How to quickly recovery after vaginal delivery
Postpartum pain is common, especially in cases of tears during delivery. Most women wonder how to manage pain and recover naturally.
1) Prepare to bleed after childbirth
Your blood volume doubles during pregnancy. Your body gets rid of this extra blood the weeks following the birth of your baby. So expect vaginal bleeding after childbirth. But do not use tampons. They can interfere with healing. Instead, use ultra-absorbent pads until the bleeding disappears, which usually lasts between 2 and 6 weeks.
Check with your doctor in case your bleeding does not go down, continues to have a bright red color, or contains large clots.
2) Have a sitz bath
Postpartum pain – the cramps you feel when your uterus shrinks to its normal size – is often unbearable. With vaginal delivery, the risk of tears and episiotomies is high, and they take longer to heal. Moreover, they are also painful.
It is important to keep your stitches clean. Even if you do not have stitches, the vulva is still likely to be swollen and tender. To keep the stitches clean and to reduce pain and tenderness, it is recommended to have a sitz bath. This type of bath will help keep your genital area clean and reduce pain to a great extent.
Try to sit in a bath filled with hot water, three times a day and after stools. Also, after urinating, pour warm water over the genital area to reduce pain.
3) Use ice packs
Frequent practice during hospital deliveries is the use of ice packs. To reduce swelling or pain around the opening of your vagina, ice packs are very helpful. The coldness of the ice slice helps to numb the nerves, reducing pain and swelling.
Put water on a sanitary plastic bag and freeze it to use as a pack of ice. Let thaw for a few minutes, then wrap it in a thin cloth before using. You can also wear an adult diaper to prevent dripping. Repeat 2 to 3 times a day.
You can also wrap ice cubes in a towel and place it against the pain area for 5 to 10 minutes. Do it a few times a day. Never leave an ice cube tray for more than 15 minutes. In addition, have a protective layer of tissue between your sensitive skin and ice.
4) Do Kegel exercises
For a quick recovery after a vaginal delivery, it is important to strengthen your pelvic muscles. This will help heal your perineum (the region between your vagina and the rectum), which extends and sometimes tears during vaginal delivery.
Practice Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles after 1 to 2 weeks after delivery.
5) Take care of breast pain
After giving birth, your breasts start producing milk. It is better to breastfeed because it benefits not only the newborn, but also your body.
In the beginning, your breasts can become heavy and painful, and you will have trouble feeding your baby. Try to feed your baby or milk often to avoid flooding and leaks.
Use warm compresses to help let milk flow and relieve engorgement. If your nipples are sore, make sure your baby is seated properly. Use ice packs to relieve pain. Wear a strong nursing bra. Use tampons to prevent milk leaking.
6) Take care of all the stitches
Not all women need stitches after vaginal delivery, but some may need them. If you have stitches (most of them are insolvent), it is important to keep them clean to avoid infection. Most stitches take up to 3 weeks to heal and disappear.
Use a bottle of hot water to clean your private areas after using the bathroom. Drink water to dilute your urine. This will decrease the pain by urinating. Try using an inflatable ring on the toilet to reduce pressure on your buttocks as you sit down.
7) Check the signs of infection
Any type of infection can delay the healing process and make things worse for a new. After a vaginal delivery, the most sensitive places to develop an infection are your stitches, your uterus, and your bladder.
The first sign of an infection on the stitches increases the pain and a thick yellow or greenish flow around the stitches. The most obvious sign of infection in the uterus is a severe odor or mixed with vaginal blood.
When it comes to a bladder infection, look for signs like a burning sensation when urinating, a need to urinate more frequently and a sense of urgency. If you notice any of these signs, consult your doctor immediately.
8) Rest and sleep
Caring for a newborn is more than just a full-time job, and new mothers often do not pay much attention to rest and sleep.
Postpartum healing takes time, and by resting and taking care of your body, you can speed up the process. Sleep is vital to your physical and emotional well-being and can also help you manage the responsibilities of the new maternity ward.
Always remember that bed rest associated with a new mother’s responsibilities can cause anxiety and depression. Therefore, do your best to make short naps if possible. If needed, ask for extra support and sleep when your baby is sleeping. Ask your partner to help you change diapers at night so you can sleep well.
9) Control your emotions
Women always feel emotional after the birth of a baby, and very often these emotions are not even positive! Hormonal changes in the body often affect emotions. Even the responsibilities of a newborn can make you feel depressed or anxious.
If these symptoms are for a short time, there is nothing to fear. But if you still feel depressed even after 2 weeks of giving birth, do not keep it, talk to your doctor. You may be suffering from postpartum depression and treatment is available.
