartum depression. If you feel you may need a bit more than talk therapy, there are also medications that are safe to take while breastfeeding. A mental health physician<\/a> can provide you with this as necessary, so you can get back to feeling like yourself again.<\/p>\n While uncomfortable, bowel movement problems after giving birth are extremely common. Postpartum constipation, diarrhea, or pain during bowel movements after giving birth could be caused by many things, including hormones, stress, and even hemorrhoids.<\/p>\n Hemorrhoids can appear because your uterus puts pressure on the veins in your anus. You don\u2019t typically feel internal hemorrhoids, but external ones can make you feel painful and itchy. You may also see blood in your stool from the hemorrhoids\u2019 bleeding, whether they\u2019re internal or external.<\/p>\n For prevention, eat a high fibre diet<\/a> postpartum that includes fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Fibre and good hydration can help soften your stools so that they pass easier \u2014 a good reason to start eating more fibre along with it being really good for your overall health.<\/p>\n Caring for postpartum hemorrhoids if you do have them is doable, however, and they\u2019ll usually resolve in days or weeks. You can treat hemorrhoids at home by using witch hazel, soaking in a warm bath, taking ibuprofen, and applying an ice pack to your backside to help ease the pain. If you can\u2019t get any relief on your own and need to get in touch with a doctor, they may prescribe stool softeners or other treatments for hemorrhoids<\/a>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no required amount of time you have to wait, but doctors advise against anything being inserted into the vagina for at least four to six weeks to give your body time to heal. It\u2019s not uncommon to have a yeast infection postpartum either as a result of antibiotics during or after delivery. Yeast also thrives in a moist environment, so it\u2019s important to stay on top of changing pads each time you use the bathroom to help stay dry.<\/p>\n Also, if your libido isn\u2019t back soon, it\u2019s nothing to worry about. Your body has undergone a major physical change, your hormones are imbalanced, and you\u2019re seriously lacking sleep, so don\u2019t be too hard on yourself.<\/p>\n So you\u2019ve given birth, now do you get more time off from having your period? Not exactly. If you\u2019re not breastfeeding, your period can come back roughly around six weeks, although it may take more than that for some women.<\/p>\n If you are breastfeeding, you may get an even longer break from your period. It could take as little as six weeks to return, or as long as 24. This is because the hormone that helps you make milk stops you from ovulating and having your period. And, if you breastfeed only some of the time, your period may return sooner \u2014 within six to twelve weeks.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to recovering after giving birth. Just know that it\u2019ll be an ongoing process and patience is key. With that being said, here\u2019s a handy list of some of the items mentioned above as well as some others that you may want to keep on hand:<\/p>\n The long-term effects of pregnancy on the body are varied and might even seem odd. Everything from bigger feet<\/a> to hair loss and skin changes (which is temporary \u2014 hair growth returns and skin issues tend to sort themselves out, thank goodness). If you delivered your baby preterm (before 37 weeks), long-term effects also mean you\u2019re at greater risk of heart problems. Your pelvic floor can also suffer long-term consequences, which can lead to urinary incontinence and pelvic pain during sex.<\/p>\n But the long-term effects of pregnancy aren\u2019t all bad. If you breastfeed, for every 12 months you nurse your baby, you cut your risk of developing breast cancer by four percent<\/a>. And each full-term pregnancy that a woman carries reduces her risk<\/a> of developing ovarian and endometrial cancer.<\/p>\n If you find you\u2019re in need of extra care, you can always get in touch with a Canadian-licensed doctor<\/a> on Maple<\/a>. Whether it\u2019s in the middle of the day or at 1am when you can\u2019t sleep because of pain or discomfort, our doctors are available 24\/7 and can help you from your phone, tablet, or computer<\/p>\n Having a baby puts your body through a lot. You grow another human being inside of your body, deliver it, and make food for it. And you do most of that on little to no sleep. Your body works overtime to do this, and your after-pregnancy care should reflect that.<\/p>\n So let those dishes pile up and feel free to leave those emails unanswered for a while. Having a baby is hard work, your first priority is taking care of them and yourself.<\/p>\n The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n When using virtual care, all medical treatment is at the sole discretion of the provider. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies, and your provider will determine if your case is appropriate for virtual care. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Your baby isn\u2019t the only lasting legacy from your pregnancy. From hair loss to newfound incontinence, carrying a baby can change your body in so many ways. Read on to discover what changes you can expect when you’re done expecting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":27904,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[7376],"tags":[],"acf":{"image":{"ID":27904,"id":27904,"title":"Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483","filename":"Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","filesize":169969,"url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/postpartum-care-your-body-after-birth\/surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483\/","alt":"","author":"23","description":"","caption":"","name":"surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":9971,"date":"2022-07-26 13:57:02","modified":"2022-07-26 13:57:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1181,"height":484,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-300x123.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":123,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-768x315.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":315,"large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-1024x420.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":420,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","1536x1536-width":1181,"1536x1536-height":484,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","2048x2048-width":1181,"2048x2048-height":484,"square1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","square1200-width":1181,"square1200-height":484,"square600":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-600x484.jpg","square600-width":600,"square600-height":484,"square300":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-300x300.jpg","square300-width":300,"square300-height":300,"square200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-200x200.jpg","square200-width":200,"square200-height":200,"square100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-100x100.jpg","square100-width":100,"square100-height":100,"feature1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","feature1200-width":1181,"feature1200-height":484,"feature1100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-1100x484.jpg","feature1100-width":1100,"feature1100-height":484,"feature800":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-800x400.jpg","feature800-width":800,"feature800-height":400,"feature400":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483-400x200.jpg","feature400-width":400,"feature400-height":200,"facebook1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","facebook1200-width":1181,"facebook1200-height":484,"medium_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","medium_retina-width":1181,"medium_retina-height":484,"large_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Surviving-birth_blog-header_1180x483.jpg","large_retina-width":1181,"large_retina-height":484}},"intro_text":"","meta_description":"Your body changes after giving birth via C-section or vaginal delivery. Learn about postpartum body changes and get advice for recovery.","add_promotional_banner":false,"add_call_to_action":true,"show_age_gate":false,"call_to_action_text":"See a doctor online","call_to_action_button_text":"Get started","call_to_action_link":"[mpl-register-link]","reviewer":false,"author":false},"yoast_head":"\nWhat changes can happen after a c-section and vaginal delivery?<\/h3>\n
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Your uterus after pregnancy<\/h3>\n
Bleeding and perineum care<\/h3>\n
Postpartum body<\/h3>\n
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Breast changes<\/h3>\n
Mood changes and postpartum depression<\/h3>\n
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Bowel movement problems after birth<\/h3>\n
When is it safe to have sex again?<\/h3>\n
When do you get your period after giving birth?<\/h3>\n
How long does it take to recover after giving birth?<\/h3>\n
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The long-term outlook<\/h3>\n