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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women: Postpartum Problems

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Postpartum Problems

Postpartum Problems

Cures for Soreness and Discomfort

Somewhere along the line, women have gotten the notion that within six weeks after childbirth, they should be fully recovered and feeling back to normal, says Mindy Smith, M.D., associate professor in family practice at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and herself a relatively new mom. "But that's unrealistic--six weeks is way too soon for someone trying to incorporate a brand-new human being into her life while trying to recover physically."

A REPAIR KIT FOR THE NEW MOM

Give yourself six to eight months, says Dr. Smith. Meanwhile, here's how she and other experts suggest you take care of your most immediate postpartum discomforts.

Focus on the three R's. That's rest, rest and rest. "For the first week at least, make your home in bed," says Martha Barry, R.N., adjunct clinical faculty member of the University of Illinois School of Nursing and a certified nurse midwife at Illinois Masonic Hospital, both in Chicago. "Get up and do whatever you want, but no more."

Ask for help. Enlist the aid of your spouse or partner, a relative or friend to help take care of the baby, do chores and keep visitors at bay, advises Barry.

Eat, drink and be nourished. "Get a good meal at least three times a day," says Barry. Foods high in protein (like lean chicken and fish) and vitamin C (like grapefruit and oranges) hasten the healing process, she says. And have a glass of water or another beverage at least once an hour, especially if you're nursing.

Drink herbal tea. Minor bleeding from the uterus or from an episiotomy (an incision in the birth opening) or laceration during childbirth is quite normal. Drinking shepherd's purse tea for the first two days, then switching to tea brewed with equal parts of raspberry leaves, nettle, yarrow flowers and squaw vine can help you heal, says Mary Bove, a naturopathic physician with the Brattleboro Naturopathic Clinic in Vermont and a licensed midwife.

When To See A Doctor

Visit your obstetrician for a general checkup six weeks after having your baby, says Mindy Smith, M.D., associate professor in family practice at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Call before then if:

* Vaginal discharge increases substantially. (Normally, bleeding tapers off and lightens in color over a period of three to six weeks.)

* Your uterus feels tender or your breasts feel sore and warm (especially if accompanied by a fever). You could have an infection.

Take vitamin E. Daily doses of 800 international units of vitamin E, taken for two to three weeks, will help slow bleeding, too, says Dr. Bove. Vitamin E improves the health of the small blood vessels in the uterine wall. Be sure to get your doctor's okay before taking such high doses of this or any vitamin.

Apply cold and heat. Apply an ice pack (wrapped in a towel) off and on for a few hours to reduce pain and swelling around the vagina, says Barry. Then switch to a warm washcloth to increase circulation and hasten healing.

Wear sanitary pads. To absorb the pale, menstrual-like fluid normally discharged after childbirth, women doctors advise wearing menstrual pads, not tampons. The reason? Mostly because of soreness, but also because there is a higher risk of infection while the cervical opening is still wider than usual, explains Dr. Smith.

Water yourself. If urination is painful, Barry suggests you use a plastic water bottle and squeeze water over the urethra as you void, which dilutes the acidic urine.

Counter incontinence. You can get your vaginal canal back in shape and regain control over urination by doing Kegel exercises, says Julie Tupler, R.N., a certified childbirth educator and founder and director of Maternal Fitness, a program in New York City that trains women for childbirth. Kegels work the muscles that you use to stop and start the flow of urine. While sitting, squeeze those muscles and count to ten. Release and repeat 20 times. Do five sets a day. "A good time to do it is while feeding the baby," suggests Tupler.

Shrink hemorrhoids. Soak four- by four-inch gauze pads in witch hazel, an astringent. Layer them in wax paper and freeze them, then place them directly on hemorrhoids for 10 to 20 minutes two or three times a day, says Dr. Bove.

Take an over-the-counter painkiller. Sometimes uterine cramps and other postpartum pains are best treated by taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen, says Dr. Smith, neither of which will adversely affect a breastfeeding baby.

Sleep on your stomach. You can help your uterus shrink back to its normal size by sleeping on your stomach, says Barry.

Breastfeed. The uterus of a woman who breastfeeds will shrink back into shape more quickly than that of a woman who doesn't, says Yvonne S. Thornton, M.D., visiting associate physician at the Rockefeller University Hospital in New York City and director of the perinatal diagnostic testing center at Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey.

Massage your uterus. To help your uterus contract further, massage your abdomen in a clockwise circular direction every four hours, says Elaine Stillerman, a licensed massage therapist on the staff of the Swedish Institute of Massage in New York City and author of Mother- Massage. Continue for up to two weeks or until the color of any discharge is pale pink.

Air a C-section. If you've delivered by cesarean section, you have a major abdominal incision. If your incision is moist from heat or sweat, help it heal by drying it several times a day with a heat lamp or a hair dryer set on low, suggests Dr. Smith. In the process, be sure to push folds of slack abdominal skin away from the incision.

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