Postnatal Care

The postpartum period refers to the first six weeks after childbirth. This is a joyous time, but it's also a period of adjustment and healing for mothers. During these weeks, you'll bond with your baby and you'll have a post-delivery check-up with your doctor.

Adjusting to motherhood

Adjusting to everyday life after the birth of a baby has its challenges, especially if you're a new mother. Although it's important to care for your baby, you also have to take care of yourself.

Here's what you can do for an easier transition:

• Rest: Get as much sleep as possible to cope with tiredness and fatigue. To make sure you're getting enough rest, sleep when your baby sleeps. A typical newborn wakes up about every 3 hours and needs to be fed, changed, and comforted. In the first few weeks, you need to let someone else take care of all responsibilities other than feeding your baby and taking care of yourself.
• Help: Don't hesitate to accept help from family and friends during the postpartum period, as well as after this period. Your body needs to heal, and practical help around the home can help you get much-needed rest. Friends or family can prepare meals, run errands, or help care for other children at home.
• Nutrition: Your body has undergone many changes during pregnancy and birth. You need time to recover. The weight gained in pregnancy helps build stores for your recovery and for breastfeeding. After delivery, you need to eat a healthy and balanced diet so that you can be active and be able to care of your baby. Maintain a healthy diet to promote healing. You should also increase your fluid intake, especially if you are breast-feeding.

  The 5 food group categories are:

  • Grains: Foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain are grain products. Examples include whole wheat, brown rice, and oatmeal.
  • Vegetables: Vary your vegetables. Choose a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red, and orange vegetables, legumes (peas and beans), and starchy vegetables.
  • Fruits: Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.
  • Dairy: Milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Focus on fat-free or low-fat products, as well as those that are high in calcium.
  • Protein: Go lean on protein. Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. Choose more fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans.
  • Oils: Include Nut oils in your diet as they have important nutrients. Others oils such as animal fats are solid. Don't include these in your diet.
• Exercise: Your doctor will let you know when it's OK to exercise. The activity should not be strenuous. Gradually you can increase the length and intensity of your workouts. Go for a walk, swim, or join an aerobics class. The change of scenery is refreshing and can increase your energy level.

  Other body changes include:

  • Breast engorgement: Your breasts will fill with milk a couple of days after birth. This is a normal process, but the swelling (engorgement) can be uncomfortable. To ease discomfort, apply a warm or cold compress to your breasts.
  • Sore nipples from breast-feeding usually disappear as your body adjusts. Use nipple cream to soothe cracking and pain.
  • Constipation: Eat high-fibre foods to stimulate bowel activity, and drink plenty of water.
  • Pelvic floor changes: The area between your rectum and vagina is known as the Perineum. It stretches during birth. Sometimes a doctor will cut this area to help your labour. You can help this area recover after your delivery by doing Kegel exercises, icing the area with cold packs wrapped in towels, and sitting on a pillow. Hot Seitz bath can also help.
  • Sweating: Hormonal changes can cause night-time sweating after having a baby
  • Uterine pain: A shrinking uterus after giving birth can cause cramping. The pain subsides in time.
  • Vaginal discharge: Vaginal discharge is typical two to four weeks after giving birth. This is how your body eliminates blood and tissue from your uterus. Wear sanitary napkins until the discharge stops. Do not use tampons or douche until your four to six week

Giving birth can change your family unit and routine, but you’ll eventually adjust. Any emotional and physical changes you experience after birth will slowly improve. Don't hesitate to talk to your doctor about any concerns, whether it's related to depression, your baby, or the healing process.