Having a baby is a pretty big deal.
It’s hard emotionally and physically. Because so many women are basically superheroes, some people really don’t understand how hard labor can be on the body. Women tend to want to jump right back into their normal lives after giving birth and can’t wait to start taking care of their babies.
This can make it look like the process as no big deal.
The truth is, it is a big deal and there’s a reason why doctors stress to new mothers that they need to rest and give their bodies time to recover after delivery. One woman recently shared a post on a Facebook group that shows exactly why rest is so important.
She posted:
“22cm or 8.6 inches. That is the exact diameter of a paper plate, AKA the fine china in our house. It is also the average diameter of a placenta. After a baby is born, mothers are told to take it easy for at least 4-6 weeks. There are good reasons for that! One of those reasons is that after the baby is born, mothers are left with a wound on the inside of their uterus where the placenta was attached. That wound will take at least 4-6 weeks to completely heal. During that time, they are still susceptible to infection and hemorrhaging. Even if they have a complication-free vaginal delivery and feel okay, they will still need to take care of themselves and not overdo it for those first several weeks postpartum. To those mothers, rest! To their husbands, partners, parents, in-laws, friends – let them rest! Help out as much as you can and don’t let them overdo it!
“As the saying goes ‘one week in bed, one week around the bed, and 2 weeks around the house.’”
Of course, some people disagreed with her and said that moving around and returning back to a normal routine helps the body and mind heal.
She later went back to update her post to let everyone know that this was just her opinion and not medical advice. She added:
“Edited to add: I am not a medical professional. This is only meant to be common sense advice to take it easy. I do not mean for women to lay around for 4 weeks not moving at all. Listen to your body and take care of yourself! Talk to your doctor or midwife if you have any questions.”
Most people were impressed with her post, and many moms didn’t realize how much their bodies went through while trying to recover from giving birth.
They thanked her for her advice and support. A lot of women aren’t lucky enough to have a strong support system at home to help them when they get home from the hospital.
Having a supportive husband or even parents can make things much better for moms who already did all the hard work in the delivery room. If you have ever seen a mom waddling from the car to the front door with her new baby, you can tell she is sore.
Hopefully, more husbands, friends, and family members will read this post and realize how hard new moms have it.
Just maybe, it will motivate them to help a little more.
Moms should be able to rest and bond with their babies for at least a couple weeks. Dad can handle the laundry, dishes, and dinner for a few nights. It’s the least he can do after everything Mom did to bring the baby into the world. No mom will ever turn down an offer for help.
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22cm or 8.6 inches. That is the exact diameter of a paper plate, AKA the fine china in our house. It is also the average…
Posted by Labor of Love – Lancaster, PA on Thursday, March 15, 2018
