Your doctor will probably have told you to wait between four and six weeks before resuming sex with your partner. Whether you had a C-section or not, having intercourse immediately after labor, is probably not one of your priorities!

Vaginal stitches

Episiotomies, a vaginal cut practiced by the doctor during childbirth, in theory, to enable the baby to come out, are not common practice anymore. Yet, it is quite common during labor to suffer a tear in the vagina. These tears are closed with stitches which heal quite fast but might be a bit painful during the first few days. Six weeks after giving birth, you will see your doctor again, who will hopefully tell you that everything is OK and that you can go back to having regular intercourse again.

Once the stitches have fallen off and the area is healed, unless your doctor tells you otherwise, you will be able to resume sexual activity. Nevertheless, you may feel the area a bit sensitive or be afraid the wound might open up again. Although it’s not very likely, you must be the one who decides when you are ready have intercourse.

New ways of having sexual relations

Although your doctor might have told you to abstain from penetration for a few weeks, this doesn’t mean you can’t engage in other sexual practices with your partner, from caressing to oral sex.

On the other hand, if you are breastfeeding you might feel some tenderness in your breasts, or feel some discomfort in the area were you were given stitches, if you have sex in the usual positions. Try other postures to see if you feel more comfortable. This is the time where imagination may come in handy.

Nevertheless, if when you start having sex again you feel an unusual pain that you didn’t feel before, see your doctor to make sure everything is fine and that your internal structures haven’t been affected or injured due to a difficult labor.

Time for romance

The first few days after labor you might find it impossible to have time for anything other than taking care of your baby. Fortunately, as days go by, you will see that everything starts falling into place and you start to have a routine.

Nevertheless, the needs of the newborn may be very demanding and the household tasks may also accumulate to such an extent the first few days that it will be difficult for you to find time for romance. Although at first it might seem complicated, try to find some time even if it’s to watch a film together at home.

Everyone's relationship changes when a baby is born and it’s important to try to stay closely connected to your partner and avoid becoming distant. To have a romantic date with your partner, you don’t have to leave your house, or get a sitter for your baby. Take advantage of one of your baby’s naps or a time when your baby is quiet to prepare a romantic dinner (although it may only be lighting a candle and ordering pizza) and to chat and feel close to each other.

If exercise was part of your life before having a baby, you might be anxious to go back to the gym or your exercise routine. If you didn’t exercise very much before you might be thinking about starting now to help you lose the extra pounds you gained in pregnancy. Exercise can help you recover, but if had your baby recently, you should start slowly and in moderation.

Recovery time

During the six weeks following childbirth you should take it easy. During this time you will still be spotting while your uterus goes back to its regular size. If you had stitches in the vaginal area, you probably won’t feel up to jogging. And if you have to breastfeed every two to three hours, you will have little time left to go to the gym.

Although you might be annoyed by the extra pounds you are carrying around after labor, it’s important for you to take it easy. Later on you will have time to start being more active as weeks progress. In fact, experts say that if during recovery blood becomes a brighter red, this means you have to slow down a bit.

The best exercise

As when you were pregnant, walking or swimming will be very beneficial. Walking at your own pace will enable circulation, reduce swelling and help your recovery in general. Besides, this is an exercise you will be able to do with your baby in his stroller. If you like to jog, you can increase the speed and distance gradually and even jog with your baby in a special stroller designed for this.

Swimming is a good exercise too, although it’s advisable to wait until the bleeding has stopped. But as with walking, it’s a low impact exercise that will help your circulation and healing process. If you feel energetic enough, you can take a low-impact aerobic class.

Listen to your body

It’s very important to listen to your body in these first weeks. If you are bleeding more than before or feel dizzy or overly exhausted after exercising, you should cut down on exercise.

If you’ve had a C-section you will probably need a longer recovery time until you can start exercising since your body is recovering from surgery. Walk at your own pace, because walking will help you recover faster and take the breaks you need along the way. As weeks progress you will notice how your energy and resistance increase gradually.

The secret to going back to an exercise routine successfully is perseverance. Shorter exercise periods but done daily are more beneficial than more intense but less frequent workouts.

Try to engage in activities in which you can bring your baby along, as walking or taking a Mommy and me exercise class. You will find that being with moms in your same situation will encourage you.

After nine months of going through all kinds physical changes and having shared your body with your baby, you might be anxious to get back in shape. Although it might be a while until you recover your pre-pregnancy figure (there are always exceptions), you can take some steps to be as healthy as possible at this time, which will help you get back to normal.

Getting your waistline back

Right after giving birth you will still look as if you were a few months pregnant. Besides experiencing fluid retention, the fact that your uterus hasn’t been able to get back to its normal size yet will make you look this way. After giving birth, your uterus will slowly but gradually contract, and go back to normal. Breastfeeding will aid the process because it secretes a hormone that helps the uterus contract and also avoids hemorrhages.

It will take about six weeks for your waistline to start looking like it did pre-pregnancy. The skin around your abdomen has stretched out during pregnancy and it will probably look flabby. Although you might be eager to start exercising, take it easy and start exercising moderately.

Eliminating fluids

Once your baby is born, a part of the weight you gained during pregnancy will disappear instantly with the baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid. Nevertheless, the volume of fluids you have accumulated these months will take a few weeks to gradually be eliminated.

In these first days you will probably pee less frequently than before, but much more volume. Right after giving birth and especially if you have had a C-section, you might find it difficult to empty your bladder. If your baby was born by C-section they will leave a catheter in for a few hours and if you can’t urinate hours after the natural birth of your child, they will insert a catheter to help you urinate.

Make an effort to urinate frequently, although you might not feel like it, because if your bladder is too full, you will find it difficult to empty your bladder. Your kidneys are working overtime to filter all the fluids you have accumulated. In spite of that, keep hydrated to enable the elimination of fluids. As you gradually get rid of fluids you will feel less bloated and will be able to wear the clothes you wore before pregnancy.

Moderation and persistence

Gaining the appropriate weight for your baby’s development took you nine months. For this reason, consider that it will take you at least another nine months for everything to get back to normal. If you are aware that losing weight and getting toned will take a while, you will avoid yourself unnecessary anxiety.

On the other hand, being patient doesn’t mean forgetting your figure. Just as when you were pregnant, the right nutrition and exercise, as well as perseverance, are essential to get back in shape.

Also remember that if you have gained over what the baby, the placenta and the extra volume of blood weigh, those pounds accumulate in the form of fat, just like when we gain weight for other reasons. You will have to lose those pounds with the same patience and persistence as with any weight-loss program.

After nine months of going through all kinds physical changes and having shared your body with your baby, you might be anxious to get back in shape. Although it might be a while until you recover your pre-pregnancy figure (there are always exceptions), you can take some steps to be as healthy as possible at this time, which will help you get back to normal.

Getting your waistline back

Right after giving birth you will still look as if you were a few months pregnant. Besides experiencing fluid retention, the fact that your uterus hasn’t been able to get back to its normal size yet will make you look this way. After giving birth, your uterus will slowly but gradually contract, and go back to normal. Breastfeeding will aid the process because it secretes a hormone that helps the uterus contract and also avoids hemorrhages.

It will take about six weeks for your waistline to start looking like it did pre-pregnancy. The skin around your abdomen has stretched out during pregnancy and it will probably look flabby. Although you might be eager to start exercising, take it easy and start exercising moderately.

Eliminating fluids

Once your baby is born, a part of the weight you gained during pregnancy will disappear instantly with the baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid. Nevertheless, the volume of fluids you have accumulated these months will take a few weeks to gradually be eliminated.

In these first days you will probably pee less frequently than before, but much more volume. Right after giving birth and especially if you have had a C-section, you might find it difficult to empty your bladder. If your baby was born by C-section they will leave a catheter in for a few hours and if you can’t urinate hours after the natural birth of your child, they will insert a catheter to help you urinate.

Make an effort to urinate frequently, although you might not feel like it, because if your bladder is too full, you will find it difficult to empty your bladder. Your kidneys are working overtime to filter all the fluids you have accumulated. In spite of that, keep hydrated to enable the elimination of fluids. As you gradually get rid of fluids you will feel less bloated and will be able to wear the clothes you wore before pregnancy.

Moderation and persistence

Gaining the appropriate weight for your baby’s development took you nine months. For this reason, consider that it will take you at least another nine months for everything to get back to normal. If you are aware that losing weight and getting toned will take a while, you will avoid yourself unnecessary anxiety.

On the other hand, being patient doesn’t mean forgetting your figure. Just as when you were pregnant, the right nutrition and exercise, as well as perseverance, are essential to get back in shape.

Also remember that if you have gained over what the baby, the placenta and the extra volume of blood weigh, those pounds accumulate in the form of fat, just like when we gain weight for other reasons. You will have to lose those pounds with the same patience and persistence as with any weight-loss program.

Although it’s one of the most frequently practiced surgical procedures nowadays, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t a serious procedure. A C-section is a serious surgical procedure which requires recovery time as any other similar surgical procedure.

After the procedure

A C-section involves a horizontal incision over the pubis and the uterus to be able to get the baby out, and it is performed for different reasons that result in the baby not being able to be born through the birth canal. This surgical incision involves getting stitches in the uterus and skin in the area. You may feel some discomfort and might have to take painkillers to relieve the pain.

The first few hours you will probably have a catheter to help you urinate and perhaps a draining tube, to drain any liquids from the wound until it starts to heal. You might be given conventional stitches or have your wound stapled, which may be covered for the first few hours. You will also be given antibiotics to avoid a possible infection.

In general, after a C-section, if there are no complications, you will stay at the hospital between 48 and 72 hours.

Rest as much as possible

Taking time to recover from labor is very necessary. Your body will have gone through a great physical exertion and you will also have to feed your baby every 2 to 4 hours, which makes it more difficult to get the rest you need.

But if you have also had a C-section, finding ways to rest is essential. Seek help from friends or family, because you won’t be able to move around as you did before to do any housework. You should avoid lifting anything heavy for a few weeks, until the wound has healed properly.

The recovery time and the way each woman recovers from C-sections differ. There are women who feel better in just a few days but others experience great discomfort. As a rule, around six weeks after the surgery you will start feeling like you did before the operation. You can breastfeed your baby, and although they will probably bring the baby in soon after birth, your milk surge may take a little longer.

Although it is very important to rest and refrain from exerting yourself in any way so you can recover faster, your doctor will probably advise you to walk regularly. Moderate walking will help you avoid fluid retention and get your bowels moving again.

When to call your doctor

It’s normal for you to feel some discomfort or pain around the scar area, but you must be on the look-out for signs that might indicate that the recovery is not going well, such as any pain that doesn’t go away, reddening, oozing or a bad smell, fever, swelling or hemorrhages in the wound or vaginal area.

Since it is a very serious procedure, if you feel any unusual pain, don’t wait until it “goes away”. Talk to your doctor as soon as possible to make sure everything is all right. If there is a hemorrhage, go to the hospital immediately.

Giving birth involves a great physical and emotional strain, especially if you are a first-time mom. Besides facing changes your body has never experienced before, having your baby in your arms is a responsibility that may cause a lot of anxiety. Due to all of this, preparing yourself for those weeks of adjustment will help you transition into motherhood much more easily.

The quarantine tradition

The importance of recovery from labor for a mother is something the women of previous generations knew very well. For this reason you may have heard about the quarantine tradition in which a mother spent about six weeks after labor dedicated completely to the baby while other family members took care of the household chores, cooking and taking care of the children or the rest of the family. Thought this period, the mother had time to recover physically, breast feed and bond with the newborn.

The fast pace of modern life might make it difficult to devote six weeks exclusively to your baby while others keep house for you. Nevertheless, any period of rest time will help you to recover physically and will enable you to breastfeed your baby successfully. If you had a C-section, you might need a longer recovery period, since it is a surgical procedure.

 
How to prepare for recovery

There are several things you can do beforehand to make sure you get as much rest as possible in the days following labor. Some are:

• Ask a family member to come stay with you during the first days after giving birth to help you with the household chores and with the baby. In our culture it’s normally the mother or the mother-in-law who comes to help.

• If there is no family member who can come to help during this time, there are some organizations which might be able to help you. Doulas are women who provide you with emotional support during labor and can also help at home a few hours so that you can get some hours of rest at home. You can find these organizations on-line. One of the most popular is Doulas America.

• Prepare some meals ahead of time so that you don’t have to cook during these days. Simply by cooking extra servings in the last weeks of your pregnancy, and freezing them, you will be able to have some meals ready to defrost, to avoid having to cook. You can even use paper plates and cups at this time to make cleaning up faster.

Once your baby is born

It’s common for new moms to feel overwhelmed by all the things they have to do these first days, the novelty of having to take care of a baby and the obvious exhaustion felt after labor. It’s important that you don’t become exasperated because little by little everything will fall into place. When your baby settles into an eating and sleeping schedule you’ll see how everything starts to work out again.

Make a list of the essential things you have to do every day and forget the rest.  You may really have to do the laundry but ironing or cleaning the bathroom could wait. Besides, try to get the most hours of sleep you can because exhaustion will make you feel even more overwhelmed.

If you feel overwhelmed, depressed and on the verge of tears or have strange thoughts or feelings towards your baby, talk to your doctor because you might be suffering from postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is common due to the hormonal changes you are going through and it can be controlled effectively with the appropriate medication.