How long does it usually take for postpartum sweating to become normal?

Postpartum sweating occurs, in fact, almost all mothers will experience it, because in the postpartum period, the mother's body is relatively weak and the immunity is reduced, so the occurrence of sweating is also a normal physiological phenomenon. Generally speaking, you can return to normal by making adjustments during the confinement period, so it will not last more than a month.

Causes of postpartum night sweats

1. Postpartum night sweats are a type of confinement disease, in which women sweat profusely while sleeping after giving birth. If excessive sweating only occurs within one week after delivery, it is a normal physiological phenomenon. Because this kind of sweating is the process of expelling excess water from the mother's body. However, if the night sweats last for a long time, it may be pathological postpartum night sweats. This kind of postpartum night sweats is a serious problem and needs to be treated promptly through diet or massage, otherwise it is likely to cause major gynecological diseases. Before treatment, the cause of postpartum night sweats must be determined first.

2. There is no such diagnosis in Western medicine, so it is explained based on TCM theory. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that postpartum night sweats are caused by physical weakness. After giving birth, the mother is often weak. A lot of Qi and blood were consumed during childbirth. Qi deficiency, weak Wei Yang, and loose pores will lead to the inability of Yang to restrain Yin, causing Yin fluid to leak out and sweat. If the mother suffers from yin deficiency and the blood loss during delivery damages the yin, the deficient yin will generate internal heat. When the mother sleeps, the yang will overwhelm the yin and the heat will break the body fluids and leak out, resulting in postpartum night sweats.

3. Night sweats are common in many diseases, such as tuberculosis, so some mothers suspect that they have tuberculosis. In fact, night sweats after childbirth are very common. Pathological postpartum night sweats can last for a long time, even for several months. This is mostly because women lose too much blood during or after childbirth, and the sudden loss of yin blood cannot restrain yang, so yang qi floats outward and body fluids are lost accordingly; or because of the depletion of qi and blood during childbirth, qi is consumed with blood, and the defense of the body is not solid, which is what Chinese medicine calls yin deficiency.

What to do about postpartum night sweats

Suitable environment

The living room for the mother and baby should be clean, bright, quiet, pleasant, ventilated, with fresh air, warm in winter, cool in summer, and of moderate temperature. Especially in summer, we should be careful to prevent heatstroke, but at the same time, when opening windows for ventilation, convection wind should be avoided. Mothers should stay away from wind outlets and should not use electric fans or air conditioners to blow directly on them to prevent mother and baby from catching a cold. Too many relatives and friends should avoid visiting the guest room to ensure that the mother and baby can rest and prevent polluted air from bringing in human germs.

Personal Hygiene

After a normal delivery, the mother can wash her hair, take a bath (preferably starting 3-7 days after delivery), and brush her teeth (be sure to rinse her mouth with warm water); wipe her body every two or three days in winter, take a shower in summer, not a tub bath. Regardless of winter or summer, the mother should dry her hair and body after bathing to avoid catching a cold. In addition to bathing, you should wash the vulva frequently; use warm water to wash your hair and feet to avoid postpartum diseases; and trim your nails frequently to avoid damaging the baby's delicate skin.

Appropriate activities

Under normal circumstances, you can get up and move around 24 hours after delivery, and increase the time you spend up and the range of activities day by day. You should insist on doing postpartum gymnastics and avoid heavy physical labor to prevent uterine prolapse. Do appropriate exercise. When you wake up, do not lie motionless in bed. Instead, you should combine bed rest with appropriate exercise. You can turn over in bed on the day after delivery, and rest alternately in semi-sitting and lying positions. Later, you can walk around the bed and the room, and do postpartum gymnastics to ensure your health and restore your body shape as soon as possible, which can also reduce constipation.