Return to normal after childbirth

 Many women think that, after giving birth, their bodies and lives will immediately return to what they were before pregnancy. But it takes time to recover from the nine months of pregnancy and the hard labor of childbirth. Everything, step by step.

Resume social life after giving birth:

Resume sexual relations

It is advisable to wait six weeks before having penetrative sex so that the internal part of the uterus where the placenta has been can recover. Until then, other sexual games can be played.

The drop in estrogen that occurs after childbirth and during breastfeeding can cause vaginal lubrication to decrease and the woman to feel fear of penetration or even some discomfort during intercourse, perhaps due to the pressure of the episiotomy. The problem usually disappears with the return of menstruation or weaning.

Until your period returns, it is important to spend time stimulating the clitoris, perform a prior massage around the points to relax the tissues in the area, and use a lubricating cream if necessary.

Go to the hairdresser

Dyes and perms do not affect breastfeeding, although it is advisable to wait a few months to undergo more aggressive treatments, such as some types of perms, because hair falls out a lot in the postpartum period.

The mother can also wax with hot wax (if she does not have circulation problems). It is not advisable to give yourself UVA rays while breastfeeding since melanin is altered and spots may appear on the skin.

Practice exercise

There are no fixed rules, it depends on the mood and the state of the perineum, which weakens with childbirth.

Before starting the abdominal exercises, it is necessary for the midwife to check that the perineum has completely recovered.

Generally, six weeks after giving birth you can do abdominal exercises and maintain gymnastics, and after two months you can also do swimming, cycling, or tennis.

In the third month, you can go to a sports center once or twice a week. If you breastfeed, it is advisable to do the activity after breastfeeding.

Perform overexertions

It is recommended not to lift weights in the three weeks following childbirth, especially in the case of episiotomy or cesarean section, because if force is applied to the abdomen, some points could come loose and delay recovery.

It is not wise to go up and down stairs quickly because it worsens pelvic muscle tone.

Take long baths

The mother can shower as soon as she gives birth, as long as she has the strength and is accompanied in case she gets dizzy.

It is not recommended that you bathe (whether in the bathtub, pool, or sea) until after 30-40 days (whether it has been a vaginal birth or a cesarean section). If you do this before the cervix has closed, water can enter the uterine cavity and cause an infection.

Get an x-ray

Since there is no risk of harming the baby, you can do everything you need, with or without contrast, CT, MRI, or even mammograms, even if you are breastfeeding.

There are also no impediments to avoiding a visit to the dentist since local anesthetics do not interfere with breastfeeding.

Other medications can, so you should not take any without consulting your gynecologist or pediatrician.

Use contraceptives

The activity of the ovaries (even if menstruation has not appeared) can restart at any time, even during breastfeeding. That is why it is important to always use some form of contraception. It will be the gynecologist who decides which is the most convenient method.

The condom can be used from the first moment.

The IUD four weeks after delivery if your period has not returned (in cesarean sections it is advisable to wait a few months).

The diaphragm is six months after childbirth. Contraceptives with estrogens should not be used before the baby is six months old and already drinking baby food (not just breast milk). If the child is bottle-fed, they can be used six weeks after delivery.

Travel after childbirth

There are no problems with taking a long trip by car, train, or plane, although it is preferable to wait until a month has passed after giving birth so that the discomfort from the scar from the episiotomy or cesarean section has subsided.