During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes many different hormonal changes. All his systems and organs begin to function differently.
After childbirth, all these processes gradually return to normal, which may take four to eight weeks. However, some signs and changes that often appear during the postpartum period may alert a young mother.
If you are just preparing for the birth of your baby, it will be useful for you to learn about what changes will happen to your body after childbirth. It is also important to obtain information about possible risks in order to try to prevent any complications in time.
Weight changes
While expecting a baby, you can gain about ten kilograms, although this figure always varies from woman to woman. This increase in body weight occurs due to the weight of the fetus, as well as due to accumulated fat deposits. In the first days after delivery, you will lose significant weight, but soon your body weight will begin to gain again. This is a completely normal phenomenon during the postpartum period, because during this time the absorption of calories from the food you consume increases.
As a rule, weight returns completely to normal after breastfeeding ends. Until this moment, it is highly not recommended to resort to various kinds of diets, because your baby needs all the nutrients in full. If you don’t want to gain much weight, then start exercising a couple of months after giving birth, just do it within reasonable limits, don’t overdo it.
With intense physical activity, the milk may become bitter and the baby will refuse breastfeeding.
Diet and diet
The main question of a happy mother after childbirth is what can she eat, in what volume and how many times? Every new day brings recovery, and now the pain and worries are forgotten.
First day
You should not eat solid foods immediately after giving birth. It is recommended to drink non-carbonated mineral water. To restore strength, you can add lemon juice (1:10) or other juice to the water. Lemon juice is preferable as it has disinfecting properties and strengthens the immune system.
Instead of nutrition, a woman in labor after a cesarean section is given an IV with a set of necessary microelements and vitamins. However, this diet is followed only on the first day; on the second day the menu changes.
Second day
If there are no postpartum complications, the second day menu includes the following dishes and products:
- meat broths with vegetables (except pork);
- beef or chicken puree;
- cottage cheese without fat;
- natural yogurt with lactobacilli;
- hot drinks - tea, jelly, compote.
The diet for caesarean section completely excludes fat, as it is a difficult-to-digest food.
How to properly prepare broth for a young mother? To do this, you need to drain the water three times after boiling and fill the pan with meat with fresh cold water each time. It is recommended to add vegetables to the broth, but do not cause gas formation. Potatoes, onions, cabbage and garlic cannot be added to the broth.
Third day
If the gynecologist allows it, you can eat the following foods and dishes:
- steamed meatballs/cutlets from low-fat meat;
- porridge cooked in water without milk;
- pureed meat or vegetables;
- mashed apples;
- low-fat cheese.
If your stool is abnormal, it is recommended to drink low-fat kefir.
The diet after cesarean section in the first days consists of warm dishes. Do not eat foods that are too cold or hot.
After the third day, a woman can eat any food that is not prohibited during breastfeeding. In case of postpartum complications, the menu must be clarified with a gynecologist.
Condition of the mammary glands
After childbirth, the lactation function of your mammary glands will reach its peak - they will begin to produce milk, which is necessary for adequate nutrition of the baby. A relatively stable composition of breast milk is established approximately two to two and a half weeks after delivery.
The pituitary gland is responsible for the production of breast milk. This organ produces a special hormone - prolactin, but the very functioning of your mammary glands will directly depend on the sucking process - the more often you put your baby to the breast, the more milk will be produced. Breastfeeding is an excellent prevention of many postpartum complications, and it also promotes the speedy recovery of the reproductive system. It must be remembered that even if you breastfeed, you can become pregnant, so you need to protect yourself.
Discharge from the genital tract
Bloody vaginal discharge is normal immediately after childbirth. In the area of the uterus where the placenta was attached, after the birth of the child, a large wound is formed; clots of mucus and blood remain in its cavity, which come out. A few days after birth, the discharge will turn from bloody to a yellowish transparent liquid.
As for the restoration of the menstrual cycle, it is directly related to the restructuring of the main endocrine organs: the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. When breastfeeding, the hormone prolactin helps slow down the recovery process. However, you may get your period before the end of the lactation period, although in this case the menstrual cycle is usually not accompanied by ovulation. However, you should know that even during breastfeeding, the egg can still mature.
Possible complications and diseases of the postpartum period
Immediately after giving birth, for one to two months, your body’s organs will begin to recover from pregnancy, during which time you may notice some complications. Firstly, significant discomfort can be caused by uterine contractions, which are necessary for its restoration. You may feel pain in the lower abdomen, which will become more intense as you breastfeed. As a rule, these sensations disappear a few days after birth.
If during the process of delivery the uterus was greatly distended, and your body lacks the hormone oxytocin, which is responsible for its contraction, then the cavity of this organ will not be fully cleansed. This is fraught with the development of such a common postpartum complication as endometritis, characterized by inflammation of the uterine mucosa. This condition is usually accompanied by severe pain, increased body temperature, and copious discharge from the genital tract with an unpleasant odor.
Another common problem is genital injuries, which can occur directly during childbirth. After childbirth, the doctor places stitches, which either dissolve on their own, or the doctor will remove them before discharge from the hospital on the 6th day. A scar in the vestibule of the vagina or in the vagina may cause discomfort during sexual intercourse, but as the tissue heals, these sensations will pass.
After discharge from the maternity hospital, be sure to visit your obstetrician-gynecologist, who will examine the cervix, rule out pathology in the uterus and evaluate its condition.
In addition to the conditions described above, the body of a woman who has just given birth may be exposed to other risks. Diseases that often occur during the postpartum period include:
- varicose veins, the formation of spider veins - as a rule, the disease goes away on its own, but if this does not happen, medical attention may be required;
- hemorrhoids are a common disease that often appears during pregnancy due to the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the abdominal cavity. Pushing during childbirth can also lead to hemorrhoids;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system most often occur in women who give birth after thirty-five years of age, although certain risks exist for very young mothers. Complications from the cardiovascular system arise due to the fact that after childbirth the volume of blood circulation sharply decreases, which sometimes adversely affects the heart and blood vessels;
- Bladder problems are another complication you may encounter after childbirth. It occurs due to a decrease in the tone of this organ, which leads to the fact that the woman simply does not feel the urge to urinate.
Diet after cesarean section
Most women after a cesarean operation strive to quickly lose the extra pounds gained during pregnancy. To do this, new mothers use various diets, which may not only not benefit their figure, but also cause harm to the baby.
Any diet during breastfeeding is prohibited!
But what about those women who do not breastfeed?
What diet rules apply to them?
After a cesarean section, you should not immediately go on a diet. Surgery is a great stress for the female body, and in order for the rehabilitation period to proceed faster, it is necessary to eat properly and balanced. You cannot go on a diet that involves low calorie content and giving up many healthy foods. Only 2-3 months after cesarean section, a dietary program is selected.
In order to get rid of hated kilograms, a woman must include in her diet such foods as:
- meat - contains protein, which is necessary for the rapid healing of the uterine scar and the speedy recovery of the body;
- fish – contains polyunsaturated fatty acids and phosphorus. These elements help the skin tighten faster and relieve a woman of stretch marks after pregnancy;
- vegetables, cereals and fruits are rich in various vitamins, which are extremely necessary for an organism weakened by surgery;
- dairy products - contain calcium, which is necessary for the beauty of hair and nails.
A young nursing mother must consume foods rich in calcium, as this element is important for the proper growth and development of the baby.
You need to eat fractionally, no more than 5-6 times a day. After 7 pm, it is advisable for a woman not to eat anything; she is only allowed to drink a glass of low-fat kefir or eat natural yogurt. You should completely avoid unhealthy foods such as fatty, spicy, smoked, fried and sweet foods. We should not forget about the drinking regime. You need to drink at least 2.5 liters of still water per day. It is advisable to drink herbal or green tea, fruit drinks and compotes from fresh berries. You should avoid coffee, strong tea, sweet carbonated drinks and especially alcohol.
Physical exercises no earlier than 3-4 months after consultation with a doctor
When to see a doctor
So, young mothers quite often encounter not only absolutely natural changes in the body after childbirth, but also complications that are not the norm. Since in some cases pathological conditions can lead to the development of severe consequences, we recommend that you contact our clinic for help if:
- you feel severe pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the lower back;
- you had a caesarean section, after which the stitches became inflamed and painful;
- you have abnormal vaginal discharge.
It is very important that after giving birth you are able to find time to take care of yourself, because your health is a guarantee of the successful development and health of your baby.
Childbirth is a natural process established by nature and there is no need to be afraid of childbirth and postpartum changes. The body recovers completely within a year and it is not recommended to do liposuction and contour plastic surgery until a year after birth.
How to organize meals at home
In order for the intestines to work well and the milk not to disappear, you need to establish proper nutrition. The diet after cesarean section for a nursing mother should consist of fresh and healthy foods.
These include:
- lactic acid products with lacto and bifidobacteria;
- vegetables other than carrots;
- fresh fruits;
- eggs and meat.
A woman should remember that she should not get carried away with products that increase gas formation. This is especially true in the first weeks after discharge. Banana is also a controversial product, as many nutritionists consider it unacceptable for feeding a nursing mother.
You need to be careful about allergenic foods, as they enter the baby's body with milk.
Allergens include:
- bee products;
- all citrus fruits;
- exotic fruits;
- some berries - strawberries;
- chocolate.
You need to treat seafood with caution, exclude smoked meats and marinades. You cannot eat garlic and canned products, spices and herbs. All this can harm the baby's digestion.
Nutrition after caesarean section in the first days
Nutrition in the first week after cesarean section should not consist of difficult-to-digest, fatty and solid foods. Patients are allowed liquid and puree foods without fat. On the first day, nutrients are obtained from broths - meat and vegetable. It is forbidden to eat foods that cause gas formation and carrots.
Carrots are prohibited for all nursing mothers due to their high carotene content. This allergen is dangerous for all babies and causes diathesis. Meals should be fractional, that is, eat often and in small portions. You can’t eat to the point of satiety: after childbirth, the body is weakened and cannot cope with large volumes of food.
A nursing mother should drink enough liquid: this is useful for milk production and prevents constipation. You need to drink natural juices - not from the store, but freshly squeezed. The diet after cesarean section and nutrition for endometriosis of the uterus are the same in essence - more vegetables and liquids, less rough and unnatural food.
Bottom line
A caesarean section is a necessary elective operation followed by a recovery period. The main danger after surgery is gas formation and constipation, so nutrition is the main focus. If a woman follows the advice of a gynecologist and organizes the right diet, any complications and troubles can be avoided. There is no need to become vegetarians, however, consuming plant foods in sufficient quantities is very beneficial for the health of women and babies.
