Babies Tale

Your perineum may be sore and swollen for a few days after birth, due to stretching of the birth canal or to the episiotomy or tearing that might have occurred. It helps to put an ice pack on your perineum off and on for the first twenty four hours or so after delivery to reduce swelling and discomfort from stitches. The area is sensitive to touch, so after going to the bathroom, rather than wiping, squirt the area with some warm water from a bottle, then pat it dry with a clean, soft tissue.

Sitting in about four inches of either very warm or very cold clean water in a tub is also very soothing. You can take such sitz baths several times a day for twenty to thirty minutes. Keep the water clean, don’t bathe in this water, Showers are better than baths for the first few weeks after birth because soapy, dirty water could contaminate the healing areas of your perineum.

For some women, hemorrhoids [swollen, painful blood vessels of the anus] may be a problem. Sitz baths may help, as may gently patting the area with cotton pads or tissues soaked in witch hazel. Hemorrhoids tend to improve with time, but if you have a lot of trouble, see your doctor.

When your perineum is swollen and sore, straining for a bowel movement is painful and a little scary, because you may worry about putting too much stress on your stitches. It is important to have a bowel movement within three days or so after delivery. Make a point of eating high fiber foods, and raw vegetables and fruits. Also, drink plenty of fluids, including prune juice. These foods and liquids help prevent constipation. If you are unable to move your bowels, you may need a laxative. For that, contact your doctor.

At first, you may be surprised at the amount of urine you pass. Whereas in late pregnancy the baby crowded your bladder, requiring that you empty it frequently, now it may seem that your bladder can hold a tremendous amount of urine. Urinating is one way your body rids itself of all excess fluid it carried during the pregnancy. Occasionally, the urethra [the tube from your bladder to the outside] is swollen after childbirth, causing trouble with urination. Your doctor can help with that.

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