After carrying a baby for 10 months, we give birth once. After giving birth to a baby and becoming a mother, while indulging in the joy of gaining a new life, our body will also undergo some changes, understanding these changes is not only beneficial to the recovery of the body, but also can help the mother to easily spend a happy menstruation period! Since ancient times, there has been a tradition of “sitting on the moon” in China, which means that mothers spent a month or more to recuperate after giving birth in a time of limited sanitation, material poverty and general lack of nutrition. In the Western Han Dynasty, the “Rituals of the Inner Rules” called it “Moonlighting”, which has a history of more than 2,000 years, and is a necessary ritual act after childbirth. In ancient times, “sitting in the moon” was meaningful and reasonable, and was a product of folk wisdom. In modern medicine, after the placenta is delivered, all organs of the mother’s body (except for the breast tissue) are restored to their unpregnant state and a period of psychological adjustment, which generally takes 6 weeks, and we call it the puerperium. In short, no matter ancient or modern, postpartum mothers need to repair their bodies. So, what are the changes in the body of a new mother after giving birth? We will have the recovery of menstruation, the change of stretch marks, separation of rectus abdominis, excessive sweating, constipation, urinary retention, and milk increase. I. Reproductive system The changes of reproductive system are the biggest. 1. Uterus: muscle fiber shrinkage and endometrial regeneration; 2. Vagina: muscle tone of vaginal wall is gradually restored; 3. Vulva: edema subsides in 2-3 days, wound healing in 3-4 days; 4. Pelvic floor tissue: muscle fascia elasticity is gradually restored. During the recovery of the reproductive system, the following symptoms will occur: 1. contraction pain: most obvious 1-2 days after delivery, lasting 2-3 days, common in menstruating mothers. 2. 2. Malodex: bloody malodex lasts 3-4 days, plasma malodex lasts 10 days, white malodex lasts about 3 weeks, and with the change of color, the amount of malodex also tends to decrease gradually. What happens if the reproductive system and pelvic floor function do not recover satisfactorily? When the muscle tone of the vaginal wall and the fascial elasticity of the pelvic floor muscles are not well recovered in the postpartum period, the performance varies in severity: 1. decreased quality of sexual life; 2. stress urinary incontinence (coughing, laughing, leaking urine during exercise); 3. pelvic organ prolapse (vaginal wall prolapse, uterine prolapse). Therefore, mothers who have adhered to Kegel exercises before and during pregnancy should not be lazy and continue to do them after giving birth, and mothers who have not done so should start practicing regularly right away! Endocrine system Breastfeeding mothers will resume menstruation 4-6 months after delivery, while those who do not breastfeed will resume menstruation in 6-10 weeks. Ovulation has resumed in 42% before the first menstrual period. Therefore, even during breastfeeding, it is important to take good contraceptive measures, and it is advisable to use contraceptive methods that are safe, stable and reversible. The first choice of condoms during breastfeeding, 42 days after delivery, such as a good physical recovery can begin to “love”! Third, the change of breast We generally start to rise in 2 to 3 days after giving birth, before the milk has been a small amount of milk secretion, we have to do is diligent lactation. A small number of mothers with parammary glands will have hard lumps in their armpits when their milk rises. The amount of milk secretion is related to many factors: such as making the baby sucking diligently, postpartum nutrition, health and mental condition, etc. IV. Urinary system The process of vaginal delivery and the possible painful trauma in the perineal area reflexively cause spasm of the bladder sphincter, increasing the difficulty of urination and increasing the infection of the genitourinary tract. Countermeasures: Urinate early after delivery and pay attention to cleaning the vulva. Causes of profuse sweating and excessive urination in postpartum mothers: A large amount of water retained in the body during pregnancy will be excreted within a few days after delivery. Countermeasures: Add more water in the right amount and clean your body at the right time to avoid a decrease in body resistance due to excessive sweating and heat and cold imbalance. Five, whistling, digestive system after delivery abdominal pressure disappeared, whistling more easily. During the puerperium, intestinal peristalsis may slow down and there is often intestinal flatulence. The mother in the early puerperium generally has poor appetite, and because she eats less and excretes more water, the intestinal contents are drier, plus the abdominal muscle and pelvic floor are relaxed and the perineal wound is painful, so constipation is very likely to occur. Countermeasures: More intake of fresh vegetables and fruits. Sixth, blood circulation system The pressure exerted by the huge uterus on the inferior vena cava is eliminated, the venous blood reflux is increased, and the heart burden is slightly increased. Our blood is in a hypercoagulable state after delivery. Countermeasures: Don’t always lie in bed during the menstrual period, you can do some proper exercises: such as walking, yoga, postnatal exercises to avoid thrombotic diseases. Seven, changes in the skin of the abdominal wall The increase in glucocorticoids in the body during pregnancy makes the elastic fibers of the skin degenerate; the increase in the uterus makes the skin tension of the abdominal wall of the pregnant mother increase; over-eating leads to excessive weight gain. When the skin elastic fibers break → → stretch marks appear. Countermeasures (stretch marks can be prevented but not cured): control the rate of weight gain; exercise properly to increase the support capacity of muscles; wear maternity underwear to ease the effect of earth’s gravity on the breasts and abdomen; strengthen the moisturizing of the skin. Eight, the abdominal wall muscle changes For pregnant mothers, are very afraid of postpartum body deformation, postpartum body deformation of the most affected parts, is the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle, the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle will lead to abdominal flaccidity, lumbago, pelvic belt pain. Postpartum repair, prenatal do, it is best to start targeted strengthening of the abdominal muscles during the preparation period, to avoid incorrect posture, maintain the correct skeletal alignment, and establish the elasticity of the abdominal muscles. The time to start practicing after delivery: cesarean wounds can do repair exercises, cisnatal 3 days after delivery can begin to repair, but in the 42 days after delivery, the rectus abdominis muscle has not completely healed, never rashly do many groups of abdominal roll, torso twisting and other movements, which not only does not help the rectus abdominis healing, and even aggravate the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle. Postpartum mothers, both physically and psychologically, will undergo tremendous changes. Babies bring a lot of joy, but mothers also have many moments of fatigue, overwhelm and anxiety. This is what makes life so vivid and exciting. With love and sunshine in your heart, life is good!