Pregnancy is a very tender time for your body as it goes through an enormous transformation. After growing and housing your new child for nine full months it is no wonder you experience a plethora of symptoms following delivery. From soreness to hair loss, your body experiences a rollercoaster of discomforts after birth. The following are to be expected postpartum and can be experienced for days or weeks afterward.
Considering you housed a tiny person in your abdominal area for nine months and just pushed it out it is obvious to expect pain around your midsection. Aching and throbbing of your abdomen, back soreness, even aching in your ribs are all perfectly natural. Even if you underwent a C-section surgery, you should expect post-surgical pain in your abdominal area.
As a woman, it seems there is not a single life stage free of cramps. Much like your regular menstrual cycle (remember those?) it is possible to experience cramps following labor as your uterus adjusts and contracts to go back what it once was.This should last no longer than one week following delivery.
Following pregnancy, your body produces milk to feed your infant. Slowly, your breasts engorge with the newly produced breast milk leading to large and sore breasts. A good way to deal with the engorgement is to make sure your baby completely drains the milk in your breasts. The soreness can be alleviated with a cold pack.
If you delivered vaginally, you can expect much of the pain and discomfort following the delivery to come from this area. Soreness and aching are normal symptoms; any tears between the vagina and perineum can take weeks to heal. If it is uncomfortable to sit, try sitting on a pillow to offset the pain. You may also talk to your doctor about pain killers and stool softeners to alleviate some of the discomforts of going to the bathroom.
For those women who choose to deliver by cesarean, you may have bypassed some of the discomforts of vaginal delivery like episiotomy stitches and hemorrhoids, but you are still left with a big scar across your abdomen. C-sections are major surgeries and are accompanied by fatigue and nausea, and you may experience numbness, tingling, and itching around your incision. If you feel feverish or any kind of oozing, it’s a sign of infection.
For pain that lasts longer than a few weeks, you need the touch of a chronic pain expert. Schedule an appointment with your New Jersey pain specialists today.