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You have spent the last nine months of your life preparing, anticipating,
writing out lists of names, picking out the perfect home from the
hospital outfit and stocking up on diapers while waiting for that
tiny precious life to arrive and now the moment has come. After
the excitement and family visitors, it’s a special bonding
time for you and your baby.
You’re filled with love every time you look at your baby,
yet you are feeling a mix of new and unexpected physical and emotional
experiences. Lamaze classes, and advice from your mother and friends
who have had children, may have prepared you for childbirth, but
not for this.
First, the important thing to realize is that these feelings are
normal and the key to dealing with them is acknowledgement, then
finding a coping strategy. The following list compiled by the Kid’s
Health magazine offers what physical and emotional symptoms to expect
after childbirth:
Physical
symptoms
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Tenderness in the breasts: Your breasts may become
painfully enlarged when the milk comes in and your nipples may
become sore.
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Constipation: The first bowel movement is usually
delayed to the third or fourth day after delivery and you may
feel sore due to sensitive hemorrhoids.
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Episiotomy: If your perineum (the area of skin between
the vagina and the anus) was cut by your doctor during the birth,
it may be difficult to walk or sit because the stitches are
healing.
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Hemorrhoids: These are very common yet usually unexpected
and not noticed initially.
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Hot and cold flashes: Your internal thermostat is
fluctuating trying to adjust to the new hormone and blood flow
levels.
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Urinary or fecal incontinence: Coughing, laughing
or straining can cause you to inadvertently pass urine due to
the muscles that were stretched during delivery, particularly
long vaginal deliveries.
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"After pains": Contractions caused by the
shrinking of your uterus may worsen when your baby is nursing.
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Vaginal discharge: Your periods may be heavier, with
clots sometimes the size of golf balls, but will gradually taper
off and stop altogether after two months.
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Weight: Before you start losing weight, your postpartum
weight will be around 10 pounds below your full-term weight.
Wide-range
of emotions
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"Baby blues": As a result of hormonal changes
such as exhaustion, unexpected birth experiences, adjusting
to new roles and feelings of loss of control over your life,
makes up about 80 percent of what new moms feel. Emotions such
as sadness, crying, or anxiety can happen days or weeks after
delivery.
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Postpartum depression: 10 percent to 20 percent of
new moms may experience mood swings, anxiety, guilt and persistent
sadness. This is considered more serious than the baby blues
and can occur several months after delivery.
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Postpartum psychosis: A severe and fairly rare condition
that may become life threatening to you and your baby and you
should call your doctor immediately if you experience any feelings
of harming yourself or your baby.
What
to expect after a cesarean section
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This is a major surgery and takes a much longer time
to heal.
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The worse pain will be the day after the surgery and
will gradually begin to subside.
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Don’t scratch the area of the incision and take
sponge baths for the first several days.
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If you notice any redness or swelling around the incision,
call your doctor to make sure it isn’t infected.
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To help the recovery process, start gentle exercises
such as abdominal tightening, bending and walking, (with assistance
initially) as soon as possible.
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Drink lots of water, preferably eight to ten glasses
a day.
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Expect vaginal discharge.
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Avoid stairs and driving until you have healed properly.
Taking
time for yourself
One major area of new mothers’ lives that is thrown off kilter
once the baby arrives is allowing time for you. Experts say that
it’s important for moms to know that if you feel like you need
some time for yourself, that you not only deserve it but are entitled
to it.
Making time in your schedule whether that be through the help of
a significant other, family member or friend, will help with giving
you the feeling of having control over your life and gaining some
sense of self.
Experts recommend beginning a self-care program early on after
having your baby and always remember that good mothering does not
mean perfect mothering. Formulating a self-care program involves
developing a sense of balance between yourself and family members
and pursuing your own interests and goals that you set for yourself.
Not only are your needs important to the development of the family,
but also are fundamental to their happiness.
The following exercise is a great way to help you set your priorities
after motherhood:
Make a list of five activities, goals, hobbies or interests
that are important to you to pursue in the year following childbirth.
Next, make a promise to yourself that you will look at this list
a few months after your baby is born. By doing this exercise, you
can integrate your interests with motherhood.
Keeping a strong relationship with your partner
Having a baby always puts relationships to the test and it’s
up to you and your partner to determine if your relationship will
get stronger or weaker as a result of this experience.
As it was before the baby, keeping an open line of communication,
especially if there’s a problem, is even more critical now
because you don’t have as much time to spend together and you
have many more responsibilities.
Try to put aside some time in the day for alone time and share
your feelings as honestly and supportively as you can. Come up with
solutions together as a couple.
Keep your romance alive by scheduling "date nights."
Kid’s
Health March 16, 2004
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