After giving birth, expectant mothers are most concerned about recovery. Mothers must pay attention to scientific methods when recovering their bodies. Otherwise, not only will they fail to lose weight, but they will also suffer from various diseases, and it will also have a negative impact on the growth and development of their children. But there’s a big difference between recovery from a vaginal birth and a C-section!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Different delivery methods have different recovery methods
Experts say that since natural childbirth is a physiological process and caesarean section is a medical process, in terms of postpartum recovery, the recovery methods of mothers who have natural childbirth and caesarean section are also different.
Difference – diet conditioning
Women who give birth naturally can eat easily digestible food and drink appropriate amounts of water after delivery. They should urinate within 4-6 hours after delivery.
Mothers who have had a caesarean section can eat dairy-free, sugar-free semi-liquid food 6 hours later. The diet should be nutritionally balanced and include a wide range of recipes. Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and should account for appropriate proportions in the diet.
Difference 2 Postpartum care
For women who give birth naturally, we will guide them to get out of bed in a comfortable position 6-8 hours after delivery. For parturient women with side incisions, try to sit in a side incision chair to avoid compressing the wound. When resting, sit in a supine or lateral position to avoid lochia contamination of the wound.
Women who have had a cesarean section should be placed in a supine position without a pillow 6 hours after the operation, and 6 hours later, placed in a semi-recumbent or side-lying position. After 24 hours of catheterization, they need to get out of bed. Appropriate activities can promote intestinal peristalsis, promote uterine involution, and restore body shape as soon as possible.
Difference 3 Postpartum contraception
Women who give birth naturally can go to the hospital to have an intrauterine device placed three months after delivery and 3-7 days after menstruation is clear.
Mothers who have had a caesarean section need a period of rest and can go to the hospital to have an intrauterine device placed 6 months after delivery.
Natural childbirth and postpartum recovery methods
For normal delivery, you can start exercising 24 hours after delivery.
Leg sliding exercise: Lie on your back, put one leg flat on the bed, exhale while slowly bending the other knee joint at a constant speed, and slide the foot closer to the body. The distance and degree of sliding depends on the situation, and it is appropriate to avoid pain and discomfort. Do the same thing with the other leg. Repeat this for 3-4 times as a group, and do 2-3 groups every day. While gradually recovering your physical strength, increase the range of motion and the number of repetitions, and finally reach 12 times per group. After 3 weeks, if physical strength permits, you can lift one leg instead.
Supine exercise: Lie on your back, inhale first, tighten your back muscles when exhaling, and lift your upper back slightly off the bed. Be careful that your waist does not leave the bed. Hold for a few seconds, relax, and then repeat. Start with 3-4 times per group, 2-3 groups per day, increase the number of repetitions as your physical strength gradually recovers, and finally reach 12 times per group.
Tip: These two movements can be performed in the supine position, and the mother can perform them without getting up.
Recovery methods after caesarean section
Within 6 hours after delivery: When the mother returns to the ward after surgery, she needs to turn her head to one side, take off the pillow, and lie on her back. At the same time, place a sandbag on the abdomen and fast within 6 hours after surgery. First day after giving birth? Acupuncture points after 6 hours? Snow: After lying on her back for 6 hours after delivery, the mother can sleep on the pillow. At this time, it is best to lie on your side, with a quilt or blanket behind your back, so that your body and the bed are at an angle of 20-30 degrees; after the anesthesia wears off, most women will feel pain in the abdominal wound. At this time, ask the doctor to prescribe some medicine, or you can use a pain pump to relieve pain. 6 hours after caesarean section, you can drink some exhaust-type soups, such as carrot soup, and exercise as soon as possible.
The first week after delivery: drink plenty of water and defecate promptly. The diet can be changed from liquid to semi-liquid. Food should be nutritious and easy to digest. You can choose egg soup, rotten porridge, noodles, etc., and then gradually return to normal diet according to the mother\’s constitution. Don\’t rush to drink some greasy milk soup at this stage, such as chicken soup, broth, etc.
Within two months after delivery: Do not lift anything heavier than your baby. Try to take the stairs. It is enough to go up and down one level in one day.
Tip: Instead of driving yourself during the first two or three weeks postpartum, do some pelvic gymnastics.
Tips: Brown sugar water has no blood replenishing effect and is not conducive to postpartum recovery.
It has always been popular among the people that brown sugar water can replenish blood. Women often drink brown sugar water to replenish blood during menstruation and postpartum period. However, brown sugar water does not have the magical effect of replenishing blood as mentioned in folklore.
Brown sugar does not have magical effects such as \”replenishing qi and nourishing blood\”, \”promoting uterine contraction, expelling postpartum intrauterine congestion, and promoting early recovery of the uterus\”. In fact, brown sugar has no active ingredients for replenishing blood, and brown sugar is not purified enough and may contain impurities. Drinking too much brown sugar water during confinement may damage the mother\’s teeth, accelerate the mother\’s sweating, is not conducive to the mother\’s rapid recovery, and may even cause the mother to suffer from heat stroke.
Women should recover as soon as possible after giving birth. It is best to choose boiled water and mineral water for hydration. In addition, you can also get more water and other nutrients from vegetables and fruits.