Motherly Love Summer 2021

HEALTH post-pregnancy
Much is written
about how to
deal with the
pains of late
pregnancy and birth, but you don’t
find too much on what to do for all
those discomforts you may have after
birthing your new little baby. Besides
being tired, there are many little
pains and irritations you may
experience.
If you’ve had a vaginal birth, you’re
likely to feel rather stretched out
down below. After all, a baby is a
pretty big object to pass through
something as small as a vagina!
Luckily, vaginas comprise folds of
tissues that are made to stretch.
This doesn’t mean, however, that
stretching won’t make things a bit
sore.
One of the best things you can do
is prepare some frozen menstrual
pads before you have the baby.
Disposables work best for this. If you
can get witch hazel from the store to
saturate them with, all the better.
Witch hazel acts to reduce swelling. If
you can’t find any, water will work as
well. Saturate the pads and form
them into ‘C’ shapes (a cereal bowl
works great for this) and freeze them
individually. After the birth, wrap
this around your tender nether
region. The stuffing in the menstrual
pads prevents the liquid from
freezing solid—it turns into a slush.
This can be formed to fit so the
coldness can reach all your aches. It
may sound rather strange, but it
really feels nice after having a baby.
Some women get very small tears
or splits in their vaginal skin during
birth. The splits are known as skid
marks. While neither really requires
special repairs, they can be a bit
uncomfortable while they heal,
especially when you go to the
bathroom. Having a peri bottle or
other method of squirting warm
water on the site while you relieve
yourself helps greatly. Remember to
pat yourself dry afterward, and not
wipe.
If you were unfortunate to get an
episiotomy, the icy packs help with
this pain as well. You’ll also want to
invest in one of those inexpensive
little doughnut pillows so you can sit
without putting any pressure on your
stitches. A herbal sitz bath can help
relieve discomfort and speed healing.
Once you’re ready to resume sexual
relations, remember to take it very
slowly. Episiotomies can cause
discomfort during intercourse for
several weeks.
Afterpains are contractions that
work to reduce your uterus back to
its pre-pregnancy size. They get
stronger after each subsequent birth.
It pays to have some paracetamol on
hand. There are also herbal tinctures
on the market for afterpains. Take
any remedy according to directions
on the label.
Engorgement occurs in many
moms when their milk comes in a
couple of days after giving birth. Your
breasts may feel rock hard and the
nipple may be completely flat due to
the amount of milk filling your
breast. This can be rather painful,
and it’s very difficult for a new baby
to latch onto that flattened nipple.
Try expressing some milk out onto a
cloth nappy or other washable piece
of fabric until the baby can latch on.
A quick way to relieve engorgement
is to go into the shower and let the
water hit your breasts. You may be
amazed at how milk will go shooting
out as your letdown reflex kicks in.
Once your breasts feel more
comfortable, you can go ahead and
nurse your baby.
And lastly, remember to drink
enough fluids and eat enough food
during your postpartum period. You
need energy to get your body back to
its pre-pregnancy state, and you
need to make enough milk for your
newborn. Choose foods that are
nutritious and are easily digested.
Soups, hot cereals and other comfort
foods are good choices. Rest as much
as possible. When baby sleeps, that’s
your cue to take a nap, too. Don’t
worry about the state of the house for
a few weeks. You need to take time to
get your energy back.
Toni Rakestraw has studied birth for
more than 20 years—after all, she’s
the mother of eight children! She’s
now a freelance editor and writer,
bringing important topics about
parenting to light.
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Motherly LOVE Issue 1