You did it! You got through 40 weeks (more or less) of pregnancy and the grueling marathon of birth to deliver your beautiful baby! But now what? In the first 24 hours after giving birth, what exactly occurs to your body?
There are a lot of things happening that you should psychologically, physically, and emotionally prepare for before bringing your child into the world while you are busy recovering and getting to know your new baby. In this article we will learn about all those things that can happen after you deliver baby in hospital.
Things that occurs within 24 hours after delivering the baby
In case of a normal delivery, you will be in the birth room for around two hours in the birth room. You will later be moved to the post-natal ward. You will do some crucial duties, eat, and take a shower at this period.
Establishing a bond with the baby: The first and the most beautiful thing that will happen is that you will hold the baby in your arms for the first time. The link between the mother and the child will start to form when you have skin-to-skin contact with him or her. You’ll feel like you’re on top of the world and will be incredibly joyful.
Examination of vaginal tears: Your doctor will examine the vaginal wall, and perineum to find out any tears in those areas. On finding any ruptures, they will repair it with stitches.
Examination of the health of your baby: After your inspection, your doctor will inspect your baby by checking his blood pressure, pulse loss of vaginal blood, as well as the firmness of the fundus.
Breastfeeding will begin: The first milk that is released from the breast is called as colostrum. This milk has a thick texture and a yellowish tint. It is a very nourishing milk that aids in boosting a baby’s defense mechanisms. Your doctor would encourage you to give this milk to your newborn as soon as possible after delivery.
Weakness: You’re likely to feel pretty physically drained, whether you’ve had a vaginal birth or caesarean section. Many new mothers report feeling so exhausted they struggle to keep their eyes open after giving birth to their babies.
Roller Coaster of Emotions: You might be feeling intense on emotional, and physical levels and may go through a series of emotions during the initial 24 hours. Your physical body is in process of recuperating from a massive physical strain, and your mind is adapting to motherhood. You may experience exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, crying too much, mood swings, lack of energy, overload, elated, or a combination of all of these after enduring the excruciatingly painful phase of birth.
Bleeding: You can observe vaginal bleed within twenty-four hours of delivering the baby. This type of bleeding is often termed as ‘lochia’. In this condition you may pass some lumps of blood via urination.
Swollen perineum: Postpartum women can also expect to endure a few uncomfortable, intense pelvic cramps. For the first several days after delivery, you can address this by resting, using ice, wearing underwear that fits tightly, and doing a few pelvic floor exercises. Take medical assistance, if it causing you excruciating pain.
Round post baby belly: Your belly will still be round even after delivering the baby. This is because the abdominal muscles, uterus, and skin will remain in the stretched state for few more weeks until they shrink to their original size after birth.
Weight reduction: Right after you deliver the baby, you would lose around ten to thirteen pounds of body weight that comprise of baby’s weight, amniotic fluid, and placenta.
Night sweats: Another common observation after delivery is night sweat. It can interfere with your sleep. Keeping a towel on the pillow, and changing it whenever needed is a good way to deal with this discomforting situation.
Pelvic cramps: You can experience postpartum contractions at the time of breastfeeding the baby. These contractions arise due to synthesis of oxytocin hormone in the body.
Soreness: Women who have given vaginal birth will notice stretched, bruised, ruptured, or swollen perineum. This is the region that lies between the vagina, and the rectum. The unbearable pain you experience due to it will make it uncomfortable to sit down.
Women who have a C-section delivery, will experience soreness after major abdominal surgery. This is seen in the area that surrounds the incision. It is accompanied by nausea, exhaustion, and constipation.
Conclusion
You may think that after delivering baby, things will turn to normal. This is not true. A few weeks after the baby is delivered, it continues. This is due to the fact that your body requires time to recuperate and adjust to your new position as a mother. You will be able to navigate the phase more effectively if you mentally prepare yourself in advance.
