After normal delivery, it is easy to forget your worries in the wake of your excitement at meeting your baby. However, do not forget that this is also a very vulnerable time. As such, it is important to take certain precautions after normal delivery.
There are many things you can do after giving birth that you missed during pregnancy. However, there are still some things that you should either avoid doing or limit. There are also some things that you can do to make things easier and safer for yourself.
Adjusting to motherhood can be a tiring, time-consuming ordeal, but it is worth it. And while many mothers can naturally deal with it, it can never hurt to have a few useful tips in mind.
With that in mind, read on for some tips on how to make this transition into parenthood easier and safer.
What Precautions Should Be Taken After Normal Delivery?
Given below are 12 precautions after normal delivery that will not only ensure a faster recovery but will also help you have an easier time dealing with your newborn baby.
1. Eat nutritious food
In the immediate aftermath of delivery, your appetite can play all sorts of games on you. You may not feel hungry all that much. And even if you do, you may not have enough time.
However, you must not skip meals during pregnancy, especially if you are a breastfeeding mother. This is one of the most pertinent precautions after normal delivery for the mother. Make sure you eat whenever you are hungry, and even if you are not, try to have 5 small meals a day, instead of 3 big ones. Also keep in mind that there are certain foods that should be completely avoided during breastfeeding.
It is not enough to just eat. You must also ensure that the food you eat is very nutritious and well-balanced. In addition to aiding your breastfeeding, this will also help ensure a faster recovery.
Some things you should keep in mind when preparing your diet are:
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid caffeine
- Add plenty of grains, fruits and vegetables, cereals, legumes, and dairy products to your menu
- Make sure the food you eat is rich in protein, calcium, and iron
2. Exercise regularly
Exercising is on our list of easy ways to lose weight after delivery, however that doesn’t mean that you should have an intense daily workout routine or anything. However, it will help you to have some sort of exercise regularly, even if it is not anything too straining.
So one of the things you can do post-delivery is to establish an exercise regime. It can be something as simple as going for a walk outside. Walking is a great exercise after normal delivery and can give you a lot of relief. It boosts circulation, relieves gas issues, prevents constipation, boosts your mood, and relieves cramps.
A few low-intensity exercises can go a long way in speeding up your recovery. There are even a few easy exercises you can do in the sitting position after normal delivery.
3. Ensure you are hydrated
Stop wondering if is it safe to drink cold water after delivery, staying well hydrated is one of the most important things to do during this time. With how your life has probably become a lot busier, it is easy to forget to drink water, but your body needs fluids, and being dehydrated can cause a lot of complications. It can also increase your exhaustion. So, make sure to keep a bottle of water handy and take regular sips from it. Staying hydrated is very important during any time of your life and is not just one of the precautions after normal delivery.
4. Use pads instead of tampons
After giving birth, the lining of your uterus will be shed through the process of lochia. It is very similar to menstruation but will last for about 6 weeks. During this time, you will be more prone to infection than usual.
Using tampons a lot can make you susceptible to infections even when you are merely menstruating. During this time, the risk is even higher. Hence, it is advised that you use sanitary pads instead of tampons.
5. Get sufficient rest
The months after giving birth are quite possibly the busiest of your life. There is always more work to be done: something to cook, something to clean, something to organize. It may seem never-ending.
So, even when the baby is sleeping, it is very common for new mothers to use that time to get a chore done. You may constantly be thinking, “when can I start doing household work after delivery”. However, this is a very bad idea.
The general rule is to “sleep when the baby sleeps”. Since it is unlikely that you will get a good full night’s rest, you must take what time you can. So, you must change your sleeping pattern to match the baby.
Nap when the baby naps. Try not to be too hard on yourself and don’t do anything that might tire you out. Prioritize your and your baby’s health.
This is especially important if you are told to take bed rest after normal delivery. Listen to your doctor, and do not try to take things faster than they ought to be.
If you are confused about how to lay down after normal delivery, do not worry. There aren’t many rules on how to sleep, though there are a few that are more advisable than others. However, making sure you get in and out of bed on your side will help reduce the strain on your back, perineum, and abdomen.
Related Reading: 40 Days After Delivery – 8 Precautions And 6 Ways To Spend Them
6. Avoid straining
One thing you need to make sure of is that you do not push your body to the limits. Remember that this is a time for healing, not straining. Go easy on yourself. Drink plenty of water, go for walks to loosen your muscles, use gentle stool softeners, and eat food that is rich in fiber.
Straining yourself can, in turn, lead to many complications, making it one of the important precautions after normal delivery.
7. Avoid having many guests over
Dealing with visitors and hosting guests can be stressful and tiring at the best of times. When you have just given birth, though, the problems increase a hundredfold.
Having guests over can increase the risk of you or your baby contracting an infection or illness of some kind, as both of you are in a vulnerable time, with your immune system weak. It will impede you and your baby’s bonding time. And it will also drain you of your much-needed energy.
8. Use warm water
It need not be said that after normal delivery, you will be feeling very sore. Your vaginal area, in particular, maybe painful and difficult to clean. It is also more prone to infection. Using warm water to clean yourself can help relieve you of all these problems.
9. Ice packs to relieve pain in vaginal area
This may seem contradictory to the last precaution, but it is still true. Ice packs can be very helpful in relieving the pain around your vaginal area after normal delivery. However, make sure you do not make the ice pack have direct contact with the vagina. Wrap it in a soft towel or cloth first.
Related Reading: 9 Benefits of Kegel Exercise After Delivery
10. Take sitz baths
A sitz bath is a warm, shallow bath. It is where you sit in a few inches of warm water, mostly after your bowel movements. Doing this every day can help relieve any soreness in your vaginal area.
11. Do not hesitate to ask for help
When you have just given birth, one of the most important things that you need is support. This includes social support, emotional support, and economic support. You may be hesitant to reach out, but don’t be. You can hire someone to help out with household work, or even babysit. You can ask family members or friends to help you take care of the baby. Any help you receive means less work that you have to do, meaning you can recover easier.
After delivery care for mothers in India may not be the best in the world, but it is possible to receive some help and support.
12. Make Sure You Avoid These Completely
There are some things not to do after giving birth that you need to keep in mind.
- Ignoring pain or any other sign from your body
- Exercising too much
- Smoking and drinking
- Drug use
- Wearing clothes that are too tight
- Lifting heavy objects
Related Reading: 12 Reasons You Do Not Feel Sexually Attracted to Husband After Baby
Challenges You May Have To Face After A Normal Delivery
The months after giving birth can be tumultuous. There is, no doubt, many challenges that you will have to face. You will have to take precautions after normal delivery to combat them. Here are some of the challenges that you may experience during this time.
- Postpartum depression: Everyone knows that the time after delivery is very emotional. However, postpartum depression takes it a step further. It is the intense and persistent feeling of sadness, fear, or tiredness for weeks or months on end. If you think you have postpartum depression, try to seek medical care as soon as possible
- Baby blues: Due to the changes in your chemical and hormone levels, you may experience mood swings or irritability after giving birth. This is different from postpartum depression and is a temporary issue
- Urinary incontinence: Delivery, especially normal delivery, causes your pelvic muscles to weaken. This is particularly true if the delivery involved the use of forceps or any such method. This weakening causes urinary incontinence
- Constipation: Constipation, along with other digestive issues, is one of the most common complaints of both pregnant women and new mothers. This can be due to many reasons, from the side effects of iron supplements to pain or discomfort in your perineum
- Sore breasts: Whether or not you breastfeed your baby, your breasts might feel sore after childbirth. Frequently breastfeeding your child will help alleviate this pain, thus follow these simple home remedies for sore & cracked nipples
Things To Make This Time Easier For You
Some incredible products can make your post-delivery recovery time much easier.
Maxi pads
What is it: Sanitary pads with maximum absorbing capacity. It will protect you on days of heavy bleeding
How it helps: It is very helpful least the first couple of weeks or till postpartum bleeding stop.
Cotton granny underpants
What is it: These are underpants for women that extend at least to their belly button. Comfort is ensured by the full coverage of the front, sides, and back.
How it helps: Go for the “granny” or hospital gauze underwear — comfort is much more important for now than looking sexy.
Acetaminophen.
What is it: A drug that is used to treat mild to moderate pain.
How it helps: It can help with perineal pain and overall pains after delivery.
Witch hazel pads
What is it: Pads saturated with Witch Hazel that provide a cooling and soothing effect.
How it works: It helps to relieve postpartum hemorrhoids and relieve vaginal pain when used with ice packs.
Sitz bath
What is it: A small tub designed for you to sit in it for a while to ease any pains down there.
How it works: Just sit on it and get relieve from postpartum pain.
Peri or squirt bottle
What is it: A bottle that is designed to help to wash your perineal area which is very helpful during the initial month after delivery.
How it works: Start using it as the area heals. Squirting warm tap water on your perineum will not only keep it clean but also helps ease the pain.
Lanolin
What is it: The cream is very effective to prevent and treat cracked nipples.
How it works: Apply on the crackled nipple after every feed and clean it before the next feeding
Related Reading: 12 Important Tips For After Delivery Care
The list does not end here. Numerous products in the market can help you to ease pain and discomfort by taking the necessary precautions after normal delivery.
Conclusion
With all the worrying and stressing that you had to go through during pregnancy, you may have been looking forward to delivery, to just let loose. While you can rest easy during this time, you should also make sure that you take a few measures to keep yourself and your baby safe. And a faster recovery time certainly would not hurt!
Normal delivery, especially, has some risks to it, mainly concerning the chance of infections. However, taking the above precautions after normal delivery will make this time much smoother for you.