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Postpartum Care
Description
Puerperium, the time when the physical changes caused by pregnancy return to their pregnancy state, lasts until 6 weeks after delivery. Postpartum care is the general care for all conditions that occur during puerperium.
Postpartum care prevents side effects/aftereffects and helps make the recovery quick and healthy.
Immediate care
After delivery, women may experience bleeding, dizziness, and muscles weakness. Women should move slowly and ask for assistance when going to the bathroom.
If there are no complications, a woman may eat 2 hours after delivery. Before that time, water or fruit juice is acceptable.
Complications
Bleeding after delivery, especially internal hemorrhaging, is the most serious complication. The mother's condition must be checked often.
The first few days after delivery are also a time when the risk of inflammation is high. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant for symptoms of infection and a rise in body temperature.
Fatigue and Exhaustion
Usually mothers complain about becoming easily fatigued and exhausted during puerperium. This is attributable to the delivery, stress of raising a baby, lack of sleep, and physical recovery.
Getting sufficient rest and sleep is helpful. It is useful to have a person who can assist in watching the baby after the woman is discharged from the hospital, because nursing a child can delay the mother's recovery.
If fatigue and exhaustion continue for weeks, then an examination is needed. Thyroid gland dysfunction (subthyroidism, hypothyroidism) is not uncommon after delivery. Fatigue is the main symptom, so it must be distinguished from normal fatigue.
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