How to take care of your body post delivery?

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 be having a bond with your baby. 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. Most new mothers don’t return to work for at least the first six weeks after birth. This allows time to adapt and develop a new normal. Since a baby has to be fed and changed often, you may experience sleepless nights. It can be frustrating and tiresome. The good news is that you’ll eventually fall into a routine. About 70 – 80 % of new mothers experience mood swings or negative feelings after giving birth, caused by hormonal changes the symptoms may include:

1. unexplained crying
2. irritability
3. insomnia
4. sadness
5. mood changes
6. restlessness

Along with emotional changes, you’ll experience body changes after giving birth, such as weight gain, breast engorgement, pelvic floor change, constipation, uterine change, vaginal discharge.

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. Engorgement improves with time. To ease discomfort, apply a warm or cold compress to your breasts. Sore nipples from breastfeeding usually disappear as your body adjusts. Use nipple cream or medicated ghee to soothe cracking and pain.

Constipation

Eat high-fiber foods to stimulate bowel activity, and drink plenty of water. Ask your doctor about safe medications. Fiber can also relieve hemorrhoids, as well as over-the-counter creams or sitting in a sitz bath. Drinking water helps ease problems with urinating after birth. If you experience incontinence, exercises can strengthen your pelvic muscles.

Pelvic floor changes

The area between your rectum and vagina is known as the perineum. It stretches and often tears during birth. Sometimes a doctor will cut this area to help your labor. 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.

Sweating

Hormonal changes can cause nighttime sweating after having a baby. Remove blankets from your bed to stay cool.

Uterine pain

A shrinking uterus after giving birth can cause cramping. The pain subsides in time. your safe pain medications after consulting with the doctor if it’s actually needed, or you can go with postnatal ayurvedic remedies such as abyangam, udaravestanam, etc.

Vaginal discharge

Vaginal discharge is typically 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 the six-week postpartum appointment, or until your doctor approves it. Using these products in the immediate postpartum period may increase your risk of uterine infection. If your vaginal discharge is foul-smelling, notify your doctor. You may continue to have spots for your first week postpartum, but heavy bleeding is not expected. If you are experiencing heavy vaginal bleeding, such as saturating one sanitary pad within two hours, contact your doctor immediately. We can solve this through ayurvedic way particularly through the treatments like yoni dhoopanam etc. 

Nutrition

Your body has undergone many changes during pregnancy & birth. You need time to recover. In addition to rest, you need to eat a healthy diet to help you do that. The weight gained in pregnancy helps build stores for breastfeeding. After delivery, you need to eat a healthy & balanced diet so you can be active and able to care for your baby.

1. 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.
2. Vegetables. Vary your vegetables. Choose a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red, and orange vegetables, legumes (peas and beans), and starchy vegetables.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Protein. Go lean on protein. Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. Vary your protein routine. Choose more fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans.

Ayurveda gives a lot of importance during the postnatal time. Prasavaraksha is an authentic ayurvedic treatment procedure that was followed by our ancestors. Massage therapy is the safe & effective method you can avail at all stages of pregnancy. Different studies suggest that massage therapy with dhanwantharam oil might have multiple benefits, especially during postnatal period. The classical medicated oil dhanwantharam mukkuttu is commonly using for mrudu abyangam. It is fully formulated for full body massage which is helpful to expel out unwanted air movements during parturition, the key ingredients in it will give relief from body pain, muscular spasm & dry texture of the skin. It relaxes your body & keeps your mind calm. This promotes overall health, well-being, and rejuvenation for all moms to be.