Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
DC
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Top parenting stories this week
What Happens to Your Body After Childbirth
From postnatal bleeding to the truth about breastfeeding–five things people forget to tell you about what happens after you give birth.
by: Sydney Loney
In This Article
- 1. Postnatal bleeding can last for weeks–even if you had a C-section.
- 2. You may leave the hospital looking almost as pregnant as you did when you arrived.
- 3. No matter how productive you were in your past life, things change when you have a newborn.
- 4. Nursing is not necessarily easy.
- 5. Sex may be painful for as long as a year after giving birth.
Post-Childbirth Surprises
- Postnatal bleeding can be like having a heavy period for up to two weeks and may last for six to eight weeks, even if you had a C-section.
- After giving birth, your uterus is still the size it was when you were 20 weeks pregnant, which is why you may still look pregnant when you leave the hospital.
- Breastfeeding may not be as easy as you'd hoped. If you're having trouble, talk to friends who have breastfed, attend a breastfeeding class or visit a lactation consultant or breastfeeding clinic to get help.
- Some women experience pain during sex for as long as six months to one year after giving birth and may need to explore other ways of being intimate.
oms-to-be are often bombarded with information about what happens to their bodies during labour and delivery, but many are surprised by what happens to their bodies afterwards. To help prevent post-childbirth surprises, here are the top five things most new moms don't know:
1. Postnatal bleeding can last for weeks–even if you had a C-section.
"How much bleeding occurs after childbirth often comes as a surprise," says Dr. Marjorie Greenfield, an ob/gyn in Cleveland and author of The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book. "It can be like having a heavy period for two weeks and it's totally normal, even if you had a C-section."
Postnatal bleeding is caused by the placenta separating from where it was attached to the uterus and has nothing to do with the birth canal, which is why it affects all women after they deliver, says Dr. Greenfield. Bleeding can last for as long as six weeks and usually starts out bright red before fading to a pink or brown discharge called lochia, which eventually becomes a yellowish colour.
Many women are also surprised when they're told not to use tampons after giving birth, says Dr. Greenfield. But it's best to stock up on pads for at least six weeks because tampons can introduce bacteria to your still-healing uterus and may cause an infection. Although postnatal bleeding is perfectly normal, you should call your doctor if you experience extremely heavy bleeding that soaks a maxi pad within an hour, or if the bleeding includes large clots of blood.
