The postpartum period - for us at the weeks, this term is now part of everyday life and what we do all day. But if we're completely honest, we didn't know much about the postpartum period before the births of our own children. Actually, we didn't even really know how long this period actually lasts - and why.
But why would they? In most books on pregnancy and birth, the postpartum period is only mentioned very briefly, and not all midwives and not all birth preparation courses discuss postpartum topics in detail. That's why we are starting a series on postpartum basics with this article and starting with the question: how long does this postpartum period actually last?
The first 40 days
In many cultures, the first 40 days after birth are filled with rituals that frame the first phase after birth: the woman in labor heals from the injuries of the natural birth or Caesarean section and recovers from the exertions of pregnancy. In addition, she and the child usually come home during this time and a major process of getting into the groove, adjusting and learning begins. It is the most vulnerable and intense time after birth, when life is sometimes literally turned upside down: night turns into day, bodies merge, everyone is overwhelmed, there is a lot of love and at least as many tears.
Early postpartum
The first ten days to two weeks after birth are known as the early postpartum period. During this time, the focus is on recovery from birth: the uterus shrinks, birth injuries begin to heal and, if the woman has decided to breastfeed, the initial swelling of the mammary glands begins, the so-called milk let-in.
Midwives and gynecologists recommend that you spend a lot of time lying down in the early postpartum period. When you lie down, birth injuries are put under the least strain and can heal more easily. In addition, there is hardly any pressure on your pelvic floor muscles - which is great so that they can regenerate as quickly as possible. However, that doesn't mean that getting up is "forbidden". Because of course you decide for yourself how you spend your postpartum period. And if it is important for you and your mental health to go for walks in the first few days: do it! Your postpartum period, your choice.
In the early days of the postpartum period, your uterus shrinks in no time and after two weeks it has sometimes even returned to its original size. There is also a lot of hormonal chaos in your body: the high endorphin levels from birth drop, as do estrogens. In breastfeeding women, prolactin rises at the same time and with it estrogens rise slightly. This rapid change can lead to symptoms of the so-called baby blues in some women: they feel sad, overwhelmed and often tired. This feeling usually passes after a few days. You can read more about the baby blues and how you can differentiate this feeling from postpartum depression here.
Late postpartum
The late postpartum period begins around ten to 14 days after birth and lasts up to eight weeks. In most cases, wounds have healed at least superficially by this time. For most women, the lochia continues to flow in the late postpartum period, although it is no longer as heavy and bloody as in the early postpartum period. For many women, it stops between four and six weeks after birth.
In the late postpartum period, some women, especially after natural births, begin their first postnatal exercises. This is not yet sport, but rather the first sensing exercises for your pelvic floor: you can try to slightly tense your pelvic floor. If that is not yet possible, an exercise from the Cantienica can help: sit up straight on a chair and try to feel your sit bones - these are the two bones you sit on. If you now imagine that these sit bones have extensions, almost like stilts, you can mentally push these extensions diagonally downwards and cross them. It is not about tensing the buttocks, but about working with the inner muscle layers of the pelvic floor.
For some women, the late postpartum period is also characterized by further or ongoing breastfeeding difficulties. If you still experience pain when breastfeeding during this time, seek comprehensive advice on all aspects if possible: is your child correctly positioned and can it suckle in the correct anatomical way? Can nipple shields help heal sore nipples temporarily (or of course permanently)? Is pumping important for you permanently or temporarily to help you relax? If so, you may need a professional pump that you can borrow from the pharmacy and whose costs can be covered by your health insurance? Or do you want to supplement with pre-feeding or stop breastfeeding completely? Whatever you decide: you are entitled to undogmatic and non-patronizing help that supports you in all your wishes!
The late postpartum period is often characterized by a lot of everyday life and finding new routines. If you are home alone with your child (or several) just a few days after the birth, we want to tell you again: everything is OK. It is completely normal to quickly become overwhelmed, always tired, very stressed, very proud, really happy and so much more at the same time. Try to build in breaks if you can: watch TV series with your baby in your arms, go for a walk with a podcast in your ear, leave the baby with your partner/grandma/grandpa/friend/aunt/... and recharge your batteries alone, do your favorite activity when the baby is sleeping and generally follow your own pace.
