Postpartum Care

Recovery After Birth

Discomforts After Birth

After delivery, your uterus goes from 2.5 lbs to 2 ounces in six weeks. During this time, you vagina will shed the blood and tissue that lined your uterus. At first it may have clumps and will be heavy and red, similar to the first few days of your period. After awhile, there will be less and less and it will turn pink, brown, or yellow. Do not use a tampon during this time. Instead use pads to absorb it. This can last anywhere from a couple weeks to a month or longer.

Your period will start again in about 6 to 8 weeks, unless you're breastfeeding. If that's the case, it may be several months before your period resumes. However, your body may release an egg even before you have your first period, so start using birth control once you start having sex again.

In order for your uterus to shrink again it needs to contract then relax. This creates cramps that last a few days after birth. If necessary, take a pain reliever to help alleviate the pain. Other discomforts after birth could include: sweating, swollen breasts, hemorrhoids, bowel problems, urinary problems, and fatigue.

Having Sex Again

Firstly, you doctor will tell you a reasonable amount of time to wait before having sex. After that, there's no wrong or right time to have sex after birth. The only thing that matters is whether you feel comfortable with it or not. It may feel tight or sore at first, but if you practice pelvic floor exercises, this should help your vagina recover and stretch. Take it slow and be sure you're comfortable before you have intercourse again. You may also feel a loss of libido for the first several months after birth; this is normal. Your body will still be recovering, and you may feel tired or unattractive. If, after awhile, you still feel uncomfortable about having sex, talk to someone about it. Just talking about it can help in the recovery process.

Helping Your Body

Because your body is recovering, you'll need lots of rest. Take naps, and try not to overexert yourself. You'll need to drink lots of fluids and maintain the healthy diet you had while you were pregnant to help your body recover. Have snacks and meals that require little effort and preparation. Also, don't be afraid to accept help from others during this time. You've just had a baby! Take the time you need to rest and recover.

Exercise can also help your body to recover and increase muscle strength lost in delivery. Begin exercising when you feel up to it; you don't need to start right away. Walking and swimming are great exercises to get your body moving again. Another form of exercise includes Kegel exercises, which help strengthen your pelvic-floor muscles. This can help you control bladder leaks and help in healing the perineum. To do Kegel exercises, squeeze the muscles used to stop the flow of urine, hold this for 10 seconds then release. Do this 10-20 times in a row, three times a day.

When to Talk to Your Doctor

In these instances, it's best to talk to your doctor.

• Fever over 100.4 degrees
• Depression lasting over 10 days after delivery
• Smelly vaginal discharge
• Pain during urination lasting more than a week
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pain or swelling in legs
• Redness, discharge, or pain that doesn't go away (or gets worse) from an episiotomy tear, incision.
• Chest pain or coughing
• Severe pain in lower abdomen
• Red streaks on your breasts or painful lumps

Postpartum Blues

About 80 percent of women feel down for the first several weeks after delivery. Although no one knows exactly why this happens, we do know it's normal and usually fades with time.

There's a multitude of reasons that could contribute to the baby blues.

• Changes in hormone levels after delivery (this is perhaps the biggest culprit)
• Physical discomforts
• Lack of sleep
• Feeling unattractive
• Lack of emotional support

Fortunately, there are also ways to help deal with the blues.

• Rest and relax
• Talk to family, friends
• Be open about how you're feeling
• Take time for yourself
  • Read a book
  • Watch a movie
  • Take a walk
  • Exercise
• Get out of the house every day
• Talk to other mothers
• Pamper yourself

Postpartum blues usually come several days after delivery and can last for several weeks. Try not to allow yourself to feel guilty for feeling blue. It's OK. This is something many women face, and it is not a permanent condition.

Although, if after several weeks, you don't begin to feel better, talk to your doctor. You could be suffering from a more serious condition called postpartum depression, which is characterized by feelings of severe anxiety, despair, and hopelessness. Other signs of postpartum depression include eating more or less than normal, not being able to sleep, strong feelings of depression or anger 1-2 months after birth, thoughts of harming yourself or the baby, panic attacks, intense concern, lack of interest.

Some women are more prone to get postpartum depression:

• History of depression
• Stress
• Lack of support
• Marital dissatisfaction
• Unplanned pregnancy
• Anxiety before birth

If you're experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression several weeks after birth, contact your doctor.

Most Popular Baby Names

Check out these top 25 popular names from the 1900s and the 1950s through the 2000s.

1900s			1950s		1960s		1970s		1980s		1990s		2000s
No.	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
1	John	Mary	James	Mary	Michael	Lisa	Michael	Jennifer	Michael	Jessica	Michael	Jessica	Jacob	Emily
2	William	Helen	Michael	Linda	David	Mary	Christopher	Amy	Christopher	Jennifer	Christopher	Ashley	Michael	Madison
3	James	Margaret	Robert	Patricia	John	Susan	Jason	Melissa	Matthew	Amanda	Matthew	Emily	Joshua	Emma
4	George	Anna	John	Susan	James	Karen	David	Michelle	Joshua	Ashley	Joshua	Sarah	Matthew	Olivia
5	Charles	Ruth	David	Deborah	Robert	Kimberly	James	Kimberly	David	Sarah	Jacob	Samantha	Daniel	Hannah
6	Robert	Elizabeth	William	Barbara	Mark	Patricia	John	Lisa	James	Stephanie	Nicholas	Amanda	Christopher	Abigail
7	Joseph	Dorothy	Richard	Deborah	William	Linda	Robert	Angela	Daniel	Melissa	Andrew	Brittany	Andrew	Isabella
8	Frank	Marie	Thomas	Karen	Richard	Donna	Brian	Heather	Robert	Nicole	Daniel	Elizabeth	Ethan	Samantha
9	Edward	Florence	Mark	Nancy	Thomas	Michelle	William	Stephanie	John	Elizabeth	Tyler	Taylor	Joseph	Elizabeth
10	Thomas	Mildred	Charles	Donna	Jeffery	Cynthia	Matthew	Nicole	Joseph	Heather	Joseph	Megan	William	Ashley
11	Henry	Alice	Steven	Cynthia	Steven	Sandra	Joseph	Jessica	Jason	Tiffany	Brandon	Hannah	Anthony	Alexis
12	Walter	Ethel	Gary	Sandra	Joseph	Deborah	Daniel	Elizabeth	Justin	Michelle	David	Kayla	David	Sarah
13	Harry	Lilian	Joseph	Pamela	Timothy	Tammy	Kevin	Rebecca	Andrew	Amber	James	Lauren	Alexander	Sophia
14	Willie	Gladys	Donald	Sharon	Kevin	Pamela	Eric	Kelly	Ryan	Megan	Ryan	Stephanie	Nicholas	Alyssa
15	Arthur	Edna	Ronald	Kathleen	Scott	Lori	Jeffery	Mary	William	Amy	John	Rachel	Ryan	Grace
16	Albert	Francis	Kenneth	Carol	Brian	Laura	Richard	Christina	Brian	Rachel	Zachary	Jennifer	Tyler	Ava
17	Clarence	Rose	Paul	Diane	Charles	Elizabeth	Scott	Amanda	Brandon	Kimberly	Justin	Nicole	James	Taylor
18	Fred	Annie	Larry	Brenda	Paul	Julie	Mark	Julie	Jonathan	Christina	William	Alexis	John	Brianna
19	Harold	Grace	Daniel	Cheryl	Daniel	Brenda	Steven	Sarah	Nicholas	Lauren	Anthony	Victoria	Jonathan	Lauren
20	Paul	Bertha	Stephen	Janet	Christopher	Jennifer	Thomas	Laura	Anthony	Crystal	Robert	Amber	Noah	Chloe
21	Raymond	Emma	Dennis	Elizabeth	Kenneth	Barbara	Timothy	Shannon	Eric	Brittany	Jonathan	Alyssa	Brandon	Natalie
22	Richard	Bessie	Timothy	Kathy	Anthony	Angela	Anthony	Christine	Adam	Rebecca	Austin	Courtney	Christian	Kayla
23	Roy	Clara	Edward	Margaret	Gregory	Sharon	Charles	Tammy	Kevin	Laura	Alexander	Rebecca	Dylan	Jessica
24	Joe	Hazel	Jeffery	Janice	Ronald	Debra	Joshua	Tracy	Thomas	Danielle	Kyle	Danielle	Samuel	Anna
25	Louis	Irene	George	Carolyn	Donald	Teresa	Ryan	Karen	Steven	Emily	Kevin	Jasmine	Benjamin	Victoria

Search More Baby Names

Find the perfect baby name for your child by searching among 5400 popular, unique or unusual baby names and find their meanings, origins and similar names! Click here

Return to Pregnancy

Resources

Stoppard, Miriam. "Dr. Miriam Stoppard’s New Pregnancy and Birth Book.” Ballantine Books. 2009. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Your Pregnancy and Birth.” Meredith Books. 2005. Stone, Joanne; Eddleman, Keith; Duenwald, Mary. “Pregnancy for Dummies.” Wiley Publishing. 2004.