You're likely not getting wet after giving birth due to postpartum hormonal shifts, especially low estrogen levels, which are further reduced if you're breastfeeding, impacting natural lubrication. This is very common and typically resolves as hormones normalize, but using water-based lubricants or moisturizers can help ease discomfort in the meantime, and consulting a doctor is best if dryness persists or causes pain.
You should not ignore postpartum symptoms like chest pain, trouble breathing, severe headache with vision changes, heavy bleeding (soaking a pad per hour), fever, severe pain or swelling in one leg, or thoughts of harming yourself or the baby, as these can signal serious issues like hemorrhage, blood clots, preeclampsia, or postpartum depression/psychosis. Seek immediate medical help (call 911 for emergency symptoms) for severe signs, and contact your doctor promptly for persistent or worsening symptoms, even up to a year postpartum.
If your vagina feels dry or irritated, you may get relief if you:
Ospemifene Tablets. Ospemifene treats vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse caused by menopause. This is a natural part of aging and marks the end of your reproductive years. Ospemifene comes in a tablet form that you can take by mouth with a glass of water as directed.
Heavy bleeding (more than your normal period or gets worse) Discharge, pain or redness that doesn't go away or gets worse. These could be a signs of infection in your c-section incision or episiotomy incision. Intense feelings of sadness and worry that last a long time after birth.
The four 4's of postpartum hemmorrage refer to the causes, which include: tone (uterine atony), trauma (laceration), tissue (retained placenta), and thrombin (coagulopathies). For operative deliveries, providers should remain alert to ensure they do not miss a laceration.
The postpartum period is considered to be the time from after giving birth and continuing until anywhere from three months to as long as a year later.
In reality, the third week might be the hardest week postpartum, since everything seems to feel “normal,” but so much is happening at the same time. This being said, the third week will be an important week to focus on your mental health.
“At three months postpartum, we saw a remarkably large decrease in biological age, by as much as eight years for some individuals, so while pregnancy increases biological age there is a clear (and pronounced) recovery in the postpartum,” O'Donnell commented.
Tips to Help Your Postpartum Recovery
The postpartum period begins soon after the baby's delivery usually lasts 6 to 8 weeks, and ends when the mother's body has nearly returned to its pre-pregnant state. The postpartum period is important for both short-term and long-term health and well-being for a woman and her newborn.
Uterine atony (or uterine tone) refers to a soft and weak uterus after childbirth. It happens when your uterine muscles don't contract enough to clamp the placental blood vessels shut after childbirth. This can lead to life-threatening blood loss after delivery. Immediate medical treatment is required.
Postpartum hemorrhage (also called PPH) is when a woman has heavy bleeding after giving birth. It's a serious but rare condition. It usually happens within 1 day of giving birth, but it can happen up to 12 weeks after having a baby. About 1 to 5 in 100 women who have a baby (1 to 5 percent) have PPH.
But the truth is, postpartum presents an even greater challenge—one that is rarely spoken about with the honesty it deserves. The emotional, mental, and physical struggles that follow childbirth can be overwhelming, leaving many new mothers feeling unprepared and unsupported.
Keep your back in a neutral position – neither too straight nor too curved. Avoid crossing your legs when sitting, or shifting one hip too far from center when standing. This is especially important while holding your baby.
If your postnatal bleeding (lochia) gets heavier or changes colour (becomes pink or red) after activity, you could be overdoing it. You're also likely to feel very tired. Listen to your body. Pace yourself and make sure you get plenty of rest too.
Your symptoms will depend on the type of uterine condition you have. The first sign of a problem with the uterus may be abnormal bleeding. Bleeding could occur between periods, be very heavy, or last much longer than usual. Other symptoms may include bleeding after sex or pelvic pain.
For the first couple of days after giving birth, you'll be able to feel the top of your uterus near your belly button. In a week, your uterus will be half the size it was just after you gave birth. After two weeks, it will be back inside your pelvis. By about four weeks, it should be close to its pre-pregnancy size.
If it is not removed by scraping the uterus with a curette (a spoon-shaped instrument), you may bleed for a long time or develop an infection. Unless all the pregnancy tissue has been passed, your doctor will usually recommend that a curette (also called a 'D&C' – dilation and curettage) be performed.
Baby blues: New parents often experience a dip in mood around the third or fourth day after Baby is born. These “baby blues” are very common and are usually due to hormone shifts, breastfeeding, lack of sleep, and overall fatigue. Baby blues can last up to two weeks and usually go away on their own.
If you bottle feed your baby, or combine bottle feeding with breastfeeding, your first period could start as soon as 5 to 6 weeks after you give birth. If you fully breastfeed (including at night) without any bottle feeding, your periods may not start again until you start to reduce breastfeeding.
You may have heard that people are “super fertile” after giving birth, but there's no scientific evidence indicating that fertility increases post childbirth.
Things to Avoid After Giving Birth
Postpartum weight loss is a common concern for many new moms, but it's important to approach it with realistic expectations and a focus on your overall well-being. Most people lose about 10 to 15 pounds immediately after birth, and gradual weight loss continues over the following months.