Get a handle on some embarrassing things that might happen after you give birth.
1. Post-delivery bleeding and discharge
WHAT’S GOING ON? Your uterus lining had thickened to protect and nourish baby (it’s more than just your placenta). Immediately after delivery or C-section, your body has to get rid of all that blood and tissue. It’s called lochia.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Avoid tampons — they may introduce bacteria to your vulnerable uterus. Sanitary pads or special pads are available. It may last up to six weeks after delivery, going from bloody to pale pink, to yellowish white at the end.
2. Post-partum hair loss
WHAT’S GOING ON? During pregnancy, the “hair fall” part of the hair-growth cycle stops. But around three months after giving birth, all that extra hair falls out.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Not much. The cycle does start again, so your hair will return to its normal state after a few months.
3. Squirty nipples
WHAT’S GOING ON? “For some women, they only have to hear a baby cry for the let-down reflex to kick in, so breastmilk comes out,” says obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Roger Marwood.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Two words — breast pads.
4. Farts ahoy
WHAT’S GOING ON? Your muscles have been through a lot, what with baby sitting on them.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Relax, it’s natural, own your “process”.
5. You are still incontinent
WHAT’S GOING ON? Again, your pelvic floor has been through a lot.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Keep going to the loo. Or use pads for more time after birth. Everyone has done it.
6. Tampons may not fit
WHAT’S GOING ON? When you have your first period after giving birth, your birth canal may not have eased back to its former “tone”.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Pads. Just don’t panic, grab pads.
7. Night sweats
WHAT’S GOING ON? Night sweats are purely down to hormonal changes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO “Keep a waterproof mat under your sheets until the night sweats stop,” advises Dr Chiara Hunt, GP and co-founder of thebumpclass.com.
Photo: iStock
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