One thing that often surprises my patients is that you should not drive for two weeks after delivery. All deliveries, whether vaginal or cesarean, involve some blood loss. This blood loss could cause some weakness which could impair your driving ability.
If you delivered vaginally, you may drive when you feel comfortable and have stopped taking pain medications. If you had a cesarean section, wait at least two weeks before driving. Sitz baths (warm, shallow baths), regular baths, and showers are safe after vaginal delivery and can help with discomfort.
It's recommended that you don't start driving until your wound has healed which typically takes 6 weeks to make sure you can drive safely [5]. It's best to discuss driving after your C-section with your ob-gyn or doctor so they can make sure you're ready to get back in the car.
In those first few weeks postpartum, your cervix is still somewhat dilated, regardless of whether you had a vaginal delivery or a c-section. There's a theory – though no research has confirmed this – that tub water could travel into your uterus, introduce bacteria, and cause an infection.
Avoid stairs and lifting until your doctor says these activities are OK. Don't take a bath or go swimming until the doctor says it's OK. Don't drive until your doctor says it's OK. Also wait until you can make sudden movements and wear a safety belt properly without discomfort.
The practices during these days may vary depending on which part of the country you are from. But largely, the first 40 days are seen as a confinement period, meant for you to recuperate, gain strength and bond with your new baby. It's quite natural to feel that 40 days is too long.
Take it slowly for your first six weeks postpartum, and stay at a workout intensity at which you can maintain a conversation but not belt out a song. Try to build up to walking three to five times a week for 30 minutes at this exertion level.
While six weeks has long been the traditional timeline for rest and recuperation after a birth, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends ongoing postpartum care from birth to 12 weeks. Six weeks is also the standard recovery time allotted for childbirth-related short-term disability leave.
You can get pregnant as little as 3 weeks after the birth of a baby, even if you're breastfeeding and your periods haven't started again. Unless you want to get pregnant again, it's important to use some kind of contraception every time you have sex after giving birth, including the first time.
Depending on where you give birth, your baby may be offered a bath before you go home. This old-school practice is becoming less common, because the World Health Organization suggests waiting at least 24 hours after birth to give the first bath in order to keep the baby warm.
It is usually recommended that you shouldn't travel with a baby in a car seat for at least the first two weeks or so after birth, longer if the baby was premature.
Uterus involution is a natural process that involves your pregnant uterus returning to its pre-pregnancy state. The process begins after you deliver your baby and the placenta and takes about six weeks to complete.
Usually, it is safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth—or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a cesarean birth or complications, ask your ob-gyn when it is safe to begin exercising again.
Most women are less fertile after delivery. However, factors such as smoking, stress, weight, contraceptive choices, diet, and breastfeeding can affect the time it takes to have your menstrual cycles again.
You have the right to 12 months of maternity leave and can negotiate a further 12 months with your employer if you require it. This period will be classified as one maternity leave. 1 maternity leave is allowed per pregnancy.
Fortunately, research suggests that children don't experience any harm when their moms work outside the home. The decision to stay at home or return to work is very personal, and there is no one “right” decision for everyone. Keep in mind that a happy mommy will mean a happier baby!
Think of it as an investment that will pay off greatly as you walk through and beyond the fourth trimester. Prepare for the 5-5-5 rule: 5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed.
The 555 postpartum rule is a great guideline that suggests five days in bed, five days on the bed, and five days around the bed, adding up to 15 days of taking it easy and allowing yourself to recover gently during this time.
A reason why most women post c-section keep their ears covered with a scarf and wear socks to avoid getting a cold bug. Remember, immunity post the delivery is still low and getting a cold is too common.
National Sleep Foundation's recommended seven hours of sleep per night during the postpartum period in which they answered the survey.
Vernix caseosa is a white, creamy, naturally occurring biofilm covering the skin of the fetus during the last trimester of pregnancy. Vernix coating on the neonatal skin protects the newborn skin and facilitates extra-uterine adaptation of skin in the first postnatal week if not washed away after birth.
The cervix generally doesn't close fully for around six weeks, so up until that point, there's the risk of introducing bacteria into the uterus and ending up with an infection, Pari Ghodsi, M.D., a board-certified ob/gyn based in Los Angeles, tells SELF.