Once your baby is born, it comes to you skin to skin so you can both recover. After that the maternity nurse takes over the care of you and your baby. In the hours and days that follow you notice all sorts of things in your own body; below you can read what is normal and when to call us.
After the birth you may have afterpains. The womb can also contract while you are breastfeeding. This lasts a few days, after which it steadily lessens and eventually stops altogether. You can take paracetamol for the pain: two 500 mg tablets at a time, three times a day, up to a maximum of six tablets a day. Paracetamol is fine while you are breastfeeding.
Passing water
Just after the birth you may feel little or no urge to pass water. It is important to keep trying, because an empty bladder can prevent unnecessary bleeding. You should in any case have passed water within six hours of the birth. If you cannot, call us. Do not go to the toilet alone soon after the birth, as you may feel dizzy.
For the first few days passing water can sting a little. Rinsing with a jug or a squeeze bottle often eases this, and it sometimes helps to pass water in the shower.
Stitches and showering
If you had a cut or a tear, the stitches dissolve by themselves; they do not have to be removed. Keep the area clean and dry: rinse with lukewarm water after every visit to the toilet and then pat dry, from front to back. Change your maternity pads often and wear cotton underwear.
Showering is fine, even on the first day. With a bath or swimming you wait until the bleeding has stopped. Cooling helps against swelling and pain: hold a cold pack, or a flannel with ice cubes in a cloth, against the wound for no longer than twenty minutes at a time.
Call us if the pain increases, if the wound becomes red or swollen, if there is pus or a nasty smell, or if you develop a fever.
Bleeding
After the birth you will bleed for several weeks. In the first few days it can be as heavy as a period, or heavier. Call us if a sanitary towel is soaked through within half an hour, and also if you have a temperature of 38 °C or higher. You may also pass blood clots, sometimes as large as a tennis ball. There is no need to be alarmed; you can simply flush them away.