Many new parents spend the whole of their pregnancy planning for the baby and mentally preparing for birth. Unfortunately, during the preparation, many overlook the challenge of postpartum recovery, and new parents are left unprepared for that.
A lot of recovery must happen following the birth of your child. Though the hospital may help by giving you some of the tools to start you on your recovery journey, you may also take advantage of natural and home remedies to aid in your recovery.
- Perineum Care
Your perineum is the space from your pubic bone and your tailbone, and everything in between. It makes a kind of diamond shape. This is a space that will be significantly affected by a vaginal delivery, and sometimes a cesarean section.
The process of giving birth can cause some trauma to this area, especially if you sustain a tear or an episiotomy. The area often undergoes swelling, soreness, dryness, and itching as the tears heal.
Fortunately, the use of spray bottles can help to clean the perineum, ice packs may calm the inflammation and provide relief for your soreness, and witch hazel pads can be applied to reduce the swelling and control bacteria. This is especially important as lochia–or vaginal bleeding–can last up to four weeks following birth.
- Breastfeeding and Breast Engorgement
Breastfeeding can be an incredible bonding experience for you and your infant, but it is not always an easy and natural transition. In the first days of feeding, the mother’s milk has not fully come in, and she typically feeds the baby colostrum.
This is a dense, high-nutrient substance that a mother’s body creates, and features antibodies to protect the baby.
What can make the transition even harder is the post-birth contractions that a woman may feel, because they can be the strongest during breastfeeding. This is due to the release of oxytocin that occurs during the process, to help the mother’s uterus to contract back down to its normal size.
This is nature’s way of helping the mother heal postpartum, and distracting her with the presence and bond of her child–and it can last up to ten days.
When mother’s milk does come in after two to three days, the breasts can often become engorged and painful, as the body learns to regulate how much milk to produce for the baby. This engorgement can increase the risk of mastitis, but by treating clogged milk ducts at home, you can reduce your risk of infection.
An IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) can be beneficial in guiding you through this new process: teaching you different latching techniques, as well as how to properly care for your breasts postpartum. Some of their recommendations and home remedies include self-expressing your milk to alleviate some of the engorgement and taking hot showers to massage the milk from your body. For personalized lactation support, whether you’re facing challenges with breastfeeding, seeking additional education, or preparing for the arrival of your baby and postpartum, consider scheduling a lactation consultation with an IBCLC.
- Hemorrhoids and Constipation
Both hemorrhoids and constipation after giving birth or undergoing a c-section are common experiences. Hemorrhoids can be a result of the continuous and highly strenuous pushing process to get the baby out. These symptoms can be further exacerbated by constipation.
Most new parents experience constipation. Constipation can be the result of narcotics in your system, the pain experienced while pushing, iron supplementation, stress, sleep changes, and dehydration. A typical postpartum practice in the hospital is to prescribe stool softeners to help get the body flowing again.
You can help to mitigate the effects of constipation by taking a focused approach to both your diet and movement. Though you should not exercise for at least 6 weeks–or until you are cleared by a doctor–going for a short little walk on your hospital floor within a few hours of giving birth helps to prevent blood clots and gets your bowels moving again.
Additional ways to promote healthy bowels and prevent constipation is to eat a more fiber-rich diet and drink plenty of water.
Postpartum recovery for new parents can be overwhelming and stressful, despite the immense joy you will feel in welcoming a new child. By utilizing these home remedies for some of your postpartum struggles and consulting an insurance-covered lactation, you can more easily embrace this beautiful time of life as you adjust to your new role as a parent.
Photo by Jenna Norman on Unsplash
