7 cares you should have after natural childbirth

Find here a list of cares you should have during the first days after pregnancy to ensure proper recovery

After giving birth, you will have to spend six weeks to take care of your health and adjust to your new reality as a mother. Generally, this period, necessary for your body to recover from pregnancy changes and return to normal, is known as the "quarantine".

Leer en español: 7 cuidados que debes tener después del parto natural

That is why here we present a list of cares you must have during those 40 days to ensure a good recovery after giving birth by natural birth:

1. According to Baby Center, short walks are recommended, but you should not make any physical effort such as cleaning the house, lifting heavy objects, doing impact exercises or walking long distances. Try to find someone who can help you with household chores during these first days to dedicate to your baby.

2. After delivery, the moms' feeding should vary. According to the newspaper El Debate, experts recommend that mothers eat whenever they feel hungry but in a balanced way, because they require an adequate diet for milk production.

Foods rich in iron and calcium are highly recommended, as is the consumption of water, yogurt, vegetables, chicken, nuts, fish, eggs, tofu, almonds, whole grains, and fresh fruits.

3. Although it is not bad to have sex during the quarantine, it is not ideal to have sex when your uterus is still in the healing stage; that is, when you are bleeding or have vaginal discharge. This could cause an infection, cause the wound could reopen itself or produce a tear.

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4. If an episiotomy or an incision was made to facilitate the delivery of the baby, it is possible that in the first days you notice discomfort in the perineal area that will gradually disappear. You can put compresses of cold water or ice to relieve the pain or take some analgesic.

5. Wash the genital area with cold, warm water and always clean from front to back to prevent infection.

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6. It is possible that during the first days your breasts are congested and hurt. The best thing you can do, according to Kids Health, is to establish a regular pattern of breastfeeding.

7. During these first days you can also suffer from urinary incontinence, this is usually resolved gradually when the body regains its pre-pregnancy form. However, you can always help yourself with exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor, known as "Kegel exercises." Simulate that you are trying to urinate, contract those muscles for a few seconds, relax them, and then repeat.

LatinAmerican Post | Luisa Báez
Translated from “7 cuidados que debes tener después del parto natural”

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