Why It Takes So Much Time for A Woman To Recover After Childbirth
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When we talk about pregnancy, we mainly focus on the three trimesters and the changes that come with them. However, beyond the three trimesters, the fourth trimester is what brings the real challenges. This is when you have a fragile baby in your arms depending on you for everything, your sleep-deprived body begging you for some rest, and your body going through numerous changes all at once. And it is also not uniform for all mothers. While some can walk out of the delivery room within 24 hours of giving birth, others must wait until their body is fit enough to walk in a week. Here is a list of how much time it takes for each body part to get to its usual self after delivery. Read on to know them all.
1. Belly
During pregnancy, the fat tissue in the belly shields the unborn child from the external environment so the baby can grow healthy. The process is aided by hormonal changes and a good diet. Because of this, how much weight a woman acquires throughout her pregnancy determines how her belly looks during the postpartum period (1). After giving birth, the abdominal muscles only begin to shrink after 6 to 8 weeks. However, it takes longer for moms to recover if they opt for a cesarean section. About 1.5 to 2 months after giving birth, the mom can begin practicing physical activities if there are no complications with the epistaxis recti (also known as abdominal separation) (2).
2. Breasts
Due to the expansion of the milk-stretching segments, female breasts swell during lactation. Since their weight grows by two to three times during the postpartum period, ligaments and muscles cannot maintain the breast tissue as they did before the pregnancy. Ptosis, or drooping breasts, can result from this (3). Additionally, blood vessels may become apparent when the skin grows thinner, and the color may turn translucent and blue, causing the nipples & areolas to swell and darken. A woman’s breasts get heavier as she produces more milk, and they need the proper support and care to handle the added weight.
3. Musculoskeletal System
A woman’s musculoskeletal system is put under immense strain during pregnancy. Her body releases the hormone relaxin, which is in charge of maintaining the flexibility of her spinal ligaments and muscles (4). As a result, the vertebrae, the joints in the lower extremities, the hip bones, and the upper back all alter due to this strain. In addition, the center of gravity shifts, causing the spine to move and cause pain and discomfort.
4. Uterus
Throughout pregnancy and birth, the uterus undergoes many changes. A woman who hasn’t given birth typically has a uterus that weighs between 40 and 60 g, whereas a woman who now has given birth typically has a uterus that weighs around 80 g (5). The uterus weighs 2 pounds immediately following birth. The muscular hypertrophy that develops during pregnancy is what causes these alterations (6). A new mother still looks pregnant after giving birth because the bottom of the uterus is situated at the area of the navel. The uterus appears like a skin wound when the placenta separates, but it heals on its own by the ninth or tenth day. There is often considerable uterine bleeding for the first 3 to 7 days, then it subsides.
5. Cervix
The cervix also experiences a lot of alterations. The cervix remains open for the first four to five hours following delivery. However, by the tenth day, it is entirely closed. Its outer pharynx shuts by day 21, too. Following birth, the cervix no longer has a conical form; it is cylindrical, and the outside pharynx resembles a slit (7). Only a gynecologist can diagnose this gynecological condition, which is similar in all women who have already given birth. Of course, if a person had a cesarean section, such modifications wouldn’t exist. The cervix resumes normal function three months following delivery.
6. Menstrual Cycle
The process of restoring the menstrual function after giving birth is influenced by a variety of variables, including whether there were any complications with delivery, the age, nutrition, the presence of chronic illnesses, the sleep and rest schedule, and many other facets of the mother’s life. If there are no notable anomalies, women who don’t breastfeed typically experience their first menstruation about six to eight weeks after giving birth (8). A nursing woman cannot resume her regular menstrual cycle until she stops breastfeeding. However, because each woman’s menstrual cycle returns at a different time, this is a normal part of the breastfeeding process and is not seen as a disorder.
Giving birth to a child is no less than a miracle, and the next bit is meant for you to take care of your child and rest as much as you can. Even though some new moms find coping with their transformed bodies challenging, it is only natural and will eventually return to how it was.
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