Postpartum care

Our maternity services don't end after labor and delivery. As your body recovers from childbirth, you have a six- to eight-week period of adjustment until your body has returned to normal. Many women report feeling various symptoms throughout this period, including:

• Constipation — Common the first few weeks after delivery, it is essential to have plenty of liquids, fresh fruits, vegetables and a high-fiber cereal. Do not use harsh laxatives, especially if you are breastfeeding.
• Abnormal menstrual period — Most women have a menstrual period within six to eight weeks after delivery if they aren't breastfeeding. This varies with each woman, as the first period may be longer or shorter than usual. If you are breastfeeding, you may not have a period for five to seven months. If you do, however, it will not affect your breastfeeding.
• Vaginal discharge — You may have some vaginal bleeding lasting up to six weeks after delivery. If the discharge from your vagina has an unusually foul odor or if you are running a fever of 100.4 degrees or more, please call our women's care team.

After you leave the hospital, you will need to make an appointment with your obstetrician for your six-week check-up. If you had particular problems after delivery or a Cesarean section, our team would instruct you to return for a check-up sooner than six weeks.

It is essential to return for your postpartum examination to ensure you are back to your normal nonpregnant state. After, your doctor can release you to all your regular activities, including returning to work.

Because of hormonal changes after giving birth, some women often experience symptoms of postpartum depression, including sadness and difficulty sleeping. About 10 percent of women experience postpartum depression, with risk factors including recent stressful events, a history of mental illness or postpartum depression after a previous delivery.

If you experience any of the following signs, please call your doctor immediately:

• Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, doubt, guilt that keeps you from your normal daily activities
• Difficulty sleeping or wanting to sleep all the time
• Appetite changes — never wanting to eat or eating all of the time
• Loss of pleasure in the things that previously made you happy
• Anxiety or panic attacks
• Loss of interest in your baby or extreme worry or concern about the baby
• Fear of harming the baby
• Thoughts of harming yourself

Doing regular exercises postpartum can prevent chronic backache and return your uterus to its normal position. These exercises, along with a good diet and aerobic experience, can help you get back into shape.

When you are resting in bed, lie flat on your back and periodically touch your chin to your chest. This is the starting point to tightening up the abdominal muscles that have been stretched for nine months.

As the soreness in your pelvic area begins to decrease, tighten the muscles in your hips and pull your rectum up as if you were trying to stop a bowel movement.