- How to do intimate hygiene in the first days
- When does menstruation return?
- Warning signs to go to the doctor
After delivery, you need to use a postpartum absorbent for approximately 40 days, changing every 3-4 hours or whenever it is very dirty. During this period it is not recommended to use tampon, it is more indicated to use a tampon, large in size (nocturnal), with flaps, and with good absorption.
This bleeding is called lochia, which consists of secretions from the placental wound, cervix and vagina. In the first days this bleeding is red and intense, after about 10 days it becomes more yellow, gradually decreasing, changing color, until it becomes brown, and ending in 6-8 weeks after delivery.
The amount of absorbents that can be used in this phase varies a lot from one woman to another, but the ideal is to change the absorbent whenever necessary, and to avoid mistakes, the woman can put 1 unopened pack inside her maternity bag.
How to do intimate hygiene in the first days
To make the woman feel safer, she must wear a large cotton panties, as she used during pregnancy, and to avoid infections it is important to always wash your hands before changing the absorbent.
The woman can clean the intimate area only with toilet paper after urinating, or if she prefers, she can wash the external genital area with water and intimate soap, drying with a dry and clean towel afterwards. It is not recommended to wash the region of the vagina with the vaginal duchinha because this changes the vaginal flora favoring infections, such as candidiasis.
Wet wipes are also not recommended for frequent use, although it is a good option to use when in a public bathroom, for example. Regarding epilation, it is not recommended to apply razor daily, because the skin will be more sensitive and irritated, complete epilation of the vulva region is also not recommended as it favors the growth of microorganisms and causes greater vaginal discharge, facilitating the appearance of diseases..
When does menstruation return?
Menstruation can take a few months to return after the baby is born, being directly linked to breastfeeding. If the mother exclusively breastfeeds the baby in the first 6 months, she can go through this period without menstruation, but if she adopts the milk from the bottle or if she does not exclusively breastfeed, the menstruation may return in the following month. Find out more details about menstruation after childbirth.
Warning signs to go to the doctor
It is recommended to go to the doctor if during these 40 days you have symptoms such as:
- Pain in the lower belly; Have vaginal bleeding with a strong and unpleasant smell; You have a fever or reddish discharge after two weeks after delivery.
These symptoms can indicate an infection and therefore a medical evaluation is needed as soon as possible.
Whenever a woman breastfeeds in these first days, she may experience a small discomfort, like a cramping, in the abdominal region, which is due to the decrease in the size of the uterus, which is a normal and expected situation. However, if the pain is very severe or persistent, it is necessary to inform the doctor.
