Home Care Instructions post delivery

Activity

• Gradually return to your regular activities.
• Let yourself rest. Nap while your baby sleeps.
• Avoid lifting anything that is heavier than 10 lb (4.5 kg) until your health care provider says it is okay.
• Avoid activities that take a lot of effort and energy (are strenuous) until approved by your health care provider. Walking at a slow-to-moderate pace is usually safe.
• If you had a cesarean delivery:
  • Do not vacuum, climb stairs, or drive a car for 4–6 weeks.
  • Have someone help you at home until you feel like you can do your usual activities yourself.
  • Do exercises as told by your health care provider, if this applies.

Vaginal bleeding

You may continue to bleed for 4–6 weeks after delivery. Over time, the amount of blood usually decreases and the color of the blood usually gets lighter. However, the flow of bright red blood may increase if you have been too active. If you need to use more than one pad in an hour because your pad gets soaked, or if you pass a large clot:

• Lie down.
• Raise your feet.
• Place a cold compress on your lower abdomen.
• Rest.
• Call your health care provider.

If you are breastfeeding, your period should return anytime between 8 weeks after delivery and the time that you stop breastfeeding. If you are not breastfeeding, your period should return 6–8 weeks after delivery.

Perineal care

The perineal area, or perineum, is the part of your body between your thighs. After delivery, this area needs special care. Follow these instructions as told by your health care provider.

• Take warm tub baths for 15–20 minutes.
• Use medicated pads and pain-relieving sprays and creams as told.
• Do not use tampons or douches until vaginal bleeding has stopped.
• Each time you go to the bathroom:
  • Use a peri bottle.
  • Change your pad.
  • Use towelettes in place of toilet paper until your stitches have healed.
• Do Kegel exercises every day. Kegel exercises help to maintain the muscles that support the vagina, bladder, and bowels. You can do these exercises while you are standing, sitting, or lying down. To do Kegel exercises:
  • Tighten the muscles of your abdomen and the muscles that surround your birth canal.
  • Hold for a few seconds.
  • Relax.
  • Repeat until you have done this 5 times in a row.
• To prevent hemorrhoids from developing or getting worse:
  • Drink enough fluid to keep your urine clear or pale yellow.
  • Avoid straining when having a bowel movement.
  • Take over-the-counter medicines and stool softeners as told by your health care provider.

Breast care

• Wear a tight-fitting bra.
• Avoid taking over-the-counter pain medicine for breast discomfort.
• Apply ice to the breasts to help with discomfort as needed:
  • Put ice in a plastic bag.
  • Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
  • Leave the ice on for 20 minutes or as told by your health care provider.

Nutrition

• Eat a well-balanced diet.
• Do not try to lose weight quickly by cutting back on calories.
• Take your prenatal vitamins until your postpartum checkup or until your health care provider tells you to stop.

Postpartum depression

You may find yourself crying for no apparent reason and unable to cope with all of the changes that come with having a newborn. This mood is called postpartum depression. Postpartum depression happens because your hormone levels change after delivery. If you have postpartum depression, get support from your partner, friends, and family. If the depression does not go away on its own after several weeks, contact your health care provider.

Breast self-exam

Do a breast self-exam each month, at the same time of the month. If you are breastfeeding, check your breasts just after a feeding, when your breasts are less full. If you are breastfeeding and your period has started, check your breasts on day 5, 6, or 7 of your period.

Report any lumps, bumps, or discharge to your health care provider. Know that breasts are normally lumpy if you are breastfeeding. This is temporary, and it is not a health risk.

Intimacy and sexuality

Avoid sexual activity for at least 3–4 weeks after delivery or until the brownish-red vaginal flow is completely gone. If you want to avoid pregnancy, use some form of birth control. You can get pregnant after delivery, even if you have not had your period.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You feel unable to cope with the changes that a child brings to your life, and these feelings do not go away after several weeks.
• You notice a lump, a bump, or discharge on your breast.

Get help right away if:

• Blood soaks your pad in 1 hour or less.
• You have:
  • Severe pain or cramping in your lower abdomen.
  • A bad-smelling vaginal discharge.
  • A fever that is not controlled by medicine.
  • A fever, and an area of your breast is red and sore.
  • Pain or redness in your calf.
  • Sudden, severe chest pain.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Painful or bloody urination.
  • Problems with your vision.
  • You vomit for 12 hours or longer.
  • You develop a severe headache.
  • You have serious thoughts about hurting yourself, your child, or anyone else.