Vaginal Healing And Recovery After Birth

Stitches, Bleeding And Haemorrhoids - Vaginal Healing & Recovery After Birth

After a vaginal delivery, you probably wonder how long it takes for the perineum to heal and the soreness to go away. Recovery can take anywhere from 3 weeks to more than 6 weeks especially if you had a perineal tear. While the stitches will dissolve on their own in a few weeks, some burning and stinging is common. Read on for some tips to help you speed up the healing process.  

Healing tips for your noonie after birth:

• Take it easy on your body and give yourself permission to rest and restore.  As we normalise the need for rest, you make it more accessible for the next mother.
• Use the Cleanse and Soothe Perineal Spray to speed up the healing and make yourself feel better. Cleansing with Noonie's special no-touch formula during and after urinating keeps the area clean while maintaining skin's natural pH balance and calms any burning.
• Use the Cooling Maternity Padsicles for as long as you need to help ease any pain. These are specially made ultra-absorbent maternity pads with integrated instant cooling. Avoid making your own padsicles or using frozen ice packs for hygiene reasons.

Postpartum Bleeding

Postpartum bleeding, discharge and cramping are unavoidable post birth—even after a C-section. Right after delivery, your body will begin to shed blood and parts of the uterine lining called lochia. The bleeding and discharge are heaviest in the first few days following birth and usually diminish after 5 days with light discharge or clotting continuing for 4-6 weeks. (Discharge is typically lighter with C-sections). Check with your doctor or midwife if the bleeding does not substantially reduce after a few days.

You'll need maternity pads, as you don't want tampons or anything else bothering your bits whilst they heal. We recommend use cooling padsicles after birth. Our cooling maternity padsicles has the absorbency of a maternity pad and the added soothing feature of being COLD to speed up the healing time for your noonie and perineum. 

Abdominal cramping like period cramps can also be expected as your uterus shrinks back to normal size after delivery. You may notice the effects are more severe when breastfeeding with bub (our bodies are so smart, and the hormones released during breastfeeding help to contract the uterus back to its normal size).

Postpartum healing tips:
Get some mesh underwear (they often give out at hospitals and birthing centres) or some cheap comfy loose fitting underwear that you won't necessarily want to keep forever. You can also buy adult diapers if you're experiencing heavy bleeding those first few days. All of these options work great with the Noonie lightweight high-absorbency padsicles to help ease any discomfort and pain. Additionally, you won't need to sacrifice mobility. 

Frequent Peeing After Birth

Postpartum mums experience a frequent need to pee since the body has to shed excess fluid that's been built up during pregnancy. In fact, mild incontinence can also be expected, especially after a big sneeze or laugh. Show yourself some kindness and just giggle off any surprise pee moments.

Kegel exercises can help rebuild urination control and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. For the early postpartum period, please don't worry about anything other than rest and bonding with bub. Look at introducing some yoga or pilates to help re-stabilise your pelvis and core after the first 6 weeks. 

Postpartum Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids are swollen veins in your rectum or in the skin surrounding your anus. They’re usually caused by increased pressure on your lower rectum during pregnancy as the baby puts pressure on this area.

The healing tips we've gone through can help here. If you experience vaginal discomfort and pain, apply Noonie's Cleanse and Soothe Perineal Spray to soothe your bum and give it a no-touch thorough clean. The Spray is formulated to maintain skin's natural pH balance so use it can be used frequently and whenever you need relief.  The Tasmanian Pepperberry in the formula helps reduce the sensation of burning and should bringwelcome relief.

The postpartum period is life-changing and overwhelming but also exciting. After creating, nurturing, carrying and delivering a baby, your body will never be the same. This is absolutely not to say that it will be worse or less worthy or ruined or broken or whatever the negative stories we tell ourselves. Mama, it's just going to be different. Returning to yourself slowly and without judgement is vital. Return to yourself. Find who that new self is. Slowly. Without judgement. And most of all, don't forget to enjoy this special stage with your new baby.