postpartum – Baby Creysi

You already had your baby; now do not abuse the girdle!

Posted on 22/06/2022 - 09:30 by Ligia Oliver

The body of a pregnant woman undergoes many changes. One of them has to do with the growth of the abdomen. Before pregnancy, the uterus is the size of an orange and is located inside the pelvis, but at the end of pregnancy, it will be the size of a watermelon. Incredible, isn’t it?

For Daniela Carrasco, team member of Luna Maya, professional midwives, wearing a girdle is not necessary after giving birth “because the body is wise and the muscles begin to work so the uterus returns to the size it had before pregnancy”.

Wearing a girdle does not speed up the reduction of the uterus, but “it makes a woman feel more secure by having greater support during the time in which this organ becomes small again and returns to its normal size”, says Carrasco.

Be patient!

According to the American Pregnancy Association, as the uterus grows, it pushes the organs out of place and stresses the surrounding muscles and ligaments. The pressure of the uterus can even cause the navel to protrude.

Upon reaching the term of pregnancy, the uterus extends from the pubic area to the lower part of the ribs. The good news is that after the baby is born, the uterus gradually returns to its pre-pregnancy size and position. Do not despair, all in good time. You have to be patient.

It takes about six weeks for the uterus to fully return to the size it was before pregnancy. This process is called uterine involution.

American Pregnancy Association

Postpartum girdle: Wearing time

“When a baby is born, by vaginal delivery, and the mother decides to wear a girdle because it makes her feel safer, she should do it only for the first two weeks and not wear it all day”, recommends Daniela Carrasco, an obstetrician nurse from the National School of Nursing and Obstetrics of the UNAM. She advises that wearing a girdle only prevents the abdominal muscles from working and not exercising.

She explains that the muscles are active all the time and, when putting on a girdle, the abdominal muscles become flaccid, they lose strength and muscle tone, “Wearing it brings more consequences than not doing it”.

In the publication Nursing Interventions during the Physiological Puerperium, by the Ministry of Health, it is recommended to inform women that the internal and external organs physiologically recover within the sixth and eighth week after childbirth.

It is normal for the first days after delivery to have some colic. This means that your uterus is contracting to return to its normal size, and little by little they disappear.

Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

If you had a C-section…

In this case, it is fully recommended to wear the girdle because the surgery is a process in which the muscles are cut and important parts of the abdomen are cut, too. “A compression bandage simulating a girdle is made”, says the expert.

While in a vaginal delivery the abdominal muscles are not cut and everything remains in place, in a C-section the body needs a healing process to strengthen and be able to hold all the intestine and abdominal organs.

Finally, what are the motivations for women who had a vaginal delivery to wear a girdle? Daniela Carrasco lists them:

They feel safer and more comfortable to carry out their daily activities and carry the baby.

When walking, they do not have a body imbalance.

In a C-section, it is recommended to make a special bandage. A postpartum girdle may be worn for three to four weeks or as directed by the OB/GYN.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version

You are not weak; postpartum depression happens to many women

Posted on 28/02/2022 - 18:58 by Astrid Rivera Reynoso

When you become a mother, you face a series of expectations from your family, partner, and society. They make you believe that keeping everything under control and keeping what you feel to yourself is synonymous with strength. Little is said about emotions after giving birth, much less about postpartum depression.

Motherhood transforms you. The arrival of a life that depends 100% on you can be overwhelming, especially when you think that you will no longer be the same as before. If you add the changes in your body after childbirth and the ups and downs of emotions caused by hormones, you perceive yourself as very vulnerable.

Many women experience sadness after their baby’s birth. They may have mood swings, feel anxious, overwhelmed, have crying spells, lose their appetite, or have trouble sleeping. These feelings usually go away within a few days or a week of having the baby and are known as baby blues or postpartum blues.

However, the symptoms of postpartum depression last longer and are more severe. The National Library of Medicine explains that the new mom can feel hopeless and helpless, leading to disinterest in her child.

Moms can feel sad after giving birth. Photo: Pixabay

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A roller coaster of emotions

Many moms keep their emotions to themselves and don’t talk about postpartum depression for fear of being judged. Ani Cuartas, a lactation consultant, says, “Motherhood is a roller coaster of emotions; when your baby is born, on the one hand, you are happy, but you are also haunted by the thoughts that you will no longer be the same”.

People tell you, “You became a mother; your baby is healthy. Why are you crying? Why are you not happy? Why do you miss your old life? You feel like you are in a stadium, and all the lights are pointed at you; in the event of any failure, they point you out. It is a process that very few of us talk about, but it is very important to speak about it; motherhood is a roller coaster, full of emotions”.

Ani says that the love for your child is “the greatest you can feel on the planet”, but becoming a mother implies a reorganization of your activities and that your life will never be the same.

“These are normal things that happen to us due to hormonal change and due to grief, although the word sounds ugly. It is grief because our old self dies and a new self begins… Seeing your child be born, holding him in your arms is the most divine thing that can happen to you as a woman, but you do go through many hormonal, physical, and psychological changes”.

Motherhood can arouse mixed feelings. Photo: Shutterstock

What is postpartum depression?

It is a severe affective mental disorder. Its main symptoms are sadness, high levels of tiredness, sleep disorders, and high cortisol levels, details the World Health Organization (WHO).

Postpartum depression is more common than you think; 1 in 7 women go through it during the first year of their child’s life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, while in Mexico, it is estimated that 23% of women mothers suffer from it, reveal data from the National Institute of Public Health (INSP).

Remember that postpartum depression is not a sign of weakness or being a bad mother but is part of the change you go through when your baby is born.

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Causes

Although there is no single cause of postpartum depression, the Mayo Clinic discusses some contributing factors:

Physical changes: After your child’s birth, there is a drop in estrogen and progesterone levels. In addition, the decrease in hormones produced by the thyroid can lead to tiredness, laziness, and depression.
Emotional problems: When you have not slept and feel overwhelmed, it can be difficult for you to deal with everyday situations, making you doubt your ability to care for your newborn, along with feeling less attractive and losing your identity or control of your life can contribute to postpartum depression.

Hormonal changes and emotions contribute to postpartum depression. Photo: Pixabay

When should you ask for help?

Mayo Clinic recommends that if symptoms persist or take on these characteristics:

They don’t disappear after two weeks
The worsen
They make it difficult for you to take care of your baby
They make it difficult for you to complete your everyday tasks
They include thoughts about hurting yourself or your baby

It would help if you went to a specialist for proper treatment.

Translated by: Ligia Mabel Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version

Postpartum sex: When can you have intercourse?

Posted on 15/02/2022 - 12:34 by Astrid Rivera Reynoso

Pregnancy involves a physical and mental transformation. For nine months, your body adapts to give life, undergoes a series of changes that do not end by giving birth, and your relationship is no exception. Returning to your activities after the baby is born includes intimacy: What is postpartum sex like?

Both you and your partner must be aware of the significant change that your body went through. The fatigue involved not only in giving birth but also in adjusting the entire dynamics of the home before the arrival of a new member and the physical wear and tear that entails bringing life into the world. Therefore, both must have patience and support each other to find those spaces to connect.

The first 40 days after childbirth, either by delivery or C-section, are called the puerperium. During this period, the woman’s body progressively recovers the characteristics it had before pregnancy, explains the World Health Organization (WHO).

At this stage, there is abundant bleeding called lochia, in addition to colic, a symptom that the uterus is returning to its original size. Beyond these physical changes, you are faced with many other factors that alter all aspects of life, including your sexuality.

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The baby’s arrival implies many changes in which sexuality will be affected. Photo: Pixabay

Postpartum sex

After six weeks of giving birth, women can have sexual relations again, according to the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS); however, several factors can complicate this aspect, such as: having had complications in childbirth, if there was a tear that needs surgery or, the lack of sexual desire.

Mayo Clinic recommends that women set their times according to their physical and emotional state. Resuming sexual relations can be a longer and more complex process involving hormonal and emotional factors.

“The risk of complications after childbirth is higher during the first two weeks. Waiting will also give your body time to heal. In addition to postpartum discharge and vaginal tears, you may experience fatigue, vaginal dryness, pain, and low sex drive. If you had a vaginal tear that required surgical repair, you might have to wait longer”.

Psychologist Soledad Sánchez from the Chilean Institute of Reproductive Medicine explains that postpartum can be a difficult period in the relationship, which requires adjustments in the couple and a lot of mutual understanding.

“Many times, couples try to restart their sexual life as if nothing had happened, unaware of the changes, the gap between them, and the need to seek a new form of relationship or a new balance. For this reason, it is necessary to dedicate some time to the subject and support the couple”.

The physical and emotional changes after childbirth can make intimacy as a couple difficult. Photo: Shutterstock

Is it going to hurt?

One of the main obstacles that many women experience when resuming intimacy is the fear of pain. The research Recovery of sexual activity after childbirth, published in the scientific-health journal SANUM from Spain, points out that concern about the state of the genitals after childbirth is another factor that makes it difficult to resume sexual life.

When facing the emotional sequelae, “After childbirth, the good quality of the couple’s relationship is essential for the emotional stabilization of the new mother”, details the study led by Manuela Velázquez Barrios, a specialist nurse in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Virgen del Rocío Hospital.

“It is necessary for the emotional stabilization of women, to share tasks, and that the couple does not feel displaced. It makes it easier to have common time for the approach and the resurgence of the desire for intimacy, tenderness, and sexual relations”.

Hormonal changes, especially if you are breastfeeding, can make it difficult for the vagina to lubricate and thus lead to difficulty and discomfort during intercourse. You may experience some pain during sex if you are healing from an episiotomy or perineal tears.

Tips to get back to intimacy

To regain intimacy after childbirth, Mayo Clinic recommends:

Try to ease the pain: Take a hot bath or take an over-the-counter pain reliever; if you feel burning, you can apply ice wrapped in a towel to the area.
Use lubricant: Preferably water-based to remedy vaginal dryness. This can be helpful if you have vaginal dryness.
Be creative: Let your imagination run wild to create intimacy; try alternatives to sex. Both of you need to communicate about what makes you feel good.
Quality time: Find some time to spend as a couple, do something together that you like, and forget about stress.
Consult your doctor: If sex continues to be painful, see your doctor for an evaluation and appropriate treatment.

Find times for you and your partner to connect. Photo: Pixabay

Pelvic floor: how to exercise it?

It is the set of muscles and ligaments that surround the abdominal cavity and support the bladder, urethra, uterus, vagina, and rectum; it is normal for these muscles to be affected by the weight we carry during pregnancy.

This muscular structure is essential for various body functions, including sexual function. The AtempoCare Organization points out that a pelvic floor causes us to have less sensation in intimacy and that orgasm is more difficult to achieve.

Given this, the institution recommends going to a specialized physiotherapist to tell you the state of your pelvic floor and the exercises to strengthen it. The recovery of this set of muscles is easier during the postpartum period and up to two years after giving birth.

Inmaculada Santos García, a physiotherapist and member of Top Doctors Spain, comments that hypopressive and Kegel exercises are beneficial for the recovery of this area; she highlights the importance of going to a professional and performing these routines with supervision to avoid injuries.

Hypopressive and Kegel exercises help recover pelvic pain. Photo: Pixabay

Do not forget that your body has just given birth and needs time to recover. Talk to your partner, together will find a way to resume intimacy.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version: here

Making a Milk Bank, the quick guide

Posted on 19/07/2021 - 13:30 by José Ángel Araujo

A milk bank is not only useful for moms who are going back to the office. It is also for those who want to go out for exercising, spending a day away from home or must take a medicine that is not compatible with breastfeeding.

Ideally, you should start form three weeks to a month before you need it, so your body get used to the feeling of pumping milk with a pump, and your production gradually increases.

It is normal that, at the beginning, only little milk comes out, even less than 30 ml (one ounce), but over the time, thanks to the stimulation of your baby and the extractor, you will be producing more.

What do you need in a milk bank?

A manual or electric milk extractor. If it is for your office, I recommend a double and electric milk pump, so the extraction will be faster and you can do it on both breasts simultaneously. These extractors usually include a useful thermal box lunch for storing and transporting your milk.

Double and electric milk pump extractors are ideal for the office because they’re faster than manual ones.

Hermetic bags or bottles for storing the milk.

A permanent marker.

A lactarium. Every woman has the right to have a clean and private space to pump her milk at workplace.

A fridge. Ideally in the office, but if there is not one, you must put your milk in the thermal box lunch and storage it in the freezer as soon as you get home.

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How to do a milk bank?

Prepare the atmosphere. Choose a quiet place with a comfortable chair where you can stay for about 20 minutes. Ask someone to take care of your baby or do it while your kid is sleeping, so you can be relaxed.

Watch the hygiene. Always wash your hands and be sure that the extractor and the containers are clean.

Take out your milk between breast-feeding schedules. Do it after your baby has eaten so it won’t be hungry. A good timing is 30-60 minutes after the first intake in the morning. As the days go by, you should integrate more extraction sessions. It could be after the midday intake and at the end of the day.

Calculate how much milk you will need. Between one month and six months of age, a baby consumes about 25 ounces (30 ounces from 7 to 11 months) on average. Count how many times your baby eats over 24 hours and divide 25 ounces by that amount. For example, if your child eats 10 times in 24 hours, divide 25 by 10 and you will know that each feeding bottle you will need must have 2.5 ounces on average. Now calculate how many intakes your baby will have in the period you’ll be away from home and you’ll know how many ounces you’ll need to leave.

Freeze you milk. Once you have your milk in a bottle or a bag, write down the date and time of extraction with a marker. Try to freeze it in small quantities (one or two ounces) to avoid waste. Store it in the bottom of the freezer.

Defrost the one you froze first. The easiest way is to put the milk in the refrigerator the night before you’ll use it. You can also put the bag or bottle in a bowl with warm water or under running warm water. Avoid putting it in bain-marie or microwave because that could kill milk nutrients or burn your baby.

Basic rules of consumption

If you defrost, you shouldn’t freeze again. According to “The League of the Milk”, refreezing breast milk can cause nutrient breakdown and increases the risk of bacterial proliferation. If your baby doesn’t finish a defrosted bottle, you can give it to it in the next scheduled meal.

Milk lasts for three to five hours at room temperature, depending on the weather (the more heat, the faster it decomposes).

Freshly extracted milk can last for three to five days in the fridge at an ideal temperature of 4°C.

Frozen milk can last up to 6 months; however, it is not recommended to freeze it for so long because breast milk properties change as your baby grows.

It is normal that at first you get very little milk, but little by little, and thanks to your baby and the extractor stimulation, you will produce more.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version

We recommend you to read: How breasts change during pregnancy

What to eat and what to avoid if you are breastfeeding

Posted on 03/05/2021 - 13:30 by Ligia Oliver

By: Nutritionist Raquel Pérez de León

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Most women can breastfeed without any problem; however, as in pregnancy, it is necessary to take care of your diet.

Feeding your baby on demand ensures that he gets everything he needs throughout the day to be healthy and grow well. This means that the volume of milk will not be affected by what you eat; yet, its composition can be altered.

So, if your dietary fat intake is deficient, the concentration of fatty acids in milk will also be low. And the same happens with some minerals such as selenium and iodine, vitamins A, D and B complex. In general, the content of carbohydrates, proteins, calcium and iron is quite constant regardless of the mother’s diet.

According to the Official Mexican Standard 043:

A complete diet is one that includes all nutrients. To achieve this, it is important to include in each meal, at least one food from each group of the Plato del buen comer (Plate of Eating Well):

Fruits and vegetables. All kinds and fresh ones. Remember to vary the colors, as each color of fruit or vegetable provides different vitamins and minerals.

Legumes and foods of animal origin. This includes high-quality proteins, such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs and legumes (beans, broad beans, lentils, chickpeas).

Avoid refined flours and opt for healthier carbohydrates such as brown rice, corn tortillas, oatmeal and whole wheat bread.

Fats are also important. Do not forget to include them in your diet, especially vegetables: avocado, olive oil, almonds, peanuts and walnuts.

Experts from the Mayo Clinic recommend a diet that is as varied as possible, since the consumption of different foods during breastfeeding will change the taste of breast milk but, this will teach your baby different tastes, which can help him accept solid foods more easily later on.

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Avoid These Foods While Breastfeeding

A cup of coffee a day may be safe; however caffeine can pass into breast milk and if you drink more than two or three cups, your little one could have trouble sleeping.

No level of alcohol is considered healthy for your baby. If you happen to drink any alcoholic beverage, you would have to wait at least four hours. If you don’t let that time pass, the alcohol in your blood will pass into your breast milk.

You should only avoid the one that contains high concentrations of mercury, especially swordfish, tilefish, shark and mackerel, as they can be dangerous for the development of the baby.

Adequate energy intake and a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and animal products help ensure that women face pregnancy and lactation without deficiencies.

Spanish Association of Pediatrics

Water, vitamins and minerals

Water represents between 85 and 95% of the total volume of breast milk. Studies have shown that forcing fluid intake will not increase milk production. Of course, you will be thirstier and you will need to drink more water than before: around three liters a day.

It is important that you know that even if you take care of your diet, it is very difficult to meet all the vitamin and mineral requirements for your health and your baby’s.

It is best to continue with the multivitamin that you have taken during pregnancy. Consult it with your doctor, but remember that this will only be to complement your diet; you must eat varied, adequately and balanced.

Get down to it and recover your weight

Did you know that to produce 100 ml of milk you need 85 kilocalories? During pregnancy your body accumulated extra fat reserves, which will serve as energy for this new stage.

If you eat right, breastfeeding can help you recover your weight. A healthy woman can lose up to a pound a week and, in turn, supply enough milk to support a growing baby. If you submit to rigorous diets, the only thing you will achieve is that your body has no energy and you stop lactating.

Now you know, focus on making healthy decisions and eating a complete, sufficient, balanced and varied diet.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version: Here

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Postpartum temazcal: an ancestral tradition

Posted on 07/04/2021 - 14:40 by Ligia Oliver

The postpartum temazcal is a Mexican ancestral tradition that exists in different cultures since pre-Hispanic times and has been passed down from generation to generation. According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), this word is of Nahuatl origin –temazcalli– and means “low adobe house where steam baths are taken”.

Currently, although the structural way of performing it has changed, this ritual continues to be carried out in many regions of our country. Women, mainly grandmothers, mothers-in-law, sisters or aunts, are the ones who have been in charge of the postpartum temazcal. “Those are the ones who transmit and pass this ritual from generation to generation”, says María Dolores Sangrador Melchor, a member of the Nanabi women’s cooperative.

The temazcal is a traditional ceremonial and therapeutic steam bath from Mesoamerica. Its origin is pre-Hispanic. It was used by women in labor after giving birth. The purpose: physical and symbolic cleaning.

“The temazcal in the traditional culture of health and Mesoamerican ethnomedicine”, Alfonso Aparicio Mena, Gazeta de Antropología.

A pre-Hispanic ceremony

María Dolores, an herbalist from Tlaxcala, has been performing this ceremony for 15 years. This ritual is inherited from her ancestors, “Doing a postpartum temazcal in a traditional way is a lesson I received from my tribe to celebrate and accompany the woman who becomes a mother and help her find balance”.

In her family, when a woman had given birth, the temazcal was held the day after the birth of the baby. The mother of the new mother went to the mountains to look for the herbs and the man lit the temazcal. A hen was also killed to prepare a broth and serve it hot to the new mom.

In María Dolores’s experience, “The postpartum temazcal helps “the milk let-down” and to remove air bags, as well as to balance the temperature of the woman, detoxify the body and dispose of the residues of some medications that have been used during labor”. Also “the hip bones close and the uterus gradually takes its place”.

Alcina Franch, in her book about the Aztecs, underlines the importance of the temazcal bath after childbirth, “Through the ritual bath, the body and spirit of the woman in labor were cleaned”.

A shelter among women

The great-great-grandmothers, great-grandmothers, grandmothers and mothers, made the postpartum temazcal with the purpose of accompanying the great-granddaughter, granddaughter, daughter or niece, “So that she recognized herself as a mother, was more aware of her motherhood and could enjoy it”, says Leticia Rodríguez Serrano, midwife from the School of Professional Midwives with a Professional Certificate.

She adds that this bath also has the purpose of listening to the woman, the partner, the older children, if there were any. The temazcal can be private, with the family or shared with other women.

“The postpartum temazcal is to give support to women. A support for that new mother who does not know what to do and who feels pain: pain in her body, in her breasts, in her soul”.

Leticia Rodriguez, midwife.

The temazcal offers warmth in all senses: to the uterus and to the body, but also it is a shelter for women: “Listening to them and providing them with support is empowering them to have self-confidence and to be able to have an organic upbringing of the baby”, says the expert, who belongs to the group of midwives and perinatal educators of Ticime Midwives.

How is it done?

The traditional postpartum temazcal is made in a small room and, at a corner, some water is poured over heated volcanic stones causing steam come out. This can be adapted and done at the woman’s home, eight or fifteen days after having the baby. Or, after quarantine.

The only requirement is that, if she had a C-section, she no longer has the stitches. Likewise, a preliminary interview is done to find out if she has high blood pressure or glucose, or some other illness.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish Version

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