Going to the toilet Pouring warm water over the outer area of your vagina as you pee may also help ease the discomfort. You may find squatting over the toilet, rather than sitting on it, reduces the stinging sensation when peeing.
And if you experienced tearing or needed stitches, you'll probably feel some stinging when the area comes in contact with urine. Using a peri or squirt bottle while you pee can ease some of that discomfort.
If you are recovering from a vaginal tear, use a peri (squirt) bottle to dilute your urine when you pee. Drink lots of water and try to eat high-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables to avoid constipation, and stool softeners if needed. After you use the bathroom, pat the area dry instead of rubbing.
DO NOT STRAIN when you pass urine or empty your bowels • Always sit down on the toilet and don't hover above it • Stay relaxed on the toilet – relax your breathing • Allow yourself time – don't rush or strain. Double voiding (emptying the bladder twice) is encouraged as a bladder recovery technique.
Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, salad, wholegrain cereals and wholemeal bread, and drink plenty of water. This should make pooing easier and less painful. Try not to push or strain – this will make the piles worse. Let your midwife know if you feel very uncomfortable.
In those first few weeks postpartum, your cervix is still somewhat dilated, regardless of whether you had a vaginal delivery or a c-section. There's a theory – though no research has confirmed this – that tub water could travel into your uterus, introduce bacteria, and cause an infection.
In the first few days after giving birth, you may feel pain or burning when you urinate (pee). Or you may try to urinate but find that you can't. Sometimes you may not be able to stop urinating.
Straight talk: The first poop after giving birth can be challenging since it can be hard to pass and may be more painful than you expected. That's because after you give birth, the perineum (the area between the bottom of the vaginal opening and the anus) is still sore and tender, especially if you have stitches.
Bladder control problems can happen both during pregnancy and after childbirth. Causes of bladder control issues can include pelvic organ prolapse, weakened pelvic floor muscles and damaged pelvic nerves. Kegel exercises are often recommended to help strengthen you pelvic muscles and regain bladder control.
First, you can use a pad or some folded toilet paper, with a Tucks pad on top, and gently press it up against your perineum until you are finished. Try to avoid straining if possible. You can also use a peri bottle, filled with warm water, to clean the area and spray yourself with during urination to avoid burning.
After you use the toilet, pour or spray warm water over your vagina and anus. This will help keep the area clean. After a bowel movement, it may feel better to wipe with baby wipes or medicated pads, such as Tucks.
The stitches in the skin should heal in 5-10 days. The underlying stitches in your muscle layer will take longer to heal. These won't completely heal for 12 weeks. For the stitches that you can see, make sure to watch for any signs of infection.
Swelling, abrasions, lacerations, and even stitches can make postpartum peeing a less-than-pleasant experience. So meet your new best friend: the peri bottle, a small, handheld plastic squirt container. Simply fill it up with lukewarm water and spritz yourself while peeing to dilute the stinging potential of urine.
If you've had stitches or a tear, doing a poo won't make the tear any bigger, or make your stitches come away. It's understandable to feel vulnerable about this part of your body. Feeling tense will make it harder for you to do a poo, though.
Typically, postpartum diapers are worn for the first few days to a week after delivery, when bleeding is at its heaviest. If you plan to give birth in a hospital, they should also provide several postpartum diapers (or mesh undies with a separate pad) to get you through those first days.
You'll have to wait until your incision has healed and your doctor tells you it's okay, before taking your first bath post-birth. Generally speaking, this can take around three weeks.
One thing that often surprises my patients is that you should not drive for two weeks after delivery. All deliveries, whether vaginal or cesarean, involve some blood loss. This blood loss could cause some weakness which could impair your driving ability.
A Foley catheter (another type of small plastic tube) may be placed in your bladder to drain urine since you won't be able to get up and go to the bathroom. The Foley catheter is placed after the epidural and is usually not uncomfortable.
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.
There are no set rules about how long to wait before taking a newborn out into the world or when to let people near the baby. Some doctors recommend that parents wait until their baby is a few months old before going to crowded public places (like malls, movie theaters, and airplanes).
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.
The hormonal shifts and weight and diet changes will begin to taper off sometime around the six to eight-week mark (3) - unless you continue to eat nachos for dinner which we totally applaud. However, the extra body odor due to nursing will stick around until you're done breastfeeding (2).
After having a baby - especially after a vaginal delivery - many women develop hemorrhoids. Symptoms include pain, rectal itching, bleeding after having a bowel movement, or a swollen area around the anus. How to treat: You can use a sitz bath (a basin filled with warm water) or a bath to soak yourself in warm water.