Childbirth is always a huge stress for the female body. It can take months to prenatal. Doctors pay especially close attention to the uterus - an organ with which significant changes occur.
The first few hours after giving birth, the new mother usually remains in the delivery room under the supervision of obstetricians who carefully monitor her condition and check the soft birth canal for tears and bleeding. Usually, after 4 hours, the woman (if the birth took place without excesses) is taken to the toilet, after which she is left in the postpartum department.
An interesting fact: during pregnancy, the uterus grows more than 500 times!
The uterus undergoes great changes in the postpartum period. Having fulfilled its function of carrying a child, in the first days after birth, it is open by about 10 cm and weighs more than a kilogram - like that of a woman who has not yet given birth. By the tenth day, it gradually closes. After three weeks, the external pharynx also closes. In all women who have given birth, it acquires a slit-like shape. In total, the period of contraction of the uterus to its original size and weight (about 50 g) can last up to one and a half months.
To prevent inflammation, it is necessary to completely remove all fluids and remnants of the placenta from the body cavity and prevent the formation of clots inside that can contribute to the development of infection.
All these weeks, abundant discharge comes out of the genital tract, differing in color and intensity depending on the stage of healing of the uterus: intense brown until the tenth day, then they brighten more and more, until from the third week they become transparent, like mucus. 6-8 weeks after childbirth, the first menstruation already begins, which women can sometimes confuse with postpartum discharge and give a false alarm about this.
If we talk about other postpartum changes, then the muscles of the perineum acquire their initial tone in 10-12 days, and the lumen of the vagina expands and does not return to its original state.
Often in the postpartum period, there may be problems with the contraction of the uterus. The reason can be as multiple pregnancies or a large weight of the baby, as well as benign tumors and blood clotting disorders. In such cases, the mother is usually prescribed drugs containing oxytocin, which stimulates contractions.
Among the possible pathologies that arise after childbirth, it is worth highlighting endometrial inflammation and cervical erosion. The first is a complication of polyhydramnios and is treated with antibiotics prescribed by a specialist. With erosion, additional tests and colposcopy are required. If they do not reveal additional complications, just observation by a gynecologist will be enough.
In order to avoid complications with the cervix, a woman is highly recommended to undergo a gynecological examination 2 weeks later and a month after the birth of the child.
In some cases, the uterus may sink after childbirth, usually as a consequence of a difficult labor that can lead to pelvic floor injuries. There are several stages of uterine prolapse. At the first stage, special exercises and taking painkillers in the presence of discomfort in the lower abdomen will be enough. The second and third degrees of prolapse inevitably entail surgical intervention.
