Post partum

Your body after labor & delivery

Vaginal Birth
After a vaginal birth, your clinicians will monitor you closely. Regular checks of your temperature, uterine height, episiotomy (not everyone has one – it’s an incision made between the vagina and rectum) and bleeding will give them indications of your post partum recovery. You can also expect the following to happen:

• If you had an epidural for pain control, your legs may feel heavy or tingly. You may be required to stay in bed for a short period after delivery until the final effects of the epidural wear off (usually a couple of hours at the most).
• If you have an episiotomy you may experience some discomfort from the stitches. You may also have hemorrhoids from pushing. Ice packs help relieve immediate pain and swelling. Warm water provides pain relief later on and is a good home treatment. Over the counter pain medication is also available to help with discomfort if necessary.
• If your perineum (area between your vagina and rectum) is swollen, you may have some difficulty urinating. Be sure to tell your nurse if you think you are not able to empty your bladder fully or if you cannot urinate.
• Your breasts will be soft after delivery and will gradually begin to get firm as breast milk comes in. A few days after delivery, your breasts will harden and your milk will “come in”. Some women experience discomfort when this happens as breasts can get engorged with the nutrient rich milk. Warm water applied to your breasts and emptying them if you’re breastfeeding will help. Any discomfort should go away within a couple of days.
• After delivery, you will have uterine cramping for the first few days. This will also happen when you begin to breastfeed. This is completely normal and is simply the process of your uterus contracting or shrinking back to its pre-pregnant size. While it may be a minor discomfort, there is pain medication available for more extreme cases.
• As your uterus contracts after birth, it will become smaller and will begin to reach the level of your belly button. In 4 – 6 weeks your uterus will return to its pre-pregnant size.
• You will experience some vaginal bleeding after birth that is normal. At first, this bleeding will be bright red with some clotting. It will change to brown, then to yellow clear over the few weeks following delivery. This bleeding is also referred to as lochia.

Cesarean Birth
A cesarean birth involves surgery, and therefore, you’ll be monitored closely after birth. You will go to a recovery room for a period of close observation, where your clinicians will monitor your temperature, uterine height, and your incision and bleeding for indications of your post partum recovery. You will be asked to change positions and breathe deeply often to help speed up your recovery. Many birth centers have their own recovery area within them, and allow you and your baby the opportunity to stay together during this period.

Other things that may happen to your body after cesarean birth include the following:

• If you had spinal anesthesia for your cesarean section, your legs will be numb. You will not be able to stand until the numbness fades. Be sure to ask for assistance before you get out of bed for the first time.
• You may have a tube in your bladder (called a catheter) to drain your urine. This will be taken out within the first 24 hours after delivery.
• You may also have an Intravenous (IV) with fluids. The IV will be discontinued once you are eating and drinking on your own.
• Once you are steady on your feet, you may shower or sponge bathe. Do not take baths or soak your incision until it is fully healed, usually about four weeks.
• Your breasts will be soft after delivery and will gradually begin to get firm as breast milk comes in. A few days after delivery, your breasts will harden and your milk will “come in”. Some women experience discomfort when this happens as breasts can get engorged with the nutrient rich milk. Warm water applied to your breasts and emptying them if you’re breastfeeding will help. Any discomfort should go away within a couple of days.
• After delivery, you will have uterine cramping for the first few days. This will also happen when you begin to breastfeed. This is completely normal and is simply the process of your uterus contracting or shrinking back to its pre-pregnant size. While it may be a minor discomfort, there is pain medication available for more extreme cases.
• As your uterus contracts after birth, it will become smaller and will begin to reach the level of your belly button. In 4 – 6 weeks your uterus will return to its pre-pregnant size.
• You will experience some vaginal bleeding after birth that is normal. At first, this bleeding will be bright red with some clotting. It will change to brown, then to yellow clear over the few weeks following delivery. This bleeding is also referred to as lochia.
• Your incision from the cesarean birth may have dissolving sutures or non-dissolving staples. Dissolving sutures do not need to be removed as they will dissolve on their own. Staples will be removed when your incision looks like it is healing well. Your provider may have applied paper “stitches” over your incision. The tape covering the stitches and incision will peel back over the next week. If you experience any pain from the incision, your clinician will order medications for relief.