Body changes after pregnancy
Breasts after pregnancy
When you are pregnant your breast become enlarged, they becomes ready to produce milk for the baby. At or after delivery your breasts will deliver colostrums for two to three days, which is thick and yellowish in color. After that, the breast produce milk and then you may feel-
- fullness of the breast
- discharging from nipples
- tingling sensation of breast
- warmness of the breast
Sometimes you may experience pain and fullness of the breast which is known as breast engorgement. To relieve from this-
- apply hot compression over the breast
- express your milk
- wear a supportive bra
If the condition worsens, contact with your doctor.
After pregnancy belly size
Just after delivery the belly usually reduces in size. Within few weeks it will get pre pregnant state. If it is not, don’t worry. The abdomen over the uterus may show some protrusion, you can massage over it so that the involution of the uterus speeds up.
Lochia
After the delivery, every woman experiences a bloody discharge per vagina, which is named as lochia. Usually it lasts for 6 wks after delivery. There are three types of lochia-
- Lochia rubra: It is the first discharge which is composed of blood, clots, and shreds of fetal membrane. It is red in color and last for 3 to 5 days after delivery
- Lochia serosa : Here the discharge changes color to brown and later to yellowish. It contains some dead cells with clotted blood and continues for about one week
- Lochia alba: It is the whitish fluid comprised of various cells. This stage lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks.
Urinary incontinence
During normal vaginal delivery stretching of the muscles of perineum occurs. So some women may experience incontinence of urine. It usually occurs during laughing, coughing or strain. Usually it resolves within 1 to 2 weeks of delivery. You can do some exercise (such as kegel exercise) to improve of this condition.
Constipation
Just after delivery your bowel movement may be hampered and you may not pass stool for 2 to 3 days. No need to worry. Drink a lot of water and take fiber containing foods, fruits etc. You can also take stool softener if the condition does not improve.
These are the ways your body changes after pregnancy. But except those changes you may also experience –losing hair, pain in back, skin changes etc.
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