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.
Don't drink alcohol, use street drugs or use harmful drugs. All of these can affect your mood and make you feel worse. And they can make it hard for you to take care of your baby. Ask for help from your partner, family and friends.
Returning to regular sport or training
wait at least 6 weeks after birth before you start again, longer if there were complications. make sure you tell your instructor you've recently had a baby. make sure you rest before doing any activity, especially in the early days.
Take on light household chores
Similarly, you should be able to resume day-to-day tasks around the house without much trouble around two weeks after delivery. "But always listen to your body," notes Dr. Raghuraman. "If there is any discomfort, immediately stop and rest."
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. They will get to see the baby, but they don't get to make the rules.
Most doctors recommend waiting six weeks after giving birth to have sex again. This allows for general healing and for your body to recover from specific birth-related issues, such as: Vaginal tear or episiotomy (an incision that enlarges the vaginal opening for the baby to come through) Cesarean incision.
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.
Usually, it is safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth—or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a cesarean birth or complications, ask your ob-gyn when it is safe to begin exercising again.
Limit your activity to caring for yourself and your baby. If you had an exercise routine during pregnancy, ask your health care provider when you can begin again. You can start the gentle postpartum exercise routine described below the day after you give birth.
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.
Exposing the stitches to fresh air can help the healing process. Taking off your underwear and lying on a towel on your bed for around 10 minutes once or twice a day may help. It's unusual for pain after an episiotomy to last longer than 2 to 3 weeks.
But experts say there's nothing wrong with going out so soon after having a baby—provided you're smart about it. “Many doctors will tell women that they can leave the house as soon as they feel well enough to do so,” women's health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., tells SELF.
To cleanse the area, use the "squirt" water bottle you got in the hospital. After you go to the bathroom, rinse from front to back with warm water. Continue these rinses for as long as you have vaginal bleeding. Pat (don't wipe) from front to back to dry.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends women take at least six weeks off work following childbirth.
It takes about six weeks for your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy weight and size.
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.
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].
Women and newborns require support and careful monitoring after birth. Most maternal and infant deaths occur in the first six weeks after delivery, yet this remains the most neglected phase in the provision of quality maternal and newborn care.
According to the "411 Rule" (commonly recommended by doulas and midwives), you should go to the hospital when your contractions are coming regularly 4 minutes apart, each one lasts at least 1 minute, and they have been following this pattern for at least 1 hour.
Women may experience cramping pain and discomfort following the birth of their baby, as the uterus contracts and returns to its normal pre-pregnancy size. These pains usually last for two to three days after the birth. Women who have previously had a baby are more likely to experience after-birth pains.
The optimal position for sleeping during postpartum is on your back, surprisingly. Place pillows under your legs to support your low back, one under your thighs and one under your lower leg/feet!