Caring for Yourself After Vaginal Birth
A Guide to Self-Care
In the recent past new mothers stayed in bed for several days to a week after giving birth. Much of this time was spent in the hospital where the mother and her new baby received constant care. Studies now show that early discharge is generally safe for both mother and baby. Bonding begins sooner, less time away from home is less upsetting for the household, and mothers feel more confident at home.
Once your baby is born, your body will change both physically and emotionally throughout the next year. Many of these changes happen in the first 6 postpartum weeks, called the postpartal period. The postpartal period is not a time of illness, but a period of healthy change. Some changes restore your body to its non-pregnant state. Other changes allow you to provide food, care, and love for your newborn.
In addition to telling you about changes in your body, Caring For Yourself tells you about ways you can speed healing and prevent problems, when to ask for help or advice, and what you can do to take the best care of yourself. In the margins there are TIPs to make self-care easier and FYI (For Your Information) when you want to get a little smarter. Resources are given in Learn More About It when you are ready to learn as much as you can.
Caring for yourself includes monitoring your health by learning what to expect, what is normal, what can go wrong, and how to tell if there is a problem. Caring For Yourself will tell you what to expect and how to monitor your health while your body is healing and changing.
This 24 page booklet tells you about the basics of caring for yourself from the time you return home from the hospital until your first postpartum visit. This booklet is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or any member of your healthcare team. |
