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Postpartum Health
Take Care of YOURSELF
The days and weeks after giving
birth, called postpartum, are a
special time for you and your
baby. A baby can bring a lot of joy. But
you may feel tired, have emotional ups
and downs and experience physical
discomfort.
"It's normal for women to feel overwhelmed
by all the changes after childbirth,"
says Yvette Poindexter, M.D.,
OB/GYN on staff at Methodist Sugar
Land Hospital. You should have a
checkup with your doctor six weeks
after your baby is born to make sure
your body is healing properly.
Some normal changes you may notice
during postpartum include:
- Vaginal bleeding. You may have
bleeding three to eight weeks
after delivery.
- Pain when urinating. This may
occur for several days. Use a squirt
bottle filled with warm water to
reduce the sting of urine as it hits
your skin.
- Cramping. You may have period-like
cramps if you are breast-feeding
and abdominal pain if you've had
a C-section.
- Breast tenderness. Breasts are
sensitive and may leak milk in a
warm shower or when you hear your
baby cry. Call your doctor if your
breasts have red or sore areas, which
could mean an infection.
- Depression. Fifty to 75 percent of
new mothers have "baby blues."
Hormonal changes, lack of sleep
and anxiety about caring for a
newborn may affect your
emotions. Depression should
get better with time, but if you
are extremely sad and unable to
care for yourself and your baby,
let your family and doctor know.
If any of these
symptoms are
severe and get
in the way of
taking care of
your baby, see
your doctor.
"Symptoms of depression or generally
feeling wiped out should abate in a
week or two after childbirth," Dr.
Poindexter says. "About 10 percent of
women don't feel better on their own
and need medical assistance."
Make Healthy Choices
To help keep your body strong so you
can tend to your baby’s needs, eat fruits,
vegetables and whole grains. Extra
fluids, such as water, are essential if you
are breast-feeding. Your body also needs
more calcium and protein during this
time. Your doctor can help you plan a
good diet.
Get some sleep. It may be hard to come
by when you have diapers to change
and round-the-clock feedings, but your
body needs to recharge. Take naps
whenever you can. Ask family and
friends to help with the baby so you
can get some rest.
Educational sessions at Methodist
Sugar Land Hospital can encourage you
and make you feel more confident in
your parenting skills. All classes are
taught by nurse educators on staff at
The Birthing Center, including breast-feeding,
baby care classes for parents,
infant and child CPR, and new sibling
classes for brothers and sisters. Call
888-812-0084 for dates and times.
Remember, postpartum is temporary.
Enjoy bonding with your little one – in
a few months, you'll wonder where the
time went!
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Call The Birthing Center at
888-812-0084 for dates and
times of our educational sessions
for parents. |
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