Childbirth Pages

• Welcome and Intro

  Informed decision-making is the goal of this site, all is included to give you the best that I can offer

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• Nutrition

  Eating right is one of the most important things you can do for your baby and yourself

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• Labor and Delivery

  Just the facts ,Ma'am... what to expect during labor and delivery

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• Labor Pain

  How much does it hurt and is there anything I do about it?..

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• Birth Stages

  Birth is natural and it has predictable stages of progress

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• Midwives

  These just might be a mother's best friend, for a good birth experience...

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• Recovery

  What you can do to promote a quick recovery and get back to your best self..

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• Useful Facts

  Facts that contribute to knowing more about healthy birth and babies...

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• Motherhood Opinions

  We all have them, some common sense suggestions.

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Healing Helps

*Vitamin C promotes healing

*Herbal sitz-baths with Comphrey

*Sit in the sunshine for additional Vitamin D

Enlist Help

*Hire a Doula

*Ask your husband and friends for what you need

*Before the baby, cook ahead and freeze meals

Recovery

There is a great deal that promotes a good recovery from the effort of producing a baby. First, not all things are equal: a woman with an episiotomy will have a different rate of recovery than one without it. A woman with the cesarean incision has different needs than one with a natural childbirth,etc. But I will start out with a few universal tips.

As in the beginning of your pregnancy, you need your rest. The body uses rest time to repair itself. The trouble is, when do you get time to rest? Taking time with your baby, breastfeeding, or rocking to sleep, are good times for you to settle down and rest. Sleep when the baby sleeps. This, of course pre-empts your housekeeping plans, or whatever it is you are trying to get back on track. Believe me, if you force yourself to take things slowly in the first two months, your recovery will be much quicker in the long run. I think women who rush things after having a baby suffer from more fatique and depression for longer periods of time. You are more likely to get physically run down and have breast infections and other maladies if you push yourself too soon. Of course there is always superwoman to prove me wrong, but I think this is a most important point in recovery.

Next, almost a contradictory point, is to get yourself moving. The sooner you are up and about after delivery the better. Again, the difference an episiotomy makes cannot be overstated: this incision makes walking, peeing, all those little necessities more painful. The births I had without one were so much different! I was up and around amazing myself and everyone around me; the old lady shuffle was a result of that incision, not giving birth. The exercise of carrying your baby, along with whatever easy exercises are recommended (I'll have a page on that soon), will work together to strengthen and energize you. I think the cat stretch is especially good to keep your back strong. Just remember that the same hormones that loosened your ligaments for giving birth are still active in your body for up to six months. translation: Don't overstretch or overtax your back and hips when you resume (OR start) exercising.

There are always the exceptions, but most women still look six months pregnant after the baby. You are not a rubber band, you know. It took nine months of gentle growing to reach your girth , and it will take some time time to reshape. I always liked the pants that adjust with snaps because they look like normal clothes. You will not want to wear maternity stuff after the baby, so buy some loose adjustable things for the few months that it takes to resume shape. DON'T diet like crazy -you'll just dry up your milk supply and end up tired and run down. Then you'll be in much worse shape, so do things slowly, OK? Sometimes we just need permission to take time for ourselves and get the rest we need. There are so many demands that come with the roles of wife and mother, and that is all the more reason to take care of ourselves.

After everything inside is jostled about by delivering the baby, it takes a short time for the system to resume normality. Cut to the chase? Eat fiber rich foods and stay away from constipating food such as chocolate. Just for a week or two until you've had some regularity in your lower gut. Comprenez-vous? Of course you do! Spinal anesthetics, episiotomies, etc. just make this advice all the more necessary.

Here's one you don't hear much about: AFTERPAINS. At least with labor,you know something is taking place, afterpains come as a surprise. These are like labor contractions for the same reason, the uterus is tightening. Usually, women experience these after the second birth since the muscles do not respond as quickly as after the first birth. Oxytocin is released, especially during nursing creating uterine cramping. This is a good thing since it causes the uterus to shrink to the size it should be and to clamp down. I used my breathing techniques and rubbed the uterus firmly. Be sure to keep your bladder emptied since this will help, too.

Some notes on recovery and breastfeeding:
Forget the fancy nursing bras. Get sports bras. Use two washcloths for bathing the baby - one for washing, one to keep her warm.
Just do whatever to get the baby fed and keep your sanity.
There is no wrong in breastfeeding, there's only what works for you.
If the nipples need a break, don't feel bad about breaking out the bottles.
Dulcolax.
Pump if you need to alleviate engorgement, but don't go crazy or your body won't adjust.
Lansinoh cream really will fix all the nipple cracks and make them feel better.
Just take it one day at a time.
-from Notes To Myself