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Labor and delivery is hard work, and your body has gone through tremendous changes.
Once the baby is born, the healing begins. Recovery is different for everyone and
depends on factors such as the length and difficulty of labor. Most women will
experience the following:
Bleeding (lochia): This bleeding is heavier than your normal period,
and often contains large clots within the first few days. Bleeding is heaviest at about
12 hours post-delivery and lessens after that. This discharge gradually fades to white
or yellow and ends within two months.
Sore breasts: Nipples may be sore or cracked and your breasts may be
painfully engorged when you start producing milk.
Perineal pain or discomfort: Some pain in the perineum (the area of skin
between your vagina and anus) is normal, especially if you had an episiotomy or a tear. You
may experience pain or discomfort when sitting or walking.
Post-delivery uterine contractions (after pains): Your uterus is 25 times
its pre-pregnancy size at the time of delivery. Minutes after the birth, the uterus begins
shrinking. This causes painful contractions. By two weeks post-delivery the uterus will be
half the size it was at delivery and by one month it will be back to its normal pre-pregnancy
size.
Excess sweating and urination: While pregnant, your body retains water. After
delivery, the extra fluid will be expelled through sweat and urine. New mothers will sweat a
lot and can produce up to three quarts of urine a day — twice the normal
amount.
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