October 27, 2009

Health Tip: Recovering After Childbirth

(HealthDay News) -- New mothers may be so consumed with their newborns that they forget the ordeal of childbirth. How quickly their bodies actually recover is another story.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions of what new mothers may experience:

• Tender, full breasts.
• Constipation for a few days.
• Soreness and stitching if you tore or had an episiotomy.
• Hemorrhoids.
• Incontinence.
• Hot flashes and periods of cold chills.
• Pain as your uterus may still contract for a few days.
• Bleeding or discharge.
• An initial weight loss equal to the weight of the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid. Don't expect to lose too much right away.

-- Diana Kohnle

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