助产实用英语 Postnatal Nursing 拓展阅读：Your Guide to Postpartum Recovery.doc

/health/postpartum-recovery-timeline Your Guide to Postpartum Recovery Week 1 Week 2 Week 6 Six months One year Illustration by Brittany England The first six weeks after giving birth are known as the postpartum period. This period is an intense time that requires? all sorts of care?for you and your baby. During this time — which some researchers believe actually lasts? up to six months?— your body will experience a number of changes, from healing after childbirth to hormonal mood swings. All of this in addition to the added stress of? tackling breastfeeding,? sleep deprivation, and the overall monumental adjustment to? motherhood?(if this is your first child). In short, it can feel like a lot. It’s not uncommon for the first year to feel like a tidal shift. That said, the recovery period can vary wildly. If you’re on your third kid and pushed for 20 minutes, your recovery will look different than if you labored for 40 hours, pushed for 3, and had an emergency C-section. Yet while everyone’s experience is different, there are some recovery milestones that you should ideally hit. To help give you a sense of where you should be in your postpartum timeline, we’ve highlighted what you can expect from both your body and mind. Week 1 Design by Brittany England Physical status, post-vaginal delivery If you had a hospital delivery, you’ll most likely stay there for at least part of this week after a? vaginal delivery. Depending on whether or not you? tore?(and? how much), your vagina may hurt quite a lot. Perineal soreness? is normal, as is bleeding. This first week, the blood should be bright red, but will eventually turn brown like at the end of your period. You’ll also probably feel little contractions, especially when breastfeeding — as weird as it feels, this is just the uterus contracting back to its pre-pregnancy size. Physical status, after C-section After a? C-section, or cesarean delivery, most movement will be difficult and your incision ca