Your doctor will be making sure that you are healing as expected. By 6 weeks postpartum, your uterus should also have returned to its normal size – about the size of a grapefruit. If you are due for a pelvic exam, or if you had a complicated delivery or episiotomy, you can expect a pelvic exam.
The risk of having a complication after delivery is highest during the first two weeks after delivery. But waiting will also give your body time to heal. In addition to postpartum discharge and vaginal tears, you might experience fatigue, vaginal dryness, pain and low sexual desire.
Before your last postpartum visit, your ob-gyn should help make sure you're set up to continue your care with routine visits. These visits can give you ongoing help with any concerns, and they are a chance for continued screening and prevention of future health problems. Don't skip your postpartum checkup.
You don't have to wait until the 6-week checkup if you're really struggling during the postpartum period. Get in touch with your doctor as soon as possible in the following situations: You have unexplained pain or bleeding. You're having trouble with vaginal stitches or c-section incision sites.
The six-week check is a good time for you, your partner and your doctor or midwife to talk about any worries you may have . Your caregiver may check that your baby is booked in for his first set of immunisations. Now is the time to say if you have any questions or concerns about vaccination.
Resume light exercise and household chores
Similarly, you should be able to resume day-to-day tasks around the house without much trouble around two weeks after delivery.
The changes in your body may include sore muscles and bleeding. Contractions called afterpains shrink the uterus for several days after childbirth. Shrinking of the uterus to its prepregnancy size may take 6 to 8 weeks. Sore muscles (especially in the arms, neck, or jaw) are common after childbirth.
The first six weeks after giving birth are known as the postpartum period. This period is an intense time that requires all sorts of care for you and your baby.
Many health care providers recommend waiting 4 to 6 weeks after giving birth to give your body time to heal before you have sex. When you're ready for sex, be careful – you can get pregnant even before your period starts. This is because you may ovulate (release an egg) before you get your period again.
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.
According to the RCOG Incontinence in Women Study Group, every postdelivery woman should void within 6 hours; if not, catheterization should be performed (20).
If you put your baby on their belly, they will lift their head and look around. Your baby may start to coo or make other vowel sounds. Your baby may start studying their hands and more deliberately move them to their mouth. Your baby will follow light, objects, and people as they move across a room.
According to Baby Centre, you need to wait because you're losing lochia as your uterus heals, and penetration before the bleeding halts could quickly lead to an infection. So, as a result, the general wait time before penetration, including fingering, is four to six weeks or when your doctor's given you approval.
During the first four weeks postpartum, you will notice a pink-brown discharge called lochia. This is totally normal. Even though it might look like a period, it isn't – just the natural process of your uterus shedding blood, mucous, and tissue after you've given birth. Just be sure to wear a pad and change it often.
The uterus starts shrinking within minutes of giving birth, but it takes about six weeks to fully return to its previous size. If you're concerned that your uterus is not shrinking after pregnancy or you still look pregnant after the two-month mark, speak to your doctor or your local pelvic floor physiotherapist.
You should plan to return to your pre-pregnancy weight by 6 to 12 months after delivery. Most women lose half of their baby weight by 6 weeks after childbirth (postpartum). The rest most often comes off over the next several months. A healthy diet with daily exercise will help you shed the pounds.
The good news is that you might lose as much as 20 pounds (9 kg) in the first few weeks after giving birth. On average, new moms lose around 13 pounds (6 kg) due to the baby's weight, the amniotic fluid, and the placenta when giving birth.
Driving after having a baby
There is no rule or legal requirement about when you can start driving again after giving birth vaginally. But it is best to wait until any medication is out of your system, you're not in pain and you feel comfortable and confident before you get behind the wheel.
A person can expect vaginal changes after giving birth. Common changes include perineal pain, pain during sex, bleeding, and vaginal dryness. According to the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), it is not unusual for people to notice new and uncomfortable vaginal changes after giving birth.
In addition to a short, 2-3 day (or perhaps 1 week) growth spurt at 6 weeks, most babies also experience something that Dr. Weissbluth calls “the peak of fussiness”. By 6 weeks of age, most babies are growing out of their drowsy newborn state, and are starting to perk up and notice the world.
Just after birth, a baby sees only in black and white, with shades of gray. As the months go by, they will slowly start to develop their color vision at around 4 months. So you're not imaging it when you see your baby fixate on your face and eyes, especially during a feeding, when your face is about a foot away.
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.
A Foley catheter (another type of small plastic tube) may be placed in your bladder to drain urine since you won't be able to get up and go to the bathroom. The Foley catheter is placed after the epidural and is usually not uncomfortable.
Painful urination after a vaginal birth
Some general soreness is normal as your perineum recovers from all that pushing, and you might notice it more when you're peeing. If you had any tearing or an episiotomy, it's normal to experience some sharp stinging as urine comes into contact with the healing tissue.
Experts recommend that new moms get at least seven hours. While this study provides valuable insight into the importance of sleep, be patient with you and your baby in the postpartum period. Consider asking for help, sleeping when your baby sleeps, and forgoing bed sharing to optimize your sleep schedule.