10 Things You Would Experience During Postpartum Period

10 Things You Would Experience During Postpartum Period

Despite the joy our child brings into our lives as they join us in this world, there are many new things affecting us – both emotionally and physically. Dealing with these all at once and having to attend to your child can be taxing, which is why it is crucial that we have our ways to take a break and practise some self-care from time to time. Below are some of the things new mothers would experience and the postpartum care Singapore moms usually go for.


Common Conditions After Having a Baby Nobody Prepared Us For

Night Sweats

Also known as post partum night sweats, many new mothers experience this and ‘hot flashes’ in bed at night. Why does this happen? Put simply, going from heavily pregnant to not pregnant anymore means that there would be some hormone fluctuations going on inside your body. When you were pregnant, your body releases hormones (progesterone and estrogen) that can cause a quick increase and decrease in your body temperate. As your body adjusts to this, night sweats happen. 

What you can do:

  • Lay a towel or absorbent material to absorb the sweat when you sleep
  • Don’t sleep in thick layers of clothes
  • Use cotton or moisture-wicking bedsheet
  • Lower the temperate in your room
  • Avoid eating spicy foods and caffeinated drinks
  • Keep cold water nearby to drink if you feel dehydrated

Mood Swings

Regardless of what anyone says, our emotions can be hard to manage because of the hormonal imbalance taking place almost immediately after birth. During this time, your levels of progesterone and estrogen would drop drastically which can result in hormonal swings. If not taken care of, it can lead to bigger issues like baby blues and postpartum depression.

What you can do:

  • Don’t bottle it all up – express your feelings
  • Cry if you need to
  • Find support within the parents’ community
  • Talk to your partner so they understand what is causing it
  • If the situation worsens, consult professional help, e.g. a counsellor

Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids refer to the lumps (i.e. swollen veins) in the lower part of your rectum and around your anus. They can itch, irritate, be uncomfortable and painful, as well as causing rectal bleeding. After pregnancy, this usually happens due to the strained pressure placed on the veins.

What you can do:

  • Promote healthy bowel movements by:
    • Drinking more water 
    • Eating fibre-rich foods
  • Grab some over-the-counter (OTC) medications with doctor’s advice
  • Soften stool using laxatives if necessary 
  • Avoid eating foods that can cause constipation

Breast Engorgement

This happens to so many mothers whether they exclusively breastfeed or not. Inevitably, postpartum breast engorgement can make it harder to continue exclusively breastfeeding. Engorgement happens when your breasts are overfull of milk. It may happen because the ducts are clogged or your baby is not latching on properly, thus not withdrawing as much milk as they should get from you. Breast engorgement can make the breasts feel hardened with a burning sensation, accompanied by some painful lumps.

What you can do:

  • Regularly pump your milk when not feeding
  • Switch breasts when feeding
  • Perform breast massage to stimulate milk flow and unclog milk ducts
  • Use hot or cold compression – or both 
  • Apply chilled cabbage leaves (not more than twice a day)

You May Also Read : Which Method Works Best to Relieve Breast Engorgement? Massage, Cabbage Leave, Compression & More!


Hair Loss

Suddenly noticed a bald spot (or two) when you look in the mirror? Yup..that’s the pregnancy/postpartum hair loss. At this time, hair loss happens due to the drastic drop of estrogen level in your body. The good news is, this is just a temporary hair loss and not necessarily is something to be worried about. Understandably, it can still affect one’s confidence.

What you can do:

  • Be extra gentle when handling your hair 
  • Use volumising shampoo
  • Choose conditioner ‘for fine hair’
  • Try different hairstyles that can make your hair look fuller
  • Eat more dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and carrots

Vaginal Bleeding

Also referred to as lochia discharge, this bleeding happens as a discharge of blood and mucus after birth. Whether you’ve had a vaginal or cesarean delivery, vaginal bleeding is likely to happen to all mothers. It is a normal stage of your postpartum recovery and could last for several weeks. During this time, you can use maternity pads.

What you can do:

  • Rest
  • Take more iron-rich foods
  • Choose cooling maternity pads for comfort
  • Get medicine to help with uterus contraction
  • Perform massage around your womb to stimulate contraction and promote lochia discharge

Skin Changes

There could be many factors to breakouts after birth. The main culprit would be the hormonal changes itself, which is also what usually happens when you reach puberty or during the time of the menstrual cycle. Another reason could also be dehydration, to which the solution is pretty obvious. 

What you can do:

  • Keep yourself hydrated
  • Eat balanced meals every day
  • Grab OTC acne treatment
  • Get prescribed medications if it worsens

Vaginal Tears

Perineal tears are common during childbirth when your baby’s head is pretty large to push, causing some stretch and tear between your vaginal opening and anus. It is quite common for first-time mothers and can take up to 2 weeks to feel relief from the pain caused by it.

What you can do:

  • Do not strain yourself
  • Take care of your gut health to ensure soft stool
  • If you want to exercise, start small
  • Consumer more iron-rich foods to promote collagen production and improve wound healing
  • Consult doctor’s advice if it worsens
  • Take your time to heal

Constipation

Your bowel movements may not yet be regular right after birth due to your body adjusting to the postpartum period. This could mean that your body is still in the healing stage, or you are dehydrated, or that you are lacking sleep and thus constantly in fatigue mode. 

What you can do:

  • Stay hydrated
  • Take fibre-rich foods
  • Move more when you are able to, e.g. taking a walk
  • Use laxatives or fibre supplements if necessary
  • Immediately go to the toilet when you have to go

Still Looking Pregnant

We totally get this one! It can take some time for your body to look like it’s no longer carrying a baby. In fact, it could go from weeks to months. Your uterus had to make a lot of room for your baby to grow, so naturally, it can take quite a while before it contracts back to the way it was. 

What you can do:

  • Breastfeed to promote weight loss
  • Get a postnatal spa massage to stimulate womb contraction and obtain slimming results
  • Wear a comfortable belly binder
  • Follow a healthy diet
  • Practise light exercises – but start small, when you’re ready

Postpartum life can be tough, but tougher is the mother going through it. You can do this! Give yourself a break every now and then because you more than deserve it.

One particulate postpartum care Singapore moms usually opt for is the postnatal massage. At PNSG, our Postnatal Massage and Premium Postnatal Massage are specially designed to target mothers’ specific needs such as to promote smooth breastfeeding, speed up womb recovery, and tone your body.

As a matter of fact, Slimming & Relaxation massage (effective for even long-time mothers) is also a part of our highly-rated Premium Postnatal Massage package. When you’re ready to be pampered and relieved of your postpartum discomforts, we are just one call away!


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