What should you pay attention to during confinement after childbirth?

Women need a confinement period to recuperate after giving birth, because childbirth can cause great damage to women's bodies. They must use the confinement period to recover well, otherwise they may develop a chronic disease and cause bad conditions in the future. Childbirth can be divided into two methods: natural birth and caesarean section. So what should you pay attention to during natural birth and confinement period? Let’s introduce it in detail below.

How to take care of yourself after a normal birth

Generally speaking, doctors recommend that mothers who give birth naturally should stay in confinement for 42 days. But this is not certain. Every mother has a different physique and suffers different injuries during childbirth, so the time for postpartum recovery will naturally be different. During the 42-day postpartum checkup, the obstetrician and gynecologist will conduct a detailed postpartum examination for the mother, including the mother's physical recovery. If the episiotomy wound becomes red, swollen, pus-filled, or cracked within 42 days, the mother needs to seek medical attention immediately.

Principles of confinement for normal childbirth:

1. Keep warm and avoid catching cold

During the confinement period, you should pay attention to keeping warm and avoid catching a cold. The indoor temperature is 25-26℃, and the humidity is 50%-60%. Pay special attention not to blow air directly into the air conditioner. In addition, avoid contact with cold water during the confinement period. In late autumn, add clothes in time and try to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. If you catch a cold during the confinement period, it will affect the mother's physical recovery and make her prone to rheumatism and other postpartum diseases.

2. Combine work and rest

In the early days after delivery, when the mother feels weak, dizzy, and fatigued, she must stay in bed and rest more. The time she gets up should not exceed half an hour. As her strength gradually recovers, the time can be slightly extended, but it should be limited to 1-2 hours. At the same time, you should avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time during the confinement period, which will cause waist pain, back pain, leg pain, and pain in the knees and ankles.

3. Keep clean

Keep your body clean to avoid bacterial infection and inflammation. Right after giving birth, women have a lot of secretions from their private parts. They should pay attention to washing the vulva with warm water every day to ensure that the vulva is clean and hygienic, and keep the vulva dry to avoid infection. If there is a wound, it should be carefully cared for to avoid cracking and inflammation.

4. Adjust your diet

Taboo foods after normal delivery include: leeks, peppers, barley products, acidic foods, etc. These are foods that can cause milk to dry up. During the confinement period, you should eat more fruits and vegetables every day to help your body recover quickly.

5. Develop good living habits and keep a happy mood

You should keep a happy and comfortable mood and avoid extreme mood swings. Have regular bowel movements, don't sleep in, drink a glass of warm water in the morning to moisten the intestines; drink plenty of water to maintain fluid balance; consume enough vegetables, fruits and other fiber-rich foods; it is not necessary to eat big fish and meat every day during confinement, a balanced diet is the most important.

6. Avoid sexual intercourse within two months after delivery

It should be done during the postpartum check-up 42 days after delivery, and the doctor's permission should be obtained before starting the medication. The appropriate time is 2 months after delivery. If you have sex, you must pay attention to contraception to avoid getting pregnant again.

Dietary considerations for normal childbirth and confinement

1-2 days after delivery, the mother's digestive ability is weak, so she should eat easily digestible food and avoid greasy food. In the first 3-4 days after delivery, do not rush to drink too much soup to avoid excessive accumulation of milk in the breasts. One week after delivery, the mother's appetite is normal and she can eat fish, eggs, poultry, etc., but it is best to make them into soup.