What to Expect after a Vaginal Delivery?

What to Expect after a Vaginal Delivery?

If you have just given birth to a beautiful baby through the vaginal process, then your body may have experienced some trauma from the process. To help you understand what to expect after a vaginal delivery keep reading this post…

Vaginal soreness…

In case the doctor made an incision, or a vaginal tear was made while delivering, you will experience pain in the area for a couple of weeks. If the tear is extensive, it will take longer to heal. There are several things you can do to ease the discomfort during recovery. They include…

• Talk to your health care provider about using a laxative or stool softener to prevent constipation.
• Try taking painkillers. You can try numbing the area with spray or cream as well.
• Try wiping the area with warm water. You can use cold water if that is what you find a little more soothing.
• You can make use of a squeeze bottle to sprinkle some warm water in the area when urine is passing through.
• You can cool the area with ice to relieve the pain.
• You can try sitting on a padded ring or a pillow.

How long is the recovery period for a vaginal delivery?

You should acknowledge the fact that it took your body a long time for the baby to be fully grown and likewise your body will take some time to get back to its initial state.

After nine months of pregnancy, your body usually undergoes several changes. This includes breast enlargement, hormonal changes, weight gain, and many more. When you deliver your baby through the vaginal process, you are full of joy. After delivering your baby, you will realise that your body has undergone numerous changes. Healing after vaginal delivery takes some time. In case there were few complications during the delivery process, the recovery time takes longer.

If you had a normal, spontaneous vaginal delivery, it will take you seven to ten days to recover your energy and feel like you can handle your daily activities.

Physical changes that the body goes through after vaginal deliveries…

During labour and delivery, the vagina gets stretched and may even be injured. It gets swollen and loses its elasticity. It takes four to six weeks for the swelling to go down and the elasticity of the vagina to be restored. For your vagina to heal fully after delivery, you will need six to eight weeks and the time may extend for some people. The best thing you can do during this trying period is to eat properly, stay happy, and get sufficient sleep. You should understand that during this period, hormones are constantly changing. Ensure that you are in constant communication with the medical practitioner in this difficult time so that he or she can keep up with your recovery progress.

After a vaginal delivery, you will surely bleed. These bleeds are known as lochia. The bleeding is a result of the cuts and tears on the vaginal during delivery and also the process where the placenta comes away from the walls of the uterus. You will also be experiencing stomach pains in the process. this will not be for long and it will be gone in a few days.

It will be quite heavy at first and you will be required to use high-absorbent towels. You should avoid using tampons for about eight weeks because they may increase the risk of infections.

If you are keen, you will notice that the bleeding gets heavier and redder when you breastfeed. What happens is that breastfeeding makes your womb contract. These cramps may feel similar to period pains.

Be prepared to experience bleeding for a few weeks. It will begin turning brown and eventually stop. In case you are losing blood in form of large clots, it would be wise to consult your midwife. This could require treatment.

There are times when the vagina tears because it cannot stretch enough during delivery. The majority of the tears are small and can heal on their own. Others are deeper and require stitches to heal properly.

Among the women who tear, six out of ten will require stitches. Those with an episiotomy will also require stitches. An episiotomy is simply a cut made in the perineum by the midwife to enlarge the vaginal opening and ensure the baby comes out with ease.

You should note that an episiotomy can be quite painful. It also makes sitting down quite difficult and uncomfortable. The majority of the tears in an episiotomy are in the area between the anus and the vagina.

A tear can massively affect the muscles, bowel, and skin. In case you had stitches, the first two or three weeks will be painful for you. What you can do to ease it takes some painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol. You can also use ice cubes wrapped in a towel or cold gel packs to soothe the stitched area.

Ensure that the area is clean to prevent any kind of infections. Make an effort to showering at least once per day and change the maternity pad on regular basis. Within a couple of weeks, you will have healed and felt comfortable once again.

How the Kegel exercise helps you with the healing process…

This type of exercise helps strengthen your pelvic floor allowing you to laugh comfortably without the fear of pain or drips on your pants. It also helps maintain urinary continence and increases the vagina’s muscle tone. It also strengthens your sphincter muscles and this ensures that you experience no problems releasing your stool.

Final Thoughts…

If you had a vaginal delivery, you should try the methods discussed above to speed up the recovery process. This will help relieve your pain to a great extent and you will begin feeling comfortable once again.