#12
Postpartum Body
Postpartum bodyNever overdo it
After the baby is born and the birth is over, mothers may think, "Finally, the big job is done! But soon after that, they realize that it is not the end, but the beginning of child rearing! But soon after that, they realize that it is not the end, but the beginning of parenthood! A new life with a new baby, feeding, changing diapers, putting the baby to sleep, all of these things have to wait. It may be difficult for mothers to focus on themselves and their physical recovery after childbirth. However, you should never overdo it here! The damage to your body will greatly affect your health later on.
After delivery, a mother's body and mind undergo dramatic changes as she tries to return to her pre-pregnancy state. In medical terms, the six to eight weeks after delivery is called the "postpartum period," and most hospitals conduct a checkup about one month after delivery to confirm that the process of physical recovery is going well.
So what changes occur in the body during this period?
The uterus gradually returns to its pre-pregnancy size. Generally, dew generally starts out reddish and gradually turns brownish to yellowish in about one month, and the amount of dew decreases, and after that it is rarely seen. If a woman is extremely inactive after childbirth, or if she is fatigued due to a sudden increase in activity, the elimination of dew may be delayed, resulting in a delay in uterine recovery. Conversely, when there is a sudden increase in activity, there may be a temporary increase in the amount of dew that has accumulated in the uterus, but it usually settles down soon after. Immediately after delivery, the wound may be painful. If the pain is so severe that it interferes with baby care and daily life, pain medication may be used after consultation with your doctor. Most people recover gradually enough to not need to use painkillers after discharge from the hospital, but be sure to keep the perineotomy site and vaginal wound clean, especially since there is a risk of infection due to dew.
Heavy bleeding after childbirth may result in postpartum anemia. If the degree of anemia is severe, fatigue may not improve easily and healing of wounds may be delayed. In addition, the pelvic area and ligaments are loose and difficult to move smoothly due to the secretion of the hormone relaxin until this time. Another notable change is that the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, uterus, and rectum, are also loosened due to the damage caused during childbirth. If the pelvic floor muscles are forced to move after childbirth and further strain is placed on them, organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum may drop, causing easy leakage of urine, pelvic organ prolapse that causes organs to come out of the vagina, and back pain that will continue to cause major problems for a long time to come. Pelvic organ prolapse, which causes organs to protrude from the vagina, and lower back pain.
How smooth is the early recovery after childbirth?Don't try too hard and rely on others
In Japan, it has long been customary to leave the futon pulled up for the first three weeks after delivery so that the mother can take care of the baby and herself, and then lie down to rest and recuperate. Then, at the third week, it was customary to "raise the floor" and gradually do household chores to return to the pre-pregnancy lifestyle, which was good for the body.
From a medical point of view, this is consistent with the medical detection that the postpartum body undergoes various changes and that taking a rest is the key to a smooth recovery. In addition, it can help prevent problems for the mother's body later on. Even if you think that the birth was very easy and that you can go back to your normal life right after the birth, it is important to take care of yourself during these three weeks! but taking good care of these three weeks will greatly affect your physical health later on.
There are some old sayings, some important ones.
The postpartum body is affected not only by the uterus and birth defects, but also by many other parts of the body. Therefore, especially after childbirth, the health of your body, which will support you for a long time to come, depends on how smoothly you recover at an early stage. It is a major role of mothers, just like taking care of their babies, to rest their bodies well and prevent any problems that may occur later on. To this end, it is important not to work too hard on your own, but to rely on your family and those around you. It is also important for those around you to be proactive in following up.
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Midwife Yoko Nambu
After graduating from Tokyo Medical and Dental University School of Nursing and obtaining a national nursing license, and graduating from the Japanese Red Cross School of Midwifery and obtaining a national midwifery license, she worked as a midwife in the obstetrics and gynecology ward of Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, attending over 300 births and picking up babies. After that, she established "Toraube Inc.", a consultation office mainly for women's body. As a woman's ally, she provides consultation for problems at all ages. She believes that women should understand their own body as their own. She believes that this will lead to the solution of all problems and deals with them on a daily basis.
Her hobbies include traveling with her husband, listening to movies and music, and playing healthy mahjong.
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supporting many mothers as a midwife.
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