Once the excitement associated with pregnancy subsides, women start thinking about the impending weight gain and all that they will need to do to shed the extra kilos. But have you ever thought about the other changes that your body is about to experience after childbirth? Yes, there are several other changes that will hit your body after your delivery. Read on to know more.
Uterus
One of the parts of your body to get affected after child birth is your uterus. During pregnancy your uterus expands to accommodate your growing baby. It becomes almost 15 times heavier than normal by the time you go into labor. However, it begins to shrink after a few minutes of delivery. Contractions occurring in the uterus cause you to suffer cramps and after-birth …show more content…
During delivery this tender organ of your body is stretched open and gets bruised in the process. This causes it to swell. The swelling takes a few days to subside. Also, the vagina starts to regain its muscle tone. It may take weeks for the vagina to diminish in size and go back to its pre-delivery stage. If you suffer a small tear and do not require stitches, then you are among the lucky ones. The wound will normally heal in a few days and cause you just a little discomfort. But if you have to undergo a significant tear, the healing process will be slow and will require time. This makes it necessary for you to abstain from intercourse during that period. As long as you have tenderness in that area, avoiding intercourse is the best course of action to take. Also, when you get back to having intercourse finally, you may discover that your vaginal lubrication has lessened considerably. This is due to the low levels of estrogen. Breastfeeding also aggravates the situation as nursing keeps the estrogen level down. A water-based lubricant is the best option for you in such a circumstance.
Vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge is one of the most common changes to occur after childbirth. The discharge which is also known as lochia may continue for a month after your delivery. The vaginal discharge usually contains blood and looks bright red for the first few days after childbirth. Though it may seem to be like a heavy menstrual discharge, in reality it is just a discharge of blood bacteria, sloughed-off tissue from uterus lining and some amount of uterine blood. In a couple of days the discharge turns to a watery form and attains a pinkish color. The amount of discharge gradually diminishes and finally stops.
Menstrual
Uterus
One of the parts of your body to get affected after child birth is your uterus. During pregnancy your uterus expands to accommodate your growing baby. It becomes almost 15 times heavier than normal by the time you go into labor. However, it begins to shrink after a few minutes of delivery. Contractions occurring in the uterus cause you to suffer cramps and after-birth …show more content…
During delivery this tender organ of your body is stretched open and gets bruised in the process. This causes it to swell. The swelling takes a few days to subside. Also, the vagina starts to regain its muscle tone. It may take weeks for the vagina to diminish in size and go back to its pre-delivery stage. If you suffer a small tear and do not require stitches, then you are among the lucky ones. The wound will normally heal in a few days and cause you just a little discomfort. But if you have to undergo a significant tear, the healing process will be slow and will require time. This makes it necessary for you to abstain from intercourse during that period. As long as you have tenderness in that area, avoiding intercourse is the best course of action to take. Also, when you get back to having intercourse finally, you may discover that your vaginal lubrication has lessened considerably. This is due to the low levels of estrogen. Breastfeeding also aggravates the situation as nursing keeps the estrogen level down. A water-based lubricant is the best option for you in such a circumstance.
Vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge is one of the most common changes to occur after childbirth. The discharge which is also known as lochia may continue for a month after your delivery. The vaginal discharge usually contains blood and looks bright red for the first few days after childbirth. Though it may seem to be like a heavy menstrual discharge, in reality it is just a discharge of blood bacteria, sloughed-off tissue from uterus lining and some amount of uterine blood. In a couple of days the discharge turns to a watery form and attains a pinkish color. The amount of discharge gradually diminishes and finally stops.
Menstrual