While there's no required waiting period before you can have sex again, many health care providers recommend waiting to have sex until four to six weeks after delivery, regardless of the delivery method. The risk of having a complication after delivery is highest during the first two weeks after delivery.
Although healthcare providers recommend you wait to have penetrative sex after childbirth for at least four to six weeks, oral sex is usually fine sooner. Oral sex and other forms of "outercourse" or external simulation after birth could be safe even a few days after delivery.
They should listen carefully to your reasons and allow your birth partner to stay unless there is a good reason not to. They could consider whether there are ways to allow your partner to stay even if this is against the usual policy, for example, by providing a room off the ward.
While you recover, your partner can be with you at any time, or the entire time. In most of our hospitals, you, your baby, and your partner will stay in a room together — sleeping as a family while you're with us overnight.
Most doctors advise not to put anything in the vagina—including toys, fingers, and penises—for four to six weeks to allow for healing and reduce the risk of complications.
The 555 postpartum rule is a great guideline that suggests five days in bed, five days on the bed, and five days around the bed, adding up to 15 days of taking it easy and allowing yourself to recover gently during this time.
Prepare for the 5-5-5 rule: 5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed. This gives you a solid two weeks of focused intentional rest. It also helps to get your priorities in order when it comes to those eager visitors.
Avoid stairs and lifting until your doctor says these activities are OK. Don't take a bath or go swimming until the doctor says it's OK. Don't drive until your doctor says it's OK. Also wait until you can make sudden movements and wear a safety belt properly without discomfort.
The coloring and shape may return to their original appearance when your hormones and blood flow level out after birth, but the change may also be permanent. "There are some women who say it looks the same and there are some women who notice their labia is longer or hangs differently," explains Dr. Shepherd.
If a woman has had a cesarean delivery, a perineal tear, or episiotomy, a medical professional will likely recommend that a couple waits until the 6-week postpartum visit before resuming sexual activity. Following childbirth, a woman's body enters a healing phase when bleeding stops, tears heal, and the cervix closes.
Others find it stressful and can't wait to get home. If you're both doing well, you'll usually be ready to go home somewhere between 6 and 24 hours after birth. You may need to stay a bit longer if: you've had an emergency caesarean section.
In some cultures, women stay in the house with their new baby for a month or more. But it is also fine to take your baby outside as soon as you feel ready. It is a good idea to go out when your baby is calm and happy. After a feed and a nappy change is a good time.
If you delivered vaginally, you may drive when you feel comfortable and have stopped taking pain medications. If you had a cesarean section, wait at least two weeks before driving. Sitz baths (warm, shallow baths), regular baths, and showers are safe after vaginal delivery and can help with discomfort.
Some postpartum weight retention can be completely normal: Six months after giving birth, women retain an average of 11.8 pounds, meaning that they weigh almost 12 pounds more than they did before they were pregnant.
Most women will stop bleeding between four and six weeks after giving birth. Some women may bleed for longer or shorter than this.
The 40-day period is called the lochial period, from 'lochia' the normal vaginal discharge of cell debris and blood after birth. The Bible says “40 days” for the vaginal discharge resulting from involution and can also be described as the red lochia, lasting 4–6 weeks [29].
You can get pregnant as little as 3 weeks after the birth of a baby, even if you're breastfeeding and your periods haven't started again. Unless you want to get pregnant again, it's important to use some kind of contraception every time you have sex after giving birth, including the first time.
According to the RCOG Incontinence in Women Study Group, every postdelivery woman should void within 6 hours; if not, catheterization should be performed (20).
The Golden Hour is defined as the baby being skin-to-skin on the mother for an uninterrupted hour immediately following birth.
Your baby is getting better at moving. When your baby is on their tummy, you might see them lift their head and turn it from side to side. Your baby might even lift their chest off the ground. Your baby has also discovered they have fingers and hands!
A reason why most women post c-section keep their ears covered with a scarf and wear socks to avoid getting a cold bug. Remember, immunity post the delivery is still low and getting a cold is too common.
The first three months with your baby often seem the hardest. Sleep-deprived parents can feel overwhelmed, but that is normal and you will quickly learn how to read your baby's cues and personality. Don't worry about “spoiling” your baby at this stage. The more responsive you are, the more secure your baby will feel.