The natural delivery of your baby can cause some issues both expected and unexpected during the days and weeks after birth. Recovering from vaginal birth will take time, however there are some things you can do to speed the process up and ease your discomfort.
Ways to recover from common vaginal birth issues include:
Vaginal bleeding will continue for up to a few weeks after delivery. While midwives and doctors will check up on you to ensure bleeding levels are below a worrying level, you should let your doctor know if you need to use more than one sanitary pad an hour. Contractions after birth will continue for some time to shrink your uterus to its normal size and prevent excessive bleeding.
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Urinary and fecal incontinence.
The strain on your muscles during delivery can affect your ability to control bowel movements during the weeks after delivery, particularly when you laugh, cough, sneeze or strain. To aid the recovery of urinary and fecal incontinence it is best for you to rest and relax while your muscles recover. You should try using sanitary pads during this time and kegel exercises will help later in the recovery process.
Stitches in the perineum after delivery will make it painful to sit, walk, cough, sneeze, laugh or strain. Recovering from episiotomy will require some time of rest, relaxation and avoidance of any strenuous activities. You may want to try bathing in a small amount of warm water to carefully wash the area. To ease the pain your doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory while you recover.
The recovery process should be fairly timely, with many women feeling well enough to go about normal activities only a week after delivery. The recovery process however, is different for everyone and you should ensure you do not put any excess strain or pressure on your body during this time. Take as much help as you can get, relax as much as possible and nap whenever baby is sleeping. The recovery process will be much quicker and easier if you listen to your body and keep within its limits.
