Postpartum Recovery: Dedicate A Year To Get Well

Do you know how much time you need to dedicate to your postpartum recovery? According to a study carried out by the British University of Salford, you must allocate a year to recover. This research shows that, contrary to popular belief, overcoming the puerperium is not enough.

This means that 45 days or 6 weeks is not at all enough to get your body and mind ready after giving birth. After childbirth, there are many feelings and concerns that invade us. A new world is present in front of our eyes.

For this reason, Dr. Julie Wray dedicated herself to interviewing mothers who are in various stages. The conclusion? The standard payback period set is nothing more than a fantasy. Well, recovering from childbirth can take up to twelve months.

Postpartum recovery: what does it entail?

When one speaks of postpartum recovery, it is not only referring to the physical plane, but also to the mental one. For several months, there is pressure to be a good mother. This is, basically, understanding and correctly meeting the needs of the baby.

That is not all, because to this we must necessarily add other conditioning than anguish, and a lot. The need to return – prematurely – to work. Thus, as if nothing had happened in between. As if the physical, hormonal, emotional and life changes did not exist.

Science supports the position of mothers. The puerperium is not reduced to 40 days. Quarantine is not understood only as the recovery of the uterus. Postpartum is something else, it goes much further than this simplification of the event.

Between hormones and breastfeeding

The new mother needs time for her entire hormonal system to normalize. More especially – even more so if it is a new mother – it takes several months to adjust to motherhood. New rhythms, new habits and keeping an eye on a vulnerable baby 24 hours a day is no small thing.

Breastfeeding should also be considered part of the postpartum. In many cases it lasts for months, in most cases a year and in many others up to two years. For this reason, the woman lives a particular stage beyond the famous puerperium.

Hence this new scientific conception of the postpartum period follows. Certainly, women don’t just experience body changes. They are also exposed to a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, difficult to assimilate.

Of course, recovery after giving birth varies from woman to woman. Not all bodies or minds act or react in the same way. However, the reality is that it is difficult for a person to adapt to so much change in such a short period of time.

Certainly, it is not easy to heal the body and balance the feelings in front of a new being. That new being that, in turn, is accompanied by a new body and a new reality. That new mother will also have to face her new role as a woman, and as a mother.

The plus of postpartum recovery: physical changes

There are several physical changes that occur during the period known as postpartum recovery. These can be the following:

• Normalization of the abdominal area.
• Pelvic floor recovery.
• Swelling.
• Cellulitis.
• Bleedings
• Tiredness.
• Constant aches or pains.

As you can see, there is little to deal with after giving life. Therefore, the discovery of the University of Salford (England) does not sound unreasonable. Clearly, postpartum is a complex process to overcome to get around so quickly.

Therefore, mother, do not worry if you feel that time passes and your body or mind still does not feel optimal. Respect your times and do not rush. Enjoy your child and try to recover in the best way. For your son, for your family, but above all for you.