Contents
Tiredness
Pregnancy fatigue is compounded by childbirth, maternity insomnia, waking up to breastfeed Baby, weakness due to bleeding and slowing blood circulation… The list is long and the young mother is often weak. . In addition to this physical fatigue, the mother can feel very tired: it sometimes shows the signs of a person in a state of hypoglycemia!
Insomnia are commonplace and make the young mother hypersensitive, even very irritable!
The weight
It is quite normal to have between 3 and 6 kilos (or more!) Still to lose after returning home : these are the reserves produced by the body for breastfeeding.
A woman needs the same time to regain her figure as to conceive a child : about nine months! So absolutely respect the golden rule: never start a diet before the baby is three months old and only if you are no longer breastfeeding. Breastfeeding expends additional calories, supplementation is necessary. Which does not mean that you have to give in to all temptations …
Did you know?
Provided that it lasts at least 3 months, breastfeeding is the only period of life when the body burns the entrenched thigh fat! Studies show that women who breastfeed for up to 10 weeks after giving birth lose an average of 1 kg more than those who stop breastfeeding after 10 days! What wrings the neck to received ideas …
Some tips to regain your figure
- Eat a varied and balanced diet, avoiding excess.
- Know how to spare your body and find a suitable rhythm: sleep and try to recover the hours of sleep lost during pregnancy or the arrival of Baby.
- Continue to take prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements during pregnancy for at least 3 months, or longer if you are breastfeeding. They are essential to get your body back in shape.
Heavy legs
Your body no longer needs to supply the extra blood needed for your uterus and the baby. Surplus cells that were not removed during childbirth or in lochia gradually disappear to restore normal blood volume. This process can cause drops in blood pressure or anemia due to iron and folic acid deficiency.
It can also create a risk of venous stasis, trombosis (formation of a blood clot in a vein) and phlebitis.
Finally, a third of women have hemorrhoidal outbreaks, caused by the considerable effort exerted during childbirth. They should normally go away within 24 hours but can last up to 10 days. This is a trivial problem, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor!
Good news, however: the painful vulvar varicose veins that may have caused you pain during pregnancy must resolve quickly after childbirth!
After carrying the weight of the baby for nine months, your legs really need to recover …They will regain their muscle strength and good joint function as you get closer to your initial weight. Some will still see a (lasting!) weight loss of the legs, especially in the calf.
Some tips to find your young girl’s legs :
- Elevate your legs while sitting or lying down.
- Practice a few small massages daily to circulate the blood.
- practice walking daily. A recipe to keep for life …
To avoid :
At the risk of seeing your varicose veins become permanent:
- High heels, tight socks, or underfloor heating, which impairs blood circulation.
- Persistent overweight.
Your back
Staying stretched out stretched out and tense on a hard table in a gynecological position for several hours does not have the most beneficial effect on your back … In addition, an effort during a push could have caused a blockage of certain joints. coccys, the keystone of the body’s framework, may also have moved and cause intense pain in young mothers.
Le epidural catheter insertion point can still hurt a few days.
Finally, the sudden weight loss during birth and muscle wasting produces a break in balance which the back has to face and gradually get used to.
In short, there are many reasons for having back pain and it will take time to recover from such upheavals. The help of a therapist and some home exercises will undoubtedly be welcome …
Your perineum
The perineum extends from the pubis to the framework of the pelvis and is made up of the” all the muscles and tissues that support the genitals and urinary organs in the pelvis : bladder, urethra and rectum. It must be flexible enough to dampen body movements and strong enough to keep the organs in place. This part of the body should not be overlooked as it is of utmost importance throughout a woman’s life.
Childbirth considerably weakens the perineum and certain disorders can affect the new mother. : urine leakage during exertion (coughing, laughing, sneezing or carrying a heavy load), feeling of discomfort, gas, loss of water after a bath or loss of sensation during sexual intercourse.
The problems of‘urinary incontinence and organ descent (prolapse) are also caused by this weakness of the perineum.
Even in the absence of apparent disorder, perineal rehabilitation sessions, prescribed during the postnatal consultation are fundamental to find a good functioning of the whole urogenital apparatus… and a flat stomach.
The skin of a young mother
During pregnancy, under the action of hormones, the skin undergoes a marked improvement : it is more elastic and better hydrated. The complexion of future mothers is generally radiant! But after childbirth, postnatal hormonal deficiency produces the opposite effect: the skin dries up and becomes dull. The effect of fatigue is added, the mother often looks gray …
Stretch marks
During pregnancy, the skin becomes distended to such an extent that the collagen and elastin fibers can rupture and form unsightly stretch marks. In the weeks following childbirth, they are particularly visible: ugly purplish or reddish lines can streak the belly, hips, thighs and breasts …
Depending on the quality and texture of the skin, they must fade over the weeks to form fine white lines, which can never completely disappear.
Pigmentation areas
Pregnancy hormones cause brown pigmentation of certain areas like the breasts and vulva.
A brown line can also appear from the navel to the pubis, it usually disappears after three months.
The pregnancy mask or chloasma may still appear on the face, especially in brunette women: brownish spots on the forehead, temples and cheeks. It can remain visible 3 months to 1 year after childbirth, particularly when taking the pill.
Red spots, or stellate angiomas are also likely to appear during pregnancy. They regress on their own or can be treated by a dermatologist.
Moles
Watch for mole breakouts! See a dermatologist if you notice any new ones appearing or if any change in shape or color.
Good to know: beware of the sun!
Be careful to avoid exposure to the sun, and to protect yourself well with a total screen. All of these areas of pigmentation worsen sharply in sunlight and may never go away if you don’t protect yourself!
Moms hair, nails and teeth
The hair
After birth, the beneficial effect of pregnancy hormones stops and the hair falls out impressively! Do not panic, these losses will gradually become smaller but they can start again after weaning or when starting mixed breastfeeding.
Some tips to find your beautiful hair …
Cut down on your coffee and alcohol consumption, which have a detrimental effect on vitamin B, essential for having proud hair …
Air your hair! Let them air dry and brush them well morning and night to circulate the blood under the scalp.
Nails
Nails are often brittle and friable after childbirth. Small white lines may also appear. They signal a deficiency in mineral salts.
Teeth
Don’t worry, the adage “one tooth, one pregnancy” is no longer in vogue today … But mothers’ teeth are nonetheless put to the test during pregnancy : hormones cause inflammation of the gums, which sometimes become very painful.
In addition, calcium reserves, monopolized during pregnancy, are not fully reconstituted after childbirth, which can cause repetitive caries.
To remember :
Maintain very strict oral hygiene. Brushing after all meals and mouthwashes are essential to provide calcium and mineral salts and maintain good teeth.
If bleeding persists, see your dentist quickly, they are not an obligatory passage after childbirth …
As soon as you have the courage, make an appointment with the dentist for a scaling, then after the return of layers to eliminate any periodontal pockets.