In the course of pregnancy the organism of each woman undergoes great changes. Naturally, after childbirth a long recovery process follows, during which all organs and functions should return to their normal state. Immediately after birth, the contraction of the uterus begins, which is accompanied by sharp pains. In some cases, these painful sensations are strong enough. This is not surprising, because this particular organ suffered the most during pregnancy.
Dimensions of the uterus after childbirth
It is easy to imagine what the uterus looks like right after delivery, if we consider that there was a child in it weighing about 3-4 kg. The uterus after the birth weighs about 1 kg, and the inner entrance is expanded to 10-12 cm. In length the organ reaches 20 cm, across - 10-15 cm. Such sizes of the uterus after childbirth is the norm.
In a week the weight of the uterus decreases to 300 g, and by the end of the recovery period to 70 g. It should be noted that the increase in the uterus after birth does not pass without a trace - the organ will no longer be the same as before pregnancy. In addition, uterine zoe in a woman giving birth remains slit-shaped, whereas before pregnancy and childbirth, it was round in shape.
The inner surface of the uterus immediately after birth represents one large bleeding wound. Particularly affected is the place where the placenta was attached to the wall of the uterus. It is very important when giving birth, so that the placenta goes away by itself, and not with the help of a doctor-obstetrician - sometimes it takes up to 50 minutes. If the birth was carried out correctly, and the placenta separated itself, then the subsequent rehabilitation process will be much faster and better.
After liberation from pregnancy, the uterus is not only enlarged - from the body for several weeks will come out a variety of discharge after childbirth . In the early days, these will be the remains of the membrane (lochia) along with the blood clots, then the secretions will assume a saccharine character, and after 10 days they will turn yellowish white. Around 6 weeks of the release will come back to normal.
Restoration of the uterus after childbirth
The rehabilitation period, during which the uterus returns to its normal state, takes 6 to 8 weeks. Often, contraction of the uterus is accompanied by painful sensations during breastfeeding. This is due to the fact that at the time of feeding hormones (oxytocin and prolactin) are produced that trigger the process of contraction of the uterus. It should be noted that the contraction of the uterus after the second birth is more intense, respectively, and the pain becomes stronger. As a rule, painful feelings are tolerable, but in some cases the doctor prescribes pain medications.
How to accelerate the process of contraction of the uterus?
- In order to quickly reduce the uterus after childbirth, as a rule, the baby is immediately put on the breast. It should be noted that the feeding should not be symbolic for 2-3 minutes, but as full as possible. Specialists say that a healthy baby sucks his breast for about 2 hours.
- If the birth was successful, a woman can get up in a few hours.
Even slow walking activates all processes in the body, including contraction of the uterus. In addition, there is a special postpartum gymnastics, which also contributes to the restoration of the body. - In order to restore the uterus as soon as possible after delivery , it is recommended to lie on your stomach for at least 15-20 minutes. If a woman can sleep on her stomach, then the process of contraction of the uterus will greatly accelerate.
- Particular attention must be paid to nutrition. In the first 3 days it is recommended to exclude fatty meat and dairy food, giving preference to plant products. Do not limit the use of water.